Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5

[Kelbysdaddy]

I do like getting a guy with one really big and important tool in round 5.

Dirty

[And That]

Summary of BA's thoughts on...

 

Taylor: Can play CF well, has an average arm. Plus speed and a good baserunner. Swing is a bit weird, but he has good bat speed. Could develop into a good doubles hitter, but scouts aren't sold on his bat.

 

Quintana: Fastball is 90-95, hard but slurvy breaking pitch, still working on a changeup. Nice delivery. Heavy workload (e.g. started two days after throwing 129 pitches) and short stature put off some teams.

 

Wagner: Statistics not great, but stuff is very good. Fastball 91-93, touching the middle 90's. Good slider and changeup, but since he pitched out of the bullpen he didn't use the change much.

 

Magnifico: Nothing much more than what's been said already. Sometimes uses a two seam that has less velocity and more sink. Has dabbled with a cutter/slider and a changeup, but all his offspeed stuff currently stinks.

 

I'd hazard a guess that the Brewers hope to turn Magnifico into a Jimmy Nelson type of pitcher with a good sinker and four-seamer with zip, but he doesn't have anything resembling Nelson's slider or even Nelson's modest changeup. Big time shoot for the moon project that will probably end up in the pen, but I like the pick.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Got a question answered by Dave Rawnsley on the Perfect Game chat.

 

Comment From Brewer Tim

Thoughts on the Brewers draft so far? Seems like there a quite a few players that your site has rated pretty high and others without much of a profile at all.

 

 

 

David Rawnsley:

I think you pretty much nailed it, Tim. There are a couple of their picks that I personally wouldn't have made. There were a couple of others that I thought were very solid. I like Roache and Haniger even though I'm a primary HS guy. I love the potential value in Wagner and Magnifico where they were picked. I like Lavendaro in the 10th, very loose arm.

[battlekow]

In a Feb. 14 blog post, Law described Taylor as a great athlete whose swing needs a lot of work.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9052/screenshot20120605at823.png

[Mass Haas]

Wagner open to closing or starting

By Tony Jones, The Salt Lake Tribune

 

University of Utah closer Tyler Wagner was drafted in the fourth round by the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Wagner is the fourth Ute in the past five years to be taken in the first five rounds. He holds the single-season school record with 17 saves, and has a career 2.72 ERA.

 

"I kept hearing that I was going to go somewhere in the first three to five rounds," Wagner said. "It’s been a stressful few days. I’m glad that it’s over, and that now I can move on to the next phase."

 

That next phase would be deciding on being a starter or a closer. Wagner prefers life as a reliever, but would also welcome the challenge of being a starter. Either way, Wagner is looked upon as one of the better pitching talents in the draft.

 

Milwaukee selecting him isn’t a shock, considering that the Brewers had continuous dialogue with him. Now that the draft process is over, Wagner says that he’s eager to sign and to start playing.

 

"Their area scout is the guy who has been watching me the longest, so I have a good relationship with the organization," Wagner said. "This is just a very good fit for me, and I’m glad everything has worked out."

[Mass Haas]

Apparently the Brewers liked this Oakland 4th round OF pick, so stick the name B.J. Boyd in your craw for years down the road.

[HiAndTight]

I really dislike the 'hey, we drafted arms at the top of last year's draft, so it's bats this time!' approach. The Brewers need to take a page from the Packers' playbook & stop building their farm system based on need.

 

 

No offense TLB, but I've never understood how people can claim they didn't take BPA since A-We won't know for 4-5 years who that is, and B-We have no idea who the BREWERS believe those players to be.

 

So I don't understand the shot at Sied and company whatsoever.

 

Especially since you WERE clamoring for Bats early in this draft.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers select Torrance High two-sport standout Taylor in MLB draft

Speedy center fielder taken with 92nd pick and must now weigh Cal State Fullerton opportunity vs. signing with Milwaukee

By Dave Thorpe Staff Writer, DailyBreeze.com (Los Angeles)

 

When Torrance High's Tyrone Taylor played for the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code team last summer, it was a sign he should probably get used to that uniform.

 

Taylor was selected in the second round - 92nd overall - in the Major League Baseball draft by the Brewers on Tuesday morning.

 

Taylor, the Daily Breeze Player of the Year in baseball last season as a junior, returned and had a big senior year in both football and baseball for Torrance.

 

Taylor, a speedy center fielder, hit .488 with four home runs, 29 RBIs and 28 runs scored this season while often being pitched around.

 

He also led the Torrance football team to a CIF Southern Section semifinal, rushing for 1,521 yards and 20 touchdowns and tallying 425 yards receiving with 11 additional scores.

 

The 6-foot, 185-pound two-sport star was on the radar of several professional teams, but the Brewers snatched him up.

 

"I played for the Brewers for Area Code - I don't want to say it was meant to be - but I'm just excited," Taylor said. "It's a good club and it's going to be a fun time. I'm kind of at a loss for words."

 

Taylor found out while he was at home with family and friends on Tuesday morning.

 

"We were watching the draft online, that's where I found out," Taylor said. "The Brewers called me before the draft started and the area scout (Dan Houston) said he was trying to push me for the second round."

 

Apparently, Houston has some pull in the organization.

 

But Taylor was growing impatient waiting to see his name.

 

"Seeing all those names go by, I was getting antsy and nervous," Taylor said. "I was so excited when I was picked. The Brewers scout called me right after I was chosen. It was emotional for sure."

 

Taylor will have to make a big decision soon. He has a scholarship to Cal State Fullerton if he chooses to go to college. But the second-round money he might be offered surely will be difficult to turn down.

 

"It's going to be a tough decision," Taylor said. "I'm sure whatever I come up with I'll feel 100 percent about it, the real deal, no regrets."

 

Taylor said the Brewers were planning to contact him after the draft to talk about the future.

 

In the meantime he'll weigh two great options with his family.

 

"I'm very excited for him and his family," Torrance coach Ollie Turner said. "I know he has a tough but fortunate decision to make in the next 40 days."

 

Torrance High's Tyrone Taylor was the 2011 Daily Breeze Player of the Year after a terrific season in which he hit .472 with six home runs and 26 RBIs from the leadoff spot. He also shines on the football field. (Brad Graverson, Staff Photographer)

 

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site513/2011/0609/20110609_125542_TS00-TAYLORRRRRR_GALLERY.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Brewers take Arbor View pitcher in third round of MLB draft

By Tristan Aird, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

 

It's easy to see why Arbor View High School's Zach Quintana has a future in professional baseball.

 

The senior right-hander consistently throws four pitches for strikes, including a 96 mph fastball, and was one of the state's most prolific hitters.

 

But after being chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the third round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday, Quintana showed he takes nothing for granted.

 

"It's a big privilege to be taken that high," he said.

 

Quintana's mix of top-tier talent and old-school work ethic made him a coveted prize among major league scouts, and the Brewers added him to their plans with the No. 122 overall pick.

 

Quintana said he plans to sign with Milwaukee as soon as possible, passing on a scholarship from San Diego State.

 

"I'm going to sign as soon as I can, get out there and start my career already," said Quintana, the face of an Arbor View program that enjoyed its best season in 2012.

 

He went 9-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 67 innings on his way to first-team all-state honors as Arbor View (32-6) reached the Sunset Region finals.

 

"I just showed (scouts) that I can pitch and be more than a hard thrower out there," Quintana said.

 

Also a designated hitter, Quintana batted .445 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs to be named Northwest League Player of the Year as a senior.

 

Quintana has played shortstop in the past. But he cemented his draft stock as a pitcher his senior year, tossing complete games in victories over Bishop Gorman and Chatsworth (Calif.).

 

"It was just a pleasure watching the kid play every single day, watching him take batting practice to the way he could carry a team on his shoulders to wanting to compete on a daily basis," Aggies coach Chris Martinez said. "Zach was one of those special kids. I'm going to miss the kid."

 

Quintana wasn't the only player with local ties chosen by Milwaukee.

 

The Brewers also picked Utah junior right-hander Tyler Wagner, a 2009 Gorman graduate, in the fourth round at No. 155 overall.

[umphrey]

5th round pick Damien Magnifico sounds like a fun one to follow. According to the scouting reports his fastball has repeatedly touched triple digits. The downside is he has an injury history and doesn't have any pitches to go with the heater. Only a sophomore, so I'm not sure if any of the money potentially saved on the early picks will need to be redirected here.

 

What I don't get though is how can you call his fastball a plus plus pitch and also call it straight? If it does turn out to be a legit plus plus pitch, I've seen a lot of closers do really well with 1 great pitch and just a "show me" off speed offering.

[HiAndTight]

5th round pick Damien Magnifico sounds like a fun one to follow. According to the scouting reports his fastball has repeatedly touched triple digits. The downside is he has an injury history and doesn't have any pitches to go with the heater. Only a sophomore, so I'm not sure if any of the money potentially saved on the early picks will need to be redirected here.

 

What I don't get though is how can you call his fastball a plus plus pitch and also call it straight? If it does turn out to be a legit plus plus pitch, I've seen a lot of closers do really well with 1 great pitch and just a "show me" off speed offering.

 

 

Because he can throw it 103 MPH?

 

And he does have that second pitch, a slider.

 

My guess is the Brewers will work on him with that, along with adding the inevitable changeup. If he had any change, I can't imagine how much better he might look. A 98-103 fastball and a 90 MPH change should be pretty dangerous if it can again, just be average.

 

Plus, we have no idea what type of coaching he got, or what type of potential is still left to add to that slider. Sounds like Chapman. Lets see if we can get better results. But 100 MPH is 100 MPH. ANY other pitch to change speeds would be huge.

[TooLiveBrew]

I really dislike the 'hey, we drafted arms at the top of last year's draft, so it's bats this time!' approach. The Brewers need to take a page from the Packers' playbook & stop building their farm system based on need.

 

 

No offense TLB, but I've never understood how people can claim they didn't take BPA since A-We won't know for 4-5 years who that is, and B-We have no idea who the BREWERS believe those players to be.

 

So I don't understand the shot at Sied and company whatsoever.

 

Especially since you WERE clamoring for Bats early in this draft.

Watch video of Taylor's swing, & then tell me you have no doubts he was BPA. Iirc there's a link of his swing in the cage in this thread. And yes, I did want to see early picks spent on bats... which the org. did. This pick in particular is one I'm skeptical of since imo the bat here doesn't look very intriguing.

 

 

EDIT: Maybe it was in the signing thread (link). The swing just looks like he really leaves his lower half out of it.

...

 

EDIT2: Here is the post that linked to the video I was remembering. Anyway, I'm just not thrilled with this pick in round 2. Looks like a guy who will have to have his swing broken down & reconstructed if he wants to be anything more than a slappy or gap hitter. I realize he's young & there's definitely time for said overhaul, but the first comp. I think of when I watch him swing is a RH Nyjer Morgan.

[Mass Haas]

WSSP audio with 1st round OF Victor Roache

[filthyfrog]

I agree with umphrey. I would say Magnifico has plus plus velocity, but if he can't command the pitch and/or it's very hittable, then I wouldn't say he has a plus plus fastball. But I'm no scout, so it doesn't really matter what I'd say.

[narwhalattack]

While the viewpoint of BPA is debatable, one thing that I've noticed is that Seid is very one-dimensional when it comes to draft. If he feels the need for bats, he'll draft a ton of bats and mostly disregard pitchers, especially high-ceiling HS pitchers (as we've seen on this draft as he passed on Eflin, Weickel, Smoral, Watson, Twomey, and Fairchild entirely). If he feels the need to draft arms, he'll draft a ton of arms and mostly disregard bats. And although I don't know much about signability statuses about each of the picks, IMO it seems like most of these picks are signability picks and if they are, then I doubt they are drafting signability picks for the sake of paying later picks overslot, but rather for the sake of saving money/being cheap).

[TooLiveBrew]

Yeah, I mean who can sit there & say they honestly think that the Brewers have gone by BPA & not org. need the past two drafts? Last year the team practically came out & admitted they'd be drafting for need (at pitching), & the first 4 picks were arms... & now this year the first four picks are... bats! It's not that I have a huge problem with focusing on certain areas with the draft, it's that a lack of long-term vision really seems to be an organizational-wide problem at this point (just imo).

 

I will freely admit that there's no way I'll ever realistically know who the Brewers had as BPA at any given spot in any draft, but the approach last year really seems to mirror the approach this year. And if Tyrone Taylor was who Seid & Co. had rated as BPA at his pick, then let's just say I have some questions as to how that decision was reached.

[And That]

but rather for the sake of saving money/being cheap).

 

How much do you want to bet that the Brewers will spend most or all of their bonus pool?

[narwhalattack]

but rather for the sake of saving money/being cheap).

 

How much do you want to bet that the Brewers will spend most or all of their bonus pool?

 

Well I'm not entirely sure that they're being cheap, but considering that there were many better players left on the board earlier in the draft and that Roache, Coulter, Hannigan, and Taylor are likely to sign somewhere around or below slot, I'm wondering if the appeal of saving money had something to do with many of these picks.

[DHonks]

I'm with Toby. They'll spend it all and might even go over...not enough to lose picks, but perhaps enough to get taxed.

 

The encouraging thing is that a number of the players have been quoted as saying that they want to sign right away because the minor league bonus isn't where the money is. Sounds like Melvin is brainwashing them in a good way.

 

Narwhalattack, I don't know how long you've followed the draft, but you'll realize that the Brewers rarely draft the guys we like. We all become attached to players we read about. My big "one that got away" was I wanted us to take Brett Anderson. At least I can be thrilled he got to the big leagues.

 

I also have to say I agree with Greinke's comment that we should draft more hitters, fewer pitchers. If we get hitters to AAA, we can always trade them for pitching. This appears to be out 6th or 7th very pitcher heavy draft in a row. I would personally draft more SS/3b-types, fewer CF's, fewer college pitchers, more 1b/corner OFs and fewer catchers. That's why I like the first few rounds today.

[narwhalattack]

Draft bats is fine, but to become totally one-dimensional bothers me. If you are choosing between a high-ceiling pitcher and a lower-ceiling hitter, you draft the pitcher, and vise versa. You don't draft the lower ceiling hitter because the farm system is thin on hitters, and if viewed the other way around, you don't draft the lower ceiling pitcher because the farm system is thin on pitchers. From the supplemental on, there were better players left on the board by the time the Brewers picked, and there were good pitchers left on the board, yet the Brewers kept selecting bats after bats after bats, regardless of whatever talent was left on the board, and some of these bats aren't that good.

[Menace II Sobriety]

but rather for the sake of saving money/being cheap).

 

How much do you want to bet that the Brewers will spend most or all of their bonus pool?

 

Well I'm not entirely sure that they're being cheap, but considering that there were many better players left on the board earlier in the draft and that Roache, Coulter, Hannigan, and Taylor are likely to sign somewhere around or below slot, I'm wondering if the appeal of saving money had something to do with many of these picks.

 

This is not intended at you, but when the owner signs off on a $100 million payroll the last thing I think of him being is cheap. Signability definitely comes into it but if the draft philosophy was to get Roache who will be out until fall leagues they could have wanted to get 2 bpa's that would get into the fold seeing as how the signing deadline got moved up. This way they have 2 guys they are very comfortable with who get half a season in this year.

 

Also it is tough to say that Seid has a one track mind when it comes to the draft, last year if Lindor and Baez fall the Brewers are considered hitter heavy and not doing enough to develop pitching. I think they are going bpa but it was just a weird draft, from what I read their was about 40 guys that could go in the last ten picks 20-60 was all up in the air, so it really does come down to a personal preference and if all is equal you draft on a team need.

 

Edit: this being the first year in the new CBA I think most teams did their due diligence and knew who they could sign in each round and had a map drawn up well ahead of time with their preferred picks. An article on Brewers.com was talking about how Greinke was at the draft and how boring it was because all of the legwork was done and they just pulled names off a board. Everything was done ahead of time, they knew who the wanted and they knew all of the prices associated with each player.

[And That]

From the supplemental on... the Brewers kept selecting bats after bats after bats, regardless of whatever talent was left on the board

 

Of the Brewers final 40 picks, which include the first compensation round and everything after, 21 were pitchers. Half of the Brewers' picks in the first 10 rounds were pitchers.

[igor67]

Random question/comment I have this vague notion that there was some sort of cumulative part of the signing bonus from year to year. I could be completely wrong, but if that was the case the apparent run on signability makes a lot of sense. Build up a cushion for next year with more talent.

[CheezWizHed]

I also have to say I agree with Greinke's comment that we should draft more hitters, fewer pitchers. If we get hitters to AAA, we can always trade them for pitching.

 

That's ironic, because I've always heard that its more "expensive" to trade for pitching than hitting...

[And That]

Igor, I can't find it right off hand, but I'm pretty sure that unused bonus pool money does not transfer to the following year.