2009 Draft Discussion Thread

[illiniguy]

I keep reading that the Tigers will take Turner if he's there for them. That sucks. Would like to be able to add him.

[CUBZ99]

Whatever happened to that pitcher the Cubs drafted in the 26th or so round? I think his name was Sonny Gray ?

 

Sonny decided to bypass the early entry to the majors, and he is now playing for Vanderbilt University. He will be a stud in a year or two, expect first round implications out of this kid.

 

So because he didn't sign last year, he is not eligible to be drafted this year?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Whatever happened to that pitcher the Cubs drafted in the 26th or so round? I think his name was Sonny Gray ?

 

Sonny decided to bypass the early entry to the majors, and he is now playing for Vanderbilt University. He will be a stud in a year or two, expect first round implications out of this kid.

 

So because he didn't sign last year, he is not eligible to be drafted this year?

 

Yes. As a HS Senior, you have to sign or wait 3 years(in some cases 2).

[Outshined_One]

I keep reading that the Tigers will take Turner if he's there for them. That sucks. Would like to be able to add him.

 

Agreed, but there's nothing the Cubs can really do about it. It's not like the whole Porcello situation two years ago where the Cubs passed on him.

 

Two things really annoy me about this draft, the more I think about it. First, this is a really weak draft in terms of college position players, especially where the Cubs will be picking. The more I learn about guys like Brett Jackson, Tim Wheeler, and AJ Pollock, the more leery I become of them. Second, the Cubs have a strongly established history under Wilken of avoiding high school picks with their high draft picks. This is particularly annoying, considering there should be some decent HS pitchers and position players where the Cubs will be picking.

 

So, in other words, my realistic hope is that the Cubs target college pitching. Someone like Baylor LHP/OF Aaron Miller or Texas A&M RHP Alex Wilson would make a lot of sense, given the Cubs' tendencies.

[Guest]

Whatever happened to that pitcher the Cubs drafted in the 26th or so round? I think his name was Sonny Gray ?

 

Sonny decided to bypass the early entry to the majors, and he is now playing for Vanderbilt University. He will be a stud in a year or two, expect first round implications out of this kid.

 

So because he didn't sign last year, he is not eligible to be drafted this year?

 

Yes. As a HS Senior, you have to sign or wait 3 years(in some cases 2).

 

What are the cases for only two years? I knew about waiting three but hadn't heard about two.

[CUBZ99]

Whatever happened to that pitcher the Cubs drafted in the 26th or so round? I think his name was Sonny Gray ?

 

Sonny decided to bypass the early entry to the majors, and he is now playing for Vanderbilt University. He will be a stud in a year or two, expect first round implications out of this kid.

 

So because he didn't sign last year, he is not eligible to be drafted this year?

 

Yes. As a HS Senior, you have to sign or wait 3 years(in some cases 2).

 

Thanks for clearing that up. :D Too bad they couldn't get him signed last year.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Whatever happened to that pitcher the Cubs drafted in the 26th or so round? I think his name was Sonny Gray ?

 

Sonny decided to bypass the early entry to the majors, and he is now playing for Vanderbilt University. He will be a stud in a year or two, expect first round implications out of this kid.

 

So because he didn't sign last year, he is not eligible to be drafted this year?

 

Yes. As a HS Senior, you have to sign or wait 3 years(in some cases 2).

 

What are the cases for only two years? I knew about waiting three but hadn't heard about two.

 

I'm not sure, but I know there are draft eligible sophomores.

[Vanilla Ice]

Maybe they redshirted?

[UK1679666180]

They could be close to their 21st birthday as a Soph. and be draft eligible.

[Post Count Padder]

I haven't followed the amateur draft as much. Anyone wanna give me a breakdown of some of these guys we're rumored to draft? Or is there a free site where i could see some scouting reports?

[Outshined_One]

I haven't followed the amateur draft as much. Anyone wanna give me a breakdown of some of these guys we're rumored to draft? Or is there a free site where i could see some scouting reports?

 

There are two blogs I've been following: Andy Seiler and John Sickels. Baseball America, Perfect Game, and Brewer Fan all have good free content available. Here are some names and quick scouting reports, based on BA's latest mock draft and their discussion of players the Cubs are looking at...

 

OF AJ Pollock (Notre Dame) - He's an athletic college OF, although there are questions about his power. He fits into the Cubs' recent mold of college OFs they've drafted and comes from a school that Hendry has favored in the past. I can't say I'm too high on him since I don't think he has a decent ceiling. He seems more like a 4th OF than anything else to me at this point.

 

RHP Eric Arnett (Indiana) - He's really improved his stock this season and is a the best draft-eligible player on a loaded Indiana team. Some people are really high on him as a possible Top 10 pick, although I think that's overrating him a bit. He's a workhorse who works in the low to mid 90s with a good slider and a developing change. I really like him.

 

LHP Chad James (OK HS) - He's one of the most interesting names in the draft. He works in the low 90s and has a very good curveball. However, he needs to clean up his mechanics and he has signability issues since he's strongly committed to Oklahoma State.

 

RHP Garrett Gould (KS HS) - See Chad James, only as a RHP with a commitment to Wichita State.

 

OF Brett Jackson (Cal) - Toolsy and intriguing outfielder who has legitimate questions about his plate discipline. He needs a lot more polish if he wants to make the majors. He could be a fantastic outfielder, but I'm really leery of his strikeouts and walks.

 

RHP Jacob Turner (MO HS) - Talent-wise, I think he's the best high school pitcher in this year's class. He's been clocked at 98 and has advanced secondary pitches for someone his age, although he's had a few issues with his command and control. However, Scott Boras is his agent and he has a very strong commitment to UNC. His price tag is going to scare off a lot of teams and there are legitimate questions regarding whether he'll be drafted on the first day.

[Post Count Padder]

Thanks O_O. So Jackson is basically Tyler Colvin Part II? I've heard good things about Turner, he's the only one in that bunch I've heard before. Does his signability make him fall to us?

[Guest]

I haven't seen the same strong college commitment issues mentioned with Gould as I have with, say Turner and James.

 

Where did you see it, Outshined?

[Outshined_One]

Thanks O_O. So Jackson is basically Tyler Colvin Part II? I've heard good things about Turner, he's the only one in that bunch I've heard before. Does his signability make him fall to us?

 

Hard to say. There've been a lot of rumors that the Tigers are hot after him like they were with Porcello two years ago. I can also see teams with high draft budgets like the Red Sox and Yankees jumping on him before he falls to the Cubs. It's really hard to tell whether the Cubs would take him if he fell there since ownership is still in limbo, the Cubs have more of a history of paying over slot with guys drafted after the first few rounds than they do for paying over slot with guys drafted in the first few rounds, and the Cubs have been notorious recently in terms of not drafting HS players in the first few rounds (Josh Vitters, Matt Cerda, and Ryan Acosta were the only HS players the Cubs drafted in the first 20 rounds over the past two years). However, his talent is undeniable and he'd be a Top 5 lock if his bonus demands were more reasonable.

 

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that the Cubs won't take him.

 

I haven't seen the same strong college commitment issues mentioned with Gould as I have with, say Turner and James.

 

Where did you see it, Outshined?

 

Sickels talked about it a few days ago on his blog. He seemed to be under the impression that Gould could be pried away from it, but that it would take some extra cash.

[Guest]

the Cubs have been notorious recently in terms of not drafting HS players in the first few rounds (Josh Vitters, Matt Cerda, and Ryan Acosta were the only HS players the Cubs drafted in the first 20 rounds over the past two years).

 

Heck, the Cubs have signed 10 HS draftees in the three years Wilken has been here (12 if you count two DFE who signed a year out of HS).

 

2008:

 

Matt Cerda (round 4) - signed over slot

Logan Watkins (21) - signed over slot

Tarlandas Mitchell (22)

 

2007:

 

Josh Vitters (1)

Ryan Acosta (12) - signed over slot

 

2006:

 

Cliff Andersen (9)

Chris Huseby (11) - signed over slot

Drew Rundle (14) - signed over slot

Kevin Kreier (20) - signed over slot

Cedric Redmonds (27 - DFE)

Nate Sampson (34) - signed over slot

Marcus Hatley (39 - DFE)

 

Thanks for the Sickels link.

[Rob]

I am resigned to the fact that I'll most likely be underwhelmed by Wilken's choice in the first. I always am.

 

What I'm interested in is seeing whether we continue last year's trend by picking up first round talents with injury issues... like Carpenter and Schafer.

[Guest]

1 week to go...

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm just glad i'll be around and near a computer this year during the draft. most years i'm either at a special olympics meet, and in 2007 i was in atlanta for a wedding.

[Guest]

http://mlbbonusbaby.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/2009-amateur-draft-mock-7-rounds-1-3/

 

1.31: Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana

2.79: Chris Dwyer, LHP, Clemson

3.109: Jeremy Hazelbaker, OF, Ball State

[SouthSideRyan]

 

So, in other words, my realistic hope is that the Cubs target college pitching. Someone like Baylor LHP/OF Aaron Miller or Texas A&M RHP Alex Wilson would make a lot of sense, given the Cubs' tendencies.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we need Alex Wilson's permission to draft him again?

[Outshined_One]

 

So, in other words, my realistic hope is that the Cubs target college pitching. Someone like Baylor LHP/OF Aaron Miller or Texas A&M RHP Alex Wilson would make a lot of sense, given the Cubs' tendencies.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we need Alex Wilson's permission to draft him again?

 

Correct. However, the Cubs have re-drafted a number of players, including Andrew Cashner last year. It's part of their M.O., especially in recent drafts. You see it happen every now and again.

[Guest]

Aaron Crow (Nationals) and Tanner Scheppers (Pirates) didn't give permission to those teams to be re-drafted this year. Haven't heard anything about Alex Wilson though.

[Mephistopheles]

I don't think Alex Wilson stands to benefit anything by not giving the Cubs' permission to draft him again. It's not as if the Cubs significantly short-changed him last year like the Nationals seemed to have done with Aaron Crow. As for Tanner Scheppers, can you blame him for not wanting to get drafted by the Pirates again? In fact, Alex Wilson is likely going to sign for less money than what the Cubs offered him last August no matter who he's drafted by.

 

I don't see the Cubs being all that interested in Eric Arnett. He's a borderline first round pick, but he just doesn't seem to fit the Cubs standard operating procedure. I don't think we'll be in on Chris Dwyer. He's not going to sign for less than first round money, which he isn't worth, so I suspect he'll fall out of the first few rounds. Aaron Miller wouldn't be a bad second round pick, but there's probably only a 50/50 chance he's there for us.

 

I'll probably throw another mock together soon, and do one more this weekend and then a final one the day before the draft. If I had to guess right now, I think the Cubs will end up with one of the Kennesaw State boys.

[Mephistopheles]

They could be close to their 21st birthday as a Soph. and be draft eligible.

 

Or as a freshman, in the case of Chris Dwyer. Of course another route is redshirting one year and being a redshirt sophomore.

[RammyFanny]

31. Chicago Cubs

 

Brett Jackson, OF, University of California: No real change here. Interest in several guys who are almost sure to be gone by this pick.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/draft2009/insider/news/story?id=4224965