Round 22- Cameron Coffey, LHP Tx Round 23-

[Duke2010]

Cameron Coffey

Committed to Duke

http://www.truveo.com/insider-keith-law-scouts-cameron-coffey/id/718667499

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=4961152&content_id=4641551

He seems to have a little bit of Aaron Crow in his delivery. Hopefully the wrist curl in his delivery can be tweaked in the future.

Michale Mooney

http://www.gatorzone.com/baseball/bios.php?year=2009&player_id=62

[tywright]

Keith Law on Coffey (with video)

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3942635&name=mlb_draft

http://insider.espn.go.com/video/clip?categoryid=3975306&id=3964581 (video)

Houston Christian High School left-hander Cameron Coffey is one of the first "pop-up" guys (meaning someone who wasn't high on follow lists coming into the spring but who is moving up lists quickly because he has improved) of the spring.

A 6'4" left-hander with a strong build and good frame, Coffey touched 92 several times in his Friday outing, sitting 89-90 early but dropping to 85-89 by the 5th inning. His best pitch is his changeup, which he turns over very well, getting good tumbling action. He has good feel for when to use his changeup, and showed enough confidence in the pitch to double up on it. His slider is well below-average right now; it's a pitch he rarely used before this year, and it showed, as he struggled to find a consistent release point on it and had several back up on him.

His arm works well and he generates good arm speed; he can overthrow a little on fastballs and plant his front foot hard enough to make him snap upwards in his finish, which is going to limit his fastball command. Reducing his stride length a little would probably mitigate this issue. Coffey's committed to Duke but all indications are that he wants to play pro ball; he's not first-round material but is high day one material, and if he can show more stamina and arm strength he will be a top 100 pick.

[tywright]

Coffey had TJ surgey

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3974279&name=mlb_draft

While most of the top prep pitchers are strutting their stuff on the mound, left-hander Cameron Coffey will be rehabbing his throwing elbow instead. Coffey had Tommy John surgery late last week, ending his season and dragging a dark cloud over his draft status.

Coffey has committed to Duke University, but was moving swiftly up the draft charts with his low-90s fastball and prototypical 6-foot-4 frame.

[tywright]

Anybody think we can sign this kid? He was zooming up the charts before his TJ surgery.

[Duke2010]

I hope we can sign him. He might not want to go to college to risk further injury, but on the flip side, going to college and performing well could vastly improve his draft stock. He's a risk, but the upside is there.

[Jammer7]

Just a little more from Baseball America on Coffey:

After pitching in the mid-80s last summer, Houston Christian HS lefthander Cameron Coffey popped some 94s and consistently pitched in the low 90s this spring. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Duke recruit's stock was rising until he blew out his elbow and required Tommy John surgery in March.

[Duke2010]

This is the kind of guy I want us to sign. The risk is high, but the upside with this kid could be higher.

[tywright]

Duke head coach Sean McNally said he knew that Baron and two other prospects, Marcus Stroman and Cameron Coffey, would be drafted, but still expected them to enroll at Duke. Stroman, a shortstop, was drafted in the 18th round by the Washington Nationals, and Coffey, a pitcher, went in the 22nd round to the Baltimore Orioles.

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2009/06/18/Baseball/Baron.Still.Unsigned.By.Mariners-3748305.shtml

[Stotle]

Anybody think we can sign this kid? He was zooming up the charts before his TJ surgery.

I don't know how you meet on a price? Obviously interested in academics, questions surrounding future health, seems to me he'd be looking for a fair amount of money to turn down Duke, particulalry since he'd be passing up an incredible education that could set him up if baseball falls through due to his injury.

Likewise, would you cough-up Top 100 money to sign a kid that just now blew out his elbow?

Seems like it will be tough to meet a mutually satisfactory $amount.

[hoosiers]

Sure, but LHPs throwing in the 90s don't grow on trees.

We'd have to pick up the Duke education at the least and maybe more on top of that - perhaps getting close to $300k-$500k total.

[Stotle]

Sure, but LHPs throwing in the 90s don't grow on trees.

We'd have to pick up the Duke education at the least and maybe more on top of that - perhaps getting close to $300k-$500k total.

ANd that's my point, hoosiers. Now you are talking about $500K for someone that just blew out their elbow and generally relied on helium this spring to boost his draft stock. I tend to be cautious with regards to velocity boosts over limited time -- here you're combining that with a serious elbow injury.

Just pointing out that the window where the two sides could eventually come to an agreement seems like it would be fairly small. Just my take...

[hoosiers]

Nick Adenhart was injured prior to the draft and he still received something like $750k or so. Nick, however, had a track record of success at a younger age at showcase events, etc.

IIRC, Britton and Bergesen were somewhat later risers - pitching in mid-upper 80s as juniors, but rising over the summers between their junior and senior season and their senior season as their FBs climbed into the low 90s.

IMO, it's necessary for JJ and his staff to understand why the increase in velo and what projection is left for Coffey to justify a respectable bonus amount. Coffey really sounds like a back-up plan/summer follow. The potential sounds very intriguing, but I would be surprised if we made a serious run at him if he really is set on Duke. Heck, if we drafted him just to keep the BoSox or NYY from taking him and throwing him crazy $ like $1M, I'm okay with that.

[Stotle]

Nick Adenhart was injured prior to the draft and he still received something like $750k or so. Nick, however, had a track record of success at a younger age at showcase events, etc.

IIRC, Britton and Bergesen were somewhat later risers - pitching in mid-upper 80s as juniors, but rising over the summers between their junior and senior season and their senior season as their FBs climbed into the low 90s.

IMO, it's necessary for JJ and his staff to understand why the increase in velo and what projection is left for Coffey to justify a respectable bonus amount. Coffey really sounds like a back-up plan/summer follow. The potential sounds very intriguing, but I would be surprised if we made a serious run at him if he really is set on Duke. Heck, if we drafted him just to keep the BoSox or NYY from taking him and throwing him crazy $ like $1M, I'm okay with that.

Everything you write here makes perfect sense to me and I have the same read. If this is how Jordan and Co. are thinking (if you are saying it I'll bet it's pretty close if not right on) then I am very pleased with that approach.

[hoosiers]

(if you are saying it I'll bet it's pretty close if not right on) then I am very pleased with that approach.

I'd like to think I have some good intuition about these things, and I do follow this stuff closely, but there's a pretty good difference between someone who knows what they are talking about and my opinion.

[Stotle]

I'd like to think I have some good intuition about these things, and I do follow this stuff closely, but there's a pretty good difference between someone who knows what they are talking about and my opinion.

I was referring more to your discussions with the FO, and the fact that it seems your line of thinking linez up pretty well with with Jordan and Co. But you know your stuff, too