2012 Draft Discussion

[craig]

Keith Law mocks Almora to the Cubs, as "the closest thing we have to a lock in the top 10".

 

rare high school player with a strong combination of polish and ceiling.

[davell]

In that mock though, he has us passing on Correa, which I just can't see happening. Another thing I didn't know is that Almora is a Boras client. Might not mean anything, but worth noting at least.

[Guest]

Keith Law mocks Almora to the Cubs, as "the closest thing we have to a lock in the top 10".

 

rare high school player with a strong combination of polish and ceiling.

 

Closest thing to a lock as in he views almora as a lock to be the best pick there in his own opinion, as a lock to be successful, or that it's a lock that the cubs will take him?

[davell]

Who knows? But Marlin, the real PSD insider just said that if that's how the top 5 goes, he does see the Cubs taking Almora, although Correa was very impressive at Wrigley a few days ago. No one thinks he's sticking at SS.

 

He also said, from everything he's heard is that Appel/Buxton go 1-2 in some order.

[nick23]

Keith Law mocks Almora to the Cubs, as "the closest thing we have to a lock in the top 10".

 

rare high school player with a strong combination of polish and ceiling.

 

Closest thing to a lock as in he views almora as a lock to be the best pick there in his own opinion, as a lock to be successful, or that it's a lock that the cubs will take him?

Lock that the Cubs will take him. He says his mock drafts are based entirely on what he's hearing. Not who he thinks should go where.

[TheDude]

Polish and Ceiling on kid that young is a good take. Sounds kind of like a description that might have been put on Castro actually.

[craig]

Three of the hardest things to scout/project:

1. Pitcher control

2. Ability to recognize and hit breaking balls

3. Projected power.

 

I've seen some Almora stuff suggesting he's not strong, and that it will take projection to become a 15-18 HR guy. But I don't think Cubs would take him at #6 if his ceiling is to become DeJesus.

 

Wilken has been a projection guy. Nobody else seemed to project Colvin's big power. But, he projected that Darvill and Lemahieu would grow into power, too.

 

My guess is that IF Cubs take Almora, they forsee more serious HR power than 15-18 down the road for him.

 

Lots of other guys have big BP power, but don't hit that many in games. If you can't hit the ball on the nose, you don't hit that many HR's. The ability to just hit moving pitches is probably more important that BP strength. I can't imagine you take Almora that high unless you think he's got just the gift to see, recognize, and hit moving pitches, AND you think that he'll become strong enough to hit 25 HR's.

Edited June 1, 2012 by craig

[craig]

Heh, all of these guys all sound so good. Fried, knockout curve already,control of three pitches, touches 95 already and projects great. Correa, future Arod. Buxton, the perfect 5-tooler. Zimmer, big-velocity, great curve, strike-throwing ace. Gioliti, the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball, Etc., etc., they all sound so good.

 

One day Correa is the greatest thing, might go #1, no chance he gets past 3, no chance he gets to us. Next day six teams are passing on him.

 

Funny.

 

The Boras-Almora thing is kind of weird. Pre-discussed, all OK? Big problem? Almora is so BPA beyond the others that he's worth superslotting? Hard to figure.

 

All about projection, though. Given how many good options there are, if we take Almora, it will speak to how highly and favorably our people scout him. There certainly will be other high-value big-name options.

[Guest]

Goldstein is going to be on 720 at 7:15.

 

He has a new mock w/ Almora to the Cubs. He quotes a source saying the Cubs would take Almora if they had the #1 pick overall.

[Guest]

Callis' 3rd mock has the Cubs passing on Fried and Correa for Almora.

[RammyFanny]

Goldstein is going to be on 720 at 7:15.

 

He has a new mock w/ Almora to the Cubs. He quotes a source saying the Cubs would take Almora if they had the #1 pick overall.

We either are in love with him, or obvious smokescreen is obvious. Who knows what they would be using a smokescreen for though, so it's likely the former.

 

Either way, I trust our guys.

 

BTW, and I hope i'm not saying this just because of his skin color, but Almora gives off a Jeter vibe at the plate when I watch him.

[davell]

I trust our guys. If they're sold on Almora, then I'll be happy to get him. They must see Beltran if they actually think that highly of him. That said, I do think it's a smokescreen.

[Guest]

I have faith that they'll properly identify a winner at #6. I just wonder if he's ranked so much better than the alternatives that it's worth the potential cap/slot hassle to sign the Boras client.

[RammyFanny]

http://insider.espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=7993733

 

Alot of Almora talk early on, with Keith Law and Kiley McDaniel. McDaniel has Almora ranked over Buxton.

[toonsterwu]

I'm obviously fine with Almora, although I was really coming around on Fried.

 

I'll be surprised if Almora isn't there (hard to see who jumps him in the top 5), so either this is the greatest bluff ever, or this is our pick.

[davell]

Not sure what the advantage would be to doing it, but Piliere suggested we're doing it possibly because we don't see Correa being there.

[Guest]

Not sure what the advantage would be to doing it, but Piliere suggested we're doing it possibly because we don't see Correa being there.

Doing what?

[davell]

Not sure what the advantage would be to doing it, but Piliere suggested we're doing it possibly because we don't see Correa being there.

Doing what?

Floating Almora's name.

[craig]

Goldstein is going to be on 720 at 7:15.

...We either are in love with him, or obvious smokescreen is obvious. Who knows what they would be using a smokescreen for though, so it's likely the former.

 

Heh heh. like you say, not much smoke-screen purpose, unless we think we're going to talk Minnesota into taking Almora because they heard we like him, or something. Not like the NFL, where a team might trade ahead of you and steal your guy if they actually knew you were going to take the guy they liked.

 

People can says stuff, though. One guy can tell Goldstein that. Maybe it's a Cub insider. Maybe it's some Pirate scout who thinks he knows what the cubs want, but doesn't really.

 

Either way, I trust our guys. BTW, and I hope i'm not saying this just because of his skin color, but Almora gives off a Jeter vibe at the plate when I watch him.

 

I have no question but that we've got some intelligent, capable scouts trying to figure this out, and that they'll have REALLY good scouting opinion of whomever we take. There's enough good prospects that probably at least a couple of management's favorite six will still be there.

 

Almora does look to have a really nice stroke. Of course,the little youtube clips are usually 75-mph BP straightballs. Quite a bit different when it's 93-mph sinkers mixed with 82-mph sliders, 77mph curves, and changeups and cutters.

 

Where's the reason for thinking that he's got patience and plate disciline? I thought I saw some stats from an international competition, and he had like 15 RBI to 3 walks.

[Guest]

Sveum's a Correa fan:

 

Carrie Muskat[/url]"]"It was pretty impressive to [see him hit to] all three fields in a 20 mph wind at Wrigley Field in batting practice -- straightaway center, right field and obviously, left field," Sveum said.

 

At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Correa resembles a young Alex Rodriguez.

 

"I played with A-Rod when he was 19, and there were a lot of the same actions, the same body, the same power," Sveum said. "They told me to start working him away [during batting practice], and he started putting them in the seats in right field into a 20 mph wind."

[RammyFanny]

Watching Bumgarner makes me kinda want Fried, heh.

[iowahawkeyes89]

I really like Almora, would be a great pick at 6 if he's there.

[Guest]

I'm pretty much at the point where my top 3 would go Buxton, Correa, Almora.

[El Duderino]

I really like Almora, would be a great pick at 6 if he's there.

 

I don't think I've seen any mock where Almora goes in the top 5. I think it'd be pretty shocking if he's not there.

[davell]

I'm pretty much at the point where my top 3 would go Buxton, Correa, Almora.

Wow. Not sold on ANY of the pitching?