380 replies to this topic

[ehaz]

"Word is Blake Swihart sent out a similar letter to Josh Bell's to the effect of don't draft me. Going to slide to a team willing to pay"

Piliere on twitter

[phragle]

"Word is Blake Swihart sent out a similar letter to Josh Bell's to the effect of don't draft me. Going to slide to a team willing to pay"

Piliere on twitter

Hmmm. Bell, Beede and Swihart? Interesting...

[ehaz]

Beede, Swihart, Bell all heavily connected to the Sox. All 3 have sent letters to teams saying that they're going to college. Who's next, Nimmo?

[phragle]

Hopefully Bradley.


Hey, a guy can dream right?

[Bigpupp]

"Word is Blake Swihart sent out a similar letter to Josh Bell's to the effect of don't draft me. Going to slide to a team willing to pay"

Piliere on twitter

I'm from NM so have been following him for a while. I remember one interview he did last year saying that it's a waste of time to talk about the draft because it's always been his dream to play for UT.

....and no, I didn't believe him.

[Jed Zeppelin]

It's all good. These guys (and the guys advising them) aren't dumb and know they're in the same boat as the teams w/r/t what the new CBA is very likely to bring. It's smart, if a bit transparent, to try to increase the chance of getting drafted by a team with deep pockets willing to throw a lot of money around since the opportunity will soon be gone. I hope after the end of this draft we'll all be joyously saying "It's not my money!" as the Sox walk away with a boatload of upside.

[phragle]

Twitter is stupid. Goldstein hasn't answered a meaningful question all night.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Twitter is stupid. Goldstein hasn't answered a meaningful question all night.

Well, the draft MUST be getting more popular if people are asking questions like "will Josh Bell get drafted?" and "haven't the Red Sox already signed their picks to pre-draft deals?"

[ehaz]

"Heard multiple teams have floated $6-7 mil-plus for dallas prep OF josh bell. But he still says he's going to UT."

Heyman twitter. does he slip to day 2?

[Bigpupp]

"Heard multiple teams have floated $6-7 mil-plus for dallas prep OF josh bell. But he still says he's going to UT."

Heyman twitter. does he slip to day 2?

I really have a hard time believing anything Heyman has to say when Boras is also in the mix.

[ehaz]

You're probably right. 7 million is typically top 5 money. And that's on the high side too.

Edited by ehaz, 06 June 2011 - 12:14 AM.

[Midre Cum Ingz]

Prediction:

The catcher from this draft who has the best career won't be Swihart, Susac, or Hedges.

It'll be Riley Moore.

[phragle]

I wonder if Osich could have left the game because of injury? Small chance, but it is possible. I asked around on Twitter.

I like Christian Lopes, he could be the biggest sleeper in the draft. I hope we get him.

Edited by phragle, 06 June 2011 - 05:46 AM.

[philly sox fan]

Read: http://paws.ketterin...NCAA-stats.html

Very interesting. Thanks SoxScout. Definitely put me down for HS bats over non-Hultzen/Bauer College pitchers then. The data says to me that there is more performance risk with those guys than the scouting reports and generic safe college pitcher profile would suggest.

[SoxScout]

Current incarnation of Twitter Draft Grid: http://goo.gl/09bwx
(settings - refresh every 1 minute - update)

conorglassey conorglassey
DmndScpScouting DiamondScapeScouting
ProspectInsider Jason A. Churchill
jimcallisBA Jim Callis
JonathanMayoB3 Jonathan Mayo
johnmanuelba John Manuel
keithlaw keithlaw
Kevin_Goldstein Kevin Goldstein
FrankiePiliere Frankie Piliere

[SoxScout]

Baseball America ranks Maples, recently named the Gatorade Player of the Year for North Carolina, as the No. 46 overall prospect heading into today's start to the MLB draft. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound righty pitched under intense pressure from his opening start of the season to his last, a 20-strikeout performance in a playoff victory three weeks ago.

The next evening, Maples conducted an over-the-phone psychological review with a New York Yankees representative. The Boston Red Sox used Skype to interact with him after a similar test, and he obliged Pinecrest assistant coach Daniel Coles by sitting in a classroom to complete one MLB team's exam.

http://fayobserver.c...8890?sac=Sports

If Chaz Hebert doesn't receive an offer that matches his number he has no intentions of turning down a college scholarship. While most pro teams lost interest after hearing his dollar amount, Hebert said the New York Yankees, Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox have continued to stay in contact.

http://www.theadvert...ext|FRONTPAGE|s

Robert Stephenson said he's heard from the Dodgers, Rays and Red Sox the most, and Ross said it was hard to tell who's had the most interest as the draft has gotten closer. Both say they're looking forward to hearing their names called, and both will try to enjoy the experience one final time.

http://www.mercuryne...?nclick_check=1

Edited by SoxScout, 06 June 2011 - 08:03 AM.

[jsinger121]

Gerrit Cole is going #1 overall to the Pirates per Jonathan Mayo who confirmed it.

[SoxScout]

Keene State closer Corey Vogt threw for the Red Sox at Fenway last week.

[SoxScout]

Someone with Insider? Law's final: http://insider.espn....LawMockDraft4.0

[JMP83]

Someone with Insider? Law's final: http://insider.espn....LawMockDraft4.0

Has us taking Alex Meyer and Chris Reed with picks 19 and 26, respectively.

Says the Sox probably won't go way over slot in the 1st Round and will try to do that later with their Supplemental Picks. Hears the Bell to Boston rumors are overheated, and that the team will likely look at players like Nimmo, Swihart, and Hedges with picks 36 and 40.

[phragle]

Someone with Insider? Law's final: http://insider.espn....LawMockDraft4.0

19.Alex Meyer, RHP, KentuckyI don't think they'll break the bank on this pick but will do as they did last year with Kolbrin Vitek, taking a higher-probability player first and spending later. That could be Gray, Jed Bradley, or Mahtook if any should get here.


26.Chris Reed, LHP, StanfordAgain they're open to any quality player who falls, mostly college, but won't go way above MLB's recommended bonus this early. Have heard the Josh Bell rumors are overheated. I think they look at Blake Swihart, Nimmo, or Hedges (if available) in the sandwich round or later, but most likely take some slightly lower-profile high school players and pay them over slot.

[SoxScout]

Has us taking Alex Meyer and Chris Reed with picks 19 and 26, respectively.

Says the Sox probably won't go way over slot in the 1st Round and will try to do that later with their Supplemental Picks. Hears the Bell to Boston rumors are overheated, and that the team will likely look at players like Nimmo, Swihart, and Hedges with picks 36 and 40.

Yikes....

[phragle]

Reed is a good pick, but at 40 not 26.

Edit: I'll be extremely surprised if they go slot twice in the first round.

Edited by phragle, 06 June 2011 - 09:46 AM.

[Midre Cum Ingz]

Down the drain...

That's where my faith in Kweef Law has gone.

Horrid, horrid mock.

The only guy I trust is Frankie P.

[gammoseditor]

Down the drain...

That's where my faith in Kweef Law has gone.

Horrid, horrid mock.

The only guy I trust is Frankie P.

They went with easy signs over players who were ranked higher by the draft experts twice last year before taking Ranuado. I get that the signability guys are exciting, but there's a history with the Red Sox not taking more than 1 before the end of the supplemental round. With the depth of this years draft and more teams spending money I hope this year is different. We'll see.

[SoxScout]

Down the drain...

That's where my faith in Kweef Law has gone.

Pull yourself together.

[OCD SS]

They went with easy signs over players who were ranked higher by the draft experts twice last year before taking Ranuado. I get that the signability guys are exciting, but there's a history with the Red Sox not taking more than 1 before the end of the supplemental round. With the depth of this years draft and more teams spending money I hope this year is different. We'll see.

The thing is that if they pop someone who is actually unsignable (say Bell, if he's being honest) then the compensation pick next year likely won't be as good, hence Theo's "getting them in the right order" comment. I think it's interesting that a Boras guy like Meyer is seen as an easy sign, with people expecting him to go for around slot (which is ~$500K less than the Sox offered him the last time around).

[gammoseditor]

The thing is that if they pop someone who is actually unsignable (say Bell, if he's being honest) then the compensation pick next year likely won't be as good, hence Theo's "getting them in the right order" comment. I think it's interesting that a Boras guy like Meyer is seen as an easy sign, with people expecting him to go for around slot (which is ~$500K less than the Sox offered him the last time around).

Interesting, I took Theo's comment of "getting them in the right order" to mean that it makes no sense to take a guy at 19 who will be there at 40, because the slot guy at 19 is much better than the slot guy at 40.

I also find it funny that Meyer is being talked about as an easy sign, although for a little over 19 slot he likely is. This is the guy that John Henry offered his private plane up to get his physical in before the deadline.

[Midre Cum Ingz]

They went with easy signs over players who were ranked higher by the draft experts twice last year before taking Ranuado. I get that the signability guys are exciting, but there's a history with the Red Sox not taking more than 1 before the end of the supplemental round. With the depth of this years draft and more teams spending money I hope this year is different. We'll see.

Vitek was a no doubt top 30 talent though.

Meyer and Reed aren't.

I think that Reed is more likely to make it as a starter than Meyer despite being a reliever for Stanford.

I'm fine with "easy signs" in the 1st round. Just go with a college guy who is worth taking...hopefully Jedidiah Bradley is there and Lester can tutor him.

A 2-pitch pitcher with bad command at 19? That's turrbull, as Chuck would say.

I love Meyer's ceiling but you don't touch him in the 1st round or the sandwich round.

[Bigpupp]

A 2-pitch pitcher with bad command at 19? That's turrbull, as Chuck would say..

Meyer has been rumored to go as highly as 6, and any other year he would be a sure fire top 10. Also, his "bad command" has led to a 57/17 k/bb ratio his last 6 starts. He is filthy and may be putting it together too.

He isn't top on my list either but let's stop acting like a 6'9" guy who throws triple digits and may sign for slot is a bad pick.

[mabrowndog]

From Corey Hersch at Sox Prospects

Because of the the team's ability and willingness to draft players whose signability is in question, the Red Sox drafted 15 players who were ranked in either the Baseball America Top 200 or the Perfect Game USA Top 331 this year. For reference, the team had 15 selections in the BA and PG lists last season. Below is a complete list of the highly-ranked Red Sox draft selections.

Round-Pick-Player-Position-(Rank)
1-19-Matt Barnes-RHP-(BA: 13; PG: 11)
1-26-Blake Swihart-C-(BA: 17; PG 22)
1s-36-Henry Owens-LHP-(BA: 33; PG: 38)
1s-40-Jackie Bradley, Jr.-OF-(BA: 34; PG: 40)
2-81-Williams Jerez-OF-(BA: 53; PG: 52)
3-111-Jordan Weems-C-(BA: 188)
4-142-Noe Ramirez-RHP-(BA: 93; PG: 86)
6-202-Miguel Pena-LHP-(PG: 282)
7-232-Cody Kukuk-LHP-(BA: 154; PG: 156)
8-262-Senquez Golson-OF-(BA: 107; PG: 110)
11-352-Deshorn Lake-RHP-(PG: 275)
15-472-Braden Kapteyn-1B-(PG: 257)
16-502-Daniel Gossett-RHP-(PG: 256)
17-532-Blake Forslund-RHP-(PG: 283)
32-982-Julius Gaines-SS-(PG: 220)

Edited by mabrowndog, 09 June 2011 - 08:50 AM.