2008 Cubs Picks Thread

[UK1679666180]

At his listed height of 5-foot-8 (some say he is actually closer to 5-6), Harrison would appear best suited to play either second base or center field, positions where speed is more of a premium. But Harrison has spent a significant part of his college and summer league career to date at third base and in left field. As a sophomore, he hit .321-9-56 with 21 stolen bases. He played the bulk of last summer in the Cape Cod League at third base, a power position—and more than held his own there. He showed surprising juice in his little frame and sufficient arm strength from that side of the diamond to not look out of place. He has settled in at shortstop this spring at Cincinnati. Harrison will be an above-average base stealer, no matter where he plays, and stole 14 bags last summer on the Cape while batting .264-2-13. He has the instincts to play center field and the hands for second base—and it may just be a matter of which team drafts him next June before it’s determined which position he’ll settle in at in the future.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Harrison started slowly this season, both at the plate and in the field, and was eventually moved to second base from shortstop. More comfortable at second and with tools that are better suited for that position, he settled in there defensively and began swinging the bat with more authority. He ended up leading the Bearcats with a .378 average and 66 runs, while hitting five homers and stealing 32 bases. Harrison has fringy tools but has always been more about being a baseball player than an athlete. He has an excellent feel for how to play the game in all phases, but there are concerns about his overall hitting ability and raw speed, and where he’ll wind up defensively

[RammyFanny]

Wow, I nailed the Bristow pick. I mentioned him like two months ago as a likely pick because he's from Virginia and the Cubs considered him in 2005. His college career has been pretty blah though.

 

I don't like this draft. Every draft day people on here bend over backwards to paint a shiny, happy picture and the following years we end up surprised when we have a lump of coal.

 

You compare these picks to all the prospect lists, they all look like reaches and there are always better guys on the board when they picked. Using your first pick on a closer is stupid. This "He'll be helping us in September" crap they use to brainwash people never pans out, I didn't Casey Weathers helping the Rockies in September, so forth.

 

And nobody ever try and defend Wilken using that 2004 Rays draft crap again. It's obvious that was Tampa, not Wilken, this guy doesn't draft high schoolers. It was the Rays who grabbed guys like Jake McGee, Wilken is a Blue Jay through and through, nothing but a lot of blah college guys or injured college guys. Cerda looks like a nothing guy, Flaherty not much better.

 

It's not as bad as it could've been. Huzzah.

All of them? Really?

[badnews]

At his listed height of 5-foot-8 (some say he is actually closer to 5-6), Harrison would appear best suited to play either second base or center field, positions where speed is more of a premium. But Harrison has spent a significant part of his college and summer league career to date at third base and in left field. As a sophomore, he hit .321-9-56 with 21 stolen bases. He played the bulk of last summer in the Cape Cod League at third base, a power position—and more than held his own there. He showed surprising juice in his little frame and sufficient arm strength from that side of the diamond to not look out of place. He has settled in at shortstop this spring at Cincinnati. Harrison will be an above-average base stealer, no matter where he plays, and stole 14 bags last summer on the Cape while batting .264-2-13. He has the instincts to play center field and the hands for second base—and it may just be a matter of which team drafts him next June before it’s determined which position he’ll settle in at in the future.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Harrison started slowly this season, both at the plate and in the field, and was eventually moved to second base from shortstop. More comfortable at second and with tools that are better suited for that position, he settled in there defensively and began swinging the bat with more authority. He ended up leading the Bearcats with a .378 average and 66 runs, while hitting five homers and stealing 32 bases. Harrison has fringy tools but has always been more about being a baseball player than an athlete. He has an excellent feel for how to play the game in all phases, but there are concerns about his overall hitting ability and raw speed, and where he’ll wind up defensively

 

I don't get it. Where are the assets to this guy?

[badnews]

No. I'm just being frustrated. I can already see 2007 all over again where we sit around and try and convince each other that Darwin Barney is a fine pick for where he was drafted, etc. etc.

[delroy lindo]

Wow, I nailed the Bristow pick. I mentioned him like two months ago as a likely pick because he's from Virginia and the Cubs considered him in 2005. His college career has been pretty blah though.

 

I don't like this draft. Every draft day people on here bend over backwards to paint a shiny, happy picture and the following years we end up surprised when we have a lump of coal.

 

You compare these picks to all the prospect lists, they all look like reaches and there are always better guys on the board when they picked. Using your first pick on a closer is stupid. This "He'll be helping us in September" crap they use to brainwash people never pans out, I didn't Casey Weathers helping the Rockies in September, so forth.

 

And nobody ever try and defend Wilken using that 2004 Rays draft crap again. It's obvious that was Tampa, not Wilken, this guy doesn't draft high schoolers. It was the Rays who grabbed guys like Jake McGee, Wilken is a Blue Jay through and through, nothing but a lot of blah college guys or injured college guys. Cerda looks like a nothing guy, Flaherty not much better.

 

It's not as bad as it could've been. Huzzah.

:lol:

[badnews]

A lot of teams made some head-scratching moves so we're not alone.

 

I don't see other teams governed almost solely by idiosyncracies though. This is what the war room sounds like: "LISTEN UP PEOPLE. WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO DRAFT A PLAYER FROM VIRGINIA EACH YEAR." I don't think any time drafts highly as much in a few select southeastern states as the Cubs do, and it wouldn't surprise me if we drafted the fewest guys out west or in Texas highly. It's like 90% of this is Florida, Virginia, and some Midwest.

 

And now the Cubs will take a high school pitcher in either the 11th or 12th rounds like they are required by law too.

[RammyFanny]

No. I'm just being frustrated. I can already see 2007 all over again where we sit around and try and convince each other that Darwin Barney is a fine pick for where he was drafted, etc. etc.

I'm not super high on any of the infielders, but there's a legit reason to get somewhat excited about Cashner/Shafer/Carpenter. Shafer was a potential top ten pick the year before, Carpenter dropped because of injuries but was healthy last year and threw in the upper 90's. Not too shabby for the pitching IMO. Wilkin is already hinting they are open to Cashner starting, a high 90's heater and plus slider are a pretty good combo to work with.

Edited June 6, 2008 by RammyFanny

[Guest]

Kevin Goldstein (5:47:16 PM PT): Stephen (Louisville): For the Cubs, does Cashner = Marmol insurance?

 

Unsure. They might just try to start him.

[treyZz]

Wow, I nailed the Bristow pick. I mentioned him like two months ago as a likely pick because he's from Virginia and the Cubs considered him in 2005. His college career has been pretty blah though.

 

I don't like this draft. Every draft day people on here bend over backwards to paint a shiny, happy picture and the following years we end up surprised when we have a lump of coal.

 

You compare these picks to all the prospect lists, they all look like reaches and there are always better guys on the board when they picked. Using your first pick on a closer is stupid. This "He'll be helping us in September" crap they use to brainwash people never pans out, I didn't Casey Weathers helping the Rockies in September, so forth.

 

And nobody ever try and defend Wilken using that 2004 Rays draft crap again. It's obvious that was Tampa, not Wilken, this guy doesn't draft high schoolers. It was the Rays who grabbed guys like Jake McGee, Wilken is a Blue Jay through and through, nothing but a lot of blah college guys or injured college guys. Cerda looks like a nothing guy, Flaherty not much better.

 

It's not as bad as it could've been. Huzzah.

:lol:

 

His post is pretty dead-on.

 

Although, I do like the Carpenter, & Shaffer picks. The rest are pretty bad. I could have lived with the Cashner pick had we decided to use our other picks better on position players with some sort of upside.

 

Wilken is very over-rated. In case you have not noticed our farm system is crap and none of Wilken's selections have really shown any promise besides Tony Thomas who is a hack at second base.

 

One of the few bright spots in last years class was Donaldson who is hitting .194 this season.. Great draft Timmy!

[RammyFanny]

Brewerfan.net's profile on our guys:

Big-bodied right-handed pitcher has soared up draft charts this year as he has flourished as TCU’s closer. He was a starter a year ago for Angelina (TX) junior college, and some teams may consider developing him as a starter at the pro level. His fastball is his best pitch, with a loose delivery and overall arm action that allows him to throw in the mid-to-upper 90s with ease. His slider has also been a dominant pitch when used in short stints, with nasty two-plane break and mid-80s velocity. If he continues to be developed as a reliever, he could move quickly, as his fastball alone could allow him to have success at the big-league level right now.

Carpenter was soaring up draft charts at this time last year when he was throwing easy mid-90s heat with the ability to reach the upper-90s on occasion. He has a big, athletic frame, and looks as though he’s playing catch when he’s dialing up his fastball. He fell to the 18th round last year to the Yankees since teams were a little weary of his medical history, as he had Tommy John surgery during his freshman year, more exploratory surgery in 2006 and missed most of last summer due to a tired arm. A team willing to take a chance on Carpenter’s power arm could land a steal, as he also throws a very sharp curveball and an improving changeup.

Shafer didn't pitch as well during his sophomore year as he did during his freshman year, and because of that his prospect status has dipped a little, as he was quickly annointed one of the top projected college prospects available for the '08 draft almost two years ago now. Those struggles continued into the summer of 2008 while pitching on the Cape, as his velocity still was not in the low-90s with considerable sink as it was his during his college debut with Wichita State. At his best he is a prototypical sinker-slider pitcher whose best pitch is actually a changeup, and if nothing else he has proven that he can continue to pitch effectively even when he doesn't have his best stuff. He has very good size that should allow him to sustain the riggors of starting every fifth day. He has the potential to soar back up to become a legitimate first-round pick, but his velocity will likely need to return to form this spring.

[badnews]

The pitchers look better than the mess of infielders and Carpenter isn't a horrible pick but that's a lot of injury risk. Schafer sounds vaguely (not the arm injury) like Huseby without the pile of cash. I think I would've liked a guy like Tyler Sample in that spot better. The Flaherty pick is particularly vexing considering what was on the board there. Flaherty - not going to stay at shortstop and strikes out a boatload, we've been here before.

[salukifudd]

badnews bringing, well......the bad news.

[badnews]

Wilken is overrated. He's the Dusty Baker of scouting directors - he had success ten years ago so everyone wants to cut him a break today.

 

Looking at his drafts it looks obvious to me that you can't give this guy credit for the Rays 2004 draft like people have attempted to do. The fact that he tried to sell Tyler Colvin as the next Alex Rios raised my doubts and since then there's been nothing to assuage them.

 

However if the 11th/12th round high school pitcher turns out to be Melville and they sign him I will be feeling more charitable.

 

In years past though there have been teams whose drafts I've agreed with nearly across the board at this point, often the Indians or Diamondbacks, so far I'm not seeing that team.

Edited June 6, 2008 by badnews

[CubColtPacer]

Wilken is overrated. He's the Dusty Baker of scouting directors - he had success ten years ago so everyone wants to cut him a break today.

 

Looking at his drafts it looks obvious to me that you can't give this guy credit for the Rays 2004 draft like people have attempted to do. The fact that he tried to sell Tyler Colvin as the next Alex Rios raised my doubts and since then there's been nothing to assuage them.

 

However if the 11th/12th round high school pitcher turns out to be Melville and they sign him I will be feeling more charitable.

 

Melville was taken by the Royals.

[RammyFanny]

Heh, here's brewerfan's take on our pick:

Cubs fans are not happy about their draft pick of Cashner.

What don't they like about him? I think he has some good potential, 6-6 guy, fastball in the upper 90's. More than likely he will be a relief guy but I do not think he is anyone to be upset about. I think Cubs fans just like to complain.

I think it's mainly the uniformed nsbb fans that are upset. They can't believe that a relief pitcher would be the BPA.

[treyZz]

Wilken is overrated. He's the Dusty Baker of scouting directors - he had success ten years ago so everyone wants to cut him a break today.

 

Looking at his drafts it looks obvious to me that you can't give this guy credit for the Rays 2004 draft like people have attempted to do. The fact that he tried to sell Tyler Colvin as the next Alex Rios raised my doubts and since then there's been nothing to assuage them.

 

However if the 11th/12th round high school pitcher turns out to be Melville and they sign him I will be feeling more charitable.

 

In years past though there have been teams whose drafts I've agreed with nearly across the board at this point, often the Indians or Diamondbacks, so far I'm not seeing that team.

 

Look at what the Royals did today.

[UK1679666180]

Drafts are better off being graded 3-4 years after they occur.

[Brett]

I hope some of you are preparing your resumes to send to the Cubs scouting department.

 

Look, I'm not one of those all-things-Cubs apologists, but good God. Can we let these KIDS play a game or two before deciding they aren't worth the paper their first professional contracts will be signed on?

[badnews]

Tell Brewerfan if they like our pick so much I'd gladly swap the Cubs' first two picks with the Brewers'. I like how they're boasting about the sexiness of reliever picks and call NSBB guys "uninformed."

 

People don't seem to understand that you see nobodies become awesome relievers a lot more often than you see nobodies become Hanley Ramirezes, or that an awesome reliever contributes less than a position player or a starter, or that it's usually easier to convert a failed starter into a reliever than vice versa.

 

I didn't see the Royals grab Melville. But let's see - Hosmer, and look at those three arms, Melville, Sample, and Montgomery, wow. Good point. Impact.

[badnews]

I hope some of you are preparing your resumes to send to the Cubs scouting department.

 

Look, I'm not one of those all-things-Cubs apologists, but good God. Can we let these KIDS play a game or two before deciding they aren't worth the paper their first professional contracts will be signed on?

 

That's more of a pertinent dig when a lot of posters on here don't have a better track record in the past few years than Hendry and Co.

 

Also, I don't like that attack because it doesn't make sense to me. It's like saying you have to be a 5 star chef to know a bad meal when you eat one.

 

People dug up this tired old line about Colvin over Snider, about Samardzija, Huseby instead of Latos or Walden or Lars Anderson, endlessly, and the NSBB guys usually hold their own pretty well against Hendry and his cronies. At least people on NSBB are open to *GASP* a draft that does not include a single player from Virginia. I guess that is part of Jim Hendry's contract with the devil or something, who knows.

 

I didn't say this was the worst draft ever. But it's a lot of what we've come to expect from the Cubs - draft day comes and you envy over some other club. I'd like to see the Cubs try and recoup Cashner's value as a starter, though.

[badnews]

Drafts are better off being graded 3-4 years after they occur.

 

I don't understand why people say this. Why do we come to this message board and discuss things then? Let's no one on here go any more out on a limb than "Let's wait and see" and then shut down the board.

 

What's wrong with posting your first impressions? When the Cubs make a pick I like, I'm excited by it. When they don't, I'll complain. I was under the impression that is what sports message boards are for.

[UK1679666180]

People are here saying Wilken sucks and what not (based on what two years), I've given my opinion on each of the kids. I haven't said it's a horrible draft or what not b/c there are still plenty of picks left in rounds that usually separate avg. drafts and very good ones.

 

People were dancing in the street with the '02 draft w/all those high ceiling arms, unfort. it ended up as one of the worst.

[RynoRules]

Drafts are better off being graded 3-4 years after they occur.

 

I don't understand why people say this. Why do we come to this message board and discuss things then? Let's no one on here go any more out on a limb than "Let's wait and see" and then shut down the board.

 

What's wrong with posting your first impressions? When the Cubs make a pick I like, I'm excited by it. When they don't, I'll complain. I was under the impression that is what sports message boards are for.

 

He's not telling you not to post, he's telling you to hold your water and see how these guys actually perform. His opinion is every bit as valid as yours.

[badnews]

How many years before we're allowed to object to Wilken then?

 

Even if the draft picks don't work out, I think you can still make picks that, at the time, seem exciting, reasonable, and logical. Obviously you want things to work out. But I see it like this, if the Mets Kazmir for Victor Zambrano trade had actually worked out for the Mets, I'd still think it looked stupid at the time because logically it was. Sometimes illogical moves work and logical ones don't. We're supposed to believe Kenny Williams is an unconventional genius because trading Carlos Lee for Podsednik "brought the team a World Series victory." That trade still looks like an ugly one I wouldn't be quick to repeat.

 

I judge the drafts on how they look at the time with the information we know. There's really no point to judging them after the book has been written on the players drafted - we all know then.

 

Anyway, any high ceiling high school pitchers we could take for our annual 11th/12th round high school pitcher pick? Whatever happened with Daniel Webb? Maybe the Cubs will (ha) back a dump truck full of money up to Alex Meyer's house?

[badnews]

Drafts are better off being graded 3-4 years after they occur.

 

I don't understand why people say this. Why do we come to this message board and discuss things then? Let's no one on here go any more out on a limb than "Let's wait and see" and then shut down the board.

 

What's wrong with posting your first impressions? When the Cubs make a pick I like, I'm excited by it. When they don't, I'll complain. I was under the impression that is what sports message boards are for.

 

He's not telling you not to post, he's telling you to hold your water and see how these guys actually perform. His opinion is every bit as valid as yours.

 

"Hold your water?" Nice. His opinions are fine. I just don't like the milquetoast bland "wait and see" attitude about everything. Nothing wrong with posting your first impressions instead of playing it safe all the time.