2009 Draft Order

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, this is an absurd time to post this, but I hadn't seen the list until today and I know there are several people here very good at digging up 6 month old threads before they post something so they'll probably find this one next May.

1. Nationals
2. Mariners
3. Padres
4. Pirates
5. Orioles
6. Giants
7. Braves
8. Reds
9. Tigers
* 10. Nationals (aka pick 9A) this is the first year that compensation is awarded within the 1st round for failure to sign last year's 1st round guy. Washington had, but didn't sign, the 9th pick in 2008 so they get the pick right after #9 this year in addition to their regular pick. This obviously moves everyone else down one slot.
11. Rockies
12. Royals
13. Athletics
14. Rangers
15. Indians
16. Diamondbacks
------------------------------------
17. Dodgers
18. Marlins
19. Cardinals
20. Blue Jays
21. Astros
22. Mariners (also a compensaton for failure to sign a 2008 1st-rounder, the only difference here is that their guy was a college senior so is NOT subject to the Aug 15 deadline and could still sign between now and next June's draft)
23. Twins
24. White Sox
25. Mets
26. Yankees
27. Brewers
28. Phillies
29. Red Sox
30. Rays
* 31. Yankees (compensation for failure to sign 2008 1st-rounder)
32. Cubs
33. Angels


Those teams above the line have their 1st round picks protected from compensation for FA signings. Those below do not.

[metirish]

I'm sure it's a rather simplistic question but I look at the Rays and I wonder why Pittsburgh are so bad. Have they not had as many high picks as the Rays in say the last ten years?

[Guest AG/DC]

Two straight pretty bad GMs --- making the same pretty bad mistakes also.

[Frayed Knot]

As far as the draft part of it goes the Pirates made a few bad choices w/top picks over the last decade. Sometimes those decisions have been driven by money, sometimes not. They've also run into some incredibly bad luck health-wise with legit pitching picks.

[Frayed Knot]

Just looking at Pitt's last decade or so of 1st round drafts.
They weren't quite bad enough to have as many Top-5s overall as TB did, but they didn't have anywhere near the success in picking either:

1996 - RHP Kris Benson (1st overall): Won some games for them but largely derailed by injuries

1997 - JJ Davis (8th): A HS 1B picked just before Michael Cuddyer and Jon Garland, he had 100 ML ABs and is out of baseball.

1998 - Clint Johnston (15th): HS LHP picked right ahead of Lidge & Kip Wells, he was in a few games in Low-A for Pittsburgh and then disappeared for 4 years until resurfacing w/the Toronto system. Injuries, I assume, were the problem. Hasn't played since 2005.

1999 - RHP Bobby Bradley (8th): A HS played picked right ahead of Zito, Sheets, and Brett Myers (9th, 10th, 12th) he never played in the majors and looks to be out of baseball

2000 - Sean Burnett (19th):
2001 - John Van Benschoten (8th):
2002 - Bryan Bullington (1st):
These 3 were real killers. One HS pitcher (Burnett) and 2 via colleges, all were stymied several times by injuries and never matched the draft day hope.
Bullington, in particular, was the "safe" pick over HSer BJ Upton meaning that Pitt passed on the risky upside in favor of the more likely quick help and wound up getting neither. They released him last Spring and he's resurfaced with Cleveland.
Burnett & JVB are still with the team and pitched a few innings in MLB this year.

2003 - Paul Maholm (8th): Pitching well enough for Pitt

2004 - Neil Walker (11th): A HS catcher taken while higher ceiling/bigger money stars like Jared Weaver and Steven Drew were still available. He's still in the Pirate system although not too promising at this point.

2005 - Andrew McCutcheon (11th): A very promising lead-off type OFer in the Pitt system, probably will see him next year.

2006 - Brad Lincoln (4th): RHP out of Univ Houston. Now coming back after missing all of 2007 w/injuries

2007 - Daniel Moskos (4th): A LHP out of Clemson U., they reportedly were scared off by $$ demands of college catcher Matt Weiters this year's minor league player of the year (next pick by Balt). At least he hasn't been hurt yet.

2008 - Pedro Alvarez (2nd): Fortunately the signing thing straightened itself out.