2010 Cubs Picks & Signings Thread

[utkcub]

I'll never doubt Wilken again if this kid works out, but sweet jesus man are you trying to lose your job?

[98navigator]

As mentioned, that blog says Wilken was afraid another team would snatch up the guy. If he turns out to be the next Oswalt or Lincecum, Wilken looks like a genius. Right now this pick definitely looks suspect.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

At this point I find it really hard to doubt tim wilken. Maybe it is just me.

[JonJayCutler]

This quote is slightly different than the earlier one posted:

 

"I feel Hayden is potentially a major league starter," Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken said. "He has four above-average to plus-pitches. He's a very athletic pitcher, and he has a good feel for pitching. We had really good reports and very good coverage on Simpson."

 

Wilken compared the delivery of Simpson, 6 foot and 175 pounds, to the San Francisco Giant's Tim Lincecum and the Houston Astros' Roy Oswalt.

 

"I'm so thrilled right now, and I'm extremely excited to be a Chicago Cub," said Simpson, who was 35-2 in his career at the Division II school. "This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm ready to get started."

 

Link

 

Wilken obviously knows something nobody else does about this guy if he's throwing out names like Lincecum and Oswalt right away. All we can do is trust he knows what he's doing and wait for the results.

 

Whenever I'm confused or disappointed about a draft pick, I just remind myself that Albert Pujols was a 13th round pick and it always makes me feel better. :-)

[UK1679666180]

Wilken obviously knows something nobody else does about this guy if he's throwing out names like Lincecum and Oswalt right away. All we can do is trust he knows what he's doing and wait for the results

.

 

That's one of the 1st thing a scout will do when analyzing a player is to look for a MLB comparison, now combine with a player that he likes and drafted in the 1st rd. and you'll see the best of the bunch which happen to be Oswalt and Lincecum.

 

Many fast slap hitters get compared to Juan Pierre in a similar manner as many little righties with his velos get compared to those two.

 

It's easy to see why he would he compare them as everyone knows Oswalt and Lincecum and when dealing with the media it's common to be more fluffy when hyping up a guy.

 

He'll have to prove he has the ability/health/toughness to prove he'll be able to reach near his ceiling to come close to matching those names and having the size, velo, and potential to spin a breaking ball is still a very long ways away from being mentioned with Lincecum/Oswalt.

[UK1679666180]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

[davell]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

 

I honestly don't think the Dodgers have any interest in signing Lee personally. With the divorce thing happening, it seems like a relatively sneaky way to avoid spending money to me.

[UK1679666180]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

 

I honestly don't think the Dodgers have any interest in signing Lee personally. With the divorce thing happening, it seems like a relatively sneaky way to avoid spending money to me.

 

We'll see, worse case scenario they get a pick a little later in a likely stronger draft and the kids gets a free ride to play sports at LSU and have a 1st rd. tag on his resume.

[Guest]

Wilken compared the delivery of Simpson, 6 foot and 175 pounds, to the San Francisco Giant's Tim Lincecum and the Houston Astros' Roy Oswalt.

I'm just trying to mentally picture any similarity in the delivery of Oswalt and Lincecum other than the fact that they're both short righties that throw hard.

 

Maybe I need to watch some tape of the two.

[davell]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

 

I honestly don't think the Dodgers have any interest in signing Lee personally. With the divorce thing happening, it seems like a relatively sneaky way to avoid spending money to me.

 

We'll see, worse case scenario they get a pick a little later in a likely stronger draft and the kids gets a free ride to play sports at LSU and have a 1st rd. tag on his resume.

 

Yeah, in a weaker draft like this one, the strategy could actually pay off for the Dodgers(if this IS their strategy anyway)

[Guest]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

If you're signing a kid who hopes to play MLB (or at least is strongly considering it), but you draft him with no intention of signing him (your original position), then that's a lousy thing to do to a kid. You're stealing his dream for at least a year and potentially longer.

[UK1679666180]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

If you're signing a kid who hopes to play MLB (or at least is strongly considering it), but you draft him with no intention of signing him (your original position), then that's a lousy thing to do to a kid. You're stealing his dream for at least a year and potentially longer.

 

I have to believe they have every intention of signing him, it might have to be at their price though rather than caving to his advisor's demands.

[98navigator]

I like Bruce's take on Wilken:

This will be another test for Wilken, a fun, roguish type guy who doesn’t give a damn what you, I or Baseball America thinks. His No. 1 picks with the Cubs have been Tyler Colvin, Josh Vitters, Andrew Cashner, Brett Jackson and now Simpson.

 

In his years with the Blue Jays, Wilken helped procure the likes of Casey Blake, Chris Carpenter, Carlos Delgado, Ryan Freel, Jay Gibbons, Shawn Green, Roy Halladay, Orlando Hudson, Reed Johnson, Alex Rios, Shannon Stewart, Vernon Wells and Michael Young.

[Guest]

wow...

 

this really makes me wonder if the front office is under budgetary restrictions at this point.

 

You never know but if that was the case, there are players rated higher by most (O'Connor) that would likely sign at slot.

 

Time will tell with these next picks and with new ownership, who knows what type of budget they've been put under?

 

Of course if it was monetary, they could've pulled what the Dodgers are likely doing and not sign their 1st rounder and get the comp. pick next year, which would be wiser than drafting and signing a reach at this point.

This is your post I was replying to, though.

 

It seems as if you're saying that the smart thing for the Cubs to do if they're under monetary restrictions would be to draft someone they have no intentions of signing in order to pocket the pick for a future draft.

 

Which strikes me as really screwing a kid over if he actually wants to play.

[Guest]

Bruce Miles[/url]"]"I got to see a pitcher with a four-pitch mix that I thought were at least plus-average pitches to plus pitches, and he had a very good feel for pitching," Wilken said. "I think you can see that by his record, albeit in Division II school. I saw a pitcher that a very good feel for pitching, very athletic, and I saw someone I thought could be a starter in the major leagues eventually.

 

"This guy just made sense. They can say what they want to, the prognosticators. You say, 'Hey, wait a minute, this is almost too good to be true.' "

 

This year at Southern Arkansas, Simpson was 13-1 with a 1.81 ERA in 15 starts, including 6 complete games and 3 shutouts. He led his team in wins, ERA, opposing batting average (. 201) and innings. He had 131 strikeouts in 991/3 innings.

 

Simpson said his slider is his best pitch and that he also has a four-seam fastball, a circle change and a "12-to-6 curveball."

 

Wilken described Simpson physically as reminiscent of Roy Oswalt and Tim Lincecum, a pitcher "with a fast arm." Wilken said Cubs minor-league pitching coordinator Mark Riggins graded Simpson "100 percent" on his delivery. He also said he had indications clubs with extra picks after the Cubs had their eyes on Simpson.

[Guest]

Baseball America[/url]"]Simpson Gets Pleasant Surprise From Cubs

 

When people see Hayden Simpson pitch, they likely think he's trying to imitate Tim Lincecum.

 

Lincecum and his unorthodox delivery, complete with a long stride, has turned the 175-pounder into a strikeout machine thanks to some wicked velocity because of that delivery.

 

Simpson, who was taken 16th by the Cubs in the first round of the draft June 7, has a similar delivery, but it's not because of Lincecum.

 

"I've always done that throughout my career," said Simpson, who is 6 feet, 175 pounds. "I see a similarity in the way we both use our whole bodies. We use everything we have."

 

Simpson certainly put up Lincecum-like numbers in college with Southern Arkansas.

 

In three college seasons, he became one of the top Division II players in the nation.

 

He was 35-2, 2.39 with 323 strikeouts in 271 innings. He notched 12 complete games and seven shutouts. He won the Gulf Coast Conference Pitcher of the week honor a league-record seven times.

 

While the 21-year-old posted a 13-1, 1.81 mark this season, the major league scouts were getting interested. He heard from some people that he could be a second-through-fifth round pick. He was stunned to get the call in the first round.

 

"It was a shock to me," he said. "I was actually sitting in a chair in my living room with a laptop computer. I was with a couple of my friends and family. We were just sitting there watching the draft. When I heard my name called, everyone was shocked.

 

"Then it got real crazy from there."

 

Simpson said his best pitch is a slider but he also has a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup and a 12-to-6 curveball.

 

"I feel Hayden is a potential starter who has four average-to-plus pitches and is very athletic with a good feel for pitching," said Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken. "I think we're fortunate to have received really good coverage from our scouts with this selection."

 

Simpson won a ton of honors and awards during his college career. Some, however, may dismiss some of his gaudy numbers because he played Division II.

 

"There are a lot of great players who wind up in Division II one way or another," Simpson said. "I've played against Division I players. The Division II players are just as confident as Division I players but they just might not be as big or as strong.''

[utkcub]

for the sake of the epic story if he succeeds.. i hope he's the product of some magical baseball baby sex between oswalt AND lincecum that's a huge success

[toonsterwu]

I'm shocked, but I don't think I'm terribly disappointed. To be clear, I don't like the pick, but I don't hate it. It feels like we might've drafted Jay Jackson with this pick. Certainly, Jay being a 9th rounder made that pick that much sweeter, but the arsenal seems somewhat comparable.

 

If we weren't going to select a HS arm, but were set on an arm (and based on Wilken's final comments about the college pitching class, it sure was a late sign that they were probably leaning an arm), I'm at least glad that we took a gamble on a kid that has some solid potential. I wasn't a huge fan of the college pitching options in that range, and I feel like, on paper, his arsenal is comparable to some of the other guys in that range, and that he might have some more potential than some of the options.

 

Before folks bash this draft to death, let's wait and see how the rest of the draft plays out. This was a weak draft, and picking in the mid-first wasn't the best spot, since the talent was fairly balanced through perhaps the early-mid 2nd. If they opted for a signable guy to go overslot later, that would change things. Also, let's give Simpson a chance. Again, don't love the pick, don't like it, but don't hate it. Sounds like the kid has a good arsenal and he certainly, on paper, seems intriguing.

 

Certainly shocking and stunning, though. Sounds like we'll get a good look at the kid this year, as it sure sounds like he should be signed soon and perhaps make it up to Boise after a pitstop in Arizona.

[NCCubFan]

That's a lousy thing to do to a kid with promise unless you absolutely know he has no intentions to sign anywhere.

 

The Giants strategy of not investing in first rounders was potentially better to sign some cheap type A guy and give away your first round pick in return for cheap major league production.

 

Why? They have every intention of trying to sign him but they know it'll be difficult as he's a 2 sport athlete going to LSU to also play QB. If they can't reach that agreement, they get a similar pick next year.

If you're signing a kid who hopes to play MLB (or at least is strongly considering it), but you draft him with no intention of signing him (your original position), then that's a lousy thing to do to a kid. You're stealing his dream for at least a year and potentially longer.

I think a team drafting a player should be required to make some minimum competitive offer or else the player becomes a free agent eligible to sign with anybody so he doesn't lose a year and have to go through the draft again. I first started thinking about this the year of the strike threat where the Astros were talking about not signing any of their draft picks.

[Guest]

Andy Seiler[/url]"]Hayden Simpson is a hard-throwing small-college right-handed starting pitcher from Southern Arkansas. Simpson originally came to Southern Arkansas from Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Arkansas, a small southwestern Arkansas town near the borders of Oklahoma and Texas. He was a fairly unknown prospect coming out of high school due to his smaller frame, and he wasn’t carrying the type of stuff he has today. He went undrafted in the 2007 draft, heading to pitch at Southern Arkansas. After a pair of decent years, he really took a big step forward this spring, showing advanced stuff and pitchability, as well as successful numbers of a good Division 2 team. Scouts think he has the natural stuff to be a number three starter or setup man, but a few scouts can’t get past his size, which is generously listed at six feet. He’s still skinny and short, but he has enough raw stuff to influence a game. His fastball is a plus pitch, sitting 92-94, touching 96, and that’s not just in short bursts. He holds his velocity fairly well throughout games, and he’s able to reach back for something more late in a game. He also throws in an above-average curveball with some good velocity behind it, as well as a fringe-average changeup, so the biggest concern behind his size is his ability to get pro left-handed hitters out, though Simpson has shown enough in college to think he can handle them just fine. He’s expected to be picked in the fourth to seventh round range, where he should be signable for slot or average money.

[Flames24Rulz]

I was disappointed but the reports sound mildly surprising, so I'll have to wait and see.

 

The MLB Network guys absolutely couldn't believe that we took Simpson at 16. I remember how everyone (including myself) ridiculed the Cashner pick and it's looking like he's going to turn out ok. Hopefully the same happens here.

[utkcub]

so has anyone come up with a plausible reason why we picked a kid in the first round that was an early 4th rounder at best? if they're looking for oswalt, then trade for oswalt, don't waste our farm system

[toonsterwu]

There seems to be only 2 possibilities (btw, I hope they don't trade for Oswalt, I'd rather gamble on a kid like Hayden than make a deal for Roy Oswalt right now, unless the Cubs go on a ridiculous win streak).

 

a) As Wilken has hinted at, it's possible that they were truly concerned about someone plucking him and really wanted him. I believe there's a rumor floating out there about this, although I don't know if it's simply derived from Wilken's comments or not.

 

b) In Wilken's first draft, they took a signable guy they liked (Colvin) and went overslot later (Samardzija).

 

I'm guessing A was a factor, and I'm hoping B was a factor as well.

[Guest]

There seems to be only 2 possibilities (btw, I hope they don't trade for Oswalt, I'd rather gamble on a kid like Hayden than make a deal for Roy Oswalt right now, unless the Cubs go on a ridiculous win streak).

 

a) As Wilken has hinted at, it's possible that they were truly concerned about someone plucking him and really wanted him. I believe there's a rumor floating out there about this, although I don't know if it's simply derived from Wilken's comments or not.

 

b) In Wilken's first draft, they took a signable guy they liked (Colvin) and went overslot later (Samardzija).

 

I'm guessing A was a factor, and I'm hoping B was a factor as well.

 

Colvin ended up signing for slot though. They were able to pay for Samardzija (and Huseby and Rundle) because they didn't have a 2nd, 3rd or 4th rounder that year. I've seen that rumor too that some other team was interested in Simpson before the Cubs would pick again (a la Colvin in 2006).

[Guest]

http://www.baseballdailydigest.com/2009/05/12/the-mini-strasburg/

First off, Simpson’s stuff is legit. Often times at the Division II level you see pitchers put up impressive numbers without the raw arsenal to justify a professional career. That’s not the case here. Having seen him pitch with my own eyes, his low 90s fastball and hammer curve are enough to be noticed, and puts him into discussion when it comes to pitchers that should be drafted. The numbers, however, speak for themselves.

 

...

 

When first trying to explain his mechanics and delivery to a friend, another slight body with a powerful arm jumped to mind. Tim Lincecum, who is generously listed at 5-11 and 170 pounds, fits the physical comparison to SAU’s Simpson. Their body structure is similar, and Simpson even contorts his body to some degree in the same manner as Lincecum.

 

While he doesn’t have the pure stuff of the reigning Cy Young Award winner, the comparison is valid in part due to the similarities listed above. As I witnessed, there were scouts in attendance for his starts at the GSC Tournament, so Simpson in on the radar.