Draft Chat - Rounds 1-5

[Hutman]

hmmmm... Laporta is still out there.

LaPorta was projected to drop, because of his year. He has had some health issues so he may be a 4th or 5th round pick.

[Wingman]

Its going to be interesting to see how much he signs for because wants at least $1 million.

All I'm saying is, why not load up on position prospects because we sure don't have many in stock

The reason is that unlike football or basketball where organizational need play a much bigger role in drafting philosophy. You draft much more the BPA in baseball because it normally takes so long for players to develop and when they are ready for the major leagues, your team needs invariably have changed.

[Maverick2143]

Its going to be interesting to see how much he signs for because wants at least $1 million.

All I'm saying is, why not load up on position prospects because we sure don't have many in stock

Because there isnt that many positional prospects available in this draft. Many experts have said it is the weakest draft for position players in the last 10 years.

No sense in drafting crappy talent just for the sake of saying we "addressed" our posititonal needs, when those needs are still going to be there because we drafted crappy talent.

[markpolis]

I'd like to see one of the following:

Lars Anderson is still available. Stephen King is still available. Also available are:

Dustin Dickerson, 3b/1b; Midway HS, Texas, L-R, 6-4. Wt.: 205 or

Matt Latos, rhp; Coconut Creek HS, Fla. R-R.; 6-5; 208.

And if you really want another DCab then Dellin Betances is still out there. He's rhp from Grand Street HS, NY. R-R.; 6-9; 215. The skinny: Betances commands attention on the mound, and has flashed big stuff to match his size. He had scouts buzzing when he showed low- to mid-90s velocity in last year's Aflac game, when he needed just nine pitches to retire the heart of the West lineup.

[TyCobb]

my draft tracker is stuck on 74 is anyone else the same?

[keenan42]

I wouldn't mind seeing us take a chance on Kyle Orr. We have a history with Canadians. He's got a great frame at 6'5 he just needs to add a fair amount of weight.

[tywright]

http://www.nypost.com/sports/64345.htm

The Mets drafted Beato in the 13th round a year ago following a strong senior season, but questions still lingered about the health of his arm because of the injury. He answered them this season at St. Petersburg Junior College in Florida, where he went instead of signing with the Mets. He finished 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA.

"I never lost any confidence," Beato said. "I wanted to show everyone what I could do and that I'm better than I was before."

"Right now, it's 50-50," Zitter said of his signing with the Mets. "For Pedro, it's a win-win situation. If the Mets make a good offer, he'll sign there. If they don't, he re-enters the draft and could get a good deal somewhere else. If that doesn't happen, he'll go back to school."

According to scouts, Beato, who occasionally hit the mid-90s at Xaverian, occasionally hit 97 at St. Petersburg.

"I'm throwing better now than I ever did before," said Beato, who came to the U.S. with his parents from the Dominican Republic six years ago. "I'm looking forward to playing."

[AgentOrange]

Yeah, probably to re-organize the paperwork, I could just imagine the war-rooms being a cluster...

[byrdz]

Interesting quote from BA on Adams:

"On The Move

2:25 p.m.: The Orioles announced their second-round pick of Ryan Adams as a third baseman. A shortstop at Jesuit High in New Orleans, Adams bulked up this season and lacks the range to play middle infield. He also battled a hamstring injury which played a part in him slipping to the second round after opening the season as a potential first-round pick.

-- Alan Matthews"

Why would a hamstring injury drop a player in the draft? Is it that serious that it would keep him from being just as good of a player as he would have been before the injury. Seems pretty minor but Ive never had this injury. Could the Orioles have gotten a steal with Adams really being a legit first rounder?

[paulcoates]

How about Jordan Walden here?

As the ace pitcher on one of the top high school teams in Texas, Walden will deal with plenty of fanfare this season. He's got the even-keeled yet competitive attitude to handle the pressure, and his stuff is equally impressive. Walden locked up a starting job in the 2005 Area Code Games all-star game when he ran his fastball into the high-90s during a tryout, then pitched two scoreless innings as the West's starter in the third annual Aflac game last summer. His breaking ball has good downward bite, although his changeup requires lots of work. He gets plenty of swings and misses with his stuff but will need to improve his overall command as he advances. His frame is strong and durable, and he's very athletic. He played basketball at Mansfield High as a freshman and sophomore, and he bats in the heart of its batting order.

Or maybe Dellin Betances?

A gangly 6-foot-9 product from New York’s inner-city, Betances belies the prototype of a first-round pick. His stuff, however, should help him overcome shortcomings and stereotypes. His fastball has movement and life at the plate, and his mid-70s breaking ball has tight rotation and nice tilt.

His mechanics need work, but most scouts see some ability to repeat his delivery and the athleticism to do so more consistently as he learns how to control his body over the rubber. "When I see a little off-the-chart delivery, I ask, 'Would you want to hit against him', and the answer is no," another AL scouting director said.

[NCRaven]

It caused him to miss a lot of his senior season and may linger into the rest of his rookie minor league season, so it was hard for teams to really get a good look at him.

[nevadaO]

At 85 the Orioles select Zachary Britton, LHP - Weatherford HS.

[markpolis]

With our 3rd round pick we select Z. Britton, LH,

[BaltBird 24]

O's take HS LHP Zachary Britton.

[TyCobb]

Don't we already have a Britton.