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

[Invader3K]

I think JSOnline does a good job overall covering the Brewers, but they should have at least an intern or someone monitor the comments section. I agree that the amount of ridiculous flaming goes way over the top. Every discussion regarding the Brewers seems to devolve into a, "Fire Macha and Melvin," type flame-fest.

 

I mean, some people seriously want us to pass up on a guy getting compared to the likes of Cain and Lincecum (I forget which Covey was compared to), over a relatively measly $300,000? It's just insane the way some of these "fans" think. At least every once and a while someone intelligent breaks things down for people on there, like someone pointed out earlier.

 

As far as the (inevitable) signing, it just shows how relatively broken the draft is that these types of "wait 'em out" games need to be played. Then again the same thing happens in the NFL.

[TooLiveBrew]

Covey was compared to Cain; Tyler Thornburg (4th round) was the one that got the Lincecum comp(s)

[Bnowell4evr]

I post as Troll Fighter on the JSonline and Ive all but given up calling out the idiots on there. Im convinced we might have the worst fan base in the world.

[Invader3K]

I post as Troll Fighter on the JSonline and Ive all but given up calling out the idiots on there. Im convinced we might have the worst fan base in the world.

Every team has fans like that. Fortunately for us, they all seem to congregate in one place that isn't this forum.

[And That]

Im convinced we might have the worst fan base in the world.

http://www.dodgerblues.com/

[pete]

Every fan base has every kind of fan. After watching the different ones for years, I'm still not absolutely positive that accurate generalizations can be made about many, but two that have stuck out over the years (negatively) are Philly and surprisingly to me Seattle. I suppose you can throw Cubs fans in there.

 

I agree that the JSonline comment sections are pretty bad and I also post as sort of a contrarian on there now and then. But they probably exist in part to generate revenues through advertising and general traffic and interest.

 

Regarding Covey, isn't his father a general contractor? That's a tough business where leverage and contracts is part of the job. I bet he'll sign. If he doesn't and has a mediocre year or blows out his arm, he has a lot to lose.

[colbyjack]

I don't feel strongly about the Covey situation, but I sort of wonder why they're asking for the extra $300k. Not "why" in a moral sense, but in a sense of value, bargaining power, and/or logic. The Commissioner's Office sets the slot prices. (Of course that's anticompetitive, but MLB still has its antitrust exemption.) What's the basis for the departure? Do draftees' agents/reps argue about comparable players, like in arbitration? It can't just be "Heck, 1.7 is close to two; let's just ask for an even two million," can it? How is the market operating here to set prices?

 

I don't know if it's that they're asking for an extra $300k or if it's simply a matter of the Covey's wanting $2M going into draft day. Many players and their parents will have a number in mind that they want to get going into draft day. Some will stick by that figure, some will meet in the middle, etc. Covey is committed to San Diego, which is a very strong academic/private institution, as these types of demands aren't uncommon for players with these types of college commitments.

 

I think all of the other hubbub is funny. If Covey doesn't end up signing, I'll be shocked, and as already noted, it's not the worst thing in the world that he didn't take the mound this summer. It would have been nice to get his feet wet, but at least he'll have instrux next month.

[colbyjack]

Jim Callis adds some words of wisdom in his most recent BA, emphasizing some of the points that have already been made here:

 

Seventeen of the 32 first-round choices remain unsigned, as do seven of the sandwich-rounders and 96 of the 325 players selected in the first 10 rounds. That leads to a lot of angst for fans whose clubs have yet to lock up premium draft picks, but keep these facts in mind:

 

1. There's nothing unusual about a team having barely started negotiating with a first-round pick or seven-figure bonus guy at this point. Don't read too much into any lack of activity or any rhetoric, because . . .

 

2. Clubs are going to sign almost every player in the first 10 rounds. Last year, 299 of 321 (93 percent) signed. In fact, I'd estimate that there at least a dozen deals, maybe two dozen, that have been agreed upon already but are being kept quiet by clubs so they don't antagonize MLB.

 

3. Don't spend too much time hoping for a major signing after the 10th round, because they're rare. Last year, there were just six deals worth $500,000 or more after the 10th round, and only another 10 between $300,000 and $450,000.

[gregmag]

Thanks, Colby. Both of those points really help to put the Covey situation in context.

 

Do you have an opinion about what (if anything) we should infer about White, Bates, Morris, and/or Wick? I'm wondering whether these guys may be seeking deals above slot (if there are even slot values for the lower rounds) but within the realm of the possible, or whether they're asking for the moon because they're comfortable going back into the draft next year (I assume that's Gibson's posture), or whether there are just logistical reasons for the lack of deals at this point.

[colbyjack]

I don't think there is anything to infer about any of those players. They're all different than the team's middle-teen picks from a year ago that they got done at the last minute, Del Howell and Scooter Gennett. Both were much higher profile players. In the case of Gennett, he was an Aflac all-american the summer before, so he already had high draft aspirations, to go along with his commitment to Florida State. From what I have learned, that signing really came down to the wire, and it wasn't even as much about the Brewers giving him the money necessary to sign him as much as it was Gennett still debating what he should do (college vs. pro out of HS).

 

The Brewers obviously like both Michael White (committed to Western Carolina) and Andrew Morris since they drafted both in previous years (2008 and '09 respectively). As noted previously, they also have a pretty good track record of signing most to all of their picks among the top 20.

 

Chris Bates has committed to Richmond, not a huge baseball powerhouse, but he had originally committed to Tulane. I can't recall Wick's situation, but I also know that some Canadian prep players can return to high school after they are drafted. I'm not sure if that applies to him.

 

It's hard to say what their intentions are since I don't have direct connections with any of them, and they don't have the high profile that Howell and Gennett carried a year ago (meaning less pub/interest). I would guess that at least two of them will sign before the deadline given the Brewers history, but that's not based on anything specific I know.

 

Gibson was looking for early round (late 1st to 2nd?) money to buy him away from Florida. The Gators have done really well getting their commits on campus, and are building a very strong, young program that looks as though they'll be in contention for Super Regional/Omaha appearances for the next 2-3 years. That will be difficult to woo Gibson away from, and that was pretty much known as soon as the Brewers took him in the 26th round.

[Mass Haas]

I can't recall Wick's situation

St. John's University is waiting to see if he'll turn pro...

 

 

[paul253]

That will be difficult to woo Gibson away from, and that was

pretty much known as soon as the Brewers took him in the 26th round.

I don't know much about Gibson, but if he is that good that he's seeking late 1st to 2nd round money, shouldn't we take a chance on him? Does he have first to second round talent? If so why not just look at him as an extra first round pick? Bad precedent? MLB wouldn't like it? We could certainly use the talent.

[uwisfan]

That will be difficult to woo Gibson away from, and that was

pretty much known as soon as the Brewers took him in the 26th round.

I don't know much about Gibson, but if he is that good that he's seeking late 1st to 2nd round money, shouldn't we take a chance on him? Does he have first to second round talent? If so why not just look at him as an extra first round pick? Bad precedent? MLB wouldn't like it? We could certainly use the talent.

I'm guessing teams saw him as a 3rd/4th rounder and passed on paying 1st round money for that.. otherwise, why would any player drop like that?

[Tedaldtada]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/100740249.html

 

Covey said it appears most teams are waiting to make their offers until the final day so one signing won’t influence another.

 

Collusion? Commissioner Office forced collusion? Idk, it just doesn't seem right to limit the earning potential of these poor youngsters.

 

I think Darrell is a Dylan fan (duh).

 

"I know I'm Dylan's dad and I'm biased but the Brewers would be lucky

to have him. He has a curveball that's out of this world and he can

throw in the mid to high 90s (mph) consistently. And he's a great kid.

We think they know that."

[paul253]

Well let's hope a deal gets done. The Brewers could sure use another talented young pitcher in their system.

[MJLiverock]

The clock sure is ticking and getting down to the wire on this one. Going to be a pretty disapointing draft if they don't get him signed.

[jackalope02ca]

I hope we get more than Covey signed or this is going to be the most disappointing draft from a Brewers perspective in a long time in terms of signing players. This so called ploy of waiting until the last day to make offers is the dumbest strategy in the history of sports period. Let's give ourselves 24 hrs to negotiate instead of 3 months. Why not just make the deadline for signing first rounders the day after the draft then. Saves the drama.

[paul253]

Yeah this draft was a bit underwhelming. I thought Jimmy Nelson was a reach. A lot of college pitchers with not so high ceilings.

[colbyjack]

I agree with the comments about how undesirable it is to see MLB get involved with draft pick signings. Until they figure out a way to do hard slotting, they should back off and let teams sign the players for whatever they want to. I also agree that asking all of the teams to wait to not drive up the prices sounds a lot like collusion, although the players aren't subjected to the player's union so they get the shaft.

 

I'm sure Covey will be signed by the end of the day. I just don't see the Brewers letting him get away.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

The 18th pick signed for $2.3 million.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/100792354.html

[Invader3K]

My guess is he signs for the $2 million he was asking, or maybe just slightly under it.

[Invader3K]

Uh-oh...Haudricourt just tweeted that Seid told him "talks have broken off" with Covey.

[Funketown]

Weak. It'll be interesting to hear the full story here. I really thought Covey would be willing to sign for <$2.5MM. If that's the case, this is pretty disappointing.

[homer]

Per TH:

 

http://www.jsonline.com/b...p;refresh=34016#comments

[DKM4Boston]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/100814479.html

 

I just spoke with Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid and he told me that first-round pick Dylan Covey has decided to go to the University of San Diego rather than sign with Milwaukee.

Seid said I'd have to get the specifics from the Covey family and I have a call in to them. He did tell me, "It wasn't about money."

That certainly sounds odd because it's almost always about money when a draft pick doesn't sign. As I have been reporting, the MLB recommended signing bonus for the 14th pick was about $1.7 million. The Coveys have said all along they were seeking $2 million.

"There are no hard feelings," said Seid, who was in Pasadena, Calif., to negotiate with Covey's father, Darrell, who was handling negotiations from that end. "It's an amical situation.

"We offered a nice contract and bonus. There's nothing that we didn't try to do. We did everything in our power to get him to be a Brewers. You need to talk to the Covey family to get their side of it. They will have to explain what happened."