CP_414

Rays record last year: 96-66, 1st place in ALE. The Rays made 12 picks in the top 100 of the 2011 draft, mostly due to allowing 7 free agents to walk, including Crawford. They are again in playoff contention in 2011. I love Friedman and would be thrilled if the Cubs hired him, but I can't imagine the Cubs ever allowing 7 free agents to walk including a superstar level player in his prime. He can do that in Tampa and reload the farm system, but in Chicago he would be resigning many of those players to big contracts. I also doubt he would have traded Matt Garza for prospects if he had the Cubs budget. Again, I think he would be a great choice, but we don't really know how Friedman (or Beane) would act with money. There is a lot of talk in this thread about players drafted under Beane and Friedman. I know from reading Moneyball, Beane was pretty directly involved in the A's choices. Does Friedman play as large a role in the draft picks in Tampa or is it more of a situation like the Cubs have been where the scouting director makes the picks? As a baseball fan who has been in countless "new stats" vs "old stats" debates over the last decade, I would love to see Billy Beane get a chance to build a team with a significant payroll. As a Cubs fan I'd be very happy with Theo, Beane, or Friedman. Any of them would be a home run hire.

Houston isn't anywhere near the rest of the NL Central teams, while in the AL West they'd at least be near Texas. Plus, Houston is for sale. NL teams won't want to move to the AL. They can force Houston to do it because whoever buys them will agree to something like that to get the team. They aren't a storied team like the Dodgers or Cubs, and they have a natural geographic rival in the AL. It makes sense.

I was unaware that the pennant was only decided on wins and losses among teams in the same league. And here I thought all these wins and losses teams got in interleague play actually counted towards their final record to determine who does and doesn't win the pennant. Silly me. With the NL playoff races locked up, MLB has just cancelled the rest of the Cubs season.

If true, I would assume Ha goes to AA with Szczur in Daytona now. Creda or Watkins to replace Flaherty. I'm glad to see Flaherty moved up, but BJax isn't exactly tearing up AA since his injury.

Andrew Friedman and Brian Cashman are not signed beyond this year. Friedman would probably be tough to get away from Tampa, but maybe he wants a bigger payroll to play with. Cashman might be sick of being overruled by ownership and want his own big market team to run. Either would be fine choices.

Any idea why Szczur isn't in Daytona yet? A college player with his stats in Peoria indicate he needs tougher competition.

I've read that McCullers has a chance to be the first HS RHP ever taken #1 overall. I'm not really sure if he is considered better than Bundy, Bradley, or Tallion at this same stage though.

I really like this draft so far. Lots of high upside high school picks. Signability will determine if this draft is a success. The major league team won't need any extra resources this summer and should have a few dollars cut off the payroll. They need to get these guys signed and add some high ceiling talent to the system. Speaking of the major league Cubs is it too early to start looking forward to the 2012 draft? The Cubs are making a run at 1-1. I know Stanford has a SS and starting pitcher projected top 5, and Lance McCullers looks like the top prep arm. Any other names floating out there as potential 1-1 picks?

Josh Bell and Daniel Norris still on the board going into day 2. It would be nice to see the Cubs offer up the cash to add a 2nd first round pick. Baez will probably be pretty signable at #9, this is a chance for Ricketts to step up and make a big investment in the farm. Great Day 1 for Arizona, Boston, Washington. Tampa got a few very nice value picks and had some reaches, as you would expect with 10 early picks.

Baez. Would not have been my choice, yet I'm relieved.

D'Backs get Archie. Ugh.

Stupid 24-13 finish.

Damn. Washington will probably take Rendon and then Archie will go either 7 or 8.

Kevin_Goldstein Kevin Goldstein MLB has ruled that the Cuban LHP is NOT NOT NOT eligible. MLB might be saving the Cubs from themselves.

The Cubs problem isn't that they aren't clutch, it's that they don't have power hitters and they don't walk. The OBP and SLG are being propped up because of the high team batting average, and that's great, but if you don't hit for power and you don't walk it takes 3 singles in a row to get a run. Even with a good batting average it's hard to string together that many singles in an inning. Also, they don't steal bases, so unless they get a rare extra base hit, scoring a run is a 3-step process for this team. They aren't unlucky, they are bad. Unless they starting taking walks and hitting with power, it isn't going to get better.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/mock-draft/2011/2611735.html Callis's mock is up. I like this trend.

Keith Law released his mock top 10 tonight... PIT - Cole SEA - Rendon ARI - Hultzen BAL - Bauer KC - Barnes WASH - Meyer ARI - Bundy CLE - Gray CHC - Starling SD - Lindor I would love if it fell that way. Arizona fans would be thrilled with that, too. Not sure about KC and Washington. Here's his comment about the Cubs pick. 9. Chicago Cubs: Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton HS (Gardner, Kan.) Starling has no business getting this far, but concerns about a big price tag — I’m hearing he wants Bryce Harper money — have some teams passing. If he’s gone, other names here include Bradley, George Springer and Gray. It will be interesting to read what Callis is hearing about the Cubs tomorrow.

Brett Jackson wasn't ejected. It was a hand injury that happened on the pickoff. I'm not sure how serious it is.

Vitters Brett Jackson, too. I'd be shocked if the Cubs went "off the radar" with this pick. There is too much elite talent available at the top of the draft for them to make a surprise pick like Colvin or Simpson. Dylan Bundy is a machine. He is up to 147 K's and 5 walks on the season. I know it's just HS hitters, but those are crazy numbers. If we can come out of this draft with Bundy or Starling I would be thrilled. I wouldn't exactly be disappointed with Jed Bradley, Bauer, or Gray but one of those high schoolers would be my preference if Rendon and Cole go 1-2, as expected.

It changes almost daily, but my top 9 in order for the Cubs would be... Rendon, Cole, Starling, Bundy, Bauer, Hultzen, Gray, Jed Bradley, Springer.

If Bundy is still around and the Cubs pick Lindor, I'll be very disappointed.

Sounds like it's just a blister issue for McNutt. Good news.

One would have to think that, but I think the point is a valid one. Let's examine the teams who could even potentially afford the contract Pujols wants: Angels: Could be a factor, absolutely, though Arte Moreno isn't a fan of contracts as huge as what Pujols wants Mets: In major financial trouble at the moment, and you don't figure that's going to all go away (to the point where they could offer $275-$300 million) by November or December Phillies/White Sox/Yankees/Red Sox: All have first basemen signed to huge contracts Dodgers: Could be a factor, but similar to the Mets, their ownership situation is still in flux, which could potentially preclude them from a signing that huge And save for the Cubs, that's really all of the teams who could even potentially afford a contract that large, isn't it? Nationals: Gave Werth huge money, seem willing to spend. Rangers: Big market, good team, no long term 1b. THey offered Lee huge $, but this would take double Giants: Good team, good market, big contracts ending soon Blue Jays: I think they have about $15M committed beyond 2011 and a solid core of young players. They could afford $30M to one guy if they wanted to. I'd bet on St. Louis, the Cubs have a good chance, but lots of teams will be in on Albert.

Thats a good point. If Cashner, Brett Jackson, and McNutt can establish themselves as average to above average starters this team can contend in 2012... C - Soto 1b - Pujols 2b - ? ss - Castro 3b - ? LF - Soriano CF - B. Jackson RF - Byrd/Colvin SP - Garza, Z, Dempster, Cashner, McNutt RP - Marmol, Carpenter, J.Jackson... They could use another front of the rotation starter, but maybe Cashner or McNutt will be that by 2012. If the Cubs choose to go that way in the draft there may also be a college pitcher like Gray, Jurgensen, or Jed Bradley that could contribue to the rotation in 2012. As you mentioned, they also could use another solid bat at 2B or 3b. I'm sure they wouldn't have the money left, but Weeks at 2b would be a huge step to making them an excellent team. I wouldn't count on it, but maybe Vitters learns to take a walk this year. If they like their chances in 2012, they could even pick up the option on Aramis, assuming they get creative with the payroll. Lots of question marks, but a player like Pujols makes such a huge difference. It would be hard to imagine him being on the team and them not being contenders for the next 4-5 years at least.

Do you see Daniel Norris and Sonny Gray being far behind Rendon/Cole/Purke/Jungmann? With Arizona looking like they will get #7 as a comp pick from this year I think it's pretty important the Cubs finish in the top (bottom) 6.