2024 MLB Draft Thread

[Bertz]

13 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Longenhagen's draft board: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/updated-draft-rankings-are-live-on-the-board/

Thought this was interesting:

 

I wonder if that means this draft looks like '21 where they basically immediately threw all their extra cash at Triantos and that was that.  I think Gray was a bit overslot and then everyone else was at or under?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

Quote

14. Cubs: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina (No. 11)

The Cubs also are holding out slim hopes for Kurtz, Rainer or Griffin. Yesavage would be a nice addition to a farm system lacking in pitching depth. With Tibbs and Moore gone in this scenario, hitting contenders would include Smith, Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore and King.

 

[CubinNY]

Seems like the consensus is that Tibbs will not be there at 14. Christian Moore, Malcome Moore, Yesavage, and to a lesser extent Cam Smith seem to be the favorites. 

[Jason Ross]

12 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

Seems like the consensus is that Tibbs will not be there at 14. Christian Moore, Malcome Moore, Yesavage, and to a lesser extent Cam Smith seem to be the favorites. 

Colazzo from BA had Tibbs at 14 for the Cubs but I'd agree, I think he's going before 14. 

I still think the likely group is: Yesevage, M. Moore, Waldschmidt, Benge, Cijnte, Smith as of now. I don't think Christian Moore and his in-zone whiff is going to be a Cub pick, myself. And I think he's before 14, too (he feels so desperately LAA, IMO). 

[Outshined_One]

We're entering my favorite part of MLB Draft season.  It feels like the last day or two before the draft, you finally start to get concrete news about things like what teams are cutting deals (underslot or overslot), which guys are getting taken off the board due to commitments/demands, and also last minute risers/fallers coming out of team workouts and interviews.

[Bertz]

Quote

 

14. Chicago Cubs

Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State

The Cubs appear to be hunting for upside here and Smith fits the description. He has big tools and solid performance in the ACC, but needs a swing rework in pro ball. I think he'll go between 11-16 and, like Yesavage, is in most of the mixes in that span.

Kellon Lindsey for an underslot deal would be the option if the Cubs don't like what they're looking at when on the clock. Yesavage, Brody Brecht, Seaver King and Ryan Waldschmidt have also been mentioned.

 

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

There's the Brecht mention we'll be coming back to when there are folks gnashing their teeth that the Cubs took him over Tibbs

[CubinNY]

26 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

There's the Brecht mention we'll be coming back to when there are folks gnashing their teeth that the Cubs took him over Tibbs

He seems like a better pitching prospect than Yesavage. How many Jeff S comps will he get from the media?

Edited July 12, 2024 by CubinNY

[CaliforniaRaisin]

28 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

There's the Brecht mention we'll be coming back to when there are folks gnashing their teeth that the Cubs took him over Tibbs

Yeah, I figured they’d be interested after Wiggins had been a success so far.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Greg Zumach did his 20-round mock: https://northsidebound.com/2024/07/12/2024-draft-greg-zumachs-20-round-mock-cubs-draft/

[Bertz]

Yeah Brecht would be pretty fun if he's willing to go underslot.  If you gave him #20 money you'd pocket an extra million, which would be enough to bump our pick at #55 up to more like #35 money.  If you add the team's 5% to that, you could offer up late first round money to someone willing to slide.

[Outshined_One]

I've had a soft spot for Brecht for awhile, and he makes for an intriguing underslot candidate, but he brings a lot of risk to the table as a guy with command/control issues, an undeveloped third pitch, and also coming from a program that's not known for developing and producing high end pitchers.  Iowa also apparently mucked with his mechanics, meaning he's basically a teardown/rebuild type.  You run a very real risk that he never makes the majors.

I'd be excited if the Cubs took him, but he's got a ton of work to do.

[KCCub]

I could get on board with Brecht. I'm a sucker for a good splitter though, so I'm hoping Yesavage is there. In my limited knowledge of our minor league pitching development, it seems like we haven't been able to successfully add a realiable 3rd pitch to our higher end arms that didn't have one to begin with (Brown, Wes, etc), yet anways. You can absolutely make a 2 pitch pitcher work and we've done that successfully with multiple guys with different fastball shapes and breaking ball shapes. I still dream of Brown showing up next year with a devastating split or much improved change.  

[Named After Maddux]

I guess my thought on Brecht is that the Cubs had a real chance to send some a significant scouting presence to see him for a final chance towards the end of his season and chose not to. Maybe they just had enough of a data set where it doesn't matter, but if I'm taking a pitcher in the first I'm diving very far in at the end to see what I'm investing in.

I can understand the rationale, but he has been giving me Hurston Waldrep feelings all spring. Brecht's main issue is significant fastball command/movement, like Waldrep. It's not a perfect comp there, but Cubs went with the model-friendly bat last year in that situation instead of the deep cut with Waldrep.

So yeah I get it. And if you get Brecht close to what he could be, oh boy. I just think it's riskier than they've gone before. Horton is probably the closest from a risk point of view, but he didn't have fastball command issues, just lack of track record and injuries.

I could be wrong and they're just lying in wait on Brecht for a bit cut, but I think that would be one heck of a stealth move.

[Cubs420psd]

It seems like every single year,  there is a guy who is ranked in that 6 to 10 range who always ends up falling into the mid to late teens of the draft. Last year it was the catcher that the Red Sox took. I don't know who that player would be this year (maybe Kurtz?) but I'm hoping that happens for the Cubs.

Edited July 13, 2024 by Cubs420psd

[CaliforniaRaisin]