MacPhail & Jordan: Draft Relationship?

[Greg Pappas]

I am interested to know what relationship MacPhail will have/does have with our 'Director of Scouting': Joe Jordan.

I look forward to someone in the media asking either of them how their relationship works as concerns the choosing and direction/philosphy of the Orioles Draft.

It is an important, and as yet unknown, factor in the future of who we choose and why. Will AM 'take over' the draft, or will he allow Jordan to make the calls on who he feels are the best players? Seems like a good thing to know... what do you think?

[Battleship]

I am interested to know what relationship MacPhail will have/does have with our 'Director of Scouting': Joe Jordan.

I look forward to someone in the media asking either of them how their relationship works as concerns the choosing and direction/philosphy of the Orioles Draft.

It is an important, and as yet unknown, factor in the future of who we choose and why. Will AM 'take over' the draft, or will he allow Jordan to make the calls on who he feels are the best players? Seems like a good thing to know... what do you think?

To me it seems they both love pitching. I don't see a conflict there. If there were one, I would think McPhail makes the call.

[Lt Melmo]

I said it before, I strongly think that AM is gonna stress pitching in the draft. Hopefully not too many high school arms.

[rhall]

One thing that I'll be interested to see is how the HS/College split will shake out this year.

Last year, we didn't take a HS player until the 16th round and we only signed 2 HS players from the whole draft.

It's a shame we couldn't sign RHP Daniel Klein (from CA) and SS Russell Wilson (from VA). I've heard good things and would have liked to see how they would have done in our minor league system.

Klein had a great HS career on the mound and as a QB and is now at UCLA. He's still showing great control with a 13:1 strikeout to walk ratio in 15 innings.

Wilson is a great all around athlete and also played QB in HS. He is at NC State on a football scholarship. That's a shame because it probably means his baseball won't progress much. He'll miss part of the baseball season to go to spring football practice. Football is his ride at NCState, so that's where he's going to be.

[hoosiers]

Last year, Jordan appeared to be influenced somewhat by the extra minor league team we are fielding - and that fed, IMO, the heavy college lean.

Most teams in our position draft and sign only a handful of HS kids anyway. The question is in which rounds we take them. IMO, Jordan has done well with several of the HS pitchers he wanted like Scheppers, Klein and Erbe.

I believe AM and JJ will work well together. I don't see why they wouldn't. They are both very professional.

[jamesenoch]

I am interested to know what relationship MacPhail will have/does have with our 'Director of Scouting': Joe Jordan.

I look forward to someone in the media asking either of them how their relationship works as concerns the choosing and direction/philosphy of the Orioles Draft.

It is an important, and as yet unknown, factor in the future of who we choose and why. Will AM 'take over' the draft, or will he allow Jordan to make the calls on who he feels are the best players? Seems like a good thing to know... what do you think?

I asked this question last month to Jim Callis in a BA Chat :

Q: James from North East, MD asks:

In your opinion, how much influence will Andy McPhail have on Joe Jordan when it comes to who the Orioles pick? McPhail came in last year AFTER the Orioles picked Wieters but BEFORE they signed him, and we know how that almost turned out. Was that a coincidence? After the Townsend draft pick debacle in 2004, Jordan has come in and has done real well. Will McPhail disrupt that?

A: Jim Callis:

I think MacPhail mostly will leave Jordan alone, and I agree that Jordan has done a good job. Remember too that Jordan had to clear the Wieters pick with Peter Angelos, regardless. And the Cubs weren't afraid to go way over slot for guys like Mark Prior and Jeff Samardzija while MacPhail was around.

[allstar1579]

For anyone to make it to the level of Major League GM they have to understand that you cannot have a certain "bias" when it comes to drafting. You can't trend one way or the other, you draft for the best situation for your team at that time.

You will see them take the best available player in the draft this year, because that is the position we are in. Yes we have much more pitching depth than positional, and I think we should take the best position guy out there, but if there is a pitcher on the board that rates higher, that is who they will go with. Unfortunately, that is the direction you have to go when you are a rebuilding team.

[Greg Pappas]

I asked this question last month to Jim Callis in a BA Chat :

Q: James from North East, MD asks:

In your opinion, how much influence will Andy McPhail have on Joe Jordan when it comes to who the Orioles pick? McPhail came in last year AFTER the Orioles picked Wieters but BEFORE they signed him, and we know how that almost turned out. Was that a coincidence? After the Townsend draft pick debacle in 2004, Jordan has come in and has done real well. Will McPhail disrupt that?

A: Jim Callis:

I think MacPhail mostly will leave Jordan alone, and I agree that Jordan has done a good job. Remember too that Jordan had to clear the Wieters pick with Peter Angelos, regardless. And the Cubs weren't afraid to go way over slot for guys like Mark Prior and Jeff Samardzija while MacPhail was around.

Cool, thanks for sharing that.

[Greg Pappas]

For anyone to make it to the level of Major League GM they have to understand that you cannot have a certain "bias" when it comes to drafting. You can't trend one way or the other, you draft for the best situation for your team at that time.

You will see them take the best available player in the draft this year, because that is the position we are in. Yes we have much more pitching depth than positional, and I think we should take the best position guy out there, but if there is a pitcher on the board that rates higher, that is who they will go with. Unfortunately, that is the direction you have to go when you are a rebuilding team.

Good post. I am also from the 'take the highest rated player' school.