Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5; Latest -- Dylan Covey doing well at U of San Diego

[logan82]

I would 100% have advised my son to take the money. He would have 6 months with nothing else to do except get ready. There is a strong possibility the Brewers would have helped Covey with adjusting. Learn to adjust on the Brewers dime. They might have even paid for a nutritionist to help Covey. I will say I think he made a comfortable choice not the right choice. He could always go back to college, again, on the Brewers dime.

[brosto1]

Going back to college is easier said than done. Why is the "right choice" taking the money? I'd rather be happy and comfortable at that point of my life. Money doesn't cure all things and as the saying goes "can't buy happiness".

[True CryM]

Going back to college is easier said than done. Why is the "right choice" taking the money? I'd rather be happy and comfortable at that point of my life. Money doesn't cure all things and as the saying goes "can't buy happiness".

That being said, it's much harder for a 1st round pick to improve his draft status after three years than it is to go back to school. Guaranteed money is something you don't pass on in sports.

 

 

 

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Does it? We get the same pick next year. If we sign a couple of good pitchers with our two first round picks quickly next year they won't be that far behind where Covey would have been. Covey wasn't going to pictch at all this year for the brewers from what I understand.

I think it does. This team needs front line pitching badly. With this team's failure to develop front line pitching under Melvin, waiting another year for a 1st round pick closes the window even more with the Braun/Yo/Weeks/Hart core.

This can't happen to a team that need pitching asap, imo.

 

 

1) It is not like Covey would have been in the majors ready to be a front line starter any time soon. As mentioned before it took Odorizzi to years or short season ball before he even made it to Wisconsin. Now Covey would have probably been moved a little faster than that but the Brewers not not like to rush most pitchers through the system except for a few older 24/25 year olds like Fiers and Lomantagne. Have to believe 2014 would have been the earliest he could have helped (11' in A, 12' in AA, 13' AAA....which is extremely aggresive) Many rookie pitches don't jump straight to the front of the rotation so say it takes him one year of decent ball to really work his way as a number 2 guy. That is 2015 for best case scenerio that he could be the front of the line guy that we need. It may be just me but 2015 is a little far away to be considered a set back. Heck by 2015 Odorizzi may already have a ROY and CY Young in his case http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif lol

 

2) When I saw this it made me think of the JSOnline comment board but you can't really classify the Brewers lack of developed SP's to Doug Melvin because he doesn't really do that much when it comes to the draft. You could say under Jack Z or now blame Bruce Seid but not Melvin. Melvin can only be blamed for the the FA signings brought in or the pitchers he has traded for. When it comes to the draft, he puts it in his scouting directors hands and I think sets the budget for what they can afford to spend on picks. Thats really all. So yeah Melvin hasn't brought in front of the line pitching VIA FA or trades but Jack Z didn't bring many in VIA draft.

Well, I know a lot of people are banking on a very deep talent pool next year, but that still doesn't help alleviate anything for me. (too many things happen between now and then) I like the potential front line pitching we have-Odorizzi, Heckathorn, possibly Jeffress, Rogers, but losing out on another one is very disappointing. For a guy that projected to be like Yo, '13 wasn't out of the question. Yo was drafted in '04 and debuted in '07. I think Yo's progression through was the minors was very fast so maybe he was an outlier for this organization at his age, but losing that chance with Covey hurts big time.

I didn't really mean to say that it's Melvin's fault, just that the guys under his authority haven't gotten it done. I agree that Jack Z. is largely responsible for the lack of pitching.

 

[danzig6767]

I would 100% have advised my son to take the money. He would have 6 months with nothing else to do except get ready. There is a strong possibility the Brewers would have helped Covey with adjusting. Learn to adjust on the Brewers dime. They might have even paid for a nutritionist to help Covey. I will say I think he made a comfortable choice not the right choice. He could always go back to college, again, on the Brewers dime.

"Covey said it didn't help that the family didn't have much time to make

the decision. Because MLB wanted to hold down bonuses, teams were

encouraged to wait as long as possible to make offers. That made it

even more difficult to know what to do, said Covey."

 

 

I wonder if Covey and his family would have chosen to take the contract if the whole process had moved along sooner?

 

If say the Brewers had diagnosed the diabetes sooner and also agreed to still sign him. Sounded like from the father and Dylan that they felt pretty rushed on how best to handle this situation and maybe if they had more time to evaluate everything involved, they might have chosen instead to sign.

 

The Brewers waited until last Wednesday to do the physical on Dylan and thus didn't find out about the diabetes until right before the signing deadline was close to passing. If the team wasn't playing along with this MLB plan of waiting on giving offers until the last minute, the Brewers very well could have had Dylan take the physical sooner, found out about the diabetes sooner, and thus allowed the Covey family to think longer about if signing with the Brewers would work out ok in handling his medical situation. Instead, the family not only learns learns some terrible medical news, they then also had only about one day to decide if Dylan should sign a pro contract or stay in college much closer to home.

[Kevbo74]

I can see all the points of view, and I'm still digesting losing our top pick.

My first reaction was that he should have signed, got adjusted in the off-season, and began his professional career.

 

I read a lot in the last couple hours about what a diabetic goes through, and depending on how it affects a person, it can really suck.

Added to that, making a life decision after just being diagnosed would be tough - especially if there was such a small window to work with in this incredible decision.

 

Weighed out, you have a scholarship to the U of San Diego, an education, closer to home, more women, and ya know, it wouldn't suck to be a big man on campus. School starts soon though, so it's not like you are at home getting used to your new lifestyle, you are sort of on your own.

The other decision would have kept you at home for a while longer and put a couple million bones in your pocket. Chances of an education decrease a lot, but a nice career path is set out. The adjustment time on your new lifestyle probably would have been easier though. And come on, first rounder! Sure, he could be a stud in college and be a first rounder again, who knows. Either way, a career in baseball is pretty likely.

 

I have to think that the window in which he had to make this big decision was too short. I don't really understand the game of waiting until the deadline to work out a deal. It seemed like it was forced from the commissioners office to wait so long that it became detrimental to the team and player in this circumstance. Perhaps if there were a few weeks in between a diagnosis like this and a signing deadline, it could have been reviewed and slept on more.

It's like winning the lottery 2 months ago, and not being able to make a decision on your new house location for 60 days. But then on the 58th day you find out there are problems, but no, you can't wait another week to decide.. decide now..

 

Whole situation just seems unfair from both sides, and I'm just pondering if it would have turned out any different if there were no weird games involved and Dylan got his diagnosis a month or more ago.

[RightFieldCoder]

Everyone keeps mentioning 4 years. Isn't it possible for Dylan to become pro next summer. He could go to SD for one year, adjust to diabetes, and then go pro. It doesn't seem like he chose college for the degree, but he chose college because it is a more predictable life for his adjustment period.

[jwill535]

Once you go to a 4 year college you arent eligible for the draft till after your JR scholastic year. He could go JUCO and be eligible after 2.

[dlk9s]

I said on draft day that i wanted alex wimmers and they didnt draft him, a tragedy to be honest.

Taking the "wrong" guy in a baseball draft is far from a tragedy.

[dlk9s]

Also, I obviously take back my sarcastic comments from last night when we thought the breakdown in negotiations was money-related. I still like my Lovitz pic, though.

[Invader3K]

Well, from reading Haudricourt's blog posts, it sounds like the Brewers did everything they reasonably could to make something work out, despite the diabetes diagnosis. They had no way of knowing he had diabetes back in June, presumably.

 

I am sure some will still find a way to blame Melvin for this, ignoring that the Brewers get an extra first round pick next season.

 

Also, one other point to raise. I assume Covey is getting a full ride scholarship at San Diego. Yes, guaranteed money is one thing. But if he applies himself academically and graduates with a useful degree, he'll probably have connections to land a great job. Chances are he'll be able to earn much more than the $2 million he would have gotten from the Brewers; even without pitching a single inning of professional baseball. I think that makes his decision look a lot less "idiotic."

[Never Outhustled]

Once you go to a 4 year college you arent eligible for the draft till after your JR scholastic year. He could go JUCO and be eligible after 2.

 

 

If he had went JUCO, he'd be eligible for the next draft. He could have attended a JUCO closer to home. Also, with his circumstances, I'd think SD would have let him out of his letter of intent to attend a college closer to home, and not have to move onto a college campus in 2 weeks. I know some are claiming this move was made with only his health in mind, but we see no evidence of that. I can't agree with the idea that the best thing for his health 2 weeks from now is to leave home and move onto a college campus 2 hours away.

 

 

 

Either way, the Brewers may have dodged a bullet here. While the Brewers did the admiral thing and still pushed to sign him, I wonder if they'd still made this selection if he had this diagnosis 2 days before the draft instead of 2 days before signing day? There's really no way to know how he'll recover physically from this.

[Roscoe Chill]

I'm not a diabetic, but one of my best friends is. I don't want to disrespect anyone's decision here, but my opinion on the matter is if this decision was made by Covey because of the emotional shock etc. of the situation I can understand....which means that the deadline to sign and the diagnosis just prevented a well thought out decision.

 

However, I really don't think college is a better environment than the minor leagues as far as handling diabetes. In all likelihood the Brewers probably would have offered their investment more specialized one on one medical attention and care than he will ever get in college. The Brewers are going to care more about his well being than San Diego will, just my opinion.

 

Also, I don't know about any of you guys, but when I was in college I partied...a lot. And partying is definitely not going to benefit a diabetic. Of course the simple answer is that you don't party. But knowing from experience, it's a lot more difficult to the person affected to be different in that respect. He's going to want to experience things just as his buddies and all the other incoming freshmen are. I'm not saying that minor leaguers don't have their fun too, but I will wager he'll have more temptations in college.

 

Take all that and add in the financial security, and I don't think he made the correct decision if this was because of his diagnosis. But like I said, I think if you want to find the real reason or blame something, blame the deadline.

[Invader3K]

It's probably worth noting this is an 18 year old kid, not a grizzled veteran, we're talking about here (barely even a legal adult). It's understandable that he is probably scared, and wants to stay near his family if at all possible.

[monkeyman343434]

I just found out last summer, as a 23 year old, that I'm a type 1 diabetic. I'm still learning how my body reacts to everything that I do, playing sports, what I eat, how much I can drink, etc. For him going to a D1 college program, I think they'll be able to give him much better attention than the Brewers could have if he were to have signed. As a minor leaguer, I don't believe they eat very well, you hear stories of all of the fast food trips, and cheap meals. I'm guessing at SD, he'll be able to eat very well and very nutritious, and figure out the combinations of foods he should eat at each meal, which I think is the most important part in his life right now.

[TooLiveBrew]

I wonder if Covey and his family would have chosen to take the contract if the whole process had moved along sooner?

 

It was pretty widely accepted that Covey was going to get over-slot value, and per a Gammons tweet that logan posted, the Commisioner's Office makes teams that are doing this wait until Aug. 10th to start negotiations. Not sure how much sooner you meant with your post, but I don't really see much the Brewers could have done here.

[Never Outhustled]

I wonder if Covey and his family would have chosen to take the contract if the whole process had moved along sooner?

 

It was pretty widely accepted that Covey was going to get over-slot value, and per a Gammons tweet that logan posted, the Commisioner's Office makes teams that are doing this wait until Aug. 10th to start negotiations. Not sure how much sooner you meant with your post, but I don't really see much the Brewers could have done here.

 

 

I agree. The Covey family didn't even take all the time allotted to them, they broke off talks early. They could have waited literally until the 11th hour. That's actually common place in these negotiations. They could have even requested the commisioners office give them an extension under these special circumstances, but instead they volintarilly rushed their descision.

 

As I stated earlier, the Brewers may have actually gotten lucky here in these very unfortunate circumstances.

[Invader3K]

Plus, the Brewers could be setting themselves up very nicely for a great haul in next year's draft (which supposedly will be more loaded than this one).

[Never Outhustled]

Plus, the Brewers could be setting themselves up very nicely for a great haul in next year's draft (which supposedly will be more loaded than this one).

 

 

 

Yes, it will be fun having 2 1st rounders, and handy considering they'll likely surrender their 2nd rounder for signing a type A FA. With $20-30 million in budget room, that's almost a lock.

[monkeyman343434]

X, I don't know what your problem is, but your comments come off as very inconsiderate. It's not like he just found out he has mono or the flu or something that will go away in a few weeks to a month with proper rest and medication. This is something that is with him for the rest of his life. It takes a while to get over it on the physical side of things, let alone the mental and emotional side of things. I usually respect everything you post, although I don't exactly agree with you on everything, but I think you need to take a step back here and not be so rash to judge this kid and his family. There's more to life than money.

[splitterpfj]

It's a shame, but as far as the Brewers go, or any of us for that matter...that's all it is.

 

No one knew about Covey's medical condition until a few days before the signing deadline, so the waiting game backfired on the Brewers. Perhaps Covey would have signed if he'd had more time to think about things - perhaps not.

 

Oh well, on we go...the Brewers will have an extra pick next year, and Mr Covey will be in San Diego...the rest of us are free to resume our regularly scheduled lives.

[LouisEly]

1) IIRC, the University of San Diego has one of the top medical schools in the country. If not USD, there is something in San Diego that is regarded as one of the top medical centers in the nation (other than Scripps, pretty sure it's USD). He's going to get better treatment there than with the Brewers.

 

B) He won't be driving two hours back and forth each day - that comment was that if his parents needed to see him or if there was a medical emergency they could drive to be with him fairly quickly.

 

3) While he has a scholarship offer from USD, if something goes wrong he can take a leave of absence from baseball (or not play for a while) easier than if he was in the pros. It may be an academic scholarship and he doesn't have to play baseball at all.

 

4) The last first round pick the Brewers didn't sign was Kenny Henderson. They didn't lose anything there. You never know - they may have dodged a bullet and might not be losing anything here. Look at Arnett (so far).

 

5) Maybe it takes him 2-3 years to adjust to this. If so, the Brewers have wasted 2-3 years of that portion of his bonus and his service time (the time before they have to put him on the 40 and start using options).

 

Not the end of the world. Two high picks next year in a deeper draft.

[logan82]

Also, one other point to raise. I assume Covey is getting a full ride scholarship at San Diego. Yes, guaranteed money is one thing. But if he applies himself academically and graduates with a useful degree, he'll probably have connections to land a great job. Chances are he'll be able to earn much more than the $2 million he would have gotten from the Brewers; even without pitching a single inning of professional baseball. I think that makes his decision look a lot less "idiotic."

 

I believe that players that turn down scholarships to sign generally have clauses written into their contracts that the signing team will pay for their college if they decide baseball isn't working out. Plus, how can you not pay for 4 years of college if you get $2M.

[fleehaw]

Chances are he'll be able to earn much more than the $2 million he would have gotten from the Brewers; even without pitching a single inning of professional baseball. I think that makes his decision look a lot less "idiotic."

Really? The vast majority of bachelor degrees lead to jobs with salaries less than 6 figures (most a good deal less). Meaning it'll take him at least 2 decades to make up his signing bonus.

 

 

[logan82]

While he has a scholarship offer from USD, if something goes wrong he can take a leave of absence from baseball (or not play for a while) easier than if he was in the pros.

 

I think you are wrong on this point. Look at the Salome situation this past summer. The Brewers can be very accommodating. Besides, that $2m was a signing bonus and he could tell the Brewers to pound sand if he didn't want to play baseball anymore.