2023 MLB Draft Speculation

[zambonir]

Pretty sure GM knows you can't trade picks. And also that a guy who cleared waivers wouldn't get you a second-round pick anyway.

[gmwannabe]

[andyb]

Bowden fails to put Bryce Eldridge in his top 25. So we should draft him, right?

MLB Draft standouts: Jim Bowden ranks the top 25 prospects in a deep 2023 class

[allentown]

Why would they do that. Cheaper and almost as good a pick to trade for a competitive balance pick after 2nd round?

[julio]

Why would they do that. Cheaper and almost as good a pick to trade for a competitive balance pick after 2nd round?

I wasn't arguing that they should - only that they could, in response to gm's tongue-in-cheek suggestion that they trade Jhailyn Ortiz to Detroit "to get back into the second round." The only way they could do that is by trading for Detroit's CB pick, which is after the first round this year.

That said, your point is well taken - if they really want a pick in that range, the best strategy might be to try to pry one of the post-2nd round CB picks from one of the clubs that have those picks this year. I don't know what the cost would be.

[zambonir]

35 was traded last year

Braves, Royals make rare trade involving MLB draft pick; Drew Waters heads to...

[Squire]

Callis latest mock indicated word is that the Phillies want a pitcher. Gave us Charlee Soto in that mock

[fish]

I submit to you Liam Peterson. I like the looks of his delivery and stuff better than Soto. While MLB.com has him ranked in the 80's, Eric Longenhagen has him at #26.

6'5" high school righty from Florida, he looks mostly 93-94, but with a huge trunk that make it look really likely that he's got more room to grow. Fast arm, and the way he releases the ball makes his fastball look like it has Roy Oswalt-type qualities. Same for his curve and change up. Just a bit inconsistent in his delivery.

[Squire]

I like it. Weve had some success out of Calvary Christian. Given our current state of Rookie league pitching I’d be grabbing pitching early and often in this draft.

[gmwannabe]

exactly my thoughts squire. you can never have enough pitching. get as many young ones you can. good pitching will always keep you in a game.
gm

[fish]

Keith Law’s latest mock has the Phils take Kent State pitchability lhp Joe Whitman with the reasoning that they would be more interested in a college arm closer to the majors. Fortunately, Barber has shown nothing in his MO that this is the kind of pick he’d make.

[allentown]

Please, no.

[andyb]

I am not sure the logic of taking a pitcher close to the majors works when our top 3 prospects are pitchers close to the majors already. Now I could see us doing that with a pitcher that signs a bit under slot to give us more flexibility later with our small pool, but I could also see drafting the best player available that we could sign.

When a team has financial resources, you just go get a free agent if you want someone immediately.

[bkeich]

Well, a pitcher close to the majors in the draft is still probably 3 years away from really sticking in the majors. Honestly, the baseball draft is rarely something you should look at the state of the current team to influence picks. We know we probably will not need a 1B for years, but other than that we need everything. More and more you need 6 starting pitchers (at least), so even if you think you already have 2-3 that will be in the majors in 2 years you still need more.

[zambonir]

We know we probably will not need a 1B for years, but other than that we need everything.

We do? I would say we know we probably will not need a DH for years, but we don't really have a 1B of the future. Or even of 2024. Just a lot of platoon 1B, OFs who may or may not be able to play 1B and infielders who don't have the bat for it (including currently).

[bkeich]

I would say one of Harper, Schwarber and or Castellanos will be filling 1B for the next few years. Schwarber will be here for 2 more seasons and should get moved there next season, Harper will probably end up at 1B this year and then after Schwarber. Castellanos is also a black hole as an OF and should fill one of the 1B/DH tiles for next season.

Bohm is probably somewhere in that mess at 1B also. If Hall can hit ML pitching he also factors in.

I would say it will be a long time before we would want to have a young 1B. To me that is the one position we should avoid in the upper part of the draft because our team is probably blocked at 1B for years to come.

[zambonir]

Since this is a draft thread I won't repeat my belief (in detail) that none of those guys will or should play 1B. And I'm not saying they should draft someone - and is a 1B ever a "best player available" even at the end of the first round?. But by the time a 2023 draft pick is ready to play for the Phillies none of the players you mention will be here except for Harper (even Bohm, probably, but if he turns out to be a keeper earning his arbitration raises it's going to be at 3B). That's not to say there aren't also guys in AA or AAA who might end up there but I wouldn't say the position is blocked.

[allentown]

If you are nearer the top of the draft and can get a control pitcher with adequate stuff, as we did with Nola, that can be a quick trip to majors. A 'pitchability' college arm at the end of the first round won't be in the majors fast and likely never will have an impact. Nola pitched to a 6-2 record in Philly late in the year after he was drafted.

[fish]

Oh, and he still had Hurston Waldrop on the board when he had Joe Whitman picked to the Phils. Maybe he just wanted to mention Joe Whitman regardless of who he assigned him to.

[Squire]

Latest MLB.Com mock says the Phillies do like RHP Charlee Soto and also mentions Blake Mitchell, HS Catcher from Texas as another option