2021 Draft News & Speculation

julio 2021-04-06 14:48:01 UTC #81

Er...What?

andyb 2021-04-06 14:52:03 UTC #82

I'd trade down in what looks to be a pretty deep draft after the pandemic shortened 5-round affair from last year.

fish 2021-04-06 18:19:18 UTC #83

This is solidly in the "can't tell if he's serious" category.

zambonir 2021-04-06 18:38:50 UTC #84

Context is everything. In this case the context is GM posts tongue-in-cheek like that all the time.

But do you take a quarterback?

Florida_Sunshine 2021-04-06 18:45:42 UTC #85

I think it depends on if he can also pitch. Or hit. Or, maybe both.

gmwannabe 2021-04-07 00:54:06 UTC #86

I'd still do it Zamby. How does that trade sound?
gm

fish 2021-04-22 18:52:08 UTC #87

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo did a snake draft mock on their podcast- they liked Florida HS RHP Andrew Painter at #12, Sam Houston OF Colton Cowser at #13, and Miami (Ohio) RPH Sam Bachman at #14.

Personally, I don't care for Cowser at that spot. He looks like he's in the mold of Adam Haseley without much ability to impact the ball.

andyb 2021-04-23 14:52:19 UTC #88

Initial rosters of the draft league don't have many prospects. One in the top 150 so far. This does not seem a surprise as high picks often have more to lose. Looks like this will be a league for college picks who used to get drafted after the 10th round, and now might be squeezed by a 20-round draft with little money available in pools to anyone not drafted.

LoneStarPhan 2021-04-23 23:53:40 UTC #89

As I recall, this is just what some speculated for the Draft League. I remember reading that few top prospects (top hundred or so) for the coming draft would likely participate and it looks like that is exactly what is happening.

zambonir 2021-04-24 01:27:56 UTC #90

It is a glorified summer league, maybe not even as good since at least those leagues get some younger players with improvement to come. Was always a pretty flimsy consolation prize for the markets that used to have affiliated ball - and for the players who would have previously benefitted from being drafted and going to Willamsport, even if it that turned out to be their whole career.

BostonRoss 2021-04-24 21:13:03 UTC #91

The draft league was doomed from the start.

zambonir 2021-04-24 22:06:51 UTC #92

I actually think the defense they try to make in the article is fair enough - it is the first year, they only had a few months to start assembling players, not to mention it's a COVID year.

Either way I'm sure it's still a better deal for these markets than not. And of course it's a great deal for MLB because it only exists to help justify their massive cuts (to both the minors and the draft) and to generate content. I have no doubt we'll still see some kind of reality show where they follow one team (or maybe one player on each team) up until draft night.

fish 2021-04-25 01:53:21 UTC #93

I would bet they’ll get a bunch of guys after the draft who either expected to get drafted or expected to do better.

zambonir 2021-04-25 02:35:50 UTC #94

I'm not sure. For one thing the draft is July 13 and the draft league ends August 15 (including the post-season). Teams will also have holes to fill since drafted players can opt out but if you're trying to get yourself noticed for a 2022 job you're probably better off playing Indy ball into October.

BostonRoss 2021-04-25 03:42:00 UTC #95

I just don't see enough interest for them to draw many fans. The league may not fail if MLB continues to support it financially, and there will probably be enough players who just want someplace to play. But independent ball is already a shoestring operation, and they have mainly failed professionals or those who never had a chance.

andyb 2021-05-11 17:09:16 UTC #96

The mainstream mock drafts begin. Benny Montgomery - CF. Late riser. Somewhat local (near Harrisburg).

fish 2021-05-11 17:17:51 UTC #97

Gunnar Hogland down with TJ. He would have been in the range of the Phillies pick but, personally, I didn't care for the arm action.

fish 2021-05-11 17:33:30 UTC #98

Benny looks the part- like he'll grow into a tall NFL wide receiver body. I couldn't find any recent video of his swing. Good bat speed and torque, but his lower half looks like it moves a bit too much to create that torque and creates some imbalance. Maybe because he's tall in his swing.

gmwannabe 2021-05-11 17:55:52 UTC #99

another Jeff Jackson late riser??
gm

andyb 2021-05-11 18:11:06 UTC #100

I think scouting is too good and travel teams too prevalent for something like that to happen the same way again. Even high school players in the middle of nowhere get high level competition.

Of course the unknowns are much greater this year since scouts have seen much less of players and there was simply less travel and AAU and other high level ball last summer. That means there will be more late risers this year than in most years and lots more unknowns. Theoretically we took advantage of that a bit with Abel who was really unable to play before the draft last year and we hopefully got a guy with top of the round stuff in the middle of the first.