Carlos Leal

[agent39]

Give the brewers credit for switching Leal back after being such a late round guy. From what I have seen over the years they have been quite good at developing my clients. Cain,Brantley,Jeffress,Ford, Demuth,Leal,Diaz etc....granted I dont work for cain anymore but Cain and brantley wouldnt be where they are today without the brewers help.

[paul253]

Give the brewers credit for switching Leal back after being such a late round guy

Would the Brewers have switched him back if he didn't ask them to?

[MrTPlush]

The closer you get to the scouting/drafting process, the more you realize how much room there is for improvement.

 

In Leal's case, whatever happens from here, he obviously should have been drafted as a catcher, and he obviously should have gone much higher than round 34. Even if he never sees the big leagues, this is a prospect, not a novelty, and the entire industry missed it.

Specific to the Brewers, the pitching thing was a failed experiment, but at least they have him.

 

Even in this very small sample - you're telling me not one team viewed Leal as a viable prospect at catcher?

 

The draft system badly needs to be simplified. Cut it to 25 rounds - the teams only sign that many of their picks in the first place. Have the players declare for the draft, like every other sport, so you know which kids to focus on, and get all the, "this guy was drafted three years ago" nonsense out of the room.

 

Right now, you're telling scouts, "We're going to draft 1200 players, but we're only going to sign 750 of them - don't waste our time, but don't miss anyone. Ready. Set. Go. Get all over the U.S., up to Canada, and down to Puerto Rico, but don't worry about anywhere else, oh, and there won't be any medicals on these players until after the draft."

 

Seriously? A multi-billion dollar industry can do better than that.

 

It has been 44 at-bats...I don't think anything is obvious here.

[splitterpfj]

Sure it is, Plush, when you've got the coaching staff comparing the player's raw skills - favorably - to a current major league player at the same position - you can't tell me there were 1200 players available for that draft who have a better chance to succeed than this player has as a catcher.

 

Leal could miss, he could be out of baseball in two years for all we know, his future success isn't obvious, but I'll stick with my statement. In a 40-round draft, someone should have grabbed this kid, with the intention of finding out whether he could make it as a catcher.

[Jenkins5]

Lou Palmisano looked like a grand slam, can't miss guy at the low levels....then the Captain broke our hearts.....( he has bittered me on older prospects at lower levels forever, hence my pause from Leal and Demuth)

 

I hope all works out great and am pulling for him. Just ask Mike Piazza whp was a 49th round pick as a family favor if it is possible to find some gems in the late rounds. He has with Demuth helped carry this team offensively, and think he has handled the young staff very well. Thought he had an outside shot to start year at BC with how much game time he had there this spring. Just shows how much the Brewers like him.

 

Josh, how do you find players like him. You have a scouting department, do your own research, through connections and scouts tips? I was curious about that. Good find it appears though!

[agent39]

Give the brewers credit for switching Leal back after being such a late round guy

Would the Brewers have switched him back if he didn't ask them to?

 

Does it matter? They could have said no. Most clubs would have released him

[agent39]

Lou Palmisano looked like a grand slam, can't miss guy at the low levels....then the Captain broke our hearts.....( he has bittered me on older prospects at lower levels forever, hence my pause from Leal and Demuth)

 

I hope all works out great and am pulling for him. Just ask Mike Piazza whp was a 49th round pick as a family favor if it is possible to find some gems in the late rounds. He has with Demuth helped carry this team offensively, and think he has handled the young staff very well. Thought he had an outside shot to start year at BC with how much game time he had there this spring. Just shows how much the Brewers like him.

 

Josh, how do you find players like him. You have a scouting department, do your own research, through connections and scouts tips? I was curious about that. Good find it appears though!

 

 

own research. im my only employer. referals help

[agent39]

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/a/26166#176174

 

 

New bp story included a gem on Leal

 

The last is one of the strangest stories I have been part of in 13 years. Carlos Leal was a 34th-round pick by Milwaukee last year out of D2 Delta State. Carlos was a catcher in college and immediately moved to the mound, where he put up the not-stellar 8.53 ERA in six innings. His arm strength is quite obviously stellar, though. During winter ball he and the Brewers decided to try him back at catcher, given his lack of success on the mound and the fact that everyone needs catchers. Carlos is 23 years old and skipped all the way to the MWL. As of now he is hitting .340 and leading all MWL catchers in just about everything. He has thrown out eight of 17 baserunners and has thrown close to 100 mph from behind the dish. This is the first prospect i have ever seen go from the mound to behind the dish. Carlos plays with two of my clients and just happened to ask them about me. We spoke on the phone, hit it off, and in the first week he scored a BG contract and a wonderful contract with All-Star Catchers Gear, meaning he won't have to pay for his gear ever again. For a kid who signed for $1K, it means so very much.

[torts]

wow, thats awesome man, glad he came to you and was able to get deals like that!

[CheezWizHed]

I didn't see the story where you came up on a couple kids playing ball in the backyard. And the older kids' FB "popped" and you instantly knew he was the one.

 

Oh, wait, that was Amy Adams...

[agent39]

Worst Movie Ever.

 

Must start baseball movie consulting business

[LouisEly]

Right now, you're telling scouts, "We're going to draft 1200 players, but we're only going to sign 750 of them - don't waste our time, but don't miss anyone. Ready. Set. Go. Get all over the U.S., up to Canada, and down to Puerto Rico, but don't worry about anywhere else, oh, and there won't be any medicals on these players until after the draft."

 

Seriously? A multi-billion dollar industry can do better than that.

You forgot - scout college, juco, and high school teams and watch kids multiple times to get a good read on them!

 

Really, how many times can you watch a kid play? If he has a bad game because he's sick, nervous being in front of scouts, had an argument with his girlfriend earlier that day, etc., how many more times are you going to look at him? One bad game, one good game... not an incentive to draft a guy real high, not an incentive to watch him multiple times when you have a couple hundred other HS/juco/college kids to watch.

[TheCrew07]

Really, how many times can you watch a kid play? If he has a bad game because he's sick, nervous being in front of scouts, had an argument with his girlfriend earlier that day, etc., how many more times are you going to look at him? One bad game, one good game... not an incentive to draft a guy real high, not an incentive to watch him multiple times when you have a couple hundred other HS/juco/college kids to watch.

 

Hence the quote:

Seriously? A multi-billion dollar industry can do better than that.

 

Because the system is stupid, there are too many players with too many variables in play, and too few people to do the work.

 

Simple solutions off the top of my head.... HS kids want to get drafted? Fine, declare for the draft by a certain date. College juniors want to get drafted? Fine, declare for the draft by a certain date. Force all players to have a MLB physical completed prior to the draft or prior to any contract negotiations.

 

There are any # of incredibly easy things that could be done to tighten up draft process, just because the draft has been conducted this way for years doesn't mean the process is sound, rather it's carried out in a haphazard and illogical manner, which was the entire premise of the post you quoted.

 

If fact just about every means of acquiring talent related to baseball could be easily improved, the draft isn't alone in that regard. Much of the way MLB conducts itself on this side of the business is completely antiquated including the MiLB system itself.

[splitterpfj]

If you really want to have some fun - make the baseball draft ten rounds, with the remaining players becoming free agents.

 

If that happened, teams wouldn't waste picks on players they have no chance of signing, or on some employee's kid, and a lot of kids would actually improve their chances of reaching the big leagues. Agents know the strengths and weaknesses of each organization when it comes to player development, and they also know the depth charts of each organization. If a kid plays second base, but he gets drafted by a team that is deep at his position, he's in a bad spot, he has to change away from his best position, or hope for a trade, etc. If they were free agents, those kids would be placed with teams who need what they do, and who would invest themselves in developing that player, rather than just signing him for a few grand, and telling him how lucky he is.

[torts]

the major sports draft is interesting...

 

NFL - must attend college for 2/3 years before declaring, but once declared, become ineligible for NCAA play (can they return if undrafted?)

NBA - must attend college for 1 year before declaring, but can return to NCAA play if undrafted

NHL - can be drafted right out of high school, rights are owned by franchise, but player can still play NCAA/international if drafted while committed to a school/country while being apart of a professional franchise

MLB - can be drafted at any time, but maintains control of future and can turn down draft offer to go to/return to NCAA.

 

I think thats a rather loose comparison of the major four... and I think the MLB draft structure is the worst of the four, but, in my opinion, is hands down the hardest league to break into the pros thanks to 4 leagues of minors you have to pass through.

[pacopete4]

Yeah, well... Carlos Leal is over 50 PA's and still has a .900+ ops and has thrown out 8 of 9 base stealers.

 

WOOOOOHOOOO!!!!

 

 

But yes, the MLB draft & international free agent system sucks and should be changed by our new commish. That and (ugh..) add the DH to the NL to make both league play by the same rules. That is all.

[SoupTown]

I am excited to get an eyeball opinion from a respected poster here - TheCrew07. He says the eye shows this guy is the best CATCHER he has seen in Wisconsin for a few years. So I take notice. No guarantees, but let me add SOLLVVVDDD to Brew4Us WOOOOOOHOOOO

[CheezWizHed]

Worst Movie Ever.

 

Must start baseball movie consulting business

 

I kind of liked it. Of course, I completely ignored anything from Timberlake. Enjoyed Eastwood's portrayal of a man struggling with aging. Didn't think too hard about the baseball scouting parts. And Amy Adams. Lots of Amy Adams.

[homer]

2 for 4 yesterday with a double. He's up to .377

[pacopete4]

I like that he's at .308 vs. lefties so far too. Granted only 13 at bats but it's a start. Hopefully it is the diamond in the rough this organization needs.

[MrTPlush]

the major sports draft is interesting...

 

NFL - must attend college for 2/3 years before declaring, but once declared, become ineligible for NCAA play (can they return if undrafted?)

NBA - must attend college for 1 year before declaring, but can return to NCAA play if undrafted

NHL - can be drafted right out of high school, rights are owned by franchise, but player can still play NCAA/international if drafted while committed to a school/country while being apart of a professional franchise

MLB - can be drafted at any time, but maintains control of future and can turn down draft offer to go to/return to NCAA.

 

I think thats a rather loose comparison of the major four... and I think the MLB draft structure is the worst of the four, but, in my opinion, is hands down the hardest league to break into the pros thanks to 4 leagues of minors you have to pass through.

 

MLB teams can't draft 4 year college players until after their Junior year...at which point they can accept or decline/return. Though if you decide to play your Senior year you have no leverage in the draft and will lose out on any possible bonus.

[torts]

the major sports draft is interesting...

 

NFL - must attend college for 2/3 years before declaring, but once declared, become ineligible for NCAA play (can they return if undrafted?)

NBA - must attend college for 1 year before declaring, but can return to NCAA play if undrafted

NHL - can be drafted right out of high school, rights are owned by franchise, but player can still play NCAA/international if drafted while committed to a school/country while being apart of a professional franchise

MLB - can be drafted at any time, but maintains control of future and can turn down draft offer to go to/return to NCAA.

 

I think thats a rather loose comparison of the major four... and I think the MLB draft structure is the worst of the four, but, in my opinion, is hands down the hardest league to break into the pros thanks to 4 leagues of minors you have to pass through.

 

MLB teams can't draft 4 year college players until after their Junior year...at which point they can accept or decline/return. Though if you decide to play your Senior year you have no leverage in the draft and will lose out on any possible bonus.

 

Huh, I did not know that! So MLB is similar to the NFL, except they can take straight from high school, and can return to NCAA ball after their junior or senior year (can someone be a 5th year senior in NCAA baseball similar to NCAA football)?

[DHonks]

Torts and MrTPlush, you're very close. MLB draft permits any 21-year old at a 4-year school to be draft-eligible. That's why some true sophomores can be draft-eligible.

[SoupTown]

...and back to Mr Leal

 

2 for 4 today with a double... line now at... .386 ave, .444 obp, .579 slug, for a nifty OPS of 1.023

[pacopete4]

If he continues, and of course he could crash, at what point in the season do they move him up? He's already 23 years old (I think). He's no spring chicken in terms of prospect years.