Jamie Cameron

The Draft Lottery has come and gone and the Washington Nationals have clinched the number pick for 2025. Where did other teams land in the lottery and which team beat the odds to have the best move up for a selection? View full video

This week's crowd-sourcing question asks Twins, Brewers and Cubs fans; what is your dream offseason move? (realistic) and what’s a move (signing, trade, etc.) you’d be happy with? Hear what listeners had to say here. View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 61 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie talk through an extremely active Winter Meetings. They break down the biggest signings and trades of the offseason so far, including Juan Soto to the Mets, Max Fried to the Yankees, Willy Adames to the Giants, and the Red Sox big trade to land Garrett Crochet. The guys then review a disappointing MLB Draft Lottery in which the Cubs, Red Sox, and Twins all moved down. They dig into the top 40 picks and bonus pools for each of those teams, before talking about some of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the class. Finally they end with some listener questions. 0:00 Intro 3:00 Juan Soto to Mets 6:56 Max Fried to Yankees 9:28 Guardians making moves 13:47 Red Sox, White Sox deal 26:12 Adames to the Giants 26:59 Roki Sasaki posted 31:55 Draft Lottery 40:03 Draft Pools 44:40 Draft Overview 48:52 Listener Questions You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The MLB Draft Lottery is in its third season at the Winter Meetings. Jamie answers all the questions on what the purpose behind it is as many baseball fans are still learning about the structure of it. View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 60 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie talk through some of the major signings of the MLB offseason so far. Should we be frustrated at the Dodgers for their accumulation of talent, or the 29 other teams for not spending more? Do we underestimate the value of back of the rotation pitching after deals inked by Matt Boyd and Frankie Montas. The guys then preview the forthcoming MLB Draft Lottery. They dig into the ‘why’ behind the lottery, how it works and the chances the Cubs and Twins have of moving up, staying put, or moving down. Finally they end with great answers to our crowdsourcing question of the week, in which we asked listeners to detail free agent signings or trades they want to see their team pull off in advance of 2025. 0:00 Intro 1:45 Blake Snell to the Dodgers 4:15 Boyd to the Cubs; Montas to the Mets 17:30 Draft Lottery Preview 19:23 What is the Purpose of the Lottery? 24:40 Do Teams Actually Move Up? 26:26 How Does it all work? 27:56 What are the Wrinkles? 34:40 What are the chances the Brewers, Cubs and Twins move up? 44:14 Reveal of Comp Picks at the Lottery too. 46:56 Crowdsourcing 55:43 Outro You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The 2025 MLB Draft Lottery is coming up at next week's Winter Meetings, on Dec. 10. Let’s dig into how the lottery works, the wrinkles for 2025, and the Cubs' chances of moving up. Image courtesy of © Kyle Schwab-Imagn Images When is the Lottery? Tues., Dec. 10 at 5:30 PM ET. The 2025 MLB Draft Lottery will be broadcast live on MLB Network and can be streamed live on MLB.com. What is the Purpose of the Lottery? Introduced as part of the 2022 CBA ahead of the 2023 draft cycle, the first six picks of a given draft cycle are now determined by lottery, to discourage tanking and create some chance of a reward for a team who fought valiantly but missed the playoffs in a given season. Do Teams Actually Move Up? Famously, yes. The Twins jumped from an expected 13th to fifth in the inaugural Draft Lottery for the 2023 cycle, a move that allowed them to draft Walker Jenkins near the top of an exceptional class. In 2024, the Guardians jumped all the way to first overall, despite having just 2.0% odds of doing so. Their jump allowed them to select Travis Bazzana, in addition to stocking up on tons of prep talent with their bloated bonus pool. How does it work? Any team that didn’t make the postseason is eligible for the lottery, with odds decreasing for teams with superior win/loss records. The lottery is actually held in advance of the broadcast, which serves as a results show for a process completed by an independent auditor earlier the same day. Picks 1-6 are awarded in that order, by a draw that spits out ping-pong balls with a four-number combination that corresponds to a given team. The worse your 2024 record, the more number combinations you have in the draw. Picks 7-18 are in accordance with pre-lottery odds for non-playoff teams. Finally, playoff teams' order are determined by their elimination from postseason play (not their regular-season records). Picks awarded by the lottery are only adjusted for round one. The order for the rest of the rounds is in accordance with their regular-season record. What are the Wrinkles? The largest is the fact that there are teams who can’t pick inside the top 10 next year, as they are ineligible. Any payor club (read; large market) is ineligible to receive a lottery pick in two consecutive draft cycles. As such, the Chicago White Sox will pick 10th in 2025, despite a 41-121 record. Additionally, revenue sharing-receiving teams are ineligible to receive a lottery pick in three consecutive cycles. As such, the Oakland West Sacramento Athletics will pick 11th in 2025. The Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers will likely receive a 10-pick penalty, too, for being so deep into the luxury tax. Since all three made the postseason, though, none will have any impact on the outcome of the lottery. What are the Cubs' chances of Moving Up? I’m not going to lie to you: it’s extremely unlikely the Cubs move up in the draft order. You can find teams' current odds of landing the top pick listed below: 22.45 -- Rockies (.377) 22.45 -- Marlins (.383) 17.96 -- Angels (.389) 10.20 -- Nationals (.438) 7.48 -- Blue Jays (.457) 5.31 -- Pirates (.469) 3.67 -- Reds (.475) 2.45 -- Rangers (.481) 1.90 -- Giants (.494) 1.50 -- Rays (.494) 1.22 -- Red Sox (.500) 1.09 -- Twins (.506) 0.82 -- Cardinals (.512) 0.68 -- Cubs (.512) 0.53 -- Mariners (.525) 0.27 -- D-backs (.549) 0.0 -- White Sox (.253 – ineligible for lottery pick) 0.0 -- A’s (.426 – ineligible for lottery pick) Moving up has an outsized impact for payor clubs. Teams like the Cubs do not benefit from compensation picks in Compeititve-Balance Rounds A or B, which act as a cushion to ensure the financial flexibility of small-market teams. This limits their reach in the draft in terms of both picks and bonus pool. While the Cubs have only vanishing chances of getting the top pick, though, the ineligibility of two teams does slightly boost their hopes of getting one of the top six selections, instead of the 16th. However the lottery shakes out, it’s worth paying attention to. At the least, a team that moves from the middle of the first round to a lottery spot has a good chance to add a top-50 global prospect to their system. If the Cubs move up, we’ll have all the details here at North Side Baseball. View full article

The Cubs have the majority of their lineup in the Majors locked in for the long term and top prospects Matt Shaw and Owen Cassie are just a few knocking on the door of the Big Leagues. For the Cubs prospects who are going to the Arizona Fall League, are they being offered up to scouts as trade options going into the off-season? View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 53 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie start by breaking down their rooting interests in the playoffs, and ask if the end of season is even more frustrating for Twins fans with two AL Central teams making an October run. Next they dig into some discussion on coaching staff turnover and how much it really matters and impacts the on field product. The guys then break down AFL rosters for the Brewers, Cubs and Twins. Jeremy talks through how the AFL has changed and highlights how teams leverage roster spots different from previous years. They spend time breaking down Brock Wilken, Luis Lara, Ryan Birchard, Moises Ballesteros, Benjamin Cowles, Jonathon Long, Kala’i Rosario, Danny De Andrade, and Kade Bragg, before answering questions on Matt Canterino and Connor Prielipp. 0:00 Intro 14:05 Arizona Fall League 19:50 Brewers 29:18 Cubs 39:00 Twins You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In episode 45 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie review the 2024 MLB Draft classes for the Cubs, Brewers, and Twins. They talk through day one hauls in depth before digging into best value picks, under-the-radar names from day two and three, and their overall impressions of each class. The guys dig into some possible signability concerns for the Brewers, ask if the Twins class was underwhelming, and evaluate how the Cubs leveraged minimal picks and money from their bonus pool. Finally, they preview forthcoming content, including some final wrap up on the 2024 draft cycle, the looming trade deadline, and digging back into MiLB baseball. 0:00 Intro 9:17 Cubs Draft Review 23:40 Brewers Draft Review 39:09 Twins Draft Review 56:00 Listener Questions You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The Cubs add the college third baseman with their first pick. View full video

What can we make of the Cubs' selections on the first night of the 2024 MLB Draft? What are their strengths and opportunities as they transition into professional baseball? Let’s dig in. Image courtesy of © Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports The three-day mini-marathon that is the MLB Draft is in the books for 2024. .The Cubs, not blessed with a huge number of picks or a large bonus pool to leverage, leaned into the strength of the class on Day One, drafting two college bats. What can we make of their choices? What are each player's strengths and opportunities for improvement, as they embark on their pro careers? For each pick, you’ll find their position, age, school, height, weight, handedness, and position on the final consensus board listed below their names. Cam Smith, 14th Overall Pick 3B, 21, Florida State, 6’3, 230, R/R (14) Trey Yesavage was the only available player who ranked higher on the final consensus board than Smith when the Cubs were up to pick at 14. While Chicago has had an affinity for power arms in recent drafts, Smith is an unsurprising pick who balances ACC performance, prospect pedigree, and projectable impact at the next level. He hit .387/.488/.654 with 16 home runs (39 extra-base hits), 44 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 66 games in 2024. Smith widened his base and lowered his hand setup in the batter's box, allowing him to access his power with a little more consistency. Smith reworked his swing significantly between his freshman and (draft-eligible) sophomore season. He has a flattish bat path, and one wonders if the Cubs feel like there is more loft to be created, especially given that he simplified other aspects of his swing, including his two-strike approach. It’s likely that some work on the swing is coming, since the current version doesn’t appear to leverage his strong lower half as much as it could. In spite of all this, Smith has an argument to make for the most improved hitter in college baseball in 2024. His strikeout rate fell from north of 28% to 15%; he became more selective; and he found more contact. That level of improvement in two seasons of ACC play bodes well for his transition to professional baseball. All of this, by the way, is underpinned by a stellar Cape track record (22 extra-base hits and a .981 OPS in 44 games). Some evaluators have argued that Smith’s size and physicality mean a move to first base or a corner outfield spot is likely. I disagree. His lateral movement, arm, and range all play at the hot corner. If he gets much bigger, range might be an issue, but Smith is an excellent athlete. I’d put my money on him staying put. Smith is one of my favorite bats in the class. He profiles as a high-floor everyday player who could tap into substantial in-game power with some polish to his swing. Cole Mathis, 54th Overall Pick INF, 20, 6’1, 210, R/R, College of Charleston (68) Don’t let the position on the consensus board fool you. Mathis was one of the trendy analytical college bats of the 2024 class, and a player we highlighted as likely to be picked higher than the consensus. It’s some serious production (albeit at a smaller school) from a former two-way-player backed up by an otherworldly Cape track record (11 home runs, 1.048 OPS in 38 games) Mathis was a two-way player until 2024, hitting 97 mph on the mound until switching to focus solely on hitting. After a relatively slow start, he mashed .335/.472/.650, with 14 home runs (33 XBH), 46 walks and 32 strikeouts in 52 games. Mathis is a pretty passive hitter, swinging around 20% less than the D1 average within the zone. That approach will likely change in pro ball as the pitching improves, but it's unlikely he's going to get himself out by chasing as soon as pro pitchers get ahold of him. Mathis backs this up with good bat-to-ball skills, particularly in the zone. That tool plays well with his patience at the plate. While most of his college power was pull-side, his batted-ball data from the Cape suggests that he could have average to above-average power as a professional. This is more of a hitterish profile than a slugger, though, and Mathis has a number of tools at his disposal to hurt you offensively. Defensively, Mathis might be a first baseman, and this is where the bat will need to be impactful for him to be a viable professional hitter. The Cubs don’t seem to be afraid of prospects whose swing needs an overhaul (Mathis has a noisy operation at the plate). In Smith and Mathis, they leaned into high-floored college bats on Day One. What did you make of the Cubs' pair of picks? Add to this discussion with a comment below. View full article

The Cubs selected Cole Mathis with the 54th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft The Cubs selected Cole Mathis with the 54th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Mathis plays for a smaller school at College of Charleston but has forced himself into the day one conversation through a combination of outstanding batted ball metrics in 2023 and an otherworldly Cape performance in 2023. He smacked 11 home runs in his summer stint, in addition to posting consistently strong exit velocities in his 2023 college season, up there with some of the best in the nation. There's plenty to like about his approach and swing as he walks more than he strikes out, leading to a strong on-base platform. As you might expect, Mathis has excellent bat speed and punishes pitches in the zone with consistency. He'd previously been a two way player, up to 97 mph on the bump but is focused on hitting in 2024. He warmed up after a little but of a slow start. His final line in 2024 was .335/.472/.650 (1.122) with 14 home runs (33 XBH), 46 walks, and just 32 strikeouts in 52 games. Mathis has a cannon arm but not the best defensive actions and may end up limited in his defensive value. He should get a crack at third base as a pro, but if he shifts to first, the bat will have to continue to mash to accrue value. Mathis has ended up as one of the college data darlings of this cycle, I think he'll go higher than his consensus ranking. More to come. View full article

The Cubs selected Cam Smith with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Image courtesy of © Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports The Cubs selected Florida State third baseman Cam Smith with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Smith is a 6'3, 230 pound right-handed hitter. He was ranked 14th overall on the North Side Baseball Consensus Board. The 14th overall pick comes with a lot value of $5,070,700. After appearing as a top-100 prospect on draft lists ahead of the 2022 draft, Smith made it to campus in Tallahassee. After a freshman campaign that saw evaluators question his hit tool, he's been making strides since a summer stint on the Cape to answer those questions and put himself in a strong position as a draft eligible sophomore in 2024. Smith has an athletic profile built for good power, with a flatter bat path indicative that more home run power could be on the way if Smith can lift the ball with more consistency. Advances in the hit tool have raised his stock over the summer. Smith has begun chasing less and improved his contact rate significantly enabling him to get off to a scorching start to the 2024 season. Smith is a good runner and mover for someone his size but that's a fringe average grade overall. Defensively, he has a plus arm and moves well, making third base a viable long term home as a professional, one that he should be above average at defensively. Smith has a good case for the most improved hitter in college baseball in 2024. A lower hand set and wider base have helped him access his offensive impact with more consistency. He's an increasingly well-balanced offensive profile at the hot corner. He hit .387/.488/.654 (1.142) with 16 home runs (39 XBH), 44 walks and 48 strikeouts in 66 games. More to come. View full article