Draft Pick Discussion Thread, Rounds 1-5

[Roscoe Chill]

I love the LaPorta pick. He'll be up in Milwaukee for good about a year from now I am going to predict.

[tigerbrew]

Watching Gindl's video, he was making strong and accurate throws to the plate from CF, impressive. He has a good arm and could probably throw out some runners trying to score from 2B on a single.

[DHarris34Phan]

Were Braun and LaPorta teammates?

 

Could that have affected the decision to draft him?

[jwaltz]

No. They went to different schools. Braun went to Miami. LaPorta went to Florida.

[tigerbrew]

Braun was a hurricane and LaPorta was a gator, different schools.

[DHarris34Phan]

Ahhhh...my bad. Can't believe I got that mixed up.

[wibadgers23]

Hopefully these guys sign very soon so we can see them in the Helena line-up come June 19th.

[pogokat]

laporta to WV...got to be...then i get to watch him play in july

[DHonks]

I read on BA that it sounds like LaPorta may sign by the morning.

 

Could be in West Virginia within a week, which is interesting since they already have Caufield, Brantley, Ford, Chapman, Alonso, and Lefave between 1b/dh/of. So I assume based on the comments, Ford jumps to A+, likely Gillespie to AA.

[TooLiveBrew]

Quote:

---

He was the #1 prospect in the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a wood bat league.

---

This makes me eager to get a look at Lucroy.

 

Any of our minor-league afficianados know how common it is for a hitter to be able to transfer that skill to wooden bats? Or is it more likely that ballplayers will struggle?

 

I know the Fla. Summer league is probably similar to the Northwoods league (but with better players), but I still find it very encouraging that a C prospect rated out that highly. As I'm not a very big fan of Estrada, I really love this pick.

[And That]

X made the comparison between LaPorta and Berkman, and the more I think about it, the more traction in gains in my head, and the more LaPorta excited me. Here are Lance Berkman's career stats, mostly presented here for the minor league numbers:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...kman.shtml

 

Assuming that the Brewers assign LaPorta to WV immediately after signing him, would it be unfair to expect Matt to put up a ~1000 OPS there for the rest of the year (if he's kept there the rest of the year)?

 

If the Brewers follow the Berkman model, they'll assign LaPorta to Brevard, but that doesn't seem to be the M.O. of the Brewers' system. I hope LaPorta destroys Sally League pitching and gets to Brevard by the end of the season. Berkman made it to AAA by the end of the second season, and I'd hope for the same from LaPorta.

 

As an aside, with LaPorta becoming the heir apparent to Geoff Jenkins, I find it interesting that it is logical to put Matt in Milwaukee sometime during 2009, and that Jenkins' option would keep him here until '09. With the LaPorta pick, is it now more likely that the Brewers keep Jenkins next year? The timing appears to line up for that scenario to take place. Best laid plans, I know, but it is something interesting to think about.

[And That]

Furthermore...

 

The draft only went 5 rounds today. With all the time allotted for the first few rounds, that's not all that unexpected. Could it also be a sign that most teams aren't even going to sniff round 50 tomorrow? With the shuddering of the DFE process, what's the point of drafting more than 20-25 guys, along with 10-15 fallback guys, if you already have a bunch of younger players currently assigned to short season rosters?

 

I guess I could see Friday playing out where a number of deeper teams stop drafting earlier than expected, and a number of weaker teams keep drafting, just to fill in pieces and pick up the scraps.

 

Doesn't it also seem more likely that larger numbers of college seniors will be drafted in the later rounds? Without the DFE guys "clogging up" the later rounds, guys like Nate Yoho and Mike Adams might be snatched up before they hit the street.

[PNut33]

An article about an Illinois kid the Brewers almost drafted

[Mass Haas]

This article was also linked in the "Official" Draft Pick Thread.

 

Link for new photo while active, text follows:

 

Cajuns' Lucroy goes in the third round to Brewers

 

Amateur Draft 101

Cajuns' Lucroy goes in the third round to Brewers

Dan McDonald

dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

 

Maybe it was just by chance that Jonathan Lucroy's off-the-field, knock-around baseball cap was an old-school lid of the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

But maybe it was kismet.

 

Lucroy became the second-highest University of Louisiana-Lafayette draft selection since Tony Robichaux took over as head coach in 1995 Thursday, being tabbed in the third round of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft by the Brewers.

 

The Ragin' Cajun junior catcher was the 101st player picked in the annual draft of amateur talent, and was the second selection for the Milwaukee club.

 

"They're one of the teams that had been following me," Lucroy said. "Brian Sankey is their area scout and I saw him at several different games, and he and one of his national people saw me play at McNeese when I had a good game."

 

That good game included a grand-slam homer and one throw-out on an attempted stolen base, but Lucroy's body of work was more important than one game. The Umatilla, Fla., native is UL's all-time career leader in runs batted in (184), total bases (414) and doubles (54), ranks second in hits (241), third in home runs (35) and slugging percentage (.612), and fourth in average (.356).

 

All of those figures are in three years since Lucroy just completed his junior season. But with a high third-round draft selection, one where the slot money for the 101st pick is approximately $337,000, it's expected that Lucroy will sign a contract and by-pass his senior season.

 

Lucroy said that his former coach and advisor Doug Rogalski will talk to Sankey and members of the Brewers front office today to begin negotiations.

 

"I feel good about it because the Brewers are a good organization and they're successful," Lucroy said Thursday evening. "They have a lot of good players in their system, and I'm lucky to be wanted in an organization such as that."

 

Rogalski may have helped bump Lucroy's selection up a couple of slots, after receiving a phone call early in the third round.

 

"He called me and said that the (Cincinnati) Reds had called and said they were going to definitely take me with their next pick," Lucroy said. "He called the Brewers and the (Colorado) Rockies, teams that had picks right in front of the Reds, and told them if they wanted to draft me they needed to do it now. It put a little pressure on them."

 

The Brewers had pick number 101, with the Rockies picking next at 102 ahead of the Reds' No. 104 pick. Colorado took catcher Lars Davis of Illinois right after Lucroy's selection.

 

"I got a call back from the Brewers and they said they were going to take me," Lucroy said. "I had just hung up the phone and heard my name called."

 

The MLB draft ran much later than normal, mostly because the first round was televised on ESPN2. The first round of 30 picks took three and one-half hours, and that was followed by 34 compensatory ("sandwich") picks before the second round began.

 

Milwaukee's only selection before Lucroy was Florida outfielder Matt LaPorta, who was the seventh overall pick. Lucroy was the 11th catcher selected and the seventh collegiate catcher picked.

 

"I figured I'd be in the middle there, late in the second or early in the third round," Lucroy said. "I felt I was right in there with the college catchers drafted before me. It took a long time, but I'm pretty happy."

 

Milwaukee's rookie teams are Helena (Mont.) of the Pioneer League and Maryvale (Ariz.) of the Arizona League.

 

The Class A affiliate is the South Atlantic League's West Virginia Power in Charleston, W.Va., and the High-A affiliate is not far from Lucroy's hometown - the Brevard County Manatees of Viera, Fla., in the Florida State League.

 

Lucroy is the 12th UL player taken in the top 10 rounds under Robichaux, with the only higher selection coming in 1995 when Rayne's Darrin Babineaux was a second-round selection of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

[Tbadder]

To be honest, I'd be disappointed if he was sent to WV. With that gaudy OPS (did I get that right 1.399, if so, that's playstation good) I'd say Huntsville or Manateeville.

 

I mean the guy's only 1 or 2 years younger than Fielder. If you draft a college senior, and you project him to arrive in 3 or 4 years, well, then that's not really a big time prospect is it?

 

It's my preception that the best players arrive in the Bigs when they're 21 to 24, and that good to middling players arrive when they're 25 or 26. Of course there are exceptions.

 

If the Brewers aren't going to fast track him they're basically saying, "sure you're the 7th pick, but you ain't no Fielder." Another point in favor of making him a Manatee is the stadium. If he can hit with significant power there then he proabably can write his ticket to the show as the next one-dimensional left fielder that teams like the Rangers have produced.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Keith Law said that LaPorta is likely to be a Greg Colburn/ Scott Hatteberg type of player. Is this really true because if it is this is just an awful pick. I thought this organization drafts kids with high celings not polished college kids with no upside. I really hate this draft. It looks like a moneyball type of draft to me where we can end up with players that make it to the majors but guys that have no upside. This change in philosophy is both shocking and overly disappointing. Why didnt we draft a kid like Parker or Heyward who by all accounts have star potential. Taking an easy to sign senior like LaPorta who has little upside is not the way to draft. Very disappointing indeed.

[Never Outhustled]

An article about an Illinois kid the Brewers almost drafted

 

Good find Pnut. The Brewers offered him $500 K at 6:05. What round were we at then? Would that have made him our 3rd rounder? Disappointing he didn't accept, because he's definately a high ceiling type of guy we didn't get.

 

To be honest, I'd be disappointed if he was sent to WV. With that gaudy OPS (did I get that right 1.399, if so, that's playstation good) I'd say Huntsville or Manateeville.

 

I think its important to get the kid off to a good start, so WV is a good idea. Remember, he is making a position switch, so might be a good idea to put him somewhere that he can dominate with the bat while he concentrates on his glove. He can always get bumped at the All-Star break if he's dominating, and that bump could be A+ or even AA. If they keep him in WV all year, he could always skip A+ and go right to AA next year. Braun was drafted in June 2005 and made his debut in May 2007, and he started out 2006 in A+.

[UWRyan428]

I would complain about the Tigers drafting all these "Pocketbook Warriors" but then I think of how much Matt White and Travis Lee ruined the D-Rays...and I smile.

[JohnBriggs12]

The drafting of LaPorta makes perfect sense.

 

He's odds on to be the opening day LF in 2009. If I had to guess, I'd say they pick up the Jenkins option for 2008 because no alternative (Mench or Gross) has staked a claim to that job. Then Geoff departs. Enter LaPorta.

 

As a senior he's probably as sure a bet as anyone in the draft that he'd be major league ready by 2009 which is a critical year because the Brewers will still have their full allotment of young core players around.

 

I don't know where he will start the year, but I'd bet the ranch that he will end this season in Huntsville.

[LUKE232323]

Opening Day 2009 Lineup:

 

Weeks

Hardy

Braun

Fielder

Hall

LaPorta

Estrada/Salome (catcher is one that can be debated)

Hart

 

That team can flat out hit.

[Trowekamp]

If Laporta or Gillepsie appears on track for 2009, the I think they will dump both Jenkins (he is back in the .270's all of a sudden) and Mench to either attempt resigning of Sheets or Coco or save arby money for Capuano, Weeks, Hardy, Fielder..

 

They will turn LF over to the following group:

Gwynn

Nix

Gross

[filthyfrog]

I think opening day 2009 is too early to expect LaPorta. I'd guess he'd be on the Braun/Weeks track: play the rest of this year in West Virginia, split next year between Brevard and Huntsville, and then open '09 in AAA with an opportunity to earn a midseason callup.

 

It's true that LaPorta had an extra year of college, but one of those years was injury-riddled and we have to teach him a new position. I'd be thrilled if he's ready mid-2009.

[xisxisxis]

I really like the first 4 picks in this years draft. (No that shouldn't be in blue). Whether that's a good sign for the Brewers or not, I'm not sure. While Laporta wasn't on the radar he makes perfect sense and if he's a passable LF I think we may have the steal of the draft (Fielder II anyone, and I am eating crow for my reservations about Prince). Depending on how Lucroy does this year, he could jump to the top of my catcher depth chart in the organization. If we can just keep Yost away from him, he might develop into a good ML catcher instead of a (s)crappy backup. Farris (depending on his progression) might make it easier for the Brewers to cut ties with an underachieving Weeks and Gindl is a nice addition to our ever-expanding toolsy OF prospect list.

 

I personally think Jenkins is gone after this season, especially if we make the playoffs. I don't think Melvin wants to spend the money simply for a stopgap when the money will be needed to start locking up Prince/Hardy and/or Cappy/extend Sheets. Jenks days are numbered (especially as he's back into one of his patented/trademarked cold streaks.)

 

Congrats Jack on the best first 5 rounds I've seen while you've been with the Brewers!

[LUKE232323]

www.gainesville.com/apps/.../-1/sports

 

Good read on LaPorta.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Farris is not taking the spot of Weeks in any way shape or form. This seems like a draft that will yield some major league players but no stars. I prefer the philosophy of drafting high ceiling talent instaed of guys that have reached their potential. That is how we wound up with guys like Fielder, Gallardo, and Inman and its the way to win. Taking easy to sign college seniors like LaPorta and scrappy middle infielders with little power like Farris is the way to have a lineup like Oakland throws out there every year. I truly hope this isnt a sign of things to come because Jack Z has done a great job before this lousy draft.