There's a Draft in Here

[Guest Edgy DC]

="Elster88"]he will max out as a gap hitter and never be much of an offensive force. He�s rather raw on defense, particularly with his throws, but he runs well and should be fine defensively with more experience. It boils down to his hitting, and that is uncertain at this point. So now not only are they going for a tool guy, but a tool guy whose tools are uncertain?[/quote} First of all, it's the draft, everything is a crap shoot. Second of all, why start you're pull quote at "...he will max out as a gap hitter..." and leave out "There is mixed opinion about his chances. Some people think he will hit for power in time, while others believe..."?

Elster88 Jun 14 2005 04:14 PM

="Edgy DC"] Elster88 wrote: ]he will max out as a gap hitter and never be much of an offensive force. He�s rather raw on defense, particularly with his throws, but he runs well and should be fine defensively with more experience. It boils down to his hitting, and that is uncertain at this point. So now not only are they going for a tool guy, but a tool guy whose tools are uncertain?[/quote} First of all, it's the draft, everything is a crap shoot. Second of all, why start you're pull quote at "...he will max out as a gap hitter..." and leave out "There is mixed opinion about his chances. Some people think he will hit for power in time, while others believe..."? Sloppy mousework on my part. Edgy DC Jun 14 2005 04:22 PM Anybody else wonder how hard these post-draft articles must be to write? How do you get a fair range of opinions on fifty different guys? How many underpaid scouts willing to talk does a guy have to have in his rolodex? Plus they've got to be willing to talk about another teams's draftees in order to provide unbiased analysis. I figure your typical Met scout has himself seen maybe 20% of the Mets draftees. So how many non-Mets scouts do you have to hit in order to reconstruct the Mets' draft? I imagine Baseball America can pull this off well, because they've got that whole staff working on the same or similar projects, so they can exchange information? ESPN, I don't trust so much. seawolf17 Aug 06 2005 08:26 AM On Friday, New York signed IF Hector Pellot, its fourth-round selection in the June draft. The 18-year-old will join the Mets' Instructional League in September. "My favorite player is Derek Jeter (of the Yankees)," Pellot said. "He's a leader who does everything to win." BAH! This kid does not know how to endear himself to potential new fans. Johnny Dickshot Sep 10 2005 10:08 AM Here's an interview with scouting guy Russ Bove on this class from a website called Flushing's Future. I know he's there to pump up his guys but seems like there's legit good news on Jonathan Neise at least. ] Bove: Three months later by Jordan Zakarin Three months after June's draft, Russ Bove again spends some time with FF.com, this time to review the performances of some of the signed picks, as well as to give an update on the statuses of the notable unsigned prospects. Following this past June's Amateur Player Draft, FlushingsFuture was able to review the team's selections with the Mets' Director of Amateur Scouting, Russ Bove. A little less than three months later, Mr. Bove was again gracious enough to spend some time with FF.com, this time to review the performances of some of the signed draft picks, as well as to give an update on the status of the picks the team has yet to sign. FlushingsFuture (FF.com): I'm sure you get asked all the time, but what is the status of Mike Pelfrey? Russ Bove (RB): We're getting closer. Mike wants to play; we're talking to Boras and we're hoping we're going to get him out in instructional league. It's not that far away. There's no risk of going back to school or any of that stuff; he wants to play. We're just trying to get the money straightened out. FF.com: So you wouldn't classify or call these negotiations contentious or anything? RB: No, not in the least. The negotiations have been fine. Obviously, we would like to have him signed sooner, but it'll be soon and he'll be a hell of a pitcher for the New York Mets. I'd just like to get him in instructional league so we can get some time under his belt, and also we can get all the hoopla when a number one guy signs, so that when he goes to spring training next year, he'll be just another guy in spring training. FF.com: He pitched a lot of innings this year, so is it that big of a loss for the organization to not have him under contract during the season. RB: Well he pitched 140 innings, which is a lot of innings, but between the draft and now, he hasn't pitched in three months. So he's going to be well rested. Once again, if we can get him in instructional league, get some innings under his belt... we had hoped to get him in the Arizona Fall League, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. FF.com: Of the guys you took this year, who have you seen as a so far, who has played better than maybe the organization expected? RB: Well we've been pleased with Jonathan Niese, our seventh round pick. He's a big, strong left-handed pitcher from Ohio. He's a good looking kid. I hate to use these big comparisons, but he's just like a young Jerry Koosman. FF.com: Were there questions marks about whether he'd be able to be signed? Were you surprised that he signed so quickly? RB: Well he didn't sign that quickly, but yeah, I think the whole industry was surprised that we were able to sign him where we took him. The perception in the industry was that he was going to be a very difficult player [to sign], but the boy really wanted to play and Sandy Johnson, he had a real good relationship with the agent and we were able to get it done. And we got ownership to give some extra money. FF.com: So would you say he's been the top pitcher for you coming out of the draft? RB: Well Bobby Parnell, our ninth round pick, is leading the NY-Penn League in ERA. I have not seen him yet but I've heard nothing but glowing reports and I'm going to see him pitch Thursday. FF.com: How about Sal Aguilar. He pitched yesterday for Brooklyn, he's had pretty good numbers for Brooklyn, have you been pleased with the way he's pitched? RB: I was very pleased with what I saw, and he's got a chance. Between all of them, without having seen Parnell yet, I think Niese has probably got the higher ceiling, but I think the best performance so far has been Parnell. FF.com: He [Parnell] went to a four-year college, do you think that has anything to do with him dominating younger hitters? RB: I don't think so, because there are an awful lot of four year guys in this league. And he's the best pitcher in the league. So, you can't discount the performance. FF.com: Matt Anderson, he played well for Kingsport and now he's with Brooklyn. Have you been happy with his performance, maybe even surprised maybe? RB: Our reports were that he was a bat guy, and that's exactly what he's been. He hit in Kingsport and now he's hitting in Brooklyn. FF.com: Looking at Greg Cain and Courtney Billingslea, some of the more tools-oriented guys. Maybe not the best numbers from them, what have you seen from them though? RB: They're both tools guys with big upsides, and we're just going to have to be patient and let them play. There is going to be a lot of ups and downs but they are both outstanding athletes. Cain is a legitimate five-tool guy, but he's crude. Billingslea hasn't played much baseball, so he's really crude. But the ceiling on both of those guys is tremendous, so we'll take a shot. We'll take a shot with those guys every time. FF.com: Have they made strides at all that your coaches have been able to report? RB: Oh absolutely. Talking with Gary Carter and Scott Hunter, who is coaching down there, they have both made tremendous strides. But, with those kind of guys, they're going to take three steps forward and two steps back, but they're definitely getting better. FF.com: Greg Gonzalez and Joe Holden, the 1-2 guys for Brooklyn, you're going to see today... RB: I saw them last night, and they are fun to watch. I could see both of those guys being one or two hitters throughout their minor league careers. And who knows? Both guys are Brett Butler types, and Brett Butler wasn't a high draft pick. Both of them, especially Gonzalez. He has a chance to be a bonafide lead-off hitter, and those guys are really tough to find. FF.com: So do you think a lot of these guys will be playing in Fall instructs and in a winter league? RB: Oh absolutely. Most of them will be in instructionals. FF.com: Were you surprised you were able to sign Will Jostock? A lot of people said he might go back to Junior College for another year. RB: Well that's what we thought, but we needed some pitching and the organization stepped up and gave us some money, and our scout did a great job and was able to get him signed. He's a big, long, loose right handed pitcher, very similar to Jake Harrington, who is a draft and follow we signed this year. Those are the high ceiling, 6'4 right handers, nice and loose that throws in the high 80's and low 90's, and who knows? FF.com: Right, try to get guys with high ceilings. RB: When you sign some of those guys, some of them are going to miss. But they're high ceiling guys, and that's what I like. FF.com: Obviously, those are the guys with the best chance to surprise you. RB: Absolutely. And I've seen Drew Butera is really making strides with the bat, though his numbers don't reflect it. But since he's been catching regularly, he's hitting close to .300. FF.com: Right, he had another good game for Brooklyn last night. RB: Had a good night last night, he can really catch and throw, and he's done a real good job shortening up his stroke. What I like was he was very aggressive last night, so we'll see what happens. FF.com: Where do you see a lot of these guys, a lot of the four year guys, playing next year, like Gonzalez and Butera? RB: I would say they'll be in either Hagerstown or St. Lucie, depending on how they do in instructional league and then of course spring training. I won't be surprised if some of them make the jump to St. Lucie. FF.com: Do you think there will be a lot of room for them there? RB: If a guy shows that he can play, then you make room. FF.com: How about guys you haven't signed yet, big profile guys. Preston Paramore, the catcher... RB: We're not going to sign him; he's going to Arizona State. We made a run at him, we offered a hell of a deal in our minds, but he was looking for more and we just didn't feel he was worth what he was looking for, even though he was a good looking prospect. He was offered third-round money. FF.com: So he thought he was a first round pedigree type of guy? RB: Yeah, he was looking for first or second round type money. FF.com: Any guys you think got away from you, guys that you didn't sign but would have liked to. RB: We would have liked to have signed Pedro Beato, the local boy from Xaverian, but he's going to junior college so we'll have the rights to him next year. We made a very good run at him too, but once again he and his agent were looking for top two round money. FF.com: Do you think that's happening more often now, guys thinking they're worth more, maybe because their agent is chattering in their ear? RB: Oh absolutely, I mean that's the nature of the business now. Sometimes the agent, sometimes a parent, sometimes the coach. Right now, we didn't think he was worth that kind of money, but if he shows us at St. Petersburg Junior College, where he's going, then we'll end up giving him that money. FF.com: So the organization has been good pretty good about the amount of money they've been giving to you? RB: Yeah, the organization has been fine. They've stepped it up in a number of cases. They stepped it up in a number of cases; they stepped it up with our fourth round pick, Hector Pellot. We ended up overpaying, but that's the type of ability he had. And Jonathan Niese we overpaid, and we're going to end up overpaying for Pelfrey. But we knew that going in, and we took some better guys. FF.com: Eventually, sometimes you overpay now but it looks like a bargain in the future. RB: Absolutely. And we didn't have a second or third round pick, so we looked for it. FF.com: Any of the unsigned later round guys, that are either in junior college or going to junior college, you think you'll be able to sign next year? RB: Yeah, of course Beato will be the number one guy. We've got a big right handed pitcher in Texas. We see potential in those guys. We've got about seven or eight of them, this year we signed two guys. It all depends on who steps up. FF.com: Nick Carr. Is he going to junior college? RB: Yep, that's why we took him. FF.com: You can't really say anything about what's going to happen next year, with players always rising and falling, but have you started to concentrate on and send scouts to different fall leagues and high school competitions? RB: Oh absolutely. We've been to all those showcases. We went to the AFLAC Games, we went to the Area Code Games, and of course we've scouted the USA team and we scouted the Cape Cod League, so we've covered a whole bunch of guys for next year, but it all depends on where we pick. FF.com: Are you prepared to maybe not have second or third round picks again as the team continues to build at the Major League level? RB: No, it's too early for that. If it happens again, then it happens again. As long as the Mets get better, that's all that we're concerned about. Once again, I'd like to thank Mr. Bove for taking time out of his busy schedule to give FF.com the scoop on the progress of this year's draft class. MFS62 Sep 10 2005 10:16 AM "FF.com: Are you prepared to maybe not have second or third round picks again as the team continues to build at the Major League level? " Which of the players we might lose top other teams as free agents would bring us back supplemental draft picks? Have any lists come out that would tell if they're class A or B? Later Valadius Sep 11 2005 05:01 AM I've said this before, but the Mike Hampton deal is one of the best trades we ever made. We get him and win the pennant. Then he leaves, and as compensation we get the picks that become Wright and Heilman. Pretty goddamn good.

[Guest Elster88]

="Edgy DC"] Elster88 wrote: ]he will max out as a gap hitter and never be much of an offensive force. He�s rather raw on defense, particularly with his throws, but he runs well and should be fine defensively with more experience. It boils down to his hitting, and that is uncertain at this point. So now not only are they going for a tool guy, but a tool guy whose tools are uncertain?[/quote} First of all, it's the draft, everything is a crap shoot. Second of all, why start you're pull quote at "...he will max out as a gap hitter..." and leave out "There is mixed opinion about his chances. Some people think he will hit for power in time, while others believe..."? Sloppy mousework on my part.

Edgy DC Jun 14 2005 04:22 PM

Anybody else wonder how hard these post-draft articles must be to write? How do you get a fair range of opinions on fifty different guys? How many underpaid scouts willing to talk does a guy have to have in his rolodex? Plus they've got to be willing to talk about another teams's draftees in order to provide unbiased analysis. I figure your typical Met scout has himself seen maybe 20% of the Mets draftees. So how many non-Mets scouts do you have to hit in order to reconstruct the Mets' draft? I imagine Baseball America can pull this off well, because they've got that whole staff working on the same or similar projects, so they can exchange information? ESPN, I don't trust so much.

seawolf17 Aug 06 2005 08:26 AM

On Friday, New York signed IF Hector Pellot, its fourth-round selection in the June draft. The 18-year-old will join the Mets' Instructional League in September. "My favorite player is Derek Jeter (of the Yankees)," Pellot said. "He's a leader who does everything to win." BAH! This kid does not know how to endear himself to potential new fans.

Johnny Dickshot Sep 10 2005 10:08 AM

Here's an interview with scouting guy Russ Bove on this class from a website called Flushing's Future. I know he's there to pump up his guys but seems like there's legit good news on Jonathan Neise at least. ] Bove: Three months later by Jordan Zakarin Three months after June's draft, Russ Bove again spends some time with FF.com, this time to review the performances of some of the signed picks, as well as to give an update on the statuses of the notable unsigned prospects. Following this past June's Amateur Player Draft, FlushingsFuture was able to review the team's selections with the Mets' Director of Amateur Scouting, Russ Bove. A little less than three months later, Mr. Bove was again gracious enough to spend some time with FF.com, this time to review the performances of some of the signed draft picks, as well as to give an update on the status of the picks the team has yet to sign. FlushingsFuture (FF.com): I'm sure you get asked all the time, but what is the status of Mike Pelfrey? Russ Bove (RB): We're getting closer. Mike wants to play; we're talking to Boras and we're hoping we're going to get him out in instructional league. It's not that far away. There's no risk of going back to school or any of that stuff; he wants to play. We're just trying to get the money straightened out. FF.com: So you wouldn't classify or call these negotiations contentious or anything? RB: No, not in the least. The negotiations have been fine. Obviously, we would like to have him signed sooner, but it'll be soon and he'll be a hell of a pitcher for the New York Mets. I'd just like to get him in instructional league so we can get some time under his belt, and also we can get all the hoopla when a number one guy signs, so that when he goes to spring training next year, he'll be just another guy in spring training. FF.com: He pitched a lot of innings this year, so is it that big of a loss for the organization to not have him under contract during the season. RB: Well he pitched 140 innings, which is a lot of innings, but between the draft and now, he hasn't pitched in three months. So he's going to be well rested. Once again, if we can get him in instructional league, get some innings under his belt... we had hoped to get him in the Arizona Fall League, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. FF.com: Of the guys you took this year, who have you seen as a so far, who has played better than maybe the organization expected? RB: Well we've been pleased with Jonathan Niese, our seventh round pick. He's a big, strong left-handed pitcher from Ohio. He's a good looking kid. I hate to use these big comparisons, but he's just like a young Jerry Koosman. FF.com: Were there questions marks about whether he'd be able to be signed? Were you surprised that he signed so quickly? RB: Well he didn't sign that quickly, but yeah, I think the whole industry was surprised that we were able to sign him where we took him. The perception in the industry was that he was going to be a very difficult player [to sign], but the boy really wanted to play and Sandy Johnson, he had a real good relationship with the agent and we were able to get it done. And we got ownership to give some extra money. FF.com: So would you say he's been the top pitcher for you coming out of the draft? RB: Well Bobby Parnell, our ninth round pick, is leading the NY-Penn League in ERA. I have not seen him yet but I've heard nothing but glowing reports and I'm going to see him pitch Thursday. FF.com: How about Sal Aguilar. He pitched yesterday for Brooklyn, he's had pretty good numbers for Brooklyn, have you been pleased with the way he's pitched? RB: I was very pleased with what I saw, and he's got a chance. Between all of them, without having seen Parnell yet, I think Niese has probably got the higher ceiling, but I think the best performance so far has been Parnell. FF.com: He [Parnell] went to a four-year college, do you think that has anything to do with him dominating younger hitters? RB: I don't think so, because there are an awful lot of four year guys in this league. And he's the best pitcher in the league. So, you can't discount the performance. FF.com: Matt Anderson, he played well for Kingsport and now he's with Brooklyn. Have you been happy with his performance, maybe even surprised maybe? RB: Our reports were that he was a bat guy, and that's exactly what he's been. He hit in Kingsport and now he's hitting in Brooklyn. FF.com: Looking at Greg Cain and Courtney Billingslea, some of the more tools-oriented guys. Maybe not the best numbers from them, what have you seen from them though? RB: They're both tools guys with big upsides, and we're just going to have to be patient and let them play. There is going to be a lot of ups and downs but they are both outstanding athletes. Cain is a legitimate five-tool guy, but he's crude. Billingslea hasn't played much baseball, so he's really crude. But the ceiling on both of those guys is tremendous, so we'll take a shot. We'll take a shot with those guys every time. FF.com: Have they made strides at all that your coaches have been able to report? RB: Oh absolutely. Talking with Gary Carter and Scott Hunter, who is coaching down there, they have both made tremendous strides. But, with those kind of guys, they're going to take three steps forward and two steps back, but they're definitely getting better. FF.com: Greg Gonzalez and Joe Holden, the 1-2 guys for Brooklyn, you're going to see today... RB: I saw them last night, and they are fun to watch. I could see both of those guys being one or two hitters throughout their minor league careers. And who knows? Both guys are Brett Butler types, and Brett Butler wasn't a high draft pick. Both of them, especially Gonzalez. He has a chance to be a bonafide lead-off hitter, and those guys are really tough to find. FF.com: So do you think a lot of these guys will be playing in Fall instructs and in a winter league? RB: Oh absolutely. Most of them will be in instructionals. FF.com: Were you surprised you were able to sign Will Jostock? A lot of people said he might go back to Junior College for another year. RB: Well that's what we thought, but we needed some pitching and the organization stepped up and gave us some money, and our scout did a great job and was able to get him signed. He's a big, long, loose right handed pitcher, very similar to Jake Harrington, who is a draft and follow we signed this year. Those are the high ceiling, 6'4 right handers, nice and loose that throws in the high 80's and low 90's, and who knows? FF.com: Right, try to get guys with high ceilings. RB: When you sign some of those guys, some of them are going to miss. But they're high ceiling guys, and that's what I like. FF.com: Obviously, those are the guys with the best chance to surprise you. RB: Absolutely. And I've seen Drew Butera is really making strides with the bat, though his numbers don't reflect it. But since he's been catching regularly, he's hitting close to .300. FF.com: Right, he had another good game for Brooklyn last night. RB: Had a good night last night, he can really catch and throw, and he's done a real good job shortening up his stroke. What I like was he was very aggressive last night, so we'll see what happens. FF.com: Where do you see a lot of these guys, a lot of the four year guys, playing next year, like Gonzalez and Butera? RB: I would say they'll be in either Hagerstown or St. Lucie, depending on how they do in instructional league and then of course spring training. I won't be surprised if some of them make the jump to St. Lucie. FF.com: Do you think there will be a lot of room for them there? RB: If a guy shows that he can play, then you make room. FF.com: How about guys you haven't signed yet, big profile guys. Preston Paramore, the catcher... RB: We're not going to sign him; he's going to Arizona State. We made a run at him, we offered a hell of a deal in our minds, but he was looking for more and we just didn't feel he was worth what he was looking for, even though he was a good looking prospect. He was offered third-round money. FF.com: So he thought he was a first round pedigree type of guy? RB: Yeah, he was looking for first or second round type money. FF.com: Any guys you think got away from you, guys that you didn't sign but would have liked to. RB: We would have liked to have signed Pedro Beato, the local boy from Xaverian, but he's going to junior college so we'll have the rights to him next year. We made a very good run at him too, but once again he and his agent were looking for top two round money. FF.com: Do you think that's happening more often now, guys thinking they're worth more, maybe because their agent is chattering in their ear? RB: Oh absolutely, I mean that's the nature of the business now. Sometimes the agent, sometimes a parent, sometimes the coach. Right now, we didn't think he was worth that kind of money, but if he shows us at St. Petersburg Junior College, where he's going, then we'll end up giving him that money. FF.com: So the organization has been good pretty good about the amount of money they've been giving to you? RB: Yeah, the organization has been fine. They've stepped it up in a number of cases. They stepped it up in a number of cases; they stepped it up with our fourth round pick, Hector Pellot. We ended up overpaying, but that's the type of ability he had. And Jonathan Niese we overpaid, and we're going to end up overpaying for Pelfrey. But we knew that going in, and we took some better guys. FF.com: Eventually, sometimes you overpay now but it looks like a bargain in the future. RB: Absolutely. And we didn't have a second or third round pick, so we looked for it. FF.com: Any of the unsigned later round guys, that are either in junior college or going to junior college, you think you'll be able to sign next year? RB: Yeah, of course Beato will be the number one guy. We've got a big right handed pitcher in Texas. We see potential in those guys. We've got about seven or eight of them, this year we signed two guys. It all depends on who steps up. FF.com: Nick Carr. Is he going to junior college? RB: Yep, that's why we took him. FF.com: You can't really say anything about what's going to happen next year, with players always rising and falling, but have you started to concentrate on and send scouts to different fall leagues and high school competitions? RB: Oh absolutely. We've been to all those showcases. We went to the AFLAC Games, we went to the Area Code Games, and of course we've scouted the USA team and we scouted the Cape Cod League, so we've covered a whole bunch of guys for next year, but it all depends on where we pick. FF.com: Are you prepared to maybe not have second or third round picks again as the team continues to build at the Major League level? RB: No, it's too early for that. If it happens again, then it happens again. As long as the Mets get better, that's all that we're concerned about. Once again, I'd like to thank Mr. Bove for taking time out of his busy schedule to give FF.com the scoop on the progress of this year's draft class.

MFS62 Sep 10 2005 10:16 AM

"FF.com: Are you prepared to maybe not have second or third round picks again as the team continues to build at the Major League level? " Which of the players we might lose top other teams as free agents would bring us back supplemental draft picks? Have any lists come out that would tell if they're class A or B? Later

Valadius Sep 11 2005 05:01 AM

I've said this before, but the Mike Hampton deal is one of the best trades we ever made. We get him and win the pennant. Then he leaves, and as compensation we get the picks that become Wright and Heilman. Pretty goddamn good.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Anybody else wonder how hard these post-draft articles must be to write?

How do you get a fair range of opinions on fifty different guys? How many underpaid scouts willing to talk does a guy have to have in his rolodex? Plus they've got to be willing to talk about another teams's draftees in order to provide unbiased analysis. I figure your typical Met scout has himself seen maybe 20% of the Mets draftees. So how many non-Mets scouts do you have to hit in order to reconstruct the Mets' draft?

I imagine Baseball America can pull this off well, because they've got that whole staff working on the same or similar projects, so they can exchange information? ESPN, I don't trust so much.

[Guest seawolf17]

On Friday, New York signed IF Hector Pellot, its fourth-round selection in the June draft. The 18-year-old will join the Mets' Instructional League in September. "My favorite player is Derek Jeter (of the Yankees)," Pellot said. "He's a leader who does everything to win."

BAH! This kid does not know how to endear himself to potential new fans.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Here's an interview with scouting guy Russ Bove on this class from a website called Flushing's Future. I know he's there to pump up his guys but seems like there's legit good news on Jonathan Neise at least.

] Bove: Three months later by Jordan Zakarin Three months after June's draft, Russ Bove again spends some time with FF.com, this time to review the performances of some of the signed picks, as well as to give an update on the statuses of the notable unsigned prospects. Following this past June's Amateur Player Draft, FlushingsFuture was able to review the team's selections with the Mets' Director of Amateur Scouting, Russ Bove. A little less than three months later, Mr. Bove was again gracious enough to spend some time with FF.com, this time to review the performances of some of the signed draft picks, as well as to give an update on the status of the picks the team has yet to sign. FlushingsFuture (FF.com): I'm sure you get asked all the time, but what is the status of Mike Pelfrey? Russ Bove (RB): We're getting closer. Mike wants to play; we're talking to Boras and we're hoping we're going to get him out in instructional league. It's not that far away. There's no risk of going back to school or any of that stuff; he wants to play. We're just trying to get the money straightened out. FF.com: So you wouldn't classify or call these negotiations contentious or anything? RB: No, not in the least. The negotiations have been fine. Obviously, we would like to have him signed sooner, but it'll be soon and he'll be a hell of a pitcher for the New York Mets. I'd just like to get him in instructional league so we can get some time under his belt, and also we can get all the hoopla when a number one guy signs, so that when he goes to spring training next year, he'll be just another guy in spring training. FF.com: He pitched a lot of innings this year, so is it that big of a loss for the organization to not have him under contract during the season. RB: Well he pitched 140 innings, which is a lot of innings, but between the draft and now, he hasn't pitched in three months. So he's going to be well rested. Once again, if we can get him in instructional league, get some innings under his belt... we had hoped to get him in the Arizona Fall League, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. FF.com: Of the guys you took this year, who have you seen as a so far, who has played better than maybe the organization expected? RB: Well we've been pleased with Jonathan Niese, our seventh round pick. He's a big, strong left-handed pitcher from Ohio. He's a good looking kid. I hate to use these big comparisons, but he's just like a young Jerry Koosman. FF.com: Were there questions marks about whether he'd be able to be signed? Were you surprised that he signed so quickly? RB: Well he didn't sign that quickly, but yeah, I think the whole industry was surprised that we were able to sign him where we took him. The perception in the industry was that he was going to be a very difficult player [to sign], but the boy really wanted to play and Sandy Johnson, he had a real good relationship with the agent and we were able to get it done. And we got ownership to give some extra money. FF.com: So would you say he's been the top pitcher for you coming out of the draft? RB: Well Bobby Parnell, our ninth round pick, is leading the NY-Penn League in ERA. I have not seen him yet but I've heard nothing but glowing reports and I'm going to see him pitch Thursday. FF.com: How about Sal Aguilar. He pitched yesterday for Brooklyn, he's had pretty good numbers for Brooklyn, have you been pleased with the way he's pitched? RB: I was very pleased with what I saw, and he's got a chance. Between all of them, without having seen Parnell yet, I think Niese has probably got the higher ceiling, but I think the best performance so far has been Parnell. FF.com: He [Parnell] went to a four-year college, do you think that has anything to do with him dominating younger hitters? RB: I don't think so, because there are an awful lot of four year guys in this league. And he's the best pitcher in the league. So, you can't discount the performance. FF.com: Matt Anderson, he played well for Kingsport and now he's with Brooklyn. Have you been happy with his performance, maybe even surprised maybe? RB: Our reports were that he was a bat guy, and that's exactly what he's been. He hit in Kingsport and now he's hitting in Brooklyn. FF.com: Looking at Greg Cain and Courtney Billingslea, some of the more tools-oriented guys. Maybe not the best numbers from them, what have you seen from them though? RB: They're both tools guys with big upsides, and we're just going to have to be patient and let them play. There is going to be a lot of ups and downs but they are both outstanding athletes. Cain is a legitimate five-tool guy, but he's crude. Billingslea hasn't played much baseball, so he's really crude. But the ceiling on both of those guys is tremendous, so we'll take a shot. We'll take a shot with those guys every time. FF.com: Have they made strides at all that your coaches have been able to report? RB: Oh absolutely. Talking with Gary Carter and Scott Hunter, who is coaching down there, they have both made tremendous strides. But, with those kind of guys, they're going to take three steps forward and two steps back, but they're definitely getting better. FF.com: Greg Gonzalez and Joe Holden, the 1-2 guys for Brooklyn, you're going to see today... RB: I saw them last night, and they are fun to watch. I could see both of those guys being one or two hitters throughout their minor league careers. And who knows? Both guys are Brett Butler types, and Brett Butler wasn't a high draft pick. Both of them, especially Gonzalez. He has a chance to be a bonafide lead-off hitter, and those guys are really tough to find. FF.com: So do you think a lot of these guys will be playing in Fall instructs and in a winter league? RB: Oh absolutely. Most of them will be in instructionals. FF.com: Were you surprised you were able to sign Will Jostock? A lot of people said he might go back to Junior College for another year. RB: Well that's what we thought, but we needed some pitching and the organization stepped up and gave us some money, and our scout did a great job and was able to get him signed. He's a big, long, loose right handed pitcher, very similar to Jake Harrington, who is a draft and follow we signed this year. Those are the high ceiling, 6'4 right handers, nice and loose that throws in the high 80's and low 90's, and who knows? FF.com: Right, try to get guys with high ceilings. RB: When you sign some of those guys, some of them are going to miss. But they're high ceiling guys, and that's what I like. FF.com: Obviously, those are the guys with the best chance to surprise you. RB: Absolutely. And I've seen Drew Butera is really making strides with the bat, though his numbers don't reflect it. But since he's been catching regularly, he's hitting close to .300. FF.com: Right, he had another good game for Brooklyn last night. RB: Had a good night last night, he can really catch and throw, and he's done a real good job shortening up his stroke. What I like was he was very aggressive last night, so we'll see what happens. FF.com: Where do you see a lot of these guys, a lot of the four year guys, playing next year, like Gonzalez and Butera? RB: I would say they'll be in either Hagerstown or St. Lucie, depending on how they do in instructional league and then of course spring training. I won't be surprised if some of them make the jump to St. Lucie. FF.com: Do you think there will be a lot of room for them there? RB: If a guy shows that he can play, then you make room. FF.com: How about guys you haven't signed yet, big profile guys. Preston Paramore, the catcher... RB: We're not going to sign him; he's going to Arizona State. We made a run at him, we offered a hell of a deal in our minds, but he was looking for more and we just didn't feel he was worth what he was looking for, even though he was a good looking prospect. He was offered third-round money. FF.com: So he thought he was a first round pedigree type of guy? RB: Yeah, he was looking for first or second round type money. FF.com: Any guys you think got away from you, guys that you didn't sign but would have liked to. RB: We would have liked to have signed Pedro Beato, the local boy from Xaverian, but he's going to junior college so we'll have the rights to him next year. We made a very good run at him too, but once again he and his agent were looking for top two round money. FF.com: Do you think that's happening more often now, guys thinking they're worth more, maybe because their agent is chattering in their ear? RB: Oh absolutely, I mean that's the nature of the business now. Sometimes the agent, sometimes a parent, sometimes the coach. Right now, we didn't think he was worth that kind of money, but if he shows us at St. Petersburg Junior College, where he's going, then we'll end up giving him that money. FF.com: So the organization has been good pretty good about the amount of money they've been giving to you? RB: Yeah, the organization has been fine. They've stepped it up in a number of cases. They stepped it up in a number of cases; they stepped it up with our fourth round pick, Hector Pellot. We ended up overpaying, but that's the type of ability he had. And Jonathan Niese we overpaid, and we're going to end up overpaying for Pelfrey. But we knew that going in, and we took some better guys. FF.com: Eventually, sometimes you overpay now but it looks like a bargain in the future. RB: Absolutely. And we didn't have a second or third round pick, so we looked for it. FF.com: Any of the unsigned later round guys, that are either in junior college or going to junior college, you think you'll be able to sign next year? RB: Yeah, of course Beato will be the number one guy. We've got a big right handed pitcher in Texas. We see potential in those guys. We've got about seven or eight of them, this year we signed two guys. It all depends on who steps up. FF.com: Nick Carr. Is he going to junior college? RB: Yep, that's why we took him. FF.com: You can't really say anything about what's going to happen next year, with players always rising and falling, but have you started to concentrate on and send scouts to different fall leagues and high school competitions? RB: Oh absolutely. We've been to all those showcases. We went to the AFLAC Games, we went to the Area Code Games, and of course we've scouted the USA team and we scouted the Cape Cod League, so we've covered a whole bunch of guys for next year, but it all depends on where we pick. FF.com: Are you prepared to maybe not have second or third round picks again as the team continues to build at the Major League level? RB: No, it's too early for that. If it happens again, then it happens again. As long as the Mets get better, that's all that we're concerned about. Once again, I'd like to thank Mr. Bove for taking time out of his busy schedule to give FF.com the scoop on the progress of this year's draft class.

[Guest MFS62]

"FF.com: Are you prepared to maybe not have second or third round picks again as the team continues to build at the Major League level? "

Which of the players we might lose top other teams as free agents would bring us back supplemental draft picks? Have any lists come out that would tell if they're class A or B?

Later

[Guest Valadius]

I've said this before, but the Mike Hampton deal is one of the best trades we ever made. We get him and win the pennant. Then he leaves, and as compensation we get the picks that become Wright and Heilman. Pretty goddamn good.