Rangers Draft History
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:15 am
2005
(I had pick 1.1 in '05 and dealt it (Justin Upton) on the eve of the draft to NYY with Austin Kearns and Collin Balester for Hanley Ramirez and Casey Kotchman.)
1.06 - Troy Tulowitzki - This pick was obtained via a trade of John Danks to KC for 1.10, then 1.10 and Javier Herrera to NYY for 1.06. Tulo was spun for Stephen Drew who was spun for Jose Reyes who was spun for Yu Darvish.
1.11 - Andrew McCutchen - This pick was obtained from CWS in exchange for Edinson Volquez. McCutchen has since been dealt to obtain disappointment Chris (CF) Young.
1.16 - Brandon Snyder - As the draft approached pick 16, Jay Bruce and Ryan Braun were on the board with two picks left to go, and I was certain one would fall. Whoops. Snyder's injury started a disappointing series of seasons that ended in his release from Detroit.
1.18 - Travis Wood - On the board at 18 and picked before the end of round one: Matt Garza, Colby Rasmus, Yunel Escobar, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie. As of 2009 this pick looked pretty terrible, but Wood has really revived things, and now he's back with us. (2012 update: traded in deal for Yu Darvish, 2013 update: obtained back for Chase Utley)
2.18 - Tommy Mendoza - Was rocked by run of players I was high on just before the pick (Clay Buchholz, Craig Italiano, Will Inman, Donald Veal), also passed over Brandon Erbe, Michael Bowden and Micah Owings. I regretted the pick almost immediately, as Mendoza and Erbe were my two top targets at this point, and for some reason I thought that Erbe had a better chance to make it to me at 2.29. Mendoza eventually joined Wood and Snyder on the cut line, after all three sustained serious injuries.
2.29 - Kevin Whelan - Traded to NYY, can't find the return.
5.4 - Justin Maxwell - Has at least made the majors...though not while with the IBC Tigers.
6.1 - Vince Mazzaro - Back with the team, most likely the best pitcher I picked this year.
7.1 - Chris Getz - Looks like a major leaguer, another cut.
8.1 - Josh Wall - Didn't last long.
This should grade out as a good draft, however I didn't hang onto any of these guys long enough. HanRam adds significantly to the value.
2006
1.1 - Daisuke Matsuzaka - Dealt immediately to NYY for Philip Hughes and Carlos Gomez.
2.1 - Chris Marrero - Not a bad pick, and, looking back, there really isn't anyone in the first half of the second round that I would covet. Dealt to PIT.
3.1 - Max Sapp - Along with passing on Erbe in 2005, this is the pick about which I had the most immediate regret, as I miscalculated the market for the international players and wished that I'd picked Carlos Triunfel. My worst fears haven't been born out, since Triunfel will not be a SS and isn't the phenom I immediately feared he would be. On the other hand, Sapp is terrible, and Triunfel is still a prospect. Cut.
4.1 - Chris Huseby - Betting on a big bonus and a successful comeback from TJ but wound up as another cut. Did some good things in relief in 2009.
5.1 - Matt Latos - Gamble paid off, as Latos was signed just before the '07 draft. Dealt to PIT. Probably my best value pick to date.
Should get three major leaguers out of this draft, but it's all about Latos.
2007
1.3 - Matt Wieters - Pick was obtained for a package of prospects. Very good prospect, anxious to see how he does in the majors.
4.10 - Sam Demel - Dealt to PIT.
5.10 - Tommy Hunter - Pretty good pick, reached the majors in 2007 and looked very solid in the Texas rotation in 2009. Unfortunately cut in a roster crunch after a trade.
Really missed out by dealing the 2nd and 3rd rounder for damaged goods (Curt Schilling), as there were some players that I was high on that were available at those spots. Once again, picked one or two guys late who could be major league contributors, but didn't keep them long enough to find out.
2008
1.18 - Ethan Martin - I thought he looked like the most promising arm available. Stuff was there in pro ball, but needs a good deal of polish.
2.15 - Adys Portillo - Decided to swing for the fences and he looked like the best lottery ticket of the arms available at this point. Will be interested to see how Will Smith, Jake Odorizzi, Craig Kimbrel and Andrew Cashner pan out, as this was a toss-up the night before I picked. Dealt for Pedro Martinez, who contributed to a championship team, so hard to question end result.
3.22 - Ryan Chaffee - Intrigued me with his approach with three different arm angles but good stuff. Didn't have a stellar first season because of a dip in velocity and command.
4.15 - TJ House - Lefty with good stuff wasn't expected to be signable. A fourth straight pick who hadn't thrown a live pitch yet.
5.15 - Danny Farquhar - Similar to Chaffee in that he throws from different angles but still has good overall stuff. Reached AA in his first season but has an issue with walks. Cut.
6.15 - Hector Guevara - Has that vibe of a good, pure Latin bat, only played in the VSL his first year.
7.15 - Aaron King - Some of the best lefty stuff in this draft but no control. Cut.
8.15 - Trey Haley - Good athlete, good arm, very raw. Cut.
First two picks were dealt in deals to obtain Hanley Ramirez and Pedro Martinez. Three remain on the roster, and at this point Guevara might be the most promising. Pretty clearly my worst draft.
(2012 update:) At this point not one of these guys looks like a any kind of major league contributor. Far and away my worst draft.
2009
1.30 - Alex White - I overdrafted White at #30 according to some in the league. I guess Cleveland needs to fire some scouts, and BA should probably fold up operations.
2.18 - Nolan Arenado - Trade-up from the last pick in the round to grab a guy who fits an organizational big picture need, after the trade of its one true 3B, Alex Gordon.
3.01 - Garrett Gould - Pick obtained with Michael Bourn for Hector Rondon and 2.26. I'm relying on Logan White's track record in drafting HS pitchers high in the draft and Gould's potential for three quality pitches and a true out pitch in his curveball. Highly rated, yet unheralded.
3.28 - Jose Vinicio - Highly rated athletic shortstop prospect doesn't get the attention that Jose Iglesias does for obvious reasons, but does have offensive potential and should stick at the position.
3.30 - Jurickson Profar - This was a reach, but I actually considered taking him a round earlier. He is a legit shortstop with big time BP power already, just a question of how much contact he'll make since he hasn't played in a game yet. Was widely regarded as the best talent at the Rangers' fall instructs. Vinicio and Profar are lottery tickets, but I didn't see other shortstops with this kind of talent still left among US players.
4.30 - Wagner Mateo - I was victimized by being out of contact, as well as a run of my queued up draft candidates just before my pick here. Didn't sign and will be eligible for the 2010 draft; cut.
Draft went progressively from more advanced to less advanced. Watch out for Profar.
(2011 Update): In Profar, Arenado and White, we have three high end major league prospects. Doesn't look like Vinicio can hit from the left side, so he's stuck in rookie ball. Gould suffered through a rough first season, but he rebounded big time in 2011. Might surpass 2005 as my best value draft.
2010
1.26 - Garin Cecchini - Held back for NYP and has performed well. Looks like a legitimate prospect.
2.26 - Jedd Gyorko - Promoted to AA in first full season, looking like he could be an everyday caliber guy.
3.26 - Cody Buckel - Advanced HS arm had a nice first season in the SAL. Adds to thin SP prospect inventory.
4.26 - Yoel Araujo - International splurge by the Rays but rough debut in DSL. Longshot to stick on the roster for long.
Since Alex Gordon was dealt for Hanley Ramirez before the 2010 season, a big organizational need has been third basemen, and Cecchini and Gyorko added two possible 3BOTF. Buckel could be a major league arm.
2011
1.19 - Jorge Soler - To be completely honest, Jim Callis' opinion that Soler is somewhere in the 11-20 range was probably the deciding factor. I'm always antsy about drafting someone who may not sign (in time) in the first round, but this organization needs high end outfielders more than anything else. Going into the draft I hoped/expected to pick Blake Swihart here but couldn't resist the intrigue. Also gave serious thought to Leonys Martin and Ronald Guzman.
2.9 - Ronald Guzman - As I said just above, I seriously looked at picking him in the first round. I knew Boston was on him, so I was glad to grab him amongst their multitude of second-round picks. Guzman has a sweet swing and no defensive skills to speak of, and there are some pretty lofty adjectives being tossed around by Rangers observers in the DR right now.
3.9 - Rougned Odor - I really wanted to pick Odor in the third round of the 2010 draft but found that he actually signed on January 1 and settled for Buckel (who's regarded as the better prospect right now). I got to see this guy at spring training and really like the bat. I think he's an every-day second baseman.
4.19 - Yohander Mendez - Tall, skinny Venezuelan lefty with a feel for three pitches, got $1.5 in the last year of bonus bonanzas. We'll see.
5.19 - Will Lamb - He had very little success when he did pitch in college, but his velo jumped in pro ball and he was decent. He was pretty much the only guy on my queue at this point.
6.6 - Zeke DeVoss - Probably a utility guy ceiling unless he adds some strength, but guys with his profile sometimes overachieve.
7.4 - Kyle Kubitza - Texas State guy has a good approach and solid tools across the board. Local flyer.
8.1 - Jack Lopez - Polished coach's son should handle the lower levels pretty well for a HS infielder. Pretty much throwing darts at this point.
9.1 - Nick Mutz - One more college arm with a little upside. This is one of those stories of scouting intrigue, but he did pitch in Cape Cod and did well in his debut.
10.1/FA - Adalberto Mondesi - Technically signed immediately after the draft ended for roster reasons. I think there's no way to know how his body will develop. For now he's a skinny, baby-faced, skilled shortstop. I just like his swing.
Like anyone else I'd love to skew older and more polished in the draft, but I really coveted the three international teenagers at the top. I did squeeze in more of a standard draft between rounds five and nine, though those are not elite guys. It was a rare occasion that I didn't have a disappointing near miss in the top three rounds, but we'll have to see if Soler signs before the season.
2012
1.29 - Jairo Beras - Looked at a variety of guys here - Marcus Stroman, Stephen Piscotty, Ty Hensley, Matt Smoral - bought into the upside of Beras.
2.29 - Wyatt Mathisen - The pitchers I liked disappeared just prior to this pick. We need catching depth and Mathisen looks like a solid all-around talent.
3.29 - Tzu-Wei Lin - Didn't love what I saw out there so just decided to add to our shortstop depth.
4.29 - Kolby Copeland - Beras and Copeland restore an outfield presence in the farm system. Copeland seems fairly polished but needs to develop more game power to be a meaningful major leaguer.
5.29 - Fernando Perez - Sounds like the Padres are high on his bat, though his lack of strike zone control in his brief debut was discouraging.
I liked what I was able to add in this draft, bulked up all positional areas and wasn't devastated in front of any of my picks. Was particularly satisfied with Mathieson and Perez staying on the board for me. On the flip side, I wound up picking all teenagers, failed to draft one pitcher when pitching is the weak point on the roster, and admittedly did not prepare for this draft as much as usual. Definitely a wait-and-see draft.
(2013 Update): Wow, this turned ugly fast. Still some promise in Beras, but it's hard to hold out much hope for any of the others. Lin and Perez are already gone.
2013
1.30 - Christian Arroyo - Going into the draft I would have been ok with one of the Cards lefties, but I'm a sucker for guys who look like pure hitters in the draft. The three guys I hoped might slip to 30 - Tim Anderson, Chi Chi Gonzalez and Ryan McMahon - went in succession 23-25.
2.20 - Eloy Jimenez - Got this pick for Stephen Drew. Seemed pretty flat at the top of the list of international kids. Gleyber Torres and Rafael Devers seem at least as good but I need outfielders and Jimenez seems like the safest bet among them.
2.27 - Gleyber Torres - Got this pick in the Segura deal. With Devers gone, I went ahead and went for the other international guy I like best. I am really bad about picking position players over pitchers in the draft.
2.30 - Ricardo Sanchez - Sounds like this guy has stuff and aptitude. I was looking at him as early as 30, obviously plenty of bust potential.
3.30 - Luis Encarnacion - Frankly wasn't that jazzed with anyone available at this point after Jake Johansen, Marcos Diplan and Dustin Peterson went off the board. Went for one more interesting Dominican bat.
4.30 - Aledmys Diaz - Mixed reports about his bat and defensive ability but there appears to be quite a bit of interest in him. Decent looking swing and physicality for a middle infielder. Can sign in February.
5.30 - Rusney Castillo - Seems unlikely that he'll get cleared and signed by opening day, but he did defect over a month ago and has now had a workout for teams. Sounds like he has middling upside but nice versatility.
As usual, I didn't go in planning on skewing this young but the extra picks late in the second seemed like they were at a good spot to grab upside international kids. I'm guessing I'm the first person to pick four straight 16-year-olds. Also didn't really intend to pick just one player picked in the MLB draft, but I don't mind the way it turned out. The two free agent Cubans at the end add a little intrigue for me but don't sound likely to be more than role players in MLB.
2014
1.27 - Spencer Adams - There were five or six guys I liked about the same at this point. I'm not too hot at identifying pitchers early on, but Spencer shows the attributes that seem to be most important - athleticism, command, makings of a powerful fastball/breaking ball combo.
2.27 - Hector Olivera - Even though the OFAC has burned me on Jorge Soler and Rusney Castillo, I couldn't resist another gamble on Olivera. If he can get signed, I'm willing to bet on his health. At 29 he fits in well with the core of our roster, which is primarily 28-31. And I could use him either at 3B or 2B immediately.
3.27 - Brayan Hernandez - Honestly I don't have any great attachment to him, just seemed like he could be the highest upside guy at this point.
4.21 - Christopher Acosta - Same for Acosta, didn't have anyone in the queue that I was all that high on so I'm basically throwing darts at international kids.
4.27 - Connor Joe - The 39th pick in the MLB draft had a back strain and didn't play, so that might have hurt his IBC stock a little. We'll see.
5.27 - Lane Thomas - He got third round money, has some tools, and had a nice debut. We'll see.
Olivera turning into something would make this a useful draft. I think that Joe and Thomas are interesting, but I haven't had a lot of luck with conventional American picks in the lower rounds. The two pubescents in the middle are darts.
2015
1.29 - Andres Gimenez - With the depth of the international class there was very little consensus on most guys. I was impressed with his video.
2.29 - Leodys Taveras - Have heard good things and center fielders have been my roster's biggest weakness for a while now.
3.28 - Jorge Ona - Long shot to sign but at 88 and without studying this class well, there wasn't much else I was excited about.
3.29 - Derian Cruz - Jorge Mateo comps got my attention.
4.29 - Vladimir Gutierrez - Sum may not equal the parts but seems projectable. Will be interesting to see who wins the tug-of-war between teams already over the limit and those saving up to go crazy starting July 2.
5.29 - Norge Ruiz - If he were to sign there's a decent chance that he's one of the better starters picked in this draft. Same deal as Gutierrez with the tug-of-war.
I certainly had two prototypes in this draft - 16 year old middle-of-the-diamond athletes and unsigned Cubans. If any of those three sign, it dramatically helps this group. Otherwise, nothing will come of it for years even if I hit on one or two of the kids.
(I had pick 1.1 in '05 and dealt it (Justin Upton) on the eve of the draft to NYY with Austin Kearns and Collin Balester for Hanley Ramirez and Casey Kotchman.)
1.06 - Troy Tulowitzki - This pick was obtained via a trade of John Danks to KC for 1.10, then 1.10 and Javier Herrera to NYY for 1.06. Tulo was spun for Stephen Drew who was spun for Jose Reyes who was spun for Yu Darvish.
1.11 - Andrew McCutchen - This pick was obtained from CWS in exchange for Edinson Volquez. McCutchen has since been dealt to obtain disappointment Chris (CF) Young.
1.16 - Brandon Snyder - As the draft approached pick 16, Jay Bruce and Ryan Braun were on the board with two picks left to go, and I was certain one would fall. Whoops. Snyder's injury started a disappointing series of seasons that ended in his release from Detroit.
1.18 - Travis Wood - On the board at 18 and picked before the end of round one: Matt Garza, Colby Rasmus, Yunel Escobar, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie. As of 2009 this pick looked pretty terrible, but Wood has really revived things, and now he's back with us. (2012 update: traded in deal for Yu Darvish, 2013 update: obtained back for Chase Utley)
2.18 - Tommy Mendoza - Was rocked by run of players I was high on just before the pick (Clay Buchholz, Craig Italiano, Will Inman, Donald Veal), also passed over Brandon Erbe, Michael Bowden and Micah Owings. I regretted the pick almost immediately, as Mendoza and Erbe were my two top targets at this point, and for some reason I thought that Erbe had a better chance to make it to me at 2.29. Mendoza eventually joined Wood and Snyder on the cut line, after all three sustained serious injuries.
2.29 - Kevin Whelan - Traded to NYY, can't find the return.
5.4 - Justin Maxwell - Has at least made the majors...though not while with the IBC Tigers.
6.1 - Vince Mazzaro - Back with the team, most likely the best pitcher I picked this year.
7.1 - Chris Getz - Looks like a major leaguer, another cut.
8.1 - Josh Wall - Didn't last long.
This should grade out as a good draft, however I didn't hang onto any of these guys long enough. HanRam adds significantly to the value.
2006
1.1 - Daisuke Matsuzaka - Dealt immediately to NYY for Philip Hughes and Carlos Gomez.
2.1 - Chris Marrero - Not a bad pick, and, looking back, there really isn't anyone in the first half of the second round that I would covet. Dealt to PIT.
3.1 - Max Sapp - Along with passing on Erbe in 2005, this is the pick about which I had the most immediate regret, as I miscalculated the market for the international players and wished that I'd picked Carlos Triunfel. My worst fears haven't been born out, since Triunfel will not be a SS and isn't the phenom I immediately feared he would be. On the other hand, Sapp is terrible, and Triunfel is still a prospect. Cut.
4.1 - Chris Huseby - Betting on a big bonus and a successful comeback from TJ but wound up as another cut. Did some good things in relief in 2009.
5.1 - Matt Latos - Gamble paid off, as Latos was signed just before the '07 draft. Dealt to PIT. Probably my best value pick to date.
Should get three major leaguers out of this draft, but it's all about Latos.
2007
1.3 - Matt Wieters - Pick was obtained for a package of prospects. Very good prospect, anxious to see how he does in the majors.
4.10 - Sam Demel - Dealt to PIT.
5.10 - Tommy Hunter - Pretty good pick, reached the majors in 2007 and looked very solid in the Texas rotation in 2009. Unfortunately cut in a roster crunch after a trade.
Really missed out by dealing the 2nd and 3rd rounder for damaged goods (Curt Schilling), as there were some players that I was high on that were available at those spots. Once again, picked one or two guys late who could be major league contributors, but didn't keep them long enough to find out.
2008
1.18 - Ethan Martin - I thought he looked like the most promising arm available. Stuff was there in pro ball, but needs a good deal of polish.
2.15 - Adys Portillo - Decided to swing for the fences and he looked like the best lottery ticket of the arms available at this point. Will be interested to see how Will Smith, Jake Odorizzi, Craig Kimbrel and Andrew Cashner pan out, as this was a toss-up the night before I picked. Dealt for Pedro Martinez, who contributed to a championship team, so hard to question end result.
3.22 - Ryan Chaffee - Intrigued me with his approach with three different arm angles but good stuff. Didn't have a stellar first season because of a dip in velocity and command.
4.15 - TJ House - Lefty with good stuff wasn't expected to be signable. A fourth straight pick who hadn't thrown a live pitch yet.
5.15 - Danny Farquhar - Similar to Chaffee in that he throws from different angles but still has good overall stuff. Reached AA in his first season but has an issue with walks. Cut.
6.15 - Hector Guevara - Has that vibe of a good, pure Latin bat, only played in the VSL his first year.
7.15 - Aaron King - Some of the best lefty stuff in this draft but no control. Cut.
8.15 - Trey Haley - Good athlete, good arm, very raw. Cut.
First two picks were dealt in deals to obtain Hanley Ramirez and Pedro Martinez. Three remain on the roster, and at this point Guevara might be the most promising. Pretty clearly my worst draft.
(2012 update:) At this point not one of these guys looks like a any kind of major league contributor. Far and away my worst draft.
2009
1.30 - Alex White - I overdrafted White at #30 according to some in the league. I guess Cleveland needs to fire some scouts, and BA should probably fold up operations.
2.18 - Nolan Arenado - Trade-up from the last pick in the round to grab a guy who fits an organizational big picture need, after the trade of its one true 3B, Alex Gordon.
3.01 - Garrett Gould - Pick obtained with Michael Bourn for Hector Rondon and 2.26. I'm relying on Logan White's track record in drafting HS pitchers high in the draft and Gould's potential for three quality pitches and a true out pitch in his curveball. Highly rated, yet unheralded.
3.28 - Jose Vinicio - Highly rated athletic shortstop prospect doesn't get the attention that Jose Iglesias does for obvious reasons, but does have offensive potential and should stick at the position.
3.30 - Jurickson Profar - This was a reach, but I actually considered taking him a round earlier. He is a legit shortstop with big time BP power already, just a question of how much contact he'll make since he hasn't played in a game yet. Was widely regarded as the best talent at the Rangers' fall instructs. Vinicio and Profar are lottery tickets, but I didn't see other shortstops with this kind of talent still left among US players.
4.30 - Wagner Mateo - I was victimized by being out of contact, as well as a run of my queued up draft candidates just before my pick here. Didn't sign and will be eligible for the 2010 draft; cut.
Draft went progressively from more advanced to less advanced. Watch out for Profar.
(2011 Update): In Profar, Arenado and White, we have three high end major league prospects. Doesn't look like Vinicio can hit from the left side, so he's stuck in rookie ball. Gould suffered through a rough first season, but he rebounded big time in 2011. Might surpass 2005 as my best value draft.
2010
1.26 - Garin Cecchini - Held back for NYP and has performed well. Looks like a legitimate prospect.
2.26 - Jedd Gyorko - Promoted to AA in first full season, looking like he could be an everyday caliber guy.
3.26 - Cody Buckel - Advanced HS arm had a nice first season in the SAL. Adds to thin SP prospect inventory.
4.26 - Yoel Araujo - International splurge by the Rays but rough debut in DSL. Longshot to stick on the roster for long.
Since Alex Gordon was dealt for Hanley Ramirez before the 2010 season, a big organizational need has been third basemen, and Cecchini and Gyorko added two possible 3BOTF. Buckel could be a major league arm.
2011
1.19 - Jorge Soler - To be completely honest, Jim Callis' opinion that Soler is somewhere in the 11-20 range was probably the deciding factor. I'm always antsy about drafting someone who may not sign (in time) in the first round, but this organization needs high end outfielders more than anything else. Going into the draft I hoped/expected to pick Blake Swihart here but couldn't resist the intrigue. Also gave serious thought to Leonys Martin and Ronald Guzman.
2.9 - Ronald Guzman - As I said just above, I seriously looked at picking him in the first round. I knew Boston was on him, so I was glad to grab him amongst their multitude of second-round picks. Guzman has a sweet swing and no defensive skills to speak of, and there are some pretty lofty adjectives being tossed around by Rangers observers in the DR right now.
3.9 - Rougned Odor - I really wanted to pick Odor in the third round of the 2010 draft but found that he actually signed on January 1 and settled for Buckel (who's regarded as the better prospect right now). I got to see this guy at spring training and really like the bat. I think he's an every-day second baseman.
4.19 - Yohander Mendez - Tall, skinny Venezuelan lefty with a feel for three pitches, got $1.5 in the last year of bonus bonanzas. We'll see.
5.19 - Will Lamb - He had very little success when he did pitch in college, but his velo jumped in pro ball and he was decent. He was pretty much the only guy on my queue at this point.
6.6 - Zeke DeVoss - Probably a utility guy ceiling unless he adds some strength, but guys with his profile sometimes overachieve.
7.4 - Kyle Kubitza - Texas State guy has a good approach and solid tools across the board. Local flyer.
8.1 - Jack Lopez - Polished coach's son should handle the lower levels pretty well for a HS infielder. Pretty much throwing darts at this point.
9.1 - Nick Mutz - One more college arm with a little upside. This is one of those stories of scouting intrigue, but he did pitch in Cape Cod and did well in his debut.
10.1/FA - Adalberto Mondesi - Technically signed immediately after the draft ended for roster reasons. I think there's no way to know how his body will develop. For now he's a skinny, baby-faced, skilled shortstop. I just like his swing.
Like anyone else I'd love to skew older and more polished in the draft, but I really coveted the three international teenagers at the top. I did squeeze in more of a standard draft between rounds five and nine, though those are not elite guys. It was a rare occasion that I didn't have a disappointing near miss in the top three rounds, but we'll have to see if Soler signs before the season.
2012
1.29 - Jairo Beras - Looked at a variety of guys here - Marcus Stroman, Stephen Piscotty, Ty Hensley, Matt Smoral - bought into the upside of Beras.
2.29 - Wyatt Mathisen - The pitchers I liked disappeared just prior to this pick. We need catching depth and Mathisen looks like a solid all-around talent.
3.29 - Tzu-Wei Lin - Didn't love what I saw out there so just decided to add to our shortstop depth.
4.29 - Kolby Copeland - Beras and Copeland restore an outfield presence in the farm system. Copeland seems fairly polished but needs to develop more game power to be a meaningful major leaguer.
5.29 - Fernando Perez - Sounds like the Padres are high on his bat, though his lack of strike zone control in his brief debut was discouraging.
I liked what I was able to add in this draft, bulked up all positional areas and wasn't devastated in front of any of my picks. Was particularly satisfied with Mathieson and Perez staying on the board for me. On the flip side, I wound up picking all teenagers, failed to draft one pitcher when pitching is the weak point on the roster, and admittedly did not prepare for this draft as much as usual. Definitely a wait-and-see draft.
(2013 Update): Wow, this turned ugly fast. Still some promise in Beras, but it's hard to hold out much hope for any of the others. Lin and Perez are already gone.
2013
1.30 - Christian Arroyo - Going into the draft I would have been ok with one of the Cards lefties, but I'm a sucker for guys who look like pure hitters in the draft. The three guys I hoped might slip to 30 - Tim Anderson, Chi Chi Gonzalez and Ryan McMahon - went in succession 23-25.
2.20 - Eloy Jimenez - Got this pick for Stephen Drew. Seemed pretty flat at the top of the list of international kids. Gleyber Torres and Rafael Devers seem at least as good but I need outfielders and Jimenez seems like the safest bet among them.
2.27 - Gleyber Torres - Got this pick in the Segura deal. With Devers gone, I went ahead and went for the other international guy I like best. I am really bad about picking position players over pitchers in the draft.
2.30 - Ricardo Sanchez - Sounds like this guy has stuff and aptitude. I was looking at him as early as 30, obviously plenty of bust potential.
3.30 - Luis Encarnacion - Frankly wasn't that jazzed with anyone available at this point after Jake Johansen, Marcos Diplan and Dustin Peterson went off the board. Went for one more interesting Dominican bat.
4.30 - Aledmys Diaz - Mixed reports about his bat and defensive ability but there appears to be quite a bit of interest in him. Decent looking swing and physicality for a middle infielder. Can sign in February.
5.30 - Rusney Castillo - Seems unlikely that he'll get cleared and signed by opening day, but he did defect over a month ago and has now had a workout for teams. Sounds like he has middling upside but nice versatility.
As usual, I didn't go in planning on skewing this young but the extra picks late in the second seemed like they were at a good spot to grab upside international kids. I'm guessing I'm the first person to pick four straight 16-year-olds. Also didn't really intend to pick just one player picked in the MLB draft, but I don't mind the way it turned out. The two free agent Cubans at the end add a little intrigue for me but don't sound likely to be more than role players in MLB.
2014
1.27 - Spencer Adams - There were five or six guys I liked about the same at this point. I'm not too hot at identifying pitchers early on, but Spencer shows the attributes that seem to be most important - athleticism, command, makings of a powerful fastball/breaking ball combo.
2.27 - Hector Olivera - Even though the OFAC has burned me on Jorge Soler and Rusney Castillo, I couldn't resist another gamble on Olivera. If he can get signed, I'm willing to bet on his health. At 29 he fits in well with the core of our roster, which is primarily 28-31. And I could use him either at 3B or 2B immediately.
3.27 - Brayan Hernandez - Honestly I don't have any great attachment to him, just seemed like he could be the highest upside guy at this point.
4.21 - Christopher Acosta - Same for Acosta, didn't have anyone in the queue that I was all that high on so I'm basically throwing darts at international kids.
4.27 - Connor Joe - The 39th pick in the MLB draft had a back strain and didn't play, so that might have hurt his IBC stock a little. We'll see.
5.27 - Lane Thomas - He got third round money, has some tools, and had a nice debut. We'll see.
Olivera turning into something would make this a useful draft. I think that Joe and Thomas are interesting, but I haven't had a lot of luck with conventional American picks in the lower rounds. The two pubescents in the middle are darts.
2015
1.29 - Andres Gimenez - With the depth of the international class there was very little consensus on most guys. I was impressed with his video.
2.29 - Leodys Taveras - Have heard good things and center fielders have been my roster's biggest weakness for a while now.
3.28 - Jorge Ona - Long shot to sign but at 88 and without studying this class well, there wasn't much else I was excited about.
3.29 - Derian Cruz - Jorge Mateo comps got my attention.
4.29 - Vladimir Gutierrez - Sum may not equal the parts but seems projectable. Will be interesting to see who wins the tug-of-war between teams already over the limit and those saving up to go crazy starting July 2.
5.29 - Norge Ruiz - If he were to sign there's a decent chance that he's one of the better starters picked in this draft. Same deal as Gutierrez with the tug-of-war.
I certainly had two prototypes in this draft - 16 year old middle-of-the-diamond athletes and unsigned Cubans. If any of those three sign, it dramatically helps this group. Otherwise, nothing will come of it for years even if I hit on one or two of the kids.