Outshined_One

After going through this thread and doing some research, some general comments... First of all, the absolute worst reason for a team to draft someone is because he might not be there when that team picks again. You should draft the #1 guy on your board, regardless of what other teams might think of him. Based on what I've seen from the Cubs in recent years, they seem to have adopted that philosophy. They may have an unorthodox approach to determining who the #1 overall player is, but they will select that guy. I really do think that Simpson was the #1 guy on the Cubs' board based on some combination of his current talent, ceiling, and signability. The good news with Simpson is, if he were two inches taller or if he went to a better school, it sounds like he would have been a much more highly regarded prospect. If he legitimately has four pitches that could be above average to plus and he could handle the starter's workload, then he is absolutely worth the #16 pick. Yeah, compared to some of the available players, it was disappointing to see the Cubs select him over guys like O'Connor and Allie. However, the Cubs didn't select a guy with a low ceiling. He's actually quite intriguing. If the Cubs selected him in the second or third, I would have loved the pick. The potential bad news with Simpson is what he might represent as far as spending in the draft is concerned. I'm guessing the Cubs will be able to sign him below MLB's slot recommendation. So, the major question question is whether the Cubs are under tight budgetary restrictions, as Tim mentioned above. If this is like the Pirates taking Tony Sanchez last year so they could hand out six and seven figure bonuses to sign high-end guys who dropped because of strong college commitments, this pick is wholly justifiable. If, instead, the Cubs proceed to select a bunch of guys who will sign at or below slot from here on out, then this pick will be quite the disappointment. I'm willing to take a wait and see approach with Simpson. Assuming he signs soon, we should get a good handle on what he has to offer when Boise starts its season.

And I'm out for the rest of the night. Enjoy the draft!

Padres take Karsten Whitson.

Anything's possible. This has already been a fairly strange draft.

Houston Astros take Delino DeShields Jr.

Mutts take Matt Harvey.

Very little chance. He's been discussed as a possibility for some teams at the end of the first round.

Arizona Diamondbacks take Barret Loux. Okay then.

This is the best way Peter Gammons can get back to TV, in my opinion. Surround him with a bunch of morons who have no clue what they are talking about and he'll look like a genius! What the hell is that thing on Pomeranz's head? Is he a Justin Bieber fan?

Pomeranz to the Indians. Good pick.

I'm glad the Royals got him off the board. From the reports I've read and what limited I've seen of him, he doesn't project to be much more than an above average defensive 2B with a decent bat. Great intangibles and a fantastic teammate, but he's not exactly someone I'd want in the first round.

KC Royals take Christian Colon, SS, Cal-State Fullerton.

Orioles take Manny Machado, as expected.

After the Orioles pick, things will get crazy. Apparently the Royals are looking at Christian Colon.

From BA:

Washington Nationals select OF Bryce Harper with the first overall pick.

Live Feed: Link

Bud Selig apparently has never received applause before.

Oh God, Harold Reynolds is back.

The only pick at #16 I would heavily disfavor would either be OF Gary Brown (fantastic defensive CF, but doesn't walk and uses a contact-heavy approach) or someone who would be an obviously egregious reach. Otherwise, no one would really tick me off.

Thanks.

Piliere's last

I'll be shocked if Allie goes to the Cubs. Don't get me wrong, I think he could be a fantastic pitcher, but, with HS pitchers since Wilken took over, the Cubs typically go for guys who are more on the polished side.

Callis' latest mock has Deck McGuire slipping to the Cubs. Not sure how I feel about that one.

FREE LIVE DRAFT FEED: Link We'll use this thread to discuss the actual draft. Another thread will be used for discussing the Cubs' picks. We'll update this post with new links and other information as it becomes available. Basic Info Day 1 of the MLB Draft begins at 6:00 PM CST. The first day will cover the first round and supplemental first round of the MLB Draft. Day 2 will cover rounds 2-30 and Day 3 will cover rounds 31-50, although not every team goes the full 50 rounds. The Cubs have the following picks: 1.16 2.15 (#65 overall) 3.15 (#97 overall) 4.15 (#130 overall), and then the 15th selection in every round thereafter As things stand right now...well, like every other year, this year is a total mess. The Nationals are essentially a lock to take C Bryce Harper with the first pick, but after that, everything is up in the air. The Pirates, who own the second overall pick, were supposedly debating between SS Manny Machado and RHP Jameson Taillon, might end up taking an unnamed college pitcher instead. While Harper, Machado, and Taillon are the clear-cut top three players in this year's draft, the talent pool following them is incredibly murky. Links BA's Draft Blog BA Chat with John Manuel and Conor Glassey (NOW) Jim Callis' Draft Day Mock Frankie Piliere on MLB FanHouse Frankie Piliere's Draft Day Chat (NOW) Frankie Piliere's Final Mock Draft Andy Seiler's MLB Bonus Baby MLB Draft Blog Andy Seiler's Final Mock Draft Andy Seiler's Draft Day Chat (NOW) BP Chat with Kevin Goldstein (Starts at 5:30 PM CT) Chat with Keith Law (NOW) Project Prospect Chat (NOW) Twitter Accounts Frankie Piliere Keith Law Jonathan Mayo Kevin Goldstein Andy Seiler Day 1 Draft Order First Round 1. Washington Nationals - Bryce Harper, C/OF, JC of Southern Nevada 2. Pittsburgh Pirates - Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands (Texas) HS 3. Baltimore Orioles - Manny Machado, SS, Brito Private HS, Hialeah, Fla. 4. Kansas City Royals - Christian Colon, SS, Cal-State Fullerton 5. Cleveland Indians - Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Ole Miss 6. Arizona Diamondbacks - Barret Loux, RHP, Texas A&M 7. New York Mets - Matt Harvey, RHP, UNC 8. Houston Astros - Delino DeShields Jr., OF, Woodward Academy, College Park, Ga. 9. San Diego Padres - Karsten Whitson, rhp Chipley (Fla.) HS 10. Oakland Athletics - Michael Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington 11. Toronto Blue Jays - Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech 12. Cincinnati Reds - Yasmani Grandal, C, Miami 13. Chicago White Sox - Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast 14. Milwaukee Brewers - Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha HS, Pasadena, Calif. 15. Texas Rangers - Jake Skole, OF, Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, Ga. 16. Chicago Cubs - Hayden Simpson, RHP, Southern Arkansas 17. Tampa Bay Rays - Josh Sale, OF, Bishop Blanchet HS, Seattle 18. Los Angeles Angels - Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Cook HS, Adel, Ga. 19. Houston Astros - Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka (Ill.) Community HS 20. Boston Red Sox - Kolbrin Vitek, 2B, Ball State 21. Minnesota Twins - Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio State 22. Texas Rangers - Kellin Deglan, C, Mountain SS, Langley, B.C. 23. Florida Marlins - Christian Yelich, OF, Westlake HS, Westlake Village, Calif. 24. San Francisco Giants - Gary Brown, OF, Cal-State Fullerton 25. St. Louis Cardinals - Zach Cox, 3B, Arkansas 26. Colorado Rockies - Kyle Parker, OF, Clemson 27. Philadelphia Phillies - Jesse Biddle, LHP, Germantown Friends HS, Philadelphia 28. Los Angeles Dodgers - Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney (Texas) HS 29. Los Angeles Angels - Cam Bedrosian, RHP, East Coweta HS, Sharpsburg, Ga. 30. Los Angeles Angels - Chevez Clarke, OF, Marietta (Ga.) HS 31. Tampa Bay Rays - Justin O'Connor, C, Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind. 32. New York Yankees - Cito Culver, SS, Irondequoit HS, Rochester, N.Y. Comp Round A 33. Houston Astros - Mike Kvasnicka, 3B, Minnesota 34. Toronto Blue Jays - Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Barstow (Calif.) HS 35. Atlanta Braves - Matt Lipka, SS, McKinney (Texas) HS 36. Boston Red Sox - Bryce Brentz, OF, Middle Tennessee State 37. Los Angeles Angels - Taylor Lindsey, SS, Desert Mountain HS, Scottsdale, Ariz. 38. Toronto Blue Jays - Noah Syndergaard, LHP, Legacy HS, Mansfield, Texas 39. Boston Red Sox - Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, LSU 40. Los Angeles Angels - Ryan Bolden, OF, Madison (Miss.) Central HS 41. Toronto Blue Jays - Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, The Citadel 42. Tampa Bay Rays - Drew Vettleson, OF, Central Kitsap HS, Silverdale, Wash. 43. Seattle Mariners - Taijuan Walker, RHP, Yucaipa (Calif.) HS 44. Detroit Tigers - Nick Castellanos, 3B, Archbishop McCarthy HS, SW Ranches, Fla. 45. Texas Rangers - Luke Jackson, RHP, Calvary Christian HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 46. St. Louis Cardinals - Seth Blair, RHP, Arizona State 47. Colorado Rockies - Peter Tago, RHP, Dana Hills HS, Dana Point, Calif. 48. Detroit Tigers - Chance Ruffin, RHP, Texas 49. Texas Rangers - Mike Olt, 3B, UConn 50. St. Louis Cardinals - Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Henderson (Texas) HS