McKay Says No Way

He said, "They had offered a number that we felt that we could get a better offer from another team." 

Yeesh. That was some bad advice from him agent. As predicted, McKay fell to the Rays and there's no way he's getting 1-1 money at 1-4, where the pool is a full $2.5m lower.

And while I know some people love the idea of a two-way player, I simply don't know if that's possible in the modern game. There is so much specialization and the competition level is so high that I think you may end up with a guy who's mediocre at everything where he could be truly special at one or the other.

Chris Gimenez says hello! He might as well be considered part of the bullpen now with how many times he's pitched. 

While I know you're kinda joking, Chris Gimenez is pretty bad at most things.

I just don't know that it's possible for anyone to have enough hours in the day to focus on their swing mechanics and the 3+ pitches it usually requires to be an above average pitcher.

Doubly so for McKay, who is a LHB. It's hard enough for a lefty to become competent enough against LHP to be an everyday player, much less a lefty who has to pitch every fifth day.

I know it's easy to get down on Buxton. He was coming from rural Georgia where he faced very little competition. Lewis played in California and has faced very good competition throughout his prep career. 

And there's something really wrong with Buxton that virtually no one identified for years. The guy was the consensus #1 prospect in baseball and absolutely annihilated every level of competition.

Buxton was a great pick that has unraveled for reasons unknown. Any prospect who is universally adored by scouts and analysts every moment until he hits an MLB field has to be considered a good pick.

We don't know what the Twins were offering. If it was $2 mil less, and they weren't going to let him choose his position(s), that's probably a worse offer.

I mean, maybe... but I counter with "the Rays".

If I was a pick, that's one of the last teams I'd want to fall to in a draft (though Cincy would probably be the bottom). The Twins aren't much higher on that list but they are higher.

I thought it was more likely he would be mediocre at everything but wasn't likely to be truly special at any one thing even if he focused on the one thing.  I really didn't want a 1B at 1-1 unless he was a once in a generation sure-thing hitting talent.

I tend to agree. Position needs to be considered and I don't see McKay being the next Texeira. I could be wrong (naturally). If McKay profiled with that bat at even third base, maybe the Twins don't try to underslot him.

I just don't like the idea of two-way players much. They're fun to think about in the abstract but I think the game is too hard and too complex to be effective as a two-way guy.