O's to take Archie Bradley? Nope, Dylan Bundy!

[Sports Guy]

2. Value, meaning Bundy wants $30M and Bradley only wants $20M and while they like Bundy more, it's not $10M more (hypothetical figures)

3. Projectability, in that Bradley has a higher ceiling in JJ's opinion

Both of these.

The difference in signing them will probably be no more than 2 million.

This all comes to being cheap and liking the upside of Bradley.

JJ also likes HS players...too much.

[waroriole]

2. Value, meaning Bundy wants $30M and Bradley only wants $20M and while they like Bundy more, it's not $10M more (hypothetical figures)

3. Projectability, in that Bradley has a higher ceiling in JJ's opinion

Both of these.

Obviously Jordan knows more about these guys than all of us combined, but every national reporter I've seen has been saying that Bundy is the best of the two. I would be less disappointed if it were a money issue, b/c then you can assume that they will spend the difference later in the draft. Who knows. I think tomorrow will be more exciting than today.

[Sports Guy]

I get the sense that if the Orioles were picking 8th tonight' date=' a lot of people here would love his upside too.[/quote']

But they aren't picking 8th..there is a major difference there.

And I think everyone believes the kid has upside and a lot of talent...that's not what any of this is about.

[Hank Scorpio]

2. Value, meaning Bundy wants $30M and Bradley only wants $20M and while they like Bundy more, it's not $10M more (hypothetical figures)

3. Projectability, in that Bradley has a higher ceiling in JJ's opinion

Both of these.

If Bundy gets $10MM more than Archie Bradley, I will eat my cell phone.

[mweb]

Prospect status

Bradley is expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2011 draft. He committed to play both, football and baseball, at the University of Oklahoma, but, due to his high draft status, will most likely sign a professional baseball contract.[4] ESPN baseball insider, Keith Law, ranks Bradley as the number ten prospect in the 2011 draft.[5]

Scouting report

Bradley is a 6'4", 225 lb. right-handed pitcher who features a slight 3/4 arm angle with a 2-seam fastball in the 92-95 mph range, a 4-seam fastball occasionally elevating to 98-99 mph, and 82-83 mph 12-6 curveball, and a developing change up.

He now has him at 5th.

[ccbird]

BTW....I obviously have no insider info but I suspect Bundy is still in play for the O's if he is there. I think some of what is being thrown out there could be to get him to lower his demands. Again, Jordan knows this family well, knows the area well. They are both prep pitchers from Oklahoma. There has to be some pride in one of them going higher than the other. Plus it's a feel good story where two brothers are in the same organization, potentially playing together. I just can't believe the O's aren;t playing a little bit of a game here unless they really have Bradley ranked higher. It does seem like Hultzen is out of play and probably for signability issues but I think he is the only one. You may not like the O's passing on Starling, Jungman, Gray,etc but if they do it's because they never seriously considered them at 4. Not because of money.

[Fan4Life]

Found it: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/2011/06/one_bundy_excelling_another_on.html

Excellent, thanks.

[winudi]

The difference in signing them will probably be no more than 2 million.

This all comes to being cheap and liking the upside of Bradley.

I don't disagree with you. I wish the Orioles would spend $25M on the draft, take Bundy and spend a bunch more later. But if they have a hard number budget-wise, then having an extra 2 million to spend in a loaded draft with lots of high school kids who will want to sign for fear of future slotting, is that a bad thing? And I know these things have been discussed before, including 2 years ago. But they aren't going "cheap" by drafting Archie Bradley because of his football commitment and public demands.

[Scrat1]

I would completely understand signing Bradley and using that extra money on the supplemental round if we were like the Rays or the Jays and had picks coming out of our ears. But obviously that's not the case. Just not seeing the logic here.

[Fan4Life]

I don't know who picks after us, but assuming we take Bundy, does anyone think the team after us will take Bradley if Cole, Rendon, Bauer are off the board at #5?

[allstar1579]

I would completely understand signing Bradley and using that extra money on the supplemental round if we were like the Rays or the Jays and had picks coming out of our ears. But obviously that's not the case. Just not seeing the logic here.

Yep, been lost in the 17 pages of banter, but I said the same thing earlier. Especially when the difference between Bundy and Bradley is going to end up like $1-2m.

I really hope all this Archie hype is assuming that Cole, Rendon, Bundy are the top 3, taking him over Bundy is a slap myself in the forehead kinda move.

[JTrea81]

I'm just praying the M's pass on Rendon somehow to render this whole decision between Bundy and Bradley moot.

[waroriole]

I would completely understand signing Bradley and using that extra money on the supplemental round if we were like the Rays or the Jays and had picks coming out of our ears. But obviously that's not the case. Just not seeing the logic here.

Good point. I guess it depends on how many top talents they think will fall due to signability issues. At least they have their 2nd rounder this year, and there should still be alot of guys to choose from. If some of the advanced HS talent is there in later rounds, it could have been a wise move to save a few bucks on the 1st pick.

That said, I really want them to draft Bundy.

[allstar1579]

I don't know who picks after us, but assuming we take Bundy, does anyone thing the team after us will take Bradley if Cole, Rendon, Bauer are off the board at #5?

KC is after us, I've heard college pitcher, but I could see them taking Bundy or Starling too.

[statman]

Honestly, how much credit should we give ANYONE in the O's scouting department for determining a player's "upside". With picks like Hobgood and Rowell, I would think that they have lost their credibility in that department.