Why Elias took Holliday over Drew Jones in 2022 draft

[btownoriole]

5 hours ago, Cuellar35 said:

I live in the Atlanta area.  In May 2022 the choice was thought to be Druw (I apologize for the earlier missspelling).  I decided to go see Wesleyan's first round playoff game to see him.  None other than Mike Elias was there as well.  Druw's first AB was an absolute rope of a HR.  Nothing from that doubleheader suggested Druw was anything but a stud.  Then the draft rolls around and the Birds take Jackson. My brother's son played on a little league team coached by the brother of the Wesleyan head coach, who informed his brother that Andruw told Elias that Druw would not sign with the O's if they drafted him but would honor his commitment to attend Vanderbilt.  I have confirmed this with several other sources.  So Elias had no choice but to take Holliday.  I don't think any O's fan is complaining!  I'm simply surprised this story has never been brought out.

This may be true but I find it hard to believe with all of the media focused on the draft now that this didn’t get out.  It could also be someone thinking that his player was going to be the #1 pick, going #2, and sharing a story with colleagues/friends that he wouldn’t sign there with a hazy rationale.  
 

Regardless, I’m thrilled with who the O’s got.

[dystopia]

5 hours ago, Cuellar35 said:

I live in the Atlanta area.  In May 2022 the choice was thought to be Druw (I apologize for the earlier missspelling).  I decided to go see Wesleyan's first round playoff game to see him.  None other than Mike Elias was there as well.  Druw's first AB was an absolute rope of a HR.  Nothing from that doubleheader suggested Druw was anything but a stud.  Then the draft rolls around and the Birds take Jackson. My brother's son played on a little league team coached by the brother of the Wesleyan head coach, who informed his brother that Andruw told Elias that Druw would not sign with the O's if they drafted him but would honor his commitment to attend Vanderbilt.  I have confirmed this with several other sources.  So Elias had no choice but to take Holliday.  I don't think any O's fan is complaining!  I'm simply surprised this story has never been brought out.

Was a reason given?

[wildcard]

I thought there were 2 reasons:

1. Holliday agreed to under slot money.   Slot was 9.7M and he signed for 8.2M.  At the time I had the impression that Jones wanted full slot.

2.  While both players were/are amazing talents Elias was more impressed by Jackson's work ethic.

JMO.

 

[RZNJ]

2 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I thought there were 2 reasons:

1. Holliday agreed to under slot money.   Slot was 9.7M and he signed for 8.2M.  At the time I had the impression that Jones wanted full slot.

2.  While both players were/are amazing talents Elias was more impressed by Jackson's work ethic.

JMO.

 

Elias was more impressed with Hollidays work ethic?    That’s your opinion.  Is it based on anything?

[wildcard]

4 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Elias was more impressed with Hollidays work ethic?    That’s your opinion.  Is it based on anything?

Elias has spoken about the Holliday family emphasis on hard work.  The father and the sons.  

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

I thought there were 2 reasons:

1. Holliday agreed to under slot money.   Slot was 9.7M and he signed for 8.2M.  At the time I had the impression that Jones wanted full slot.

2.  While both players were/are amazing talents Elias was more impressed by Jackson's work ethic.

JMO.

 

No player was turning down under slot money anyway.  Zero chance.

[FlaO'sFan]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

I thought there were 2 reasons:

1. Holliday agreed to under slot money.   Slot was 9.7M and he signed for 8.2M.  At the time I had the impression that Jones wanted full slot.

2.  While both players were/are amazing talents Elias was more impressed by Jackson's work ethic.

JMO.

 

The slot value didn't seem to agree with my memory from the time, which I thought was a little bit under 9M. This article from BA has the value at 8.85M.  I don't know for sure which one is correct, but I know that I never thought it was 9.7M and that he signed for that much under the slot value.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-mlb-draft-order-schedule-slot-values-and-bonus-pools-for-all-30-teams/

 

[interloper]

What a silly thread. He took him because he was the player he wanted. 

[Cuellar35]

19 hours ago, interloper said:

What a silly thread. He took him because he was the player he wanted. 

 

19 hours ago, interloper said:

What a silly thread. He took him because he was the player he wanted. 

Both things could be true.  I'm simply relaying what the Wesleyan coach was told by Andruw Jones regarding the Orioles, which was that his son would not sign with Baltimore if drafted.  And perhaps Elias DID like Holliday more. I am certainly, as a fan, not disappointed in that decision. I'm simply stating what is common knowledge in the Atlanta high school baseball community that the 1.1 choice was never going to be Druw Jones.  And that may turn out to be a blessing.  Put it this way....would the O's trade Holliday straight up for Jones today?  Not a chance.

[potota_bread]

2 minutes ago, Cuellar35 said:

 

Both things could be true.  I'm simply relaying what the Wesleyan coach was told by Andruw Jones regarding the Orioles, which was that his son would not sign with Baltimore if drafted.  And perhaps Elias DID like Holliday more. I am certainly, as a fan, not disappointed in that decision. I'm simply stating what is common knowledge in the Atlanta high school baseball community that the 1.1 choice was never going to be Druw Jones.  And that may turn out to be a blessing.  Put it this way....would the O's trade Holliday straight up for Jones today?  Not a chance.

I think the issue is that you created this thread acting like this was the "true reason" but really this is just something you heard in the neighborhood? I don't know, I can't find anything to back your story up.

[Cuellar35]

This is from the head coach of Druw Jones's high school baseball team.  Why would he lie?  The fact Elias was at that doubleheader must have meant something.  I just find the story interesting.  No need to shoot the messenger.  

[CallMeBrooksie]

11 minutes ago, Cuellar35 said:

This is from the head coach of Druw Jones's high school baseball team.  Why would he lie?  The fact Elias was at that doubleheader must have meant something.  I just find the story interesting.  No need to shoot the messenger.  

It's far more likely that you are the last leg in bad game of telephone, and that Druw Jones would never have rejected signing for 1:1 money and prestige.

Also, you're acting like you heard it directly from his high school coach. Even the way you tell it, you're quite a bit separated from the alleged source... And even if you did, there's no way his high school coach was participating in negotiations, so his word should be taken with a grain of salt. 

To me, it sounds like revisionist history to cover for a kid who thought he was going to be the number 1 overall pick, and maybe was a tad embarrassed when he wasn't.

[OriolesMagic83]

Not signing if Elias/the O's had drafted Jones would have been a really bad decision.  How much more money can you get than being the #1 pick.  There was evidence that Jones/father were demanding slot/above.  I don't know how much that factored into the decision.  I believe that Elias picked Holliday because he thought Holliday would be the best mlb player. 

It could be something that Jones/father said after the fact to sooth their hurt feelings over not being drafted #1.  OP, did you that Jones wouldn't sign with O's before the draft?

[Spy Fox]

4 minutes ago, CallMeBrooksie said:

To me, it sounds like revisionist history to cover for a kid who thought he was going to be the number 1 overall pick, and maybe was a tad embarrassed when he wasn't.

Yeah. I have no real take on whether this is true or not, but you can see why mentors in the kid's life (dad and coach) might prefer a version of events where Druw was the best player available, but not drafted as such for other reasons.

[Just Regular]

Draft year is just a data slice - the 2022 draft was mostly the high school kids born in late 2003 and early 2004 from high school, and ~3 years older if they went to college.

They all have their whole baseball lives to compete against each other.

If you chart a ballplayer's seasons from age 18 to age 38, age 18 is probably the least valuable one to be "the best".