MLB Draft (June 4-6)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Mets obviously hearing the criticism of picking too many white fellas went on a multicultural inclusive diversified drafting spree beginning with pick 16:

"I'm the fella with the high-top fade" Round 16 pick Myles Smith is a RHP from Miami-Dade CC


Round 17 brought us Orange Coast College catcher Stefan Sabol, whose catches without a mask and with a really small wristwatch.


Round 18 is LHP Paul Paez, and his vaguely profane twitter feed at @Paez29


Back to the Whiteys in Round 19, but a sidearming one who gets lots white bishes, Tyler Vanderheiden (@CallMeVandy):

[nymr83]

Wow, well done Tyler.

[MFS62]

The draft is over and the Mets drafted six catchers and ONE outfielder.

Just sayin'.

Later

[Vic Sage]

say it with me, 62... "Best. Player. Available."
Now rinse, and repeat.

[Ceetar]

Vic Sage wrote: say it with me, 62... "Best. Player. Available." Now rinse, and repeat.

Indeed. one of the SS can be converted to an outfielder if need be. Or they won't cut some of the no-name scrubs to man down the position, or there's always the international draft/signings.

or maybe I'll give them my phone number. I could probably fake it on a Single A corner OF spot right? hey, i bat lefty..

[Frayed Knot]

MFS62 wrote: The draft is over and the Mets drafted six catchers and ONE outfielder. Just sayin'. Later

Mgmt was pretty clear about favoring middle of the field players - the idea being that most amateur catchers & SS wind up being nudged elsewhere on the field as competition gets tougher and so you get your coverage that way. Start with corner players and, if their bats don't play up as hoped, there's no where for them to go.

Bryce Harper? - was a catcher as an amateur
Craig Biggio - catcher
Dale Murphy - catcher
more than a few current ML relievers - catchers
And probably half the ML position players (the RH-throwing ones anyway) plus a few of the pitchers were short-stops at one point in their amateur or lower minors career


Plus you've always got guys from previous drafts, non-drafted FAs, int'l players, and numerous other pick-ups to consider.

[Edgy MD]

[MFS62]

I have been duly chastized. But I was only pointing out a statistical curiosity. Nothing wrong with being "strong up the middle".
Also -
I heard that the #1 pick, Cecchini, has reached a verbal agreement with the team and is on the way to New York. (Physical exam?)
Measure him for his uniform on the plane ride to New York and put him in there. There isn't anybody left who can play short in the organization.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Making statements like that doesn't sound like someone who feels chastised.

Know who's played a fair amount of short? Tuiasosopo. (Not of late, though.)

[Frayed Knot]

Between there being no eye-popping talent at the top of this year's draft combined with the new cap system in place, it took just three days for the #1 overall pick to sign this year. Under the old rules, few players at or near the top of the draft would sign early because they all wanted to base their pay on what everyone around them got, and even then teams would reach agreements only to sit on them for days or weeks while MLB decided whether they wanted to "approve" the deal.

But now, Puerto Rican SS Carlos Correa has signed with the Astros for "substantially less than the $7.2 million signing bonus" that was prescribed this year for the 1/1 slot. What this means for Houston is that they can use whatever money they "saved" there to go over-slot for other picks, namely their 2nd pick Florida high school pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. McCullers (not surprisingly the son of former ML-er Lance McCullers Sr.) was considered 1st round talent but slid to the 41st pick out of concerns about his asking price to skip college. The recommended contract for his slot is $1.25 mil.

This announcement should start the ball rolling on 1st round selections signing. Also the signing deadline was moved up from mid-August to mid-July so even the difficult negotiations should get wrapped up and announced sooner than in past years.

[Ceetar]

Yup, the incentive has to be for guys to sign earlier now because they're competing against other picks for that money.

Also should get some players into the system this year as opposed to them often only getting a cameo late in the season. I wonder if this will lead to a faster progression to the majors. (on the other hand, it activates the years of service time early and all that too right?)

[Edgy MD]

And it screws the talent out of even more of their hard-earned leverage.

[Ceetar]

.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Most people applying for jobs also have the right to negotiate with more than one potential employer.

Even though most of these players will never reach the big leagues, they are the best of the best; the relatively few who were good enough to be drafted by a major league team. They earned their spot with their level of play in high school and college.

[Edgy MD]

Ceeter, c'mon with your heartless "good."

That's. Re. Diculous.

Because it's immoral, exploitative, and un-American, that's why.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Ceeter, c'mon with your heartless "good." That's. Re. Diculous. Because it's immoral, exploitative, and un-American, that's why.

I disagree on all three of those things.

[MFS62]

Ceetar wrote: Yup, the incentive has to be for guys to sign earlier now because they're competing against other picks for that money.

The guys the Mets drafted will also be competing for places to play. Remember, the Mets will have one less rookie level farm team this year than in the recent past.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ceetar wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Ceeter, c'mon with your heartless "good." That's. Re. Diculous. Because it's immoral, exploitative, and un-American, that's why. I disagree on all three of those things.

Well then explain how it's fair, non-exploitative and American then.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Ceeter, c'mon with your heartless "good." That's. Re. Diculous. Because it's immoral, exploitative, and un-American, that's why. I disagree on all three of those things.

I know. It's amazing. The liberal firebrand who likens my Church to Klansmen plotting to kill black men stands for the rights of a multi-billion industry to act as a cartel in order to control labor costs and suppress competition, at a benefit to nobody but themselves.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Ceeter, c'mon with your heartless "good." That's. Re. Diculous. Because it's immoral, exploitative, and un-American, that's why. I disagree on all three of those things. I know. It's amazing. The liberal firebrand who likens my Church to Klansmen plotting to kill black men stands for the rights of a multi-billion industry to act as a cartel in order to control labor costs and suppress competition, at a benefit to nobody but themselves.

all incorrect. Don't put words in my mouth.

I don't really feel like debating the politics of it. I was simply reflecting on it from the baseball standpoint and what the landscape of signing and rookie minor leaguers getting to play look like. Looks like the guy the Mets signed today is going to Kingsport.

[Edgy MD]

I'd be happy to withdraw "Klansmen." The crap about killing black people was all you.

I don't really feel like debating the politics of it. I was simply reflecting on it from the baseball standpoint and what the landscape of signing and rookie minor leaguers getting to play look like.

...or...

good. most people when applying for jobs have no leverage, why should unproven amateurs get millions of dollars? hard-earned? the work has barely begun.

Which is it? Because the circle jerk is really dishonest.

[Ceetar]

fine. strike it from the record. I shouldn't have responded to your offtopic retort.

I have no recollection of even mentioning black people as a separate or specific entity. but whatever.

[Edgy MD]

My "retort" wasn't off-topic.

I have no recollection of even mentioning black people as a separate or specific entity.

Ever? At all? Some of your statements, man.

[Frayed Knot]

MFS62 wrote: Ceetar wrote: Yup, the incentive has to be for guys to sign earlier now because they're competing against other picks for that money. The guys the Mets drafted will also be competing for [p]laces to play. Remember, the Mets will have one less rookie level farm team this year than in the recent past.

But still the same number of teams as most organizations (they previously had a extra one before their recent cut-back) so it's not like these incoming players will be unusually strapped for openings. The instructional league and/or camps in the Dominican will take up the slack.
Remember also that the draft is smaller than it used to be (50 rounds down to 40 this year) so any final jobs to be filled will be with non-drafted signees and the like.
And finally there's the Int'l signing deadline (something that also has new money rules to it) less than a month away which provides a new crop of players.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: My "retort" wasn't off-topic. I have no recollection of even mentioning black people as a separate or specific entity. Ever? At all? Some of your statements, man.

as a talking point or something to debate. what are you talking about? No, forget it. you weren't getting whatever point I was trying to make back then either, no reason to rehash it.


seemed off topic to me. at least as it pertained to my post.

[Edgy MD]

Wait. First you don't remember what you said. And now you state that I wasn't getting your point back then. So you do remember. Only I didn't get your point then, because I'm dense, somehow. And I don't get your point now.

Even though, both times --- and so frequently --- when challenged to back up your statements, you just say you don't really like to talk about what you were happy to talk about until challenged to back it up.

I get your points, believe me. I sometimes challenge them. That doesn't mean I don't get them.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Wait. First you don't remember what you said. And now you state that I wasn't getting your point back then. So you do remember. Only I didn't get your point then, because I'm dense, somehow. And I don't get your point now. Even though, both times --- and so frequently --- when challenged to back up your statements, you just say you don't really like to talk about what you were happy to talk about until challenged to back it up. I get your points, believe me. I sometimes challenge them. That doesn't mean I don't get them.

no. you don't, or you wouldn't come back with this crazy stuff that I'm not saying. Like implying I think the Church is the Klan or whatever you're trying to say. I want no part of either in my life, but that's about the extent of it.

There's a difference between remembering that you weren't getting what I was trying to say and remembering the exact back and forth. I'm not calling you dense, or me a fool for failing to articulate my point. it's more nuanced than that.

I don't have a problem backing up my statements, we went on for quite a while on the contraception issue if I recall. But here you're asking me to back up an opinion on how the draft/baseball is run, and I don't feel like it. You're right, I should've just said my piece and ignored your reply that didn't have to with the Mets/teams specific usage of this system but with the politics of the system itself.

[Edgy MD]

Fantastic TV here, folks.

[Edgy MD]

Cecchini signed. $2.3 million.

[Edgy MD]

The New York Mets have agreed to terms with shortstop Gavin Cecchini, their top pick in the 2012 draft. Terms were not disclosed, but the 18-year-old Louisiana native will report to rookie ball in Kingston of the Appalachian League later this month. He was selected with the 12th overall pick of the draft earlier this week. Cecchini hit .413 with seven homers, 32 runs batted in and 31 stolen bases to help Barbe High School to the Louisiana Class 5A state title this past season. He also played for South Lake Charles in the 2006 Little League World Series.

Be a big year at the K-Mets gate if he and Nimmo end up on the same team.