2011 Cubs picks and signings thread

[davell]

RODERICK SHOULDERS STATE COLL OF FLORIDA MANATEE

1B

[Rob]

Haven't heard a name I recognize in a few rounds. I think it's time for me to take a break.

[craig]

I assume there is very little likelihood of signing Maples. If he's that good and teams thought he was a good value per his price, he'd have gone far earlier.

 

So he's a draft-and-follow and talk pick, IMO. Right now, if anybody wanted to pay him what he was asking he'd have already gone, so right now the Cubs aren't willing to pay what he's asking. Three scenarios, after they watch him in whatever summer league he goes to.

 

1. He pitches great, and they decide that he's a good value as a top-ten type pick and they end up paying what he wants. Cubs become willing to pay much more than they are willing to pay now.

 

2. He pitches really well, so they make him a strong offer, but one still well below his price tag. Then he and his family decide if they are going to just stick on what they listed, or are going to reduce their demands. Maples becomes willing to sign for much less than he claims he is willing to sign for now.

 

3. He doesn't pitch well enough to get the Cubs up to his demands, and he and his Dad won't move off of his demands. No deal is made, or comes close.

 

I expect that scenario 3 is by far the most likely, and that he won't sign. I think scenario 1, in which the Cubs pay the full demanded $3, is by far the most unlikely. Scenario 2 is where I hope it goes.

[craig]

RODERICK SHOULDERS STATE COLL OF FLORIDA MANATEE

1B

 

You've gotta love a 1B named "Shoulders".

[davell]

MICHAEL JENSEN RHP HARTNETT JC CALIFORNIA

[davell]

TAIWAN EASTERLING OF FSU also plays football there

[davell]

Rock Shoulders has some serious name value. He also has some serious power. He'll be another guy that's probably hard to sign.

[davell]

CHRISTOPHER GARRISON RHP W.NEVADA CC

[davell]

 

Shoulders hitting a home run.

[davell]

DREW WEEKS 3B CLAY HS FLORIDA

[thefranchise]

Shoulders was drafted last year in the 20th round and didn't sign so it'll be interesting to see if we can get him.

[davell]

More Rock.

 

 

http://youtu.be/DMnsPWsOdWM

 

 

http://youtu.be/4L8hUzmbOqY

[davell]

ARTURO MOTTOS GARCIA RHP LAMAR CC COLORADO

 

Last pick of the day.

[thefranchise]

Nats draft former Cubs pick Bryan Harper, brother of Bryce. Looked at his stats this year for South Carolina and they weren't all that impressive.

[toonsterwu]

Seems like Kent St has had a bunch of guys drafted

 

very solid squad this past year.

[davell]

Are we sure Tim Wilken ran this draft? 12 of the first 15 guys were high schoolers. Quite a few guys with huge upside and low floors, for that matter. We even took an inordinate amount of corner guys. Depending on who we sign, I could actually see giving us an A Grade for this draft.

[BeerHere]

Thinking out loud.

 

Lots of high schoolers in this draft. At a minimum they wouldn't be ready for 4-5 years. I'm wondering if the philosophy isn't to build for the team 4-5 years from now. Be mildly competitive for a couple years but really focus on the 2015 team and beyond. If that were the case I would best that next year or the following year they go with guys that are closer to the majors.

 

Like I said, just thinking out loud.

[Outshined_One]

Good Day 2. Most people have covered Vogelbach in great detail, so I'll just say that I really like the pick. Taylor Scott is really intriguing, given his background. Dugas is a really underrated hitter who should sign soon and could be a quality 4th OF in a short period of time. Maples and Dunston are the two guys I'd love to see signed.

[Guest]

15th rounder:

 

Some scouts may be turned off by the fact that catcher Justin Marra is just 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. He receives well and has a strong arm, regularly flashing above-average pop times down to second base. A lefthanded hitter, Marra has also shown the ability this spring to hit quality pitching.

 

17th rounder:

 

Right fielder John Andreoli, whose dad has the same name and played in the NFL for one season with the New England Patriots, had a solid sophomore season but needed to reinvent himself with the less-lively bats this year. Andreoli, who is also Daniel Bard's cousin, improved throughout the spring, but scouts still question his bat, as he doesn't hit for much power. He's a plus runner timed in the 6.55-second range in the 60-yard dash, and he has a knack for bunting for a base hit. Andreoli is a good defender, and his arm strength is not that far behind George Springer's.

 

18th rounder:

 

The most interesting juco prospect in New Jersey is righthander James Pugilese. There's effort to his delivery and his arm action raises concerns, but he has a 90-92 mph fastball and average breaking ball to go with a projectable 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. In 57 innings, he struck out 71 while walking 23 and allowing just 30 hits.

 

20th rounder:

 

Outfielder Ben Klafczynski is another solid senior sign for Kent State. He helped his cause by opening the season by going 7-for-13 with three straight multi-hit games against Georgia Tech's strong pitching staff. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefthanded hitter has been a starter for most of his four years with the Golden Flashes. While he's a good athlete, it doesn't quite translate to the diamond, where his tools are fringy to average across the board. A right fielder for Kent State, he may not provide enough offense to profile as a regular there in the major leagues.

 

23rd rounder:

 

Outfielder Bradley Zimmer, a San Fransisco signee, garners comparisons to Pepperdine outfielder Brian Humphries, who was similarly skinny at the same stage of his development. The younger brother of USF weekend starter Kyle Zimmer, Bradley broke a bone in his hand in a freak accident down the stretch this spring, curtailing any draft momentum. Six-foot-5 and lanky, Zimmer is a long strider with average speed and some power projection once he fills out. He has decent bat speed and natural lift in his lefthanded swing, and he simply needs to get stronger. He could develop into an intriguing prospect in three years at USF.

 

25th rounder:

 

At the opposite end of the spectrum is slugger Rock Shoulders of State College of Florida, formerly known as Manatee JC. Shoulders' 14 homers led the state, and he impressed scouts by trimming up his 6-foot-2, 225-pound body. The Red Sox' 20th-round pick a year ago, Shoulders doesn't have the knack for hitting of prep sluggers in the state such as Dan Vogelbach and Dante Bichette Jr., but his pop from the left side should get him picked about 10 rounds sooner than last year.

 

26th rounder:

 

Jensen, who stands 6 feet and 190 pounds, has a live arm, capable of touching 94 mph with a good curveball.

 

30th rounder:

 

Righthander Arturo Maltos-Garcia was sailing along this season, going 11-1, 2.11 with 139 strikeouts (and 64 walks) over 94 innings. His fastball sits in the 90-92 mph range and he has the best curveball in the Four Corners, a true 12-to-6 hammer. But he walked off the mound in the juco playoffs with an arm injury, which probably squashed his draft chances. He'll likely head to New Mexico next season.

[CubColtPacer]

Thinking out loud.

 

Lots of high schoolers in this draft. At a minimum they wouldn't be ready for 4-5 years. I'm wondering if the philosophy isn't to build for the team 4-5 years from now. Be mildly competitive for a couple years but really focus on the 2015 team and beyond. If that were the case I would best that next year or the following year they go with guys that are closer to the majors.

 

Like I said, just thinking out loud.

 

It could be too that they were just balancing out the system. The Cubs system right now is seen as a lot of high floor low ceiling guys. There are enough guys already in the system to fill the bench/bullpen/marginal starting position player needs the Cubs will have the next few years. So drafting high upside guys really gives another dimension to the system overall.

[Guest]

First post in the thread has been updated with all the picks thus far.

[Guest]

BA Draft Blog:

 

68. Cubs: Florida HS 1B Dan Vogelbach. Bat-only guy with some of the best power in the draft, hit a 508-foot homer at the Power Showcase in December. HS teammate of Twins sandwich pick Hudson Boyd.

 

129. Cubs: Louisville RHP Tony Zych. Works 94-97, touching 99. Some funk to his delivery makes fastball seem faster. Athletic 6-foot-3, 188 pounds. Slider needs consistency.

 

• The Cubs went with Arizona prep righthander Tayler Scott, one of the most interesting stories in the draft. Scott moved to the United States from South Africa a few years ago and is also a standout soccer player. He's an above-average runner and has a fastball in the 90-93 mph range with a promising curveball. Scott is committed to Arizona.

 

Cubs: California HS 1B Trevor Gretzky. The son of the Great One was thought to be bound for San Diego State, but that might change after he got drafted this high. Power is his best tool, but the rest of his game needs a lot of work.

 

• The Cubs took the son of one of their former shortstops, Shawon Dunston in the 11th round. He didn't have a consistent performance this spring and figures to fulfill his commitment to Vanderbilt, but Dunston is a raw outfielder with plus speed. A lefthanded hitter, he could develop gap power and hit for average.

 

• Unless the Cubs pony up some cash for their 14th-round pick, Dillon Maples will land on campus at North Carolina in the fall. He has the stuff of a first-rounder in most years with a plus fastball and curveball, but questionable mechanics have affected his command and raised red flags for scouts. He is a very good athlete with a strong lower half and will get a chance to kick for the Tar Heels football team as well.

[Guest]

Nothing earth-shattering on Maples from Goldstein:

 

Won't be easy, but they'll but a run at it. RT @miguelbenitez1: @Kevin_Goldstein chances Cubs sign Dillon Maples?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Every time someone talks about how the Vogon we drafted can do nothing but hit, I get a prospect boner. That's kind of the hardest part to find in a player.

[NOLA]

Every time someone talks about how the Vogon we drafted can do nothing but hit, I get a prospect boner. That's kind of the hardest part to find in a player.

 

A boner?