Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20 -- Rodon, Amaral do not sign

[CheeseheadInIllinois]

He really thinks winning a state championship is more important than getting drafted? Boy, wait til he's older and realizes high school is not important at all (save the education). Getting drafted in the MLB or any other sport is far more of a priveledge. And he also seems to be crediting the NC State coaches as though they'd be better off teaching him than the Brewers professional staff. Rodon certainly looks talented but not sure I like his attitude/demeanor at this point. He probably won't sign anyways if he feels he could move up by going to college.

It's an interview with an NC State affiliated site. What's he supposed to say? I'm not sure I'd read that much into it.

[jmeks23]

Sorry, didn't go to the link just read it off the comments. That part makes more sense now. Thanks.

[YoungGeezy]

Yeah I see absolutely nothing wrong with what he said. Nothing wrong with really liking the coaches of the school you signed with or enjoying winning a state championship. Who cares if high school sports doesn't matter in life, it is something really special. He is a high school kid and it means a lot to him right now. He is a kid who was considered a top 100 prospect who fell to the 16th round, I bet he liked getting drafted but I highly doubt he was to happy with falling that far. That is a lot of disappointment to him im guessing.

[TheCrew07]

My brother won a state championship in football his senior year. He said the only other feeling that compares was the day his daughter was born, maybe it's not that way for everyone, but accomplishing a goal like that with your best friends... that's a moment that truly lasts a lifetime. It doesn't matter if it happened in HS, college, or later in life, those special experiences, moments, they stick with us forever.

[gregmag]

Also, I love hearing that the kid takes greater joy from his team's victory than from his individual career advancement -- or at least knows enough to say he does.

[jmeks23]

That's fine, I respect all of your opinions. To me getting drafted by a professional sports team has to be one of the most special and truly amazing honors in one's lifetime, as it's such an exclusive club. Even out of the thousands who play in the MiLB and the MLB, it still is only a fraction of the amount of athletes that don't make it. I realize winning high school state titles can also feel that way, but playing for a professional sports team to me seems much grander of a scale. I don't want to take anything away from what high school athletes do, as I was one not too long ago, but for people who long to play professionally and never get the shot, you should cherish getting a chance to play regardless of when you were taken. The thing is, he probably has been taking it for granted for a few years, just basically knowing he's getting drafted. So that really waters down the magnitude and importance of it, considering he's just a teenager. I guess I just feel differently about high school than others. I was a member of a few playoff teams but never got far enough for state, and it never was a high or low emotionally for me.

[battlekow]

From FSU blog Plant the Spear on Mario Amaral:

Mario made one thing clear, playing professional baseball is not and has not been his only dream.

“Playing at a major university has always been a dream of mine and when I received the phone call from Coach Martin, it was a dream come true because in my mind FSU was and is a place where its incredible just to go to and to have the opportunity to play the sport that I love is something I cannot put into words”

I wanted to find out if Mario and his family have a particular thing they are looking for from the Brewers, moving forward, that would put Mario in the minor leagues or not. As you can tell, Mario views the opportunity in front of him at FSU as a priceless one.

“I can’t put a price on FSU or the education I am going to get there, and that’s why me and my family haven’t set a numerical value. We are just going to see how things play out”

[YoungGeezy]

Well looking at this with the glass half full, thats more money to spend on Rodon and McFarland. Rodon is huge signing for us if we can pull it off.

[battlekow]

Brewers take Goforth in Round 7

Daniel Rigdon/Meridian Star

MERIDIAN — What a difference a year makes.

Especially for former Neshoba Central and Ole Miss pitching standout David Goforth, when he was selected as the 221st overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers on Day 2 of the Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday.

Goforth was taken in the 31st round in last year's draft by the Cleveland Indians, but opted to return to school in order to work on some things and help the Rebels try and attain their goals.

"That's the reason I came back to school for another year," said Goforth of his jump up the draft board. "I felt like there was more that I could improve on and that there were more things that I could do to help myself. It wasn't only that though, I really wanted to come back and try to help Ole Miss help try and achieve team goals.

"As it turned out it helped me a whole lot. I've matured and gotten a lot more confidence."

Indeed the return did pay off for Goforth as he rebounded from a 1-6 record and a 9-43 ERA in 2010, which was his first year in the starting rotation for the Rebels. In 2011 he compiled a record of 4-6 in 12 appearances with two no-decisions. Goforth had an ERA of 4.79 and struck out 54 batters, while walking only 25.

As far as being surprised by the big jump from last year's draft, Goforth explained that it wasn't really a big surprise.

"I wasn't really surprised about the jump," added Goforth. "We have meetings with scouts throughout the year. Just by talking to those guys and the assistant coaches we got a pretty good idea that I would be between the four to eight-round range.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound right-hander now must wait until the completion of the draft in order to begin negotiations with the Brewer's organization.

"The first thing I do from here is wait until the draft's over," Goforth explained. "Then we have to do some talking with them (Milwaukee) and try and work out a deal and get it done.

"Hopefully I will be able to get out and play with their guys this summer, but if not we might have to do more negotiating until it's final."

[battlekow]

An agonizing wait for Rodon on draft day

J. Mike Blake/Southwest Wake News

Senior lefty Carlos Rodon was no doubt talented enough to warrant a high pick in this year's Major League Baseball Draft, and his teammates knew that all year long.

After the Holly Springs baseball team won the 4-A state championship, some Rodon's own teammates came to him after the game with pens in hand. They wanted him to autograph their hats.

But Wednesday, Rodon spent several nerve-racking hours sitting on the edge of a living room chair listening with family members to his computer - the only place where that day's draft was broadcasted - hoping to hear his name.

Hours passed. Rounds passed. Teams passed. His emotions wavered.

Twice he walked out the front door to answer the call of a major league team representative where he could find privacy and better cellphone service. Neither brief conversation led to an immediate selection.

He became antsy, twisting in his chair and seemingly never comfortable. He checked his phone repeatedly. By the fifth round, he needed to get his phone charger.

Anxiety then gave way to boredom. After nearly four hours of waiting, he drove his girlfriend back to her house.

It seemed odd that one of the nation's top left-handed pitchers - on the college or high school level - with a 93 mph fastball and a refined command of his pitches, was getting passed over for so long. Rodon was not expected to fall past the fifth round, much less the 10th round, according to major league baseball pundits.

Instead, he was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 16th round - almost five hours after the day's draft began.

And the pick had nothing to do with ability.

It was a harsh lesson in the business of sports. Rodon, 18, has experienced a good bit of it in the past year and his biggest decision about his future is still undecided.

Naming the price

The MLB Draft is unlike other major sports. So, too, are the contracts.

Any high school player can be drafted to the major leagues. However, if the high school player does not sign with the team by the Aug. 15 deadline, he must play three years of NCAA baseball before being eligible for the draft again.

The major league teams will often sign their draft picks to a bonus based on what round it takes players and then assign them to the minor leagues.

Minor league players make anywhere from $850 to $2,150 per month, so the signing bonus is vital for players weighing the decision about where to spend the next three years - college or the minor leagues.

The Rodon family values the college experience and education. Pro scouts know how much it would take for Carlos to forgo his next three years at N.C. State.

"It would have to be, I guess, life-changing for him to make that jump. And he's learned a lot from this process. Just going through all these interviews and people coming to our house, sitting in that chair and just interview after interview," his mother Julie Rodon said. "(The business aspect) is rough, and he's seen that."

Teams knew where the Rodon family stood. And it's why the No. 66 high school senior in the country, as rated by Baseball America, fell hundreds of picks. Players more easily swayed to sign - those with "signability," as it is known in MLB circles - were taken earlier.

"(Signability) is pretty important," Rodon said. "When you drop in the draft, you may be unsignable, but it's not your fault though."

The Brewers called Rodon near the beginning of the fourth round. They asked one final time if he would sign for the "slot money" - another major league draft construct.

Each round of the draft has a suggested signing bonus. In the compensation round - a half-sized round located between the first and second - the suggested bonus is about $750,000. That number drops to $200,000 in the fourth round, plummets to $80,000 in the eighth round and so on.

"You take the state taxes out of it, you take the income out of it and it's nothing after six years," said his father, Carlos Rodon Sr., about the late-round money.

To make it worth it for Rodon to skip college, his family suggested the offer would need to reach that $750,000 figure.

Rodon told Milwaukee he wouldn't sign.

He received another call from a team in the 6th round - but refused to name them. He again he wasn't picked.

"If I end up going to play for the Brewers or going to play for N.C. State, it definitely motivates me," Rodon said. "I want to show them that I'm worth what I said or that I'm not that 16th-rounder. I think I should be in the first-round caliber group and this is going to push me to work harder."

The looming decision

Rodon knows that the Brewers could still offer a bigger bonus that would make it difficult to stick with college ball. After answering scouts' questionnaires, phone calls and in-home interviews that started last summer, there isn't much Rodon doesn't know about the draft process by now.

Although 16th-round selections, unlike earlier rounds, actually have a maximum signing bonus of $125,000, teams can pay more with league approval.

Rodon has no timeline for when he would like to make a decision, saying the pressure is on the Brewers "to come up with a number."

But while all these figures and business decisions are being made on each side, there's more to what will lead Rodon to his destination.

"Money is a factor, but being away from home, it could be something different," Rodon said. "And then not going to school - I'd like going to school and having that college experience and playing college baseball. That's something pretty special."

He said he realizes what would be expected of him if he gave up his amateur status to sign."When you're in college you still have that youth. But when you go play pro ball, you become a man. You have to start fresh, go on your own, provide for yourself, cook for yourself, wash your clothes," Rodon said.

"And at N.C. State, I'd still have my youth. I'd be able to party, study and play ball with a great group of guys."

After all the early-day frustration and nervousness, Rodon said he was excited to have heard his named called - a lifelong dream coming true, even if it was later than wanted.

In eight days, Rodon won a state title, got drafted and graduated. It helped drowned out the negatives from the business side of baseball.

By the end of summer, he'll have to make the call on whether or not he wants to enter that business right out of high school.

And while his parents think college would be the best avenue for him at this point, they've also left the decision up to him.

[And That]

9th round CF Malcolm Dowell's signing bonus was $100,000.

 

10th round LHRP Mike Strong's signing bonus was $25,000.

[battlekow]

Seahawks Cain, Brewers at impasse

Chuck Carree/Wilmington Star News

Andrew Cain's negotiations with the Milwaukee Brewers are at a standstill, he told me Wednesday.

It does not mean he is for certain returning for his senior season with the Seahawks, but it would not upset him if he came back to school and moved a step closer to graduation as a business major.

“There is not much going on, we are at a stalemate,” he said.

The Brewers selected him in the 12th round of the annual Major League Baseball Draft last week.

“We are pretty far apart,” he said, making it clear he does not want to reveal the team’s proposal and his counter off. “I just don’t want to sell myself short. If they really want me bad enough, they will really come up on the offer.”

He plans to wait out the Brewers for several more weeks, expecting them to contact him with another proposal.

Milwaukee has until Aug. 15 to continue negotiations and Cain has set no timetable to end talks.

In the meantime, he is working out at UNCW in the weight room and is pondering whether to take courses the second semester of summer school or try to join a summer league team.

As for returning to the Seahawks, he reiterated, with nearly everyone back from a year ago, plus some fine recruits, they have high hopes.

He also hopes drafted recruits Tyler Molinaro, a left-handed hitting outfielder from Pitt Community College, and right-handed prep pitcher Jordan Ramsey, join the Seahawks instead of the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals organizations, respectively.

“They may not realize Division I baseball is a great experience,” Cain said.

[TooLiveBrew]

“We are pretty far apart,” he said, making it clear he does not want to reveal the team’s proposal and his counter off. “I just don’t want to sell myself short. If they really want me bad enough, they will really come up on the offer.”

 

See ya later, kid

[YoungGeezy]

Oh well, more money for Rodon. Sure he sounds like he is a decent prospect but not a guy i feel is a must have, over slot guy.

[battlekow]

Goforth drafted by Brewers

Steve Swogetinsky/Neshoba Democrat

Former Neshoba Central standout David Goforth was selected in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Goforth, a pitcher, was taken on the second day of the draft last Tuesday.

For the past four years, Goforth has been part of the Ole Miss baseball team. He was drafted last year by the Cleveland Indians in the 31st round but decided to come back for his redshirt junior year at Ole Miss. Now, he feels ready to take the next step.

"I had family and friends at the house while the draft was going on," Goforth said. "I had been talking to several teams but then it came over the computer that the Brewers had drafted me. They called a little later and I met with them on Thursday."

Goforth said the Brewers' regional scout has come to see him at his home in Oxford and made an offer.

"I told him that really wasn't what I was looking for," Goforth said. "But we are still negotiating.

"Right now, I'm in Oxford, working out every day. I need to be in shape and ready to go when I sign," Goforth said.

Ole Miss had five players to be drafted by Major League Baseball teams. Goforth was the first player from Ole Miss selected.

This past season, Goforth was the Saturday starter for the Rebels, making 14 starts with a 4-8 record, including a complete-game performance at No. 16 Arkansas and a combined shutout against Lipscomb, according to a Rebel press release. Goforth struck out 63 batters, the second most on the team, in 83.0 innings of work while posting a 4.88 earned-run average. He walked only 27 batters while holding opponents to a .274 batting average against.

Goforth snagged wins at LSU, at Auburn, over Kentucky and over South Carolina to give the Rebels a series win over the defending national champion Gamecocks. His win over the Wildcats helped push the Rebels to a series sweep of Kentucky.

"I enjoyed playing at Ole Miss and pitching in the SEC," Goforth said. "It's a great league and has great tradition. I got to pitch in every SEC stadium."

The Rebels didn't make it to the SEC tournament this year, which is something Goforth had hoped would happen.

"It came down to the series with Arkansas," Goforth said. "We had to win one of two games on Sunday and didn't get it done. But it should have never come to that. We had opportunities all year."

When he signs, Goforth said he will be sent to the Brewers' training camp in Arizona. Afterwards, he will most likely go to a minor-league, Class A team in Montana.

"I hope we can get this done quick," Goforth said. "I'm ready to start my professional career. This has been my goal."

Looking back, Goforth said he got a good baseball foundation while growing up and playing baseball in Neshoba County.

"I have always played baseball," Goforth said. "When I was 3 or 4, I had a bat and a plastic ball. I was always hitting it.

"I learned a lot from coach Brian Jones at Neshoba Central, both on and off the fields. He helped me a lot. I also learned a lot playing at the park and on traveling teams. I remember playing for Allen Crosswhite. He taught me a lot."

When he signs, Goforth will be the second Neshoba Central player to be drafted and sign to play in as many years. Last year, Donnie Tabb was drafted and was signed by the New York Mets.

Of course, signing with the Brewers and playing off in Montana will mean that Goforth would miss the Neshoba County Fair this year. Surely, he will be excused.

"I haven't missed the Fair since I was 8 or 9," Goforth said. "I'll be on the phone, checking in with my friends."

[brewmann04]

just a question how many of these kids think they will make it to big leagues, that they can hold out for big money. I say if i am the brewers here the best offer and take it or leave it. I would like the Crew to target their top prospects and get them signed.

[logan82]

I don't blame these guys for wanting to go to college instead. The pay is completely pathetic in the low minors.

[CheezWizHed]

I don't blame these guys for wanting to go to college instead.

 

I don't either. But I wonder why they feel the need (especially these low round draft guys) to chirp to the press about how the Brewers aren't offering enough, especially on the first offer. Seems like we are seeing more and more of this lately.

[logan82]

I don't blame these guys for wanting to go to college instead.

 

I don't either. But I wonder why they feel the need (especially these low round draft guys) to chirp to the press about how the Brewers aren't offering enough, especially on the first offer. Seems like we are seeing more and more of this lately.

Maybe they were asked if they were going to sign. What would you tell the interviewer?

[TooLiveBrew]

"We're still in the negotiation process, & that's all I can say about it right now"

[logan82]

I guess. I just don't see the problem with them being a little more honest. I don't think most people understand just how little money most minor league guys actually get, especially the lower round guys. All most people see are the Braun and A-Rod contracts.

[DHonks]

I hope my two former students choose to go to college. One needs maturity and one needs confidence/independence. Both were drafted in rounds 15-19

[CheezWizHed]

DHonks, you have a perspective that many of us don't get to see. So I'm curious, given what you said about what each one of your former students needs, what makes you think that they will get those things better in college? Thanks.

[DHonks]

-lefty that throws low 90's, good athlete, very respectful kid, battles his control. I've heard rumors that he has a pushy dad. Given his talent he has the potential to really thrive in college with strong coaching, being on his own (dad 4 hours away). I fear that if he struggles in the pros, he might not be mature enough to figh through it

 

-6'7" of that has a bad back and is very immature. He's so carefree that he would be better served going to college and growing up for three years before being drafted. MLB clubs will follow his every mistake and scrutinize him if he's a pro and acts this way.

 

If either gets offers hugely over slot, especially the pitcher, they should take it. Otherwise have fun in college for 3 years and then go pro.

[Mass Haas]

Unsigned high school picks CF Mallex Smith (CF) and C Mario Amaral saw action in tournament play this past weekend as this Tallahassee newspaper briefly reports. Amaral's time in play came on the mound. Our official draft pick / signing thread indicates the Brewers still have plenty of work to do.