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More from the Athletic, with quotes from current and former (anonymous) Astros employees.
Taubman saga exposes longstanding questions about the Astros’ culture under Jim Crane and Jeff Luhnow
Makes you wonder if people like Sig Mejdal left for Baltimore for this reason.
I think Alvarez starts in left field and Brantley in right. It's not a great defensive lineup, although Alvarez was not bad in his few appearances in left and Brantley may have a better arm than I've been giving him credit for. Right now, Astros needs all the offense they can muster and with the exception of his NY HR, Reddick has struggled.
Hopefully, being named RoY will inspire Alvarez to hit the ball into the Potomac.
Trump already floating conspiracy theories that Clinton had Epstein killed. You know Hannity, whoworshipsdines from the toilet in which Trump shits, is not going to let this go. Ever.
The East Bay area is not a small market at all and has a very strong fan base. The payroll is small because the owners want it that way. No sympathy or admiration there.
Been here since Kevin and Scott ran things.
It looks like they think they have a dearth of outfielders at the short season and rookie teams.
I hope maturity does not continue to elude him much longer.
[Houston] now sends individuals with Edgertronic cameras to amateur games in lieu of traditional area scouts. While this style of scouting has yielded stylistic uniformity across Houston’s prospect population — they almost invariably acquire high-spin, four-seam/curveball pitchers with a 12:30 spin axis, most of whom are adding cutters early in pro ball, while targeting college bats who have performed on paper and have big exit velos — it has also yielded a bunch of talented players, and further use of the tech on the player development side has made those players better.
...the types of pitchers Houston seems to like are becoming more sought after by other teams as a better understanding of how pitching works permeates baseball. Fewer pitchers of this type will be available to Houston as a result, but of course, Houston is likely also identifying players who can be altered to become this type of pitcher, even if they aren’t one yet.
...it’s getting harder to learn about Houston from the outside, as paranoia and acrimony have begun to impact industry discourse about the Astros in a way that makes it difficult to know which rumors about them are true and which are BS. Some of the things that have been mentioned consistently, and which seem plausible and interesting, include experimentation with visual machine learning and work with topical substances to improve pitch spin/movement. Of course, all the Rapsodo and Motus sleeve stuff is already widely known or knowable with quick use of Google.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-39-prospects-houston-astros/
That's what I've been planning on, but since you're asking, I do believe the categorical imperative would dictate otherwise.
MLB Pipeline removed Ferrell from their Top 30 list. They in turn (finally) added Bryan Abreu, all the way up at the #10 spot.
I've a good friend here in the States who has played Rugby all his life. He's 60 and plays what they call soft contact hands only rugby. I've always viewed him and his group of rugby friends as being a cult.
I never really like rugby too much, but if I had to play / watch it, I am pretty sure that union would be the code to pick. How does the expression go - union is a thugs game played by gentlemen, and league is a gentlemens' game played by thugs. Or something like that... Useless trivia time, a member of the Canadian national rugby union team played AFL in the national comp for a few years and was pretty decent. I wondered if he was a real rugby player though, he had a neck.
If you played rugby in Sydney (League I am guessing?) you certainly rubbed shoulders with bogan royalty.
Folks my age tend to refer to an unpolished Australians as an 'ocker', bogan is only a fairly recent addition to our vernacular.
POM and Limey have something in common: they refer to those who left British shores and who now live in the former colonies. They really should be terms to apply to you (and now me), therefore, not the other way around.
It's "Seppo" and, yes, it's the contraction of the rhyming slang for "Yank", being "Septic Tank". We figured you'd be happier (less unhappy?) being called "Seppos" than "Septics".
The bogan reference was funny but a little surprising, I just hope you're not spending a lot of time watching Bogan Hunters and Fat Pizza.
Bogan? There is no need for name calling son.
“You can’t fool me. You’re that clever shark.”
“I’m just a dolphin, ma’am.”
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Yeah, but they are lined up to the side, and so the scrum is over there, not right where inbound passengers are alighting. I think that's the point behind United's change.
THE YET TO MAKE A PROSPECT LIST BUT STILL INTERESTING GUYS (1 OF 2)
Note that I'm limiting the following discussion to players 24 or younger with the caveat that in some cases (primarily 2018 draftees) we're talking about extremely, extremely small sample sizes. Let's talk about some of the more interesting names in the system who have NOT shown up on a prospect list in the past year while (as least in some cases) highlighting certain flaws that suggest perhaps why an extended MLB career might not be in their future:
RHP Akeem Bostick
Finally made AAA after 4 years in the system and 6 years in the minors overall after being a 2nd round pick (62nd overall) of the Rangers back in 2013. For a guy with a fastball topping out at 95, his K numbers have always been surprisingly low. Entering 2018, his K rate for his career was on the order of 17.3%. This year it jumped to 25.6%. Very nice to see, although it should be noted that his BB rate also jumped up to 9.0%. The higher punchouts make you wonder if there would be an even further tick up in K rate if he were to be put into a relief role (saying that after seeing him strike out the side the other day in the PCL playoffs in one of the first true relief appearances of his career). Still just 23, he's listed at a rangy 6'6" 215 lbs.
RHP Brock Dyxkhoorn
Like Bostick, somewhat of a breakthrough season for a guy who's been in the system for a number of years (5, in Dyxkhoorn's case). A substantial move upward in his strikeout rate this season (23.9%) versus his previous 4-year average (19.6%). And he did it without much increase in his BB rate (7.5% vs pre-2018 6.8%). Big boy at 6'8" 250 lbs who recently turned 24.
UTIL Alex De Goti
The 15th rounder from the 2016 draft posted career-best numbers in his 3rd season in the organization after moving up to AA/AAA this year (a combined .283/.335/.440). You'd like to see a higher walk rate from him but it did increase when he moved from the Hooks to the Grizzlies (9.3% vs 4.7%). He did a really nice job of making more contact in 2018, lowering his K rate to 16.2% from the 21.9% rate in 2016-2017 despite the jump(s) in level. The 24-year old has played a significant amount of SS (along with 2B and 3B) thus far in his three seasons and if he can credibly play the position at the next level then that certainly gives him a possible leg up as a future utility guy in the bigs. To further enhance that possibility, I'd like to see him getting some turns in the outfield next year atFresnothat place north of Austin.
LHP Ryan Hartman
If nothing else, the soft-tosser is listed here as Exhibit A on the perils of scouting the stat line (not that folks on this board are guilty of falling into that particular trap). 143 Ks vs 26 BBs in 121 IP with a .235 BAA and led the Texas League in just about every pitching category. The 24-year old kept getting better as the season went along--an 0.91 WHIP and 1.98 ERA in the second half versus 1.26 and 3.47 respectively in the first half. And even better down the stretch, with 47 Ks and a measly 2 walks in 38 IP and only 21 hits allowed over his final 7 outings (that includes the 1st game of the playoffs). Good size at a listed 6'3" 205 lbs.
RHP Justin Ferrell
The 24-year old's numbers bumped up this year as the Astros transitioned him from a tandem guy to full-time reliever. Started the year in A-ball and by year-end had made it to AAA. 82/25 K to W in 65 innings this year with a .193 BAA. A big guy at a listed 6'7" and (I'm guessing out-of-date) 205 lbs. Jim Stevenson signee.
RHP Erasmo Pinales
A reliever for the Hooks, the Astros thought enough of him to send him in October to the Arizona Fall League after posting 72 whiffs vs (yikes) 31 walks in 56 IP this year. If you like a nice downward plane on your fastballs, probably won't see it from Pinales as he's listed at just 5'11". Was reported to touch 98 with his fastball a couple of years ago but haven't seem anything more recent to confirm that. As you can see from that walk total, control remains a continuing problem for him.
1B Taylor Jones
The 24-year old's .314/.409/.528 slash line for CC was a breakthrough for him and represents an interesting combo of patience and power. Several caveats, though. First is that he struggled in his 39 games for Fresno. You might be tempted to shrug that off as SSS but then there's the second concern: his numbers with the Hooks might have been inflated as a result of a .377 BABIP. 2019 will tell us more about how much offense the 6'7" Mr. Jones actually brings to the party. TL managers did name him best defensive 1B.
OF Carmen Benedetti
Not quite sure what to make of the 23 year old rightfielder's year for the Hooks. He missed about a quarter of the season after being put on the DL on 2 separate occasions and after returning the second time (in mid-July) it's not entirely clear to me if he was fully healthy. His final numbers weren't horrible (.277/.365/.443) and showed a tad more power than his previous two seasons. As with any corner guy, that pop will be key to his future progression and his (relatively) lackluster numbers in that regard likely explain his absence from any recent prospect list. He also missed some time in 2017 so staying healthy may also also have some impact on his prospect status.
UTIL Josh Rojas
He and Corbin Martin were the first Astros' picks from the 2017 draft to reach AA (both joined Corpus on May 1). But the Aggie was a 2nd rounder while the ex-Rainbow Warrior was a 26th rounder so I'll go with the latter as the greater accomplishment. Has shown tremendous positional versatility over his first 2 pro seasons, playing 6 different positions (LF, RF, 1B, 2B, 3B and SS). The 24-year old has shown flashes of power (.217 ISO last year) and speed (38 SBs this year). Also showed nice ability this year to draw walks (12.2% BB rate) and keep the strikeouts relatively low (16% K rate). As with De Goti, players whose ceiling is utility guy aren't necessarily the most likely candidates for prospect lists.
OF Chas McCormick
So who was next fastest to AA from the 2017 draft behind Rojas and Martin? That would be this guy, a 21st-rounder who made it to Corpus a month after Rojas and Martin did. The 23-year old out of D2 Millersville U appears to have some defensive versatility by being able to play all 3 outfield positions. He also has some speed, stealing 19 of 23 bases this year. But he didn't put up eye-popping offensive numbers this season with a .273/.339/.373 slash line between BC and CC. However, there may be a hint that good things are coming next year. He decreased his K rate from 16.3% at BC (already one of the lower whiff rates in the system) to 11.3% when he made the jump to AA. Good things could happen in 2019 if he can keep that K rate low and drive the ball a bit more. Speaking of, he went off in the Texas League playoffs with a number of hard-hit balls: 3 homers and a double in just 5 games.
RHP Jose Hernandez
Good numbers this year (48 K/10 BB in 57 IP with 55 hits allowed) particularly considering he missed all of 2017 due to TJS. He was especially strong over his last 5 starts (includes one playoff game): 32.2 IP, 27 H, 0 BB, 32 K, 1.65 ERA. Size an issue at a listed 6'0". The previously linked 2080baseball.com report on him noted a low 90s fastball and above average curveball with the upshot: "Profiles as long reliever or low-leverage middleman able to pitch numerous innings. Older and more polished arm dominating younger hitters in A-Ball, looks ready for next level."
RHP Abdiel Saldana
The smallish (he's listed at 5'11") Panamanian has spent 5 years with the Astros but is still just 22. Excellent numbers this year for BC with 100 punchouts and just 26 free passes in 108 innings. And he allowed just 1 HR all season. Not surprising then that he led the minor leagues with a 2.38 FIP (minimum: 100 IP). Don't know what his entire repetoire is but apparently his changeup is quite the killer--teammate Carson LaRue called it "absolutely unbelievable" in a WTHB interview last year.
RHP Yohan Ramirez
23-year old Dominican pitcher who's listed at 6'4 190 lbs. Started the year at QC where as part of the tandem he K'd 62 in 58 IP but also walked 28. The latter has been an issue for him during his 3 years in the organization evidenced by the career BB rate of 12.7%. Midseason he was moved up to BC where he was moved to the bullpen--we'll have to wait until 2019 to find out if that was just a temporary move or a more permanent one due to his lack of control (besides all the walks, he also led the system this year in plunks with 12). But the velocity noted previously for him (sitting 95-96, topping 98-99) makes him interesting. At least for now. If you read the 2080baseball.com summary on him you saw this: "Middle relief ceiling--despite power fastball, lacks the control or secondary pitches for true leverage situations. Risk to profile, will fall short of ceiling if he can't improve delivery or throw more strikes."
OF Jake Meyers
Defensively, the Omaha native whose parents gave him the middle name "Berkshire" is solid in CF. On the bat side, he didn't show much pop in college (he hit just 3 longballs in 2+ seasons) and while he's shown a bit more power as a pro it's questionable whether that's ever going to be one of his strengths. But if you're an optimist and believe the former 13th round pick can develop into a 10+ homers a season player, then combined with his on-base skills (had a 10.4% walk rate this season which increased to 12.0% after being promoted to BC) and defensive value he could be a very interesting guy. Reports say the former Husker is a 70 runner so his 53% success rate in 30 steal attempts this season indicates work is needed on his baserunning skills (he confirmed that in an interview with the QC Times back in June).
OF Corey Julks
More "what if" time. As previously noted, the former Coog has retooled his swing to get a better launch angle. That's not exactly unique for players these days though I sense his might have been more radical than most (or at least a more difficult transition). It seems it might finally be producing results, going from .259/.341/.379 in the season's first half to .282/.362/.458 in the second half. That's particularly impressive given the second half was spent at BC after the promotion from QC. Things seemed to particularly click in August when he posted a .305/.373/.543 line over his last 27 regular season games with 10 doubles and 5 homers. He added another HR in the 1st round of the CL playoffs. His batted ball data also seems to support a better swing approach, with his GB% declining from 45.5% in 2017 at TRC to 42.1% at QC and 39.2% at BC. And there was a particularly dramatic decline in his popups (31.3% to 23.2% to 16.9%). If you believe the swing change improvements are permanent, then his blend of power + speed (see above: one of only 11 minor leaguers this year with 30 steals and 10+ HRs) coupled with his selective approach at the plate (10.8% BB rate at BC, 10.5% overall this season) make for a very attractive offensive performer. Defensively, the 22-year old Julks has only started 4 games in CF over his first 2 seasons in the organization. Somewhat puzzling as rotating minor league OFs through all 3 positions in the grass tends to be more the organizational norm so as to give players as much experience as possible and better evaluate them in game situations. Or maybe not so puzzling: after a game last year at TRC in which Julks dropped a FB while playing RF, Morgan Ensberg described him as "more of a left fielder". Ugh.
The kid was coming into his own this year.
I would expect him to be a really expensive acquisition.
Lest we forget about deals at the deadline. It might be good for every one to go back and read this classic: Anatomy of a baseball trade.
Which included this memorable section:
More on Serrano's situation came out yesterday:
Josh Ward @Josh_Ward Jun 14
Right now, Kyle Serrano intends to play baseball at Tennessee next season. He said he told the Astros he won't sign for less than $300,000.
This will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it.
I'd move Cardinals fans into the 3 spot.
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I don't have the numbers, but that sounds like every dollar available short of a draft pick penalty
I wonder if he was picked as a money saver.
As was Colin Moran on today's top ten 3B prospect list.
I know I'm getting WAY ahead of myself but I've wondered if Derek Fisher does not have similar skills to Gordon.
Kazmir and Gallardo are both solid #3 starters, in my opinion. Certainly nowhere near #5 level. You could even argue Kazmir has pitched like a #2 the last couple years.
That said, I think McHugh and McCullers give the Astros two pitchers of that caliber to go behind Keuchel. And Fiers is probably on that #3/4 bubble. I don't see the point in adding another SP, assuming Feldman is healthy enough to be the 5th starter. Unless you're talking about a legit #2 type guy.
Correct. I didn't mean to imply that the Astros shouldn't aspire to have a better 3B than Lowrie or Valbuena. Just that both guys are fine options there - good gloves, decent bats but with flaws. Lowrie is absolutely injury-prone (and clearly never regained his hitting stroke post-injury this year); Valbuena can't hit lefties and Ks a ton. And with Lowrie due $7-8m each of the next two years, I'm not sure he's going anywhere (Valbeuna, on the other hand, could be a nice trade chip). 3B just isn't a pressing need like the bullpen is, and LF is. Some combo of Lowrie, Valbuena, and Marwin can keep it warm until Moran or Bregman are ready.
Yes, after the botched snap, the Michigan punter got his hand on the ball and tried to rugby punt it with MSU defenders bearing down on him.
Root for the Royals:
- They're from our league;
- They're not a divisional rival;
- They're not annoying (except for Cueto);
- They're not Canadian; and
- They're not the Mets.
A nice zinfandel. Maybe a Turley.
I'm sure most of the complaints came from the players.
And also, because he can blast so far out of a circus canon, he may even be an outlier.
I think they will swing a deal or two as well. I expect it. I'm hoping they don't deal Phillips or Reed.
According to Jonathan Mustard, the Astros have signed Kyle Tucker, though only save about $200k off the slot value.
#319 (11th round): Mission Viejo HS LHP Patrick Sandoval
USC commit. 90-91 FB. 99 whiffs/30 walks in 87 IP. 6'3" 190 lbs.
College Seniors in Rounds 7, 8, 9, 10. I guess they really did need to scrape together some extra change to afford Daz, unless I've missed some other potential over-slot guy?
Man, this is weird. Law has his draft prospect rankings up at espn, with Rodgers #1 - and AZ SS Kevin Newman 2nd. Haven't seen him talked about as an elite talent, at all. Both BA and MLB.com have him at #29, citing lack of power, speed, and fringy SS defense.
On the other hand, if you believe he's going to hit like Jose Altuve in the majors, maybe he is the 2nd-best player.
At least some are starting to realize it's getting out of hand. Brian Kenny wrote an apology to the Astros in a sportsonearth article, and Craig Calcaterra had a great tweet yesterday saying the Astros caused 9/11.
From a look at some of the draft prospects in this past weekend's Dodgertown Classic:
From a writer I'm only slightly familiar with (and who makes a slight brain fart in the article on Walker Buehler) so take with the requisite modicum of salt.
Curt Schilling has the answer: Political Party Affiliation
The guys on MLBTV really like Gregerson. They like that he throws strikes and has guts. Heyman said his slider was excellent and reminded him of Larry Andersen.
On average, the ball is in play for about 60 minutes of a 90-minute soccer match. Taking into account half-time and time added on forrolling around like a 3-year oldinjuries, let's say the game takes a nice round 2 hours to be completed (in reality, slightly less) - that means the ball is in play for 50% of the overall game time.
On average, the ball is in play for about 12 minutes of a 60-minute NFL game. Taking into account half-time, time outs and numerous other occasions when the clock is stopped, let's say the game takes a nice round 3 hours to play (in reality, usually quite a bit more) - that means the ball is in play for 6.67% of the overall game time.
I enjoy the NFL, but the reality is that, while soccer may be "boring" because there's not enough offense taking place when the ball is in play, at least it's in play. For 93.33% of an NFL game, you are watching beer / truck commercials or grown men having a secret strategy meeting from which you're excluded.
Adam, the bartender, is the man!!! He's an Oklahoma fan, so I used to give him some "Big Game Bob" shit.
Same here. I love to take people out to eat. Our neighborhood place was Fume. We ate there 5-7 times a month.
Multiple sources, including the player himself, confirming that Aiken is in Houston to finalize his contract.
And Adron Chambers get traded to the Blue Jays in the process for two prospects, Alejandro Solarte and Will Dupont. Couldn't find much info on Solarte, but he's listed as a 6"4" lefthander out of Venezuela. Dupont was a two sport prep star out of St. Louis who turned down a scholarship with Mississippi State to sign with Toronto. Projects as a leadoff hitter and second baseman. Looks like a pretty good haul for a guy (Chambers) who profiles more as AAAA outfielder.
fixed link
Astros County is doing a great job of keeping a running list of each player and news about their status.
Small correction: Connor MacDonald is a 1B (at a listed 6' 5", a second sacker he is not). He went 0-5 today batting cleanup as the Blue squad won their debut 7-2.
Science!
Isn't a cake that's made from mostly non-edible parts, just a model?
I'm going to try to make it, mainly because I want to confirm that Mr. Happy is real and not some strange invention of one of you other lunatics.
From the Grantland wing of ESPN is an article calling the Mets' current outfield possibly "the worst unit in professional sports and maybe all of life."
Whoa ho, you say? What about the Astros? The author excuses the Astros' inadequacies because "[t]hey're less a pro sports franchise and more a socioeconomic thought experiment at this point."
I think I'm stealing that line for 2013's These Are Your Astros!
While Nationals fandom is a temptation for many, not just those of us who live nearby, it's moderated by the use of the term 'Natitude' which I think lacks dignity and the fact that the Lerners own some of the worst shopping malls I've ever seen.
I quit on the NBA and on the NFL many years ago for similar reasons. I don't miss the NBA, but I do have some misgivings about the NFL - at this point, I'm so lost on pro football that I have no idea who plays or for what teams, etc. I watch less than ten minutes of pro football a year, except for the Super Bowl. I don't really hang out with people so I don't miss discussions and so forth, but there is a kind of wistful feeling of loss. Not so much that I am tempted to crank my fandom back up - I pretty firmly just don't care any more - but man, I love baseball so much that I just can't do that to myself, regardless of how I might couch the spite into some kind of 'They did it to me, man, with all their bullshit...' I just can't cut baseball out of my life. I won't.
Anyone else still fucking irate about the move like me? I am half tempted to quit on MLB despite the passage of time.
Hopefully the orange bill is the alternate cap, and the primary cap is solid navy.
VILLAR (AA)
MIER (high A)
FONTANA (low A)
SCLAFANI (SS)
CORREA (rookie)
RHP Paul Clemens for the Hooks and [screw you Drayton McLane for being a cheap-ass SOB and not being willing to consider spending $312K for] RHP Barrett Loux for Frisco;
I'm just saying everyone wasn't a son of a whore. Just most of them.
As in Dallas Helpers.
An outpouring of emotion -- or something -- for the last time we have to see the New York Mets. WARNING -- There may be F-Bombs ahead.
Mets Series Preview
Calm down! They're using the classic "H". They're just putting a "D" in front of it.
SportsLogos.net has a source that says the new unis will be orange and blue (as expected) and "borrowing elements from past designs but with a modern twist." Describes the hat as the H on a star, but with the H in a different font. Jersey is similar to late '60s, but without the shooting star (which seems like it sort of misses the point).
http://news.sportslogos.net/2012/08/27/houston-astros-back-to-blue-and-orange-uniforms-in-2013/
Perhaps most surprising is that 6 of the 10 were drafted/signed by the Astros, 5 of those pre-Luhnow. Slight bit of redemption for Bobby Heck, I guess.
Dude: I live in Napa. I respect Sabean but that dropped a bit when he went for Gunther, who's not been doing well so far. From what I can tell, the Phightin's fans are delighted to see him gone..
Talking about their shiny new cocker spaniel of an outfielder, the Giants GM said that No, he didn't go Pence because they knew Melky was about to get suspended for 'roids, in fact, they tried to trade for him last year. What did the Astros want for Pence, you ask? SF Chronicle Reporter Henry Schulman twitters "Wheeler plus another prospect. Same w/ Bourn".
Doesn't matter who the other prospect would've been, that would have easily been better than what they did get for Bourn.
Judging from the box scores, it doesn't seem like OKC really has starters in the classic sense, they just use everyone to fill innings as they try to outscore the other team.
I'm not happy with the job Wade and Heck have done. 3 years on and the levels of the minors where only the talent they hired resides is awful. DSL, GCL, Greeneville, and Lexington all lack talent. All of them have drafted, FA, and international talent most if not all signed by Wade/Heck. Lancaster is near there too.
Early 80's Tucson Toros
Most interesting to me is that the Astros seem pretty well-positioned for three straight first-round picks. They seem headed that direction this year, anyway, and it's hard to see them improving in their first year in the AL without a major talent infusion.
Ask Ryan Madson if Bora$$ occasionally steers his clients astray.
You may well be right, which would be a shame as I'm not as high on that kid as he is in himself (which generally is a good trait, but excessive ideas of personal value have brought down low many great people). I don't know enough about how a draft looks, particularly a year from now, but I do know that the arm can a frighteningly fragile thing. One misstep, even a freak accident, and the cliff of no payday happens.
He's also got the risk of really putting himself under a lot of self-induced pressure next season to perform at a high level. He may not handle that additional pressure well and could crater under its weight. There's not a real significant difference between first round first pick slot money (assuming that he gets picked there) a year from now and slot money for his pick which was money in the bank right now. I hope that it works out for him, but I'm fearful that it won't.
I think that Boras steered Appel wrong. Boras better have Appel's arm insured for this last collegiate season, or he's going to look pretty bad to prospective draftees for that manuever.
I think we can let this thread play on as the primary repository for draft stuff for next year.
At the ASB the Astros are #1 by 1/2 a game.
As I look at the positional players I can only see Altuve and Martinez as guys you want to build around. Disclaimer: Lawrie not in that group because I expect him to be dealt before his contract expires.
Yup. I think Rawnsley is one of the best if not the best at running evaluations of high school and college players. He was adamant his group does "shoe leather" evaluations, meaning they go see the player and not just pour over numbers.
I didn't know that, cool.
The Major League First-Year Player Draft enters a new era on Monday with the cap system on bonuses. With severe penalties for going even five percent over budget (75 percent tax and the loss of a first-round pick), clubs will have an available pool of money (roughly $189 million for the 30 teams) that represents a 20 percent cut from what they spent in a free market system last year ($236 million). What other industry cuts its research and development investment by 20 percent in flush times?
No team has less money to spend than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Because of the free agent signings of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, the Angels don't get a pick until the 114th selection. Their entire draft budget, based on values assigned to every pick through 10 rounds, is just $1,645,700, according to Baseball America. How small is that? The Angels spent $1,467,000 last year on one pick, first-rounder C.J. Cron.
And don't expect the Angels to overpay for a difficult-to-sign high schooler in the later rounds. If you spend more than $100,000 for a pick after the 10th round, the overage counts toward your budget.
Here's an example of how the money has dried up: In 2006 the Padres -- the Padres, mind you, not the Yankees or Red Sox - drafted high schooler Mat Latos in the 11th round. He slid in the draft because of rumors about his signability and his makeup. The Padres kept an eye on him as he went to junior college, and then signed him just prior to the 2007 draft for $1.25 million. Neither scenario is likely under current rules: not the draft-and-follow scenario and not the late-round big money to convince a hard to sign kid to sign.
So the Angels will have had scouts scouring the country for the past year and are left with only $1.6 million to sign amateur players. Just how small is that kind of investment in future players? The Angels' entire 2012 draft budget would cover only 10 days of pay for Pujols when he's 42 years old.
As we reach the T-25.5 hour mark here before the draft, a few misc. comments:
* I am greatly intrigued by the way that Luhnow/Heck, et al will 'play' the new financial limitations imposed in this draft. 'Who' at 1.1 will be a 'huge' decision, but at the same time saving $2-3M at 1.1 for use in later rounds could also play exceptionally well...
Since Mike S. brought up the question of who the Astros might take with their 2nd pick (supp. round, #41 overall), here's #'s 30-50 from BA's Top 500 list:
30 Shane Watson ... RHP HS Lakewood (Calif.) HS Calif.
31 Zach Eflin ... RHP HS Hagerty HS, Oviedo, Fla. Fla.
32 Pierce Johnson ... RHP 4YR Missouri State Mo.
33 Joey Gallo ... 3B/RHP HS Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas Nev.
34 Tanner Rahier ... SS HS Palm Desert (Calif.) HS Calif.
35 Daniel Robertson ... 3B HS Upland (Calif.) HS Calif.
36 Anthony Alford ... OF HS Petal (Miss.) HS Miss.
37 Walker Weickel ... RHP HS Olympia HS, Orlando Fla.
38 Ty Buttrey ... RHP HS Providence HS, Charlotte N.C.
39 Brian Johnson ... LHP/1B 4YR Florida Fla.
40 Nick Travieso ... RHP HS Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Fla. Fla.
41 Barrett Barnes ... OF 4YR Texas Tech Texas
42 Mitch Haniger ... OF 4YR Cal Poly Calif.
43 Carson Kelly ... 3B/RHP HS Westview HS, Portland, Ore. Ore.
44 Mitch Brown ... RHP HS Century HS, Rochester, Minn. Minn.
45 Tyler Gonzales ... RHP HS Madison HS, San Antonio Texas
46 Nolan Fontana ... SS 4YR Florida Fla.
47 Wyatt Mathisen ... C HS Calallen HS, Corpus Christi, Texas Texas
48 Clint Coulter ... C HS Union HS, Camas, Wash. Wash.
49 J.O. Berrios ... RHP HS Papa Juan XXIII HS, Bayamon, P.R. P.R.
50 Walker Buehler ... RHP HS Clay HS, Lexington, Ky. Ky.
Definitely some intriguing guys based on what I've read...
That will depend on what they feel it will take to sign their first pick. Granted, they could save money with their other picks, but it would take multiple under slot picks to do so. If they feel they can sign 1/1 under slot, that will free up some money, if not, they're not going to risk going over and risking penalties.
That made no sense whatsoever. Gotta have the star. Otherwise, the shooting stuff is without context.
Would very much like to see a return of the "H" over the star on the hats. And goddamn it, road greys all 82 times.
I wasn't looking for anything other than what we were all thanking Waldo for. I'd like to thank him for existing.
As far as I can remember, this site is administered by Hetero Doxy, Prince of Heck and Queen B, but I can never be sure.
Just got an email from the guy who created that online petition at SaveOurStros.org.
ETA: After news has come to light, I've edited the quote. The main concept is unchanged.
i think you were there first, but who cares? i had to endure my initiation too. Ray K. tried to abuse me daily. silly boy.
Goldstein's 5/17 top 20 at BP:
Pros: Spangenberg is the best junior college player in the country and has been flirting with a .500 batting average for much of the spring. He has outstanding bat speed and an intrinsic feel for contact. His well above-average speed makes him dangerous on the basepaths.
Cons: He's not a good defender at any infield position, and scouts expect him to move to center field as a pro. He lacks the strength to project for more than gap power with 10-12 home runs per year.
Only the edit note in my graphic. Maybe. One thing you can be sure of, there's no humor in the lack of depth and talent outside of 2B and RHP.
(plane flies off to Houston with Lyon aboard)
Millsie: "That boy was our last hope."
Wade (closing his eyes and looking upward): "No... there is another"
FIN
If they play baseball in hell, Brocklander is calling the balls and strikes.
What if I say "He's the next Charlton Jimerson!"... think the BBGs will forgive me? I hope so!
He went to the Braves 7th overall.
Second round pick I'm guessing college pitcher.
Both Law and Callis had Mier as the pick as of this Morning. As for not taking Gibson, the factor there was the stress fracture in his right forearm.
and "off the charts makeup" which plays very high with Heck and Co. I remember they said that about Castro and Seaton.
Which is usually the case.
In year's past, signability was a problem with Houston. Even if you discount what has been said recently about the Astros, the fact that some kids will ask for second round money is probably not lost to the team. It will be interesting to see if Houston reacts with "well, they're right, these guys would normally go in a second round, so they should get that sort of slot money" or if they say "Drayton said no, we can't go against the Commissioner's wishes".
He didn't tip his hand who he thought that would be.
But it seemed that way last year, and is anything really so different this year that they wouldn't approach things the exact same way? Maybe the recession will factor into things, but who knows. Despite the whispers of Tejada, Valverde, Oswalt, etc. I have a hard time believing the team will really sell off anybody.
I was really hopeful when I saw this thread title. It used to be that Gammons had a lot to say, much of it quite worthwhile. Alas, his analysis skills (sic) are currently on a par with Milo's broadcasting skills (sick). In fact, he again demonstrates that he has nothing to say.
Recent history seems to show a new way of doing things. Ross Seaton was drafted in the 3rd round (supplemental). He was signed for $700K + another 250K college scholarship plan. This is well above slot. Top of 2nd round kind of money.
In Houston, Astros fans must realize that owner Drayton McLane cares more about Selig's favor than his fans. He forces his scouting people to adhere to "slot." Hence, in 2005, they were not allowed to draft Michael Bowden or go $30,000 above slot for Josh Lindblom, and today Bowden and Lindblom would be Houston's Nos. 3-4 starters. No wonder the Astros are such a dysfunctional team.
