Five-star, blue chip, A+, call it whatever you would like but every year, there is a top echelon of draft prospects that stand out above everyone else. The hope is either that you have a pick in which you are guaranteed one of these players or that one inexplicably falls to your spot. This year's amateur draft is extremely deep and has tiers within the top athletes. Here is the way I see it:
"The can't miss"
Brady Aiken
Alex Jackson
Tyler Kolek
Nick Gordon
Carlos Rodon
"The college arms, toolsy shortstops, and Zimmer"
Aaron Nola
Jeff Hoffman
Sean Newcomb
Kyle Freeland
Trea Turner
Jacob Gatewood
Tyler Beede
Bradley Zimmer
"The rest of the best"
Michael Conforto
Sean Reid-Foley
Casey Gillapsie
Touki Toussaint
Michael Chavis
Ti'quan Forbes
Michael Gettys
- I have Forbes and Chavis higher than a lot of folks
- This list is 20 players I consider A-grade. That's twice as many as last year. This draft is insanely good and teams drafting in the late first round will get a franchise-caliber player if they draft correctly.
- The Mets cannot draft a bad player at #10. The question is, will they take the absolute best of the options available? If Hoffman or Nola are on the board, will they take them despite one being hurt and both being RHP? I certainly hope so.
- Don't look for the Mets to do an under slot signing in the first round and try to grab someone elite by pick 84. The best will be gone by then.
-SG
10 comments:
Stephen do you really think theres no way the Mets go underslot?
I dont know but I have the feeling they will because of their low bonuspool. ( think 3 fewest of all major league baseball)
Michi -
Do you really think the Mets would under-slot when they don't have a second round draft pick?
The 10th pick would be the only 'sure bet' you have for a 'can't miss' player...
Yea I agree here, the Mets are going to take the highest impact player they see on the board. This is an awesome draft and unless we mess up, our first round pick will immediately be a top-100 prospect in the game. Right now, I see the Confortos, Zimmers, and Newcombs of the world right around slot, Hoffman well below, Turner a bit above, and the high schoolers just slightly over because they can still bargain with college (unless the Mets reach for Chavis or Sean Reid-Foley which I don't see for the reasons Mack stated).
Yes, you want talent late in the draft but the true impact talent will be right where we select. Not 75 picks later.
The only way I see the Mets going underslot is if they pick Hoffman. I can see Hoffman signing for mid first round money. That could save them $500K to 750K. This will not allow them to get an elite player but they could get a solid 2nd round type player with their third round pick. There were a lot of players who were projected to be 2nd round picks that fell to the 12th to 18th round because of signability issues. A.J. Puk and Jacob Brentz were two players I was hoping the Mets would land. Both dropped much further than projected.
Richard -
This is a very deep draft, especially in the 3rd-7th rounds. Lot's of quality players. I think there is a good chance that the Mets can walk away with 3-4 quality players here if they step up and pay the right money for the right player on the board.
Mack
That is kind of the point I have been making for signing Hoffman. I agree it is unlikely they will but they should. Especially if Hoffman would sign underslot. I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask him to take mid 1st round money. This would give them the extra money to sign some players who might go the college route if they don't get a decent bonus.
Richard -
There is nothing in it for him to agree with any team from picks 1-17.
The Red Sox will gladly give him slot at pick 18
Mack
I don't know if we are talking about the same thing. If we draft Hoffman at 10 and we pay him slot 18 money that gives us a true top 5 pick. It also gives us $800,000 to spend on rounds 3-6.
I was just reading that Hoffman's asking price is still $4,000,000. If that's true and he doesn't budge he may be available at #84 and I still would pick him.
On the other hand Hoffman doesn't have many options so I would find difficult to see him passing up $2.3 million.
That should have been would not pick Hoffman at 84 if he is asking 4 million.
what I meant is the Red Sox will pay him what he is asking for when they pick him at #18
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