2019 MLB Draft - Red Sox tracker

TimScribble

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The 2019 MLB draft begins tonight with rounds 1-2 at 7 PM.

The Red Sox were moved down 10 spots for exceeding the $40 million luxury tax threshold. They have the second pick of the second round (#43) and the last pick of the second round (#69).
 

TimScribble

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The Sox will take a hit in their draft pool money by losing 10 spots. They’ll have even less to spend.

Wonder if they’ll try for a big pick then fill with seniors.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Leiter would be a big pick, as he has committed to Vanderbilt and wants lots of money to turn pro. He's considered a first round talent, so getting him would be big, but would hurt the rest of the draft.

Hampton probably would be similar: "His father, Maurice Hampton Sr., said that his son will likely attend LSU unless he is picked in the first round of the MLB draft.
“If it’s in the first round he’ll definitely take a good look at it, but if it’s second round he’ll probably be at LSU,” his father said.
If Hampton does go to LSU he is planning to play both sports.
Most draft analysts are projecting that Hampton will go near the end of the first round.
MLB.com projection: Arizona Diamondbacks, 33rd overall. In his latest mock draft, MLB.com’s Jim Callis noted that the Diamondbacks have the biggest assigned bonus pool in the draft and could use some of the extra cash to take a chance on Hampton."

If the Sox took both Leiter and Hampton, seems like it would take almost all of their money to sign those 2. But maybe it would be a smart way to go-- rather than drafting 10 guys who all have a chance but overall are unlikely to be very good, grab a couple guys who have better chances to become good regulars in the majors. There's obvious downsides to that strategy, but it might be worth the risk, since we're drafting low with less money to spend.

Both of these guys could easily be gone before our first pick, so it might be moot. But if either is there, they might be worth a shot.
 
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PedroKsBambino

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I'm not sure it's an optimal use of draft resources, but a related approach would be draft both and say that there was a big contract for the first to sign.

The risk, of course, is that both choose to go to college intsead, but you bear that risk anyway to a degree.
 

TimScribble

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If you draft both in the top 10 and don’t sign one, you lose all that pool money to spend. So, you wouldn’t make that offer without majorly crippling the draft budget.
 

RoDaddy

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Kinda boring although decent pick, probably the way this whole draft will go for the Sox with their low draft budget. I like the description though and if he turns into a solid starting second baseman in the bigs, it's a good pick

Cameron Cannon, 2B/SS
University of Arizona (JR, 2019)
R/R 5-10, 196 lbs.
Date of Birth: 10/16/1997

Hit- 45 (55) Power- 40 (45) Run- 50 (50) Arm- 50 (50) Field- 50 (55)

Written by Dominic Asta

Analysis
Cameron Cannon is a compact 5-foot-10, 196-lb. middle infielder at the University of Arizona. He is in the midst of an outstanding junior season, hitting .370/.462/.587. Cannon has been moved around the infield this season, playing both second base and shortstop. He is a capable defender at either spot, but will most likely end up at second base long term. He has had a very impressive college career and has a ton of experience with wood bats, playing each collegiate summer in a different wood bat league. He is a contact hitter with sneaky power and the ability to play multiple positions. This tool set should get him selected in the first three rounds in June’s draft.

Cannon sets up deep in the batter’s box and leans heavily on his back leg. He has a wide, low stance and a small toe tap as he loads for the pitch. He has a quick bat and an uppercut swing that produces a good deal of fly balls and line drives. He uses his lower body and great hip rotation to explode on the ball and spray line drives gap to gap. He currently leads the country in doubles and should grow into close to average power at the next level. Cannon excels at putting the ball in play, as he has struck out in less than 12 percent of his plate appearances this year (which is higher than his minuscule 8.4 percent last season). He is a selective hitter at the plate and is willing to take walks if he does not get his pitch. He currently has 74 walks compared to 58 strikeouts in his college career. He has the makings of a great contact hitter with doubles power and low strikeout numbers.

Cameron has played all over the infield throughout his college career. He has played mostly second base and shortstop at Arizona, but played third base in the Cape Cod League this past summer. He has made a concerning number of errors this season and will most likely be moved off of shortstop at the next level. He possesses an accurate arm, but not the type of zip you want to see at shortstop. He has solid arm strength that plays better at second or third, and his great footwork and sure hands allow him to play those positions adequately. Cannon does not have great speed out of the box and is consistently 4.4-4.5 from home to first. He is a bit quicker when he is underway and at full effort.

Outlook
Cameron Cannon has solid tools across the board and a track record of success with wood bats. He has a high floor and the ability to play multiple positions in the infield. He is a good defender at second and third base, while also being capable of filling in at shortstop. He has the swing mechanics and plate coverage to hit for average and mostly doubles power. Based on his skill set, Cannon should be drafted in the first few rounds.

Projection: Strong-hitting second baseman with solid tools and a high floor.

Ceiling: Mark Ellis
Floor: Gordon Beckham
 
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RoDaddy

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Cannon was projected to go in the 3rd round so I wonder if he'll be an under-slot signing setting up a shot at a higher ceiling guy like you mention 050
 

RoDaddy

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Matt Lugo at 69. Ranked much better by some but committed to the University of Miami so he might be a tough sign, and this might be a reason he fell. But if the Sox can sign him, he sounds like a pretty high ceiling guy to draft at this spot:

MLB.com: "He has an advanced approach at the plate, especially given his age, with a line-drive, up-the-middle philosophy. While he's not nearly as big as Correa, Lugo looks the part already and has more pop from the right side of the plate than you might expect, with some feeling he could have better than average power in the future. "

Matthew Lugo is the highest-ranked P.R. prospect in this year's class. Chance to stick at short with above-average arm strength now and a chance for above-average power in the future as he fills out.
 

jon abbey

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SS Matthew Lugo (Beltran’s nephew) from Puerto Rico.

Top ranked prospect from the island.
That seems like an exciting pick at 69 (ha ha), he was rumored to NY at 30 at one point, although partly for the Beltran connection. He just turned 18 and NY has a slew of very young high ceiling position players from international signings in that age range the last few years, so maybe why they passed on him three times (underwhelmingly from what I can tell but I know nothing).

Edit: Oh, signability concerns, that makes more sense.
 

Hee Sox Choi

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From Prospects Live:

41. Matthew Lugo, SS Beltran Academy HS (PR) - The top prospect from Puerto Rico in the class, Lugo is one of the highest-upside talents. A raw but athletic defender, Lugo’s arm and quick first step make him a strong candidate to stick at short. His offensive game is all about projection at the moment, with some flashes of pop, but inconsistent swing mechanics and a smaller frame leave a lot of room for development.

From MLB Pipeline:

#38 - Matthew Lugo

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Puerto Rico has had at least one shortstop taken in the top 10 rounds of the Draft every year since 2006, with No. 1 pick Carlos Correa (2012) and 2016 first-rounder Delvin Perez headlining the list. While Lugo may not go quite as high as that duo, the middle infielder who raised his profile with a strong showing on the summer showcase circuit does have the chance to go in the Draft's first few rounds.

Lugo's bat is what has stood out the most, especially over the summer and at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October. He has an advanced approach at the plate, especially given his age, with a line-drive, up-the-middle philosophy. While he's not nearly as big as Correa, Lugo looks the part already and has more pop from the right side of the plate than you might expect, with some feeling he could have better than average power in the future. While he's not a burner, he runs well underway and is a solid athlete.

The Carlos Beltran Academy product gets some mixed reviews defensively. Some see a move to third or second, depending on where the bat would profile best, but others feel he can stay at shortstop and just needs to smooth some things out. A team signing him away from his University of Miami commitment might give him the chance to play his way off the premium position.
 

billy ashley

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Really good day one, contingent on being able to sign Lugo. The Sox have very little money to spend under the cap rules, so I wouldn't expect them to draft many guys that fall due to singability issues.

Basically they drafted a high floor guy (Cannon) with good contact skills, and potentially some power projection if they tinker with his swing; he currently has a line drive approach. Cannon is reportedly solid defensively in terms of hands and footwork though he has a below average arm and should probably land at 2B. It doesn't look like the profile of a star, but you normally don't find low risk stars where Boston was picking.

Pick 2, Lugo has great tools across the board. May not stick at short, depending on how he grows. He was routinely ranked ahead of Cannon. He is really fast and already loaded up with 50 ratings on offense. I'm very curious why he fell.

That's a great day 1 given where the Sox were picking.
 

The Best Catch in 100 Years

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So many quality college power arms to go with yet they go with a utility infielder. Brilliant
Such as...? I'm no draft expert, but aside from Noah Song (who has military commitments) I don't see any college arms with the same or better FV as Cannon still available at pick 44 on the Fangraphs "BOARD," for instance. Granted, they might be higher on Cannon than other outlets, in ranking him 48th overall.

I like both picks. Wouldn't just write off Cannon as low-ceiling--as billy ashley noted, he's had a lot of success already with a sub-optimal swing (one of the profiles the smart teams are targeting in the draft now, it seems), and the player development department has to be feeling good about themselves with the start to his pro career Jarren Duran's been having. Not sure if he's a lock to sign below slot but that would be great too obviously.
 

Tyrone Biggums

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Such as...? I'm no draft expert, but aside from Noah Song (who has military commitments) I don't see any college arms with the same or better FV as Cannon still available at pick 44 on the Fangraphs "BOARD," for instance. Granted, they might be higher on Cannon than other outlets, in ranking him 48th overall.

I like both picks. Wouldn't just write off Cannon as low-ceiling--as billy ashley noted, he's had a lot of success already with a sub-optimal swing (one of the profiles the smart teams are targeting in the draft now, it seems), and the player development department has to be feeling good about themselves with the start to his pro career Jarren Duran's been having. Not sure if he's a lock to sign below slot but that would be great too obviously.
Didnt Law say something to the effect of this was the worst draft in a long time for pitchers? If you want to have a gripe its that they didnt swing for the fences for Leiter or Hampton and went with Cannon who is safe but does kind of remind me of Vitek. Granted his college numbers carry more weight due to the level of competition he was playing against but it just seems like this is the kind of high floor low ceiling pick thats not going to help the farm get out of the basement.
 

The Best Catch in 100 Years

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Yeah, I mean obviously whether or not to select a guy like Leiter or Hampton (probably the two toughest signs in the draft?) is sort of like trading up vs. trading down in the NFL draft--whether you want to put all your eggs in one basket or spread out the risk a bit. Not hard to see how the talent/$ formula would favor Cannon over a wayyy over-slot high schooler at #44.
 

burstnbloom

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I'm about as happy as I could be with these two picks given where they started and their extremely limited bonus pool. Fangraphs has Lugo as a first rounder, so he's going to be expensive, most likely. They probably know they can get Cannon under slot (I think his slot is around $1.25 mil) and give that extra money to Lugo. A safer college bat with some mechanics issues and good production and one of the youngest players in the draft (hes 18 years, 1 month) with a high ceiling is a good mix to start.
 

StuckOnYouk

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I'm biased as a UConn fan but I'd love to get RH reliever Jacob Wallace in the next round.
I believe MLB has him around 115.
He faced a very good OK State lineup on back to back days and retired all 15 batters, 12 by strikeout.
Sits mid 90s but has touched 98-99 this year. He also threw a slider the OK State had no chance on.
Massachusetts kid as well. I'd assume the Sox have scores him enough.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Sox on deck for their 3rd round pick...

And select college pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn from Kansas.

From MLB.com:
He has a big arm that produces inconsistent results, as evidenced in early April when he gave up nine runs against Texas Tech and then struck out a career-high 14 against Oklahoma State in his next start. Zeferjahn is capable of working with a 93-96 mph fastball as a starter and has climbed as high as 98, though there are games where he'll operate at 90-93. His heater is fairly straight considering he throws from a low-three-quarters slot, an angle that makes it tough for him to stay on top of his slider, which ranges anywhere from 80-87 mph and from a below-average slurve to a plus offering with hard bite. His changeup grades better than his slider at times, though it also lacks consistency. Zeferjahn is athletic but tends to get under his pitches, costing him control and quality. He doesn't have a track record of throwing strikes, leading several scouts to project a move the bullpen, where he could regularly feature a double-plus fastball in shorter stints. He's at his best when he pitches closer to a traditional three-quarters arm angle but has trouble doing so.

MLB.com had him rated #84 overall- looks like another good value pick at #107
 
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TimScribble

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http://baseballprospectjournal.com/ryan-zeferjahn-mlb-draft/

Zeferjahn throws a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup from a three-quarter arm slot.

His fastballs sit in the high-90s. He has used his two-seamer more frequently than the four-seamer this spring due to its late break. His mid-80s slider also is an above-average offering and generates a high amount of strikeouts.

He has relied heavily on his two-seamer, slider and changeup this spring.
 

BJBossman

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Sox on deck for their 3rd round pick...

And select college pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn from Kansas.

From MLB.com:
He has a big arm that produces inconsistent results, as evidenced in early April when he gave up nine runs against Texas Tech and then struck out a career-high 14 against Oklahoma State in his next start. Zeferjahn is capable of working with a 93-96 mph fastball as a starter and has climbed as high as 98, though there are games where he'll operate at 90-93. His heater is fairly straight considering he throws from a low-three-quarters slot, an angle that makes it tough for him to stay on top of his slider, which ranges anywhere from 80-87 mph and from a below-average slurve to a plus offering with hard bite. His changeup grades better than his slider at times, though it also lacks consistency. Zeferjahn is athletic but tends to get under his pitches, costing him control and quality. He doesn't have a track record of throwing strikes, leading several scouts to project a move the bullpen, where he could regularly feature a double-plus fastball in shorter stints. He's at his best when he pitches closer to a traditional three-quarters arm angle but has trouble doing so.

MLB.com had him rated #84 overall- looks like another good value pick at #107
It's interesting, but if you look, a lot of the dominant starters have those lower arm slots, including DeGrom, Scherzer and Sale. Not saying that's who he'll become, just that the arm angle isn't that big of a deal anymore. You're seeing elite arms thrive with it. MLB network even did a special about it over the winter about how those guys can make it work for them.

Getting on top of his pitches sounds like a fixable mechanical issue.

This sounds like a solid gamble in the 3rd round. The upside is there.
 

The Best Catch in 100 Years

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I'm about as happy as I could be with these two picks given where they started and their extremely limited bonus pool. Fangraphs has Lugo as a first rounder, so he's going to be expensive, most likely. They probably know they can get Cannon under slot (I think his slot is around $1.25 mil) and give that extra money to Lugo. A safer college bat with some mechanics issues and good production and one of the youngest players in the draft (hes 18 years, 1 month) with a high ceiling is a good mix to start.
For what it's worth the FG guys said his slide from where he'd been expected to be taken (late 1st) wasn't due to bonus demands, but yeah we'll see. Should be at least a little over slot, I'd think.
 

The Best Catch in 100 Years

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It's interesting, but if you look, a lot of the dominant starters have those lower arm slots, including DeGrom, Scherzer and Sale. Not saying that's who he'll become, just that the arm angle isn't that big of a deal anymore. You're seeing elite arms thrive with it. MLB network even did a special about it over the winter about how those guys can make it work for them.

Getting on top of his pitches sounds like a fixable mechanical issue.

This sounds like a solid gamble in the 3rd round. The upside is there.
Yeah as with Cannon seems like a bit of a bet on the player dev department
 

E5 Yaz

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Hey, does anybody know if the Red Sox took Jaxx Groshans?