ISU94

Sig* The FO in general.

Again, "projected". Elias, Sign, etc. may very well have a higher grade on him than the Keith Law's, Jonathan Mayo's, etc. of the world.

Again, in a year where baseball hasn't been played analysts for media outlets put together big boards/rankings. Even then he was considered by most a top 10-12 guy. Martin wanted above slot. Several "underslot" guys would've been minimal. I'm sure they discussed $ with several of them they viewed as worthy of #2. This is who they landed on and feel best about in totality.

Not for young kids who lack discipline due to age/wanting to crush every ball that comes in. Very few young hitters don't have plate discipline/walking issues.

I don't think people remember this is the MLB draft. Guys rise/fall all the time. Signability and having the opportunity to pay more for premium talents that fall due to $ demands is a thing. They still took a guy with an elite power tool with a good hit tool that was viewed by plenty as a top 7-10 prospect in this class. Why'd Miami and KC pass on Martin? Acting as if he doesn't have his own questions regarding his tools or his ultimate upside/position...

Who cares where he was ranked by MLB pipeline? I've seen mocks where he's went mid/low top 10. This also has been a crazy year in which you don't have as much tape on guys and he happens to have more than others.

Because teenagers usually have good walk numbers... Most people give his bat a 60+/60+. All I've read/heard about his offensive profile has been glowing. I also havent heard that he'll have any issue in a corner OF spot. If it's true and his power is going to consistently be among the best like it's profiled one day...who cares if he's just an average defender.

The hindsight I'm sure has little to do with it.

How? His bat is next level and definitely the best LH bat in the class. Let's not act like this guy isn't special.

There's also been plenty of instances of going against the grain and coming out ahead. Drafts or super volatile, MLB drafts even more so. This also allows more flexibility to take guys later that we may not have had an opportunity to do so for money reasons. If they think the player is close value wise with Martin, then it makes sense.

Definitely was here for Martin but this is where I sit now. This guy has a fantastic bat from the left side. This also allows for a lot of options llthe rest of the draft.

This is exactly where I sit now too. Everything we've been lacking/looking for he possesses from a prospect standpoint. He's arguably the best player in the draft. Just take him imo.

You take the guys with the best and most likely tools and upside to make it. You go down the list an each picks gets slimmer and slimmer. If it was obvious one of these guys would hit a high ceiling than that's the higher they go and why you have Martin near the top. He's one of the guys in this with the likeliest chance to make it unlike the majority of the guys drafted. Being bullish/having your own guys is fine, but acting like Martin isn't a very deserved choice when the guy is being heralded as arguably the best player and one of the best bats seems by pretty much everyone I'd say is a bold move. Is he definitely going to work out? No, but exactly zero players in this draft fits that mold.

If his upside were what you suggest he wouldn't be viewed as a top 3 guy. But also, you take into account how likely a guy is too reach his potential. Martin is a fairly advanced player that projects much more likely to hit the projections/what people are hoping for than most in this class. Saying he tops out, with his tools, as a .750 OPS guy isn't accurate.

I would say a bat being heralded in the top 2-3 of the draft is a tad different than where Mountcastle and Sisco were going into the draft. There's also some defensive concerns sure, but it's not like its such a large issue he won't find a home.

That's not really how it's worked... Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, etc. have largely taken care of most of the top end of IFA. Sure, there'd be a guy or two that would sign with random teams in that list...but it's not like each team has had a guy they'd sign each year. Expecting, after just a couple years when these teams have built relationships for years, to be right there near the top dogs in this process would be a reach to say the least based on how this process works.

Agreed. Always bummed me out when I'd see IFA come and go with no notable additions. The fact we're being mentioned as a major player when it takes time to develop relationships already makes me feel very much optimistic for the future.

Unfortunately I do not have BA so if anyone can sum up/expand on these that would be great.

Bauer most definitely has a history of being a hot head/has off field concerns. Kind of shocking you don't know that honestly.

It's nothing we didn't know...

Let's gooo!

Villar was a top prospect for the Astros and never took off there/got a big opportunity to be an everyday guy. Went to Milwaukee and had a great season, followed by an injury riddled season and then got put in the doghouse this year and battled injuries/didn't perform up to his 2016 level. Considering Villar has a whole year of control ahead of Schoop and didn't get handed a starting gig and never got moved around/didn't play everyday ala Villar, not sure that's a fair comparison. I prefer Schoop to Villar, but it's not drastic, and if he can stay healthy and be somewhat close to 2016 form I'd take Villar easy. Plus he's cheaper, another year of control, and better defensively/profiles to be able to stick there much longer than Schoop. When you add in the fact that Villar was the 3rd piece from the trade and we were more so dealing Schoop to get Ortiz and Carmona, that just makes it an easy win for me. If Villar falls off a cliff then this trade becomes more murky/dependent on the prospects, but right now it looks like we got a guy that could bring similar value to Schoop while adding two legit upside pieces. No brainer to me, especially considering we weren't keeping Schoop and he was an FA after next year.

I love Schoop, but I think that's the Orioles fan in you if I'm being honest. He never walked, he was clearly not likely to stick at 2B long-term and we don't know how he'd work at 3B or SS (likely not a very good SS). Our rebuild window likely takes 3-5 years, in which Schoop defintely would be on the downswing. Villar has shown he can be a better defensive 2B than Schoop and has much more of a OBP mentality with speed. We need more of that. This organization has mostly went away from that and more so vaulted to guys with Schoop's characteristics (low walks, big power).

Well, the thing about Villar is he actually has proven to be a quality player at the major league level, while having one outstanding season. Beckham was a top prospect that never really amounted to much more than a decent utility guy for the most part for the Rays. As I said, I don't expect Villar to be 2016 Villar, but he doesn't need to be to be a very rock solid player for us and possibly turn into a nice trade chip down the line/possible long-term MI for us.