Hoops McCann (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} markotsay7) wrote,@ 2008-06-05 09:19:00 |
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Liveblogging the MLB Draft
I figure it's a good time to do my first liveblogging of an event. At 2PM the MLB Draft will commence. Being that I'm at work, I don't know how much of the draft I'll be able to cover...I hope to get at least the first 10 picks, and ideally the whole first round.
9:22 AM - There's a lot of buzz about the top picks even though the Draft doesn't start for more than four and a half hours. Almost everyone can agree upon the players in the top 10 or 12, but the order has been more disputed than I remember it ever being. For the first time in a long time, there's no clear-cut first pick. Some mock drafts have had FSU catcher Buster Posey going first or as low as sixth. Rumors have it that the Rays, with the first pick, have narrowed their choices down to Posey and Georgia HS shortstop Tim Beckham. My mock draft (see my previous post) has the Rays taking Beckham. He has a higher ceiling and is a much better athlete; Posey's biggest plus comes from the fact that he plays a premium position. We'll see soon enough...
9:34 AM - Reports are that Posey has a $12 million asking price and that the Rays will take Beckham. Many feel that the price tag (unheard of) is a way to scare small market teams at the top and let him drop to a big market team with lots of money, as pitcher Rick Porcello did last year to the Tigers.
10:13 AM - Based on some reports from the last 24 hours, I've updated my mock draft.
11:00 AM - Another mock draft, this time Baseball America, has the Marlins taking Posey. Please, God, let this be true. I just hope they'd pony up the cash to sign him.
11:03 AM - The Rays will take Tim Beckham at 2PM. I think that's the smartest pick for them. I'm 1-for-1 so far in my mock draft.
1:07 PM - It's been remarkably quiet for the last couple hours, and they're currently doing a "draft" of old Negro Leagues players. The lack of news leads me to believe that the Pirates will take Alvarez with the second pick as is widely expected. There's talk now that Posey could fall past 6 due to the $12 million number being thrown out there. It would seem that the Marlins wouldn't pony up at 6 and might opt for the 18-year-old Skipworth, whose bat has farther to go and whose secondary skills aren't as good as Posey. The price tag would be the only reason for a player of Posey's caliber sliding down to the second half of the top 10 - or maybe even further.
1:14 PM - Reportedly the Nationals (10th overall) will be willing to break slot to get an elite player. That means 1B Yonder Alonso ($8 million and an MLB deal), RHP Aaron Crow ($6 million, seems to have softened on demands of an MLB deal), Posey ($12 million), and 1B Eric Hosmer will almost certainly all be picked in the top 10. They all have top 10 talent, but signability issues arise when such young players demand high contracts. Also, the Giants are reportedly talking some more about Justin Smoak, which would almost certainly send Posey to the lower half of the top 10.
2:17 PM - Inexplicably, the Rays bled the clock to take Tim Beckham, Georgia HS shortstop, as reported. (my mock draft: 1/1)
2:22 PM - Once again inexplicably, the Pirates bleed the clock and select 3B Pedro Alvarez from Vanderbilt, as everyone knew. They'll have to pony up some money but it'll show a strong commitment to their fans. (2/2)
2:27 PM - The Royals take 1B Eric Hosmer from American Heritage HS right here in Plantation, FL. Great pick. The kid has light tower power and should succeed in KC. (3/3)
2:32 PM - The Orioles take LHP Brian Matusz from San Diego U. Most scouts had him as the best pitching talent in the draft. I'm not very high on him (and I usually am VERY high on lefty pitchers). His delivery worries me a lot. For a power pitcher he doesn't get much extension from his legs, especially considering how tall he is, and I think that could spell back and shoulder troubles for him. For my money, I'd take Aaron Crow, the righty, over Matusz. (3/4)
2:38 PM - The Giants take catcher Buster Posey from FSU. Posey's a tremendous player and I'd hoped he'd fall to 6 for the Marlins. He could have gone as high as first easily, but contract demands scared some teams away.
2:43 PM - The Marlins take HS catcher Kyle Skipworth. I'm disappointed. All indications pointed this way, but I can't stomach taking an 18 year old catcher with the 6th overall pick.
In fact, I'm so pissed I can't even blog anymore. I'll update later.
I figure it's a good time to do my first liveblogging of an event. At 2PM the MLB Draft will commence. Being that I'm at work, I don't know how much of the draft I'll be able to cover...I hope to get at least the first 10 picks, and ideally the whole first round.
9:22 AM - There's a lot of buzz about the top picks even though the Draft doesn't start for more than four and a half hours. Almost everyone can agree upon the players in the top 10 or 12, but the order has been more disputed than I remember it ever being. For the first time in a long time, there's no clear-cut first pick. Some mock drafts have had FSU catcher Buster Posey going first or as low as sixth. Rumors have it that the Rays, with the first pick, have narrowed their choices down to Posey and Georgia HS shortstop Tim Beckham. My mock draft (see my previous post) has the Rays taking Beckham. He has a higher ceiling and is a much better athlete; Posey's biggest plus comes from the fact that he plays a premium position. We'll see soon enough...
9:34 AM - Reports are that Posey has a $12 million asking price and that the Rays will take Beckham. Many feel that the price tag (unheard of) is a way to scare small market teams at the top and let him drop to a big market team with lots of money, as pitcher Rick Porcello did last year to the Tigers.
10:13 AM - Based on some reports from the last 24 hours, I've updated my mock draft.
11:00 AM - Another mock draft, this time Baseball America, has the Marlins taking Posey. Please, God, let this be true. I just hope they'd pony up the cash to sign him.
11:03 AM - The Rays will take Tim Beckham at 2PM. I think that's the smartest pick for them. I'm 1-for-1 so far in my mock draft.
1:07 PM - It's been remarkably quiet for the last couple hours, and they're currently doing a "draft" of old Negro Leagues players. The lack of news leads me to believe that the Pirates will take Alvarez with the second pick as is widely expected. There's talk now that Posey could fall past 6 due to the $12 million number being thrown out there. It would seem that the Marlins wouldn't pony up at 6 and might opt for the 18-year-old Skipworth, whose bat has farther to go and whose secondary skills aren't as good as Posey. The price tag would be the only reason for a player of Posey's caliber sliding down to the second half of the top 10 - or maybe even further.
1:14 PM - Reportedly the Nationals (10th overall) will be willing to break slot to get an elite player. That means 1B Yonder Alonso ($8 million and an MLB deal), RHP Aaron Crow ($6 million, seems to have softened on demands of an MLB deal), Posey ($12 million), and 1B Eric Hosmer will almost certainly all be picked in the top 10. They all have top 10 talent, but signability issues arise when such young players demand high contracts. Also, the Giants are reportedly talking some more about Justin Smoak, which would almost certainly send Posey to the lower half of the top 10.
2:17 PM - Inexplicably, the Rays bled the clock to take Tim Beckham, Georgia HS shortstop, as reported. (my mock draft: 1/1)
2:22 PM - Once again inexplicably, the Pirates bleed the clock and select 3B Pedro Alvarez from Vanderbilt, as everyone knew. They'll have to pony up some money but it'll show a strong commitment to their fans. (2/2)
2:27 PM - The Royals take 1B Eric Hosmer from American Heritage HS right here in Plantation, FL. Great pick. The kid has light tower power and should succeed in KC. (3/3)
2:32 PM - The Orioles take LHP Brian Matusz from San Diego U. Most scouts had him as the best pitching talent in the draft. I'm not very high on him (and I usually am VERY high on lefty pitchers). His delivery worries me a lot. For a power pitcher he doesn't get much extension from his legs, especially considering how tall he is, and I think that could spell back and shoulder troubles for him. For my money, I'd take Aaron Crow, the righty, over Matusz. (3/4)
2:38 PM - The Giants take catcher Buster Posey from FSU. Posey's a tremendous player and I'd hoped he'd fall to 6 for the Marlins. He could have gone as high as first easily, but contract demands scared some teams away.
2:43 PM - The Marlins take HS catcher Kyle Skipworth. I'm disappointed. All indications pointed this way, but I can't stomach taking an 18 year old catcher with the 6th overall pick.
In fact, I'm so pissed I can't even blog anymore. I'll update later.
