Poll: If you could take any player at #4...

[Greg Pappas]

What players fall hard because of Demands or injuries? Such as Porcello and Brackman, although Brackman i think had a injury. Im hoping we find 1st round talent later in the draft and are not scared to pay them. Hopefully Arrieta is a good sign. Seems like there are always some very good players still around later because of injuries or contract demands. I think this draft could really be a tell all to the future of our team and hopefully we take some risks. I think with a really good draft we could shoot up the rankings and be right there with the Rays.

(Yoda-like reply) At this juncture difficult to guess it is.

[allstar1579]

It's still a bit far out to really tell, things change so much between March and June, as of right now, I go with Alvarez.

This isn't based on our entire organization, or building for the future, this is based on where our first wave of prospects is estimated to hit the Majors. With Weiters, Markakis, Jones, and Reimold slated to be there by 2009-ish, we could use another bat to pair with that nucleus. If they are planning on adding a big bat in his early prime to remain nameless in FA next year, maybe they look to the future and work on the next wave of prospects to come through and take Beckham.

Building a successful franchise, like Oakland, isn't clearing out the shed to restock your team once with young talent, by the time they are ready and producing enough to compete, they are hitting arbitration and free agency like the Bedard situation, and we have to prepare for them to leave. You have to start drafting for a new wave of prospects to replace the ones you currently have so that you aren't in a situation like we are now getting quantity over quality when you need to trade someone.