I get the frustration about his comments being similar to the past, to the stupid contract and still being on the team.
If he must be here (and it seems likely at this point), it'd be nice if the changes made a difference and he showed significant progression. Not going to bank on it, but it would be more fun to have him not suck if we're stuck with him.
I'm lukewarm on Lawlar for the same ageist reason as Witt.
Lawlar 7.1.2002 will already be 19 by draft day just as Witt 6.14.2000 was in 2019. I think 6.30 is the exact seasonal age day, so Lawlar will max out that dividing line forever and ever. Gunnar 6.29.2001 was two drafts ahead but is just one year older than Lawlar.
Maybe I've seen too much Friday Night Lights and the Texas dream of gridiron domination with all the "let's hold the boy back from kindergarten a year" and maybe its something completely innocent, but whatever the root of it was, those quarters and half years of age bear on future projection.
There's a whole season for the Age 18's and Age 21's to play, but Lawlar (age and all), and the three SEC aces would be kind of a bummer of a Top 4. Its probably early to count Hill there until he pitches as many innings as Hunter Harvey. I'm sure Garrett Stallings had plenty of rising NCAA juniors alongside him this offseason, so who knows who's who these days? Games soon, games soon...
I can understand if a scout doesn't like the guys selected, but Elias' strategy was to get three potential chances instead of one, particularly when there was no "no-brainer" at #2. if there was a Manny Machado-type sitting there I don't think the draft goes down like that, particularly if we were talking about a full draft where the team could have made a few college senior signs at #6-#10 and perhaps would have been able to afford at least one of Baumler or Mayo.
Kjerstad is quite the enigma here for several reasons, but the worse may be that the organization hasn't even seen him play since signing him. I've heard a rumor that I won't spread about Kjerstad that it's more than the heart condition that has kept him sidelined. No idea if it's true or not and it's was probably 3rd or 4th hand information so it's nowhere near something I would repeat.
But either way, he's a guy the organization really can't afford to miss on. Time will tell whether Elias was right or wrong in this draft, so I can't get on Law for his opinion because it's his opinion.
BTW, I liked Asa Lacy the best at #2, but I obviously don't have all the information that Elias has.