MLB Draft: Spring Board 1.0

Great.  I'd love for Aiken to be our pick if the docs ok it.

I know you're supposed to draft the best player available and not exactly for need, but would the Twins take a shortstop with the #6 pick after drafting Nick Gordon last year?

Ian Happ!!!

Shortstops are typically one of the most athletic players on their team. They get converted to other positions all the time. Dozier, Plouffe and Cuddyer were all SS when we drafted them.

What about LHP Nathan Kirby from UVA?

Kirby has been bad and hurt lately. I think he's out for an extended period of time now.

Interesting point about the SSs. Bregman caught his last two years of high school. Have some feelers out to see if that's a possibility again. If there's belief he can do it, man, I'd consider it.

My gut tells me the Twins should take a college arm that is closer to being ready. It would be nice for our prospects to come up all around the same time, and to have options for the fact some just won't pan out. Want someone who will be coming up a year or two after Meyers, Berrios, and May have built some experience. And with same groups as Stewart and Thorpe, and other.

 

Just my thoughts, and thought it would be a good strategy to draft HS talent for a few years, and then college talent for a few years. That way you have 4-5 years of talent all around the same age and gelling together. Then, restart that process. Of course, best available should be taken, if it's obvious.

Many SS, though, don't project to hit much for an OF........

 

I'm all over taking the best overall hitter available right now. 

Please, please, please a starting pitcher with ace potential.  With Meyer not exactly lighting the world on fire, and Kohl Stewart apparently allergic to strikeouts, we could use a guy that profiles as a potential top-of-the-rotation arm, as right now we have a collection of 2-3's

Thus far this draft class has been disappointing, there's no way to really deny that. That said, however, there are guys that I could definitely see being quality big leaguers some day. Allard has some very valuable assets at this stage in his career: command, movement, and an extremely smooth delivery. He is very young, still growing, and could have a very bright future. Bregman has long been touted as a true leader for LSU. If he can catch, that mentality could work well with pitching staffs. Then there are also guys like Fulmer, who will likely be a reliever, but just has good stuff, and Happ who honestly reminds me a bit of Chase Utley. 

 

Please, please, please a starting pitcher with ace potential.  With Meyer not exactly lighting the world on fire, and Kohl Stewart apparently allergic to strikeouts, we could use a guy that profiles as a potential top-of-the-rotation arm, as right now we have a collection of 2-3's

Because Tate will be off the board by 6, that pretty much limits it to Aiken and maybe Matuella, both of whom are having TJ surgery. I might be ok with that if it turns out Aiken's elbow just needs routine TJ, but otherwise I'd say no and go with a position player.

Correct on the pitching. With the two guys you mentioned hurt, and tate gone, I prefer a hitter this year.

Ow, we want the Funk
Give up the Funk
Ow, we need the Funk
We gotta have that Funk

 

Ow, we want the Funk
Give up the Funk
Ow, we need the Funk
We gotta have that Funk

So, Nikorak then?

Right now I'm leaning towards Kyle Tucker. That swing really is a thing of beauty.

 

Kirby has been bad and hurt lately. I think he's out for an extended period of time now.

His stats don't look that bad. 2.28 ERA, 75Ks in 59 Innings. Has 30 BBs which isn't great. Not nearly the numbers he put up the year before so I could see why his stock might drop a litle. Looks like he has a lat strain that will put him out a month or two but does that injury really impact his future?

The Twins drafted Luke Bard after he missed a couple months with a lat strain.

 

Tate's lat strain pushed him back a week.

 

Kirby is 6-8 weeks, I think. Seems more serious.

There's no college arms that have "ace potential" currently. Possibly Tate, but even that's dicey. Aiken is the closest thing. And Nikorak if you're OK rolling the dice.

 

Shortstops are typically one of the most athletic players on their team. They get converted to other positions all the time. Dozier, Plouffe and Cuddyer were all SS when we drafted them.

 

That's true. I just figured if you are going to take a SS that high it probably means you expect him to stick at short. Anything can happen and I hope they draft the best player they can get.

Have a hard time seeing Aiken not signing at 6 if he is there. He isn't going to improve his draft position by sitting out another year, if five teams pass in him this year he has to think that is about his market value.

Dear ML baseball,

 

For the Twins 1st round pick this season in the upcoming draft, I would like the Twins to acquire a potential top of the rotation LH starting pitcher. I would prefer him to be a college pitcher vs a high schooler to accelerate his path to the majors.

 

But a high schooler would be OK too.

 

I promise I've been a good boy this year.

 

Thank you

 

Doc

An OF who can hit for both average and power (and please not the dreaded 5-tool designation, because none of them the draft are...) should be first choice. SS wind up being "slap-and-dash" guys--which is OK if said player actually is a top SS--but with so many SSs in the system (I'm including the projected Dominican 16-yr old), that type isn't worth a 1-6 selection.

Any buzz on a couple prep hurlers - Ashe Russell (IN) and Justin Hooper(CA)? Both have big arms and can hit 97 on the gun. I know Hooper has some control issues but Russell has three legit pitches including a change.

Taking one of the two pitchers that have had TJ surgery is a risk.  Twins are now at the point in their system with not a consensus talent this year, I would role the dice on Aiken, depending on his meds.  More top of the line pitching. 

Take a risk on Aiken - his upside is much greater than those in this draft.

 

He'll sign for 4 million - the Astros tried to low ball him with a offer before increasing it to 5 million just before the deadline. By then the relationship was over.

 

If he doesn't sign - then the Twins get the 7th pick in next year's draft which has to be better.

 

That's true. I just figured if you are going to take a SS that high it probably means you expect him to stick at short. Anything can happen and I hope they draft the best player they can get.

 

A lot of them do play SS in the minors coming up. Plouffe and Dozier both played SS some at the Major League level before being transitioned to a different position. Morneau was a catcher when we drafted him. Sano was signed out of the Dominican as a Shortstop.

 

I try not to put too much stock into the initial position a player enters the minors at because depending on their talent, they have a good chance of being somewhere else when they hit the big league club.

Aiken is not turning down millions again, just not going to happen. If you take him, you have him.

 

If they had a 2nd round pick, they could try to under slot him....now, not so much.

 

Go get the best hitter, that's what I want. 

Re Aiken vs the money. I feel how you all feel. The more he says "no" the less leverage he has. But he still has a ton of leverage. He can go through the draft a few more times. (I think IMG is considered a post-secondary school, so he still has four more drafts after this one.) With slots continuing to rise, he'll still get paid. The sense I'm getting from those I've talked to, is that they don't expect him to sign outside of the top couple of picks. He'll go back, get healthy and prove that he's worth a lot of money and, eventually, he'll get it.

 

Taking him at #6 to get the 7th pick next year is a risk. It diminishes the bonus pool greatly without a 2nd round pick. But, yeah, next year's draft has got to be better.

Giving up millions year after year is a bad proposition when it comes to finance. If he'd have taken the money last year, and put in index funds, he'd already have made enough to make up for the "low ball" offer he got. Putting off that income for another year, is another year where he doesn't make 1 penny. It just doesn't make any financial sense at all to keep not making money. 

 

Plus, there is always the risk that he's not fully healthy any time before the next draft, and isn't likely to go any higher next year. He would, from a purely financial perspective, be silly to turn down millions of dollars.