Iowa City Hawkeyes
After having a magical season finally making the playoffs this tough Iowa City team is looking to take the next step. After signing some key players last season to give support to McCallum and Crosby this season's focus is on pitching. With the better play behind them my pitching staff had good numbers last season although their stats are a little inflated because of the fielding help, so I have replaced some starters and long relief in hopes to find new spirit with the pitching. Bringing on veteran Pitcher Al Valdes my hopes that with a couple more trades and this pitching staff will be complete and we will be ready to compete not only to get to the playoffs but to make a long run in the playoffs.
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Additions: Roger Herndon, Jose Gandarilla, Fausto Gimenez
Key Departures: Geraldo Arias, Brandon Gragg, Miguel Barcelo
Key Rookies: Franklin Cornelius
Outlook:
Little Rock has a plan that we have been carrying out and will continue to do so. We are trying to build up a dynasty and are taking steps each season to continue to move toward that goal. We hope to improve on our win total again this year. We are probably a season or two at least away from the playoffs.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Season Previews - Batch 3
Kansas City Wildcats
My team is the Kansas City Wildcats. I signed a lot of veterans after my team made it to the World Series in year 13. It has not worked out very well. I am now trying to strengthen my team through the draft. Nathan McClain P,Torey Cishek CF,Bob Glass SS, are my top prospects they all still need a couple of years in the minors. I am going to bring up Murray Morris 2B and Tomas Ramirez 3B this year.
Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals had a relatively quiet offseason, as the new management team was still trying to get a grasp on where the organization stood. They did part ways with a couple older veterans, LF Julio Cubilan (30HR, 149K last season) and RF Ralph Lewis. Unfortunately, ace SP Kevin Ryu decided to test the free agent waters rather than re-sign with the team that brought him over from Japan. It's a big loss for the rotation, but it just wasn't in our budget to sign a sub-.500 pitcher w/a career 4.32 ERA to a 5year/$65million contract.
After swinging and missing on a couple big name free agents, the Cardinals decided to plug some holes with a few role players. We signed RF Jack Torre to a 3 year deal, SP Gaylord Bonds to shore up the rotation, and RP Juan Fernandez/Merv Witt to bring some veteran leadership to the bullpen. We also picked up youngster Aurelio Mendoza in the Rule V draft and hope he can turn into a double-play inducing machine (95gb) in the bullpen.
In the end, we'll continue to rely on all-stars Danny Smoltz and Homer Bush to fuel the offense, and Takashi Yamakazi to lead the pitching staff. As they go, so goes the Cardinals!
Columbus Buckeyes Columbus, OH- After last seasons 88-74 finish and 1st ever franchise playoff appearance, there is much optimism in Columbus for the upcoming Buckeye baseball season. Last year was only the third time in franchise history finishing at .500 or better, two of seasons coming in the last 3 seasons under new manager tdfactory.
This season sees a few losses through FA, most notably CF Santos Siquerios, who came to Columbus through trade last year along with rising LF prospect Renyel Tejeda and veteran LF Carlos Molina. Molina provided 16 HR's and 40 RBI's with a solid BA in just over 200 AB's with CLB last season and Tejeda is expected to come up to the big club at some point this season, so even though Siquerious was lost, the trade still seems to be a good one. Also, lost through FA was Dallas Parrott, SP, who wanted to test the FA market. Although CLB had Parrott in their long term plans, the bidding went too high and Parrott flew the nest. In addition, during FA, CLB was bidding on Karim Garces to provide solid back end bullpen help, but again, the bidding went too high for tdfactory's liking.
Turning to the FA acquisitions, CLB added veteran arm Octavio Rivera to eat some innings and bullpen help with reliever Joey Dellucci. Bob Jacobs was added to provide help in the middle infield. CLB also expects to see some production up from the farm this season at some point from LF Renyel Tejeda, 1B Ryan Meusel, and 2B Les Rivera.
CLB did make one trade in the offseason, acquiring young catcher Vin Lopez, who should also make his way to the big club during the course of the season. Vin was acquired in a trade with Chicago, as CLB gave up infield prospect Sale Long.
Overall expectations are that there will be another solid playoff run, back to back .500+ seasons for the first time and if they can make the playoffs, hopefully be in a position to make it past the first round. Hopes are high in Columbus, Go Buckeyes!
Helena Grizzlies Key losses: Marino Gomez, Mitchell Spencer, Roger Herndon, Bart Pellow and Corey Sheffield
Key Additions: Geraldo Arias, Alberto Andrus, Miguel Barcelo and Harry Moya
Key Rookies: None
The Helena’s Grizzles are getting a peek at the challenges of being a champion. Let’s take a moment to add up the damage. Marino Gomez takes his 2 gold gloves and 20/20 ability to Nashville. Mitchell Spencer and his 26 Home Runs, 98 RBI moved east to Detroit. 3 time All Start and Gold Glover, Roger Herndon was dealt to Little Rock. Corey Sheffield who pitched 6 innings of shutout relief in game 7 of the World Series and compiled a 7-1 record in the regular season signed with Huntington. And finally, Bart Pellow, who pitched 20 post season innings with a 0.89 ERA has yet to sign a deal. The good news is that Miguel Barcelo should give Helena a much deeper starting rotation and Geraldo Arias is a ideal #2 hitter to hit behind Helena’s prize leadoff hitter Yorman Costilla. If the Grizzles can stay healthy, they should be able to get back into the playoffs, but will be hard pressed to re-create the magic that delivered the World Series championship in season 18.
Oakland Golden Bears FA Lost: 1B Al Navarro and SS Marty Wayne (although they are still on the market)
FA Signings: SP Daisuke Suzuki and SS Myron Sparks
Trades: None yet but are working on a deal to be announced soon I hope.
After shocking many last season by taking a early lead in the AL West last season, the Golden Bears ran out of gas down the stretch and finished with a second consecutive 74-88 campaign. With GM z's younger talent still making their way to the bigs, Oakland is looking to finish at or above .500 for the first time since season 10.
Although we did lose two starters from the infield last season, we sign Sparks to replace Wayne at SS, and called up Nigel Michalak to play 1B. Michalak should bring some added power to an already strong batting lineup in Richards and Rigby to name a few.
Suzuki should hopefully stablize our rotation that will have plenty of spot starters making appearances this season. Still looking to improve a good bullpen but we will have to see what happens. Either way, the Golden Bears didn't finish in the basement of the division last season and we look for build on that success this season and maybe make a run at the WIld Card if we get lucky.
Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals had a relatively quiet offseason, as the new management team was still trying to get a grasp on where the organization stood. They did part ways with a couple older veterans, LF Julio Cubilan (30HR, 149K last season) and RF Ralph Lewis. Unfortunately, ace SP Kevin Ryu decided to test the free agent waters rather than re-sign with the team that brought him over from Japan. It's a big loss for the rotation, but it just wasn't in our budget to sign a sub-.500 pitcher w/a career 4.32 ERA to a 5year/$65million contract.
After swinging and missing on a couple big name free agents, the Cardinals decided to plug some holes with a few role players. We signed RF Jack Torre to a 3 year deal, SP Gaylord Bonds to shore up the rotation, and RP Juan Fernandez/Merv Witt to bring some veteran leadership to the bullpen. We also picked up youngster Aurelio Mendoza in the Rule V draft and hope he can turn into a double-play inducing machine (95gb) in the bullpen.
In the end, we'll continue to rely on all-stars Danny Smoltz and Homer Bush to fuel the offense, and Takashi Yamakazi to lead the pitching staff. As they go, so goes the Cardinals!
Columbus Buckeyes Columbus, OH- After last seasons 88-74 finish and 1st ever franchise playoff appearance, there is much optimism in Columbus for the upcoming Buckeye baseball season. Last year was only the third time in franchise history finishing at .500 or better, two of seasons coming in the last 3 seasons under new manager tdfactory.
This season sees a few losses through FA, most notably CF Santos Siquerios, who came to Columbus through trade last year along with rising LF prospect Renyel Tejeda and veteran LF Carlos Molina. Molina provided 16 HR's and 40 RBI's with a solid BA in just over 200 AB's with CLB last season and Tejeda is expected to come up to the big club at some point this season, so even though Siquerious was lost, the trade still seems to be a good one. Also, lost through FA was Dallas Parrott, SP, who wanted to test the FA market. Although CLB had Parrott in their long term plans, the bidding went too high and Parrott flew the nest. In addition, during FA, CLB was bidding on Karim Garces to provide solid back end bullpen help, but again, the bidding went too high for tdfactory's liking.
Turning to the FA acquisitions, CLB added veteran arm Octavio Rivera to eat some innings and bullpen help with reliever Joey Dellucci. Bob Jacobs was added to provide help in the middle infield. CLB also expects to see some production up from the farm this season at some point from LF Renyel Tejeda, 1B Ryan Meusel, and 2B Les Rivera.
CLB did make one trade in the offseason, acquiring young catcher Vin Lopez, who should also make his way to the big club during the course of the season. Vin was acquired in a trade with Chicago, as CLB gave up infield prospect Sale Long.
Overall expectations are that there will be another solid playoff run, back to back .500+ seasons for the first time and if they can make the playoffs, hopefully be in a position to make it past the first round. Hopes are high in Columbus, Go Buckeyes!
Helena Grizzlies Key losses: Marino Gomez, Mitchell Spencer, Roger Herndon, Bart Pellow and Corey Sheffield
Key Additions: Geraldo Arias, Alberto Andrus, Miguel Barcelo and Harry Moya
Key Rookies: None
The Helena’s Grizzles are getting a peek at the challenges of being a champion. Let’s take a moment to add up the damage. Marino Gomez takes his 2 gold gloves and 20/20 ability to Nashville. Mitchell Spencer and his 26 Home Runs, 98 RBI moved east to Detroit. 3 time All Start and Gold Glover, Roger Herndon was dealt to Little Rock. Corey Sheffield who pitched 6 innings of shutout relief in game 7 of the World Series and compiled a 7-1 record in the regular season signed with Huntington. And finally, Bart Pellow, who pitched 20 post season innings with a 0.89 ERA has yet to sign a deal. The good news is that Miguel Barcelo should give Helena a much deeper starting rotation and Geraldo Arias is a ideal #2 hitter to hit behind Helena’s prize leadoff hitter Yorman Costilla. If the Grizzles can stay healthy, they should be able to get back into the playoffs, but will be hard pressed to re-create the magic that delivered the World Series championship in season 18.
Oakland Golden Bears FA Lost: 1B Al Navarro and SS Marty Wayne (although they are still on the market)
FA Signings: SP Daisuke Suzuki and SS Myron Sparks
Trades: None yet but are working on a deal to be announced soon I hope.
After shocking many last season by taking a early lead in the AL West last season, the Golden Bears ran out of gas down the stretch and finished with a second consecutive 74-88 campaign. With GM z's younger talent still making their way to the bigs, Oakland is looking to finish at or above .500 for the first time since season 10.
Although we did lose two starters from the infield last season, we sign Sparks to replace Wayne at SS, and called up Nigel Michalak to play 1B. Michalak should bring some added power to an already strong batting lineup in Richards and Rigby to name a few.
Suzuki should hopefully stablize our rotation that will have plenty of spot starters making appearances this season. Still looking to improve a good bullpen but we will have to see what happens. Either way, the Golden Bears didn't finish in the basement of the division last season and we look for build on that success this season and maybe make a run at the WIld Card if we get lucky.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Season Previews - Second Batch
Jackson Rebels
FA Lost: P Marc Westmoreland, P Eddie Strange and OF Heinie Heredia (although he is still on the market)
FA Signings: Re-signed setup Angel Ortiz
Trades: None
The Rebels will be looking to wreak some havoc in the AL South this year. The squad has been hanging around the .500 mark the past few seasons and is looking to distance itself from that point.
The offense should be firing on all cylinders with 2-time AL MVP Lyle Daly leading the way. With the middle infield tandem of Dee Thompson and Fernando Segui setting the table at the top of the lineup, Daly should have plenty of RBI opportunities. Rookie David Siqueiros is the only notable call-up and will get the starting nod in left field.
This pitching staff needs to step up this season with the losses of Westmoreland and Strange. Hopes are high that young starter Stuart Schrenk rebounds from a subpar rookie season. The same goes for closer Nash Messmer, who, in my opinion had an off year despite 39 saves. Yonder Santos will be counted on to lead the staff as he slides into the #1 spot in the rotation.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Key Additions: 3B Vic Cruz, 1B/COF Dan Russ
Key Losses: COF Jack Torre, COF Scott Boswell
Key Rookies: RP Sammy Danks
The core of our team remains intact with the pitching built around Shumpert and the offense around Seneca. Our major offseason moment was Seneca deciding not to opt out of his contract. As the franchise is still dealing with the two worst contracts I've ever handed out (I must have been drunk that day) in Garrett Parris and Chico Tavarez, there was very little in the way of financial resources available to fill the holes we needed. As a result, the low cost veteran players that were signed to replace Torre and Boswell will certainly be downgrades. There was also turnover in some of the role players in the bullpen. We have high expectations for Danks to help Jacobsen and Duran anchor the high leverage innings while some fringe players were called up as innings eaters to replace the other lost innings. Despite the overall slight downgrade in the talent on the roster, expectations are still high and I'll be constantly looking for ways to upgrade the bottom of the rotation as well as 2B, 3B and RF. The team is still built with solid pitching at the top with Shumpert and Telemaco and excellent defense, though the offense (outside of Seneca) is pretty pedestrian. I expect the team to win the division again, and hope that Shumpert will get hot in the playoffs and we can ride his arm to a WS.
Detroit Wolverines
S18: 61-101 (Dead last in the entire ML)
Last season was a major disappointment, the only bright spot is that we'll get the #1 pick to grab a franchise building player as long as we don't hit the 200 loss mark. The offseason instead of putting money into the Int'l market we decided to be spenders in FA so that we don't get our beloved GM fired. Mitchell Spencer and Kevin Xaio were brought in to both help the offense and the defense; also signed was Santos Siquerios who can play any position and defensive catcher Tito Banks. Defensive C Chip Parker and slugging 1B Aaron Scelfo will get called up from AAA to help out this season, more than likely after the arb date passes. Our pitching staff will see a lot of new faces, signing Terry Clayton, Jose Javier, and Hod Ferrell this offseason while trading for Augie Suzuki. We also have plans for Ivan Cabellero to be called up from AAA and possibly Bonk Price from AA. We have almost as many new faces this season in Detroit as familiar ones from last season which is probably a good thing. Winning the division is probably out of reach so the goal this season is to stay under 98 losses, find that franchise #1 draft pick, and keep shopping Eliezar Arrojo.
Dover Fightin' Blue Hens
Dover went to the world series in season 17 and then was a .500 team in season 18. Management has to figure out whether that was a trend or an anomaly. Dover is building from within, and a number of prospects are ready. Vinny Masato will be promoted to join a rotation led by Dante Li and youngster Ednison Ramirez. Terry Clayton left for free agency. Anchoring the bullpen, Nick Robinson will try to break his own single season save record, and set the career saves mark as well.
On the offense, there are at least 3 spots up for grabs. SS Melky Baez and CF Jamie Lowry look to grab two of them. Rookie of the Year RF Al Bittle will seek to avoid a sophomore slump, and is an able replacement for departed Hamlet Darwin. This is a team built more for speed and defense than power.
Projection: The team will be improved and competing for a division title; how much else is anyone's guess.
Cincinnati Bearcats
FA Lost: P Marc Westmoreland, P Eddie Strange and OF Heinie Heredia (although he is still on the market)
FA Signings: Re-signed setup Angel Ortiz
Trades: None
The Rebels will be looking to wreak some havoc in the AL South this year. The squad has been hanging around the .500 mark the past few seasons and is looking to distance itself from that point.
The offense should be firing on all cylinders with 2-time AL MVP Lyle Daly leading the way. With the middle infield tandem of Dee Thompson and Fernando Segui setting the table at the top of the lineup, Daly should have plenty of RBI opportunities. Rookie David Siqueiros is the only notable call-up and will get the starting nod in left field.
This pitching staff needs to step up this season with the losses of Westmoreland and Strange. Hopes are high that young starter Stuart Schrenk rebounds from a subpar rookie season. The same goes for closer Nash Messmer, who, in my opinion had an off year despite 39 saves. Yonder Santos will be counted on to lead the staff as he slides into the #1 spot in the rotation.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Key Additions: 3B Vic Cruz, 1B/COF Dan Russ
Key Losses: COF Jack Torre, COF Scott Boswell
Key Rookies: RP Sammy Danks
The core of our team remains intact with the pitching built around Shumpert and the offense around Seneca. Our major offseason moment was Seneca deciding not to opt out of his contract. As the franchise is still dealing with the two worst contracts I've ever handed out (I must have been drunk that day) in Garrett Parris and Chico Tavarez, there was very little in the way of financial resources available to fill the holes we needed. As a result, the low cost veteran players that were signed to replace Torre and Boswell will certainly be downgrades. There was also turnover in some of the role players in the bullpen. We have high expectations for Danks to help Jacobsen and Duran anchor the high leverage innings while some fringe players were called up as innings eaters to replace the other lost innings. Despite the overall slight downgrade in the talent on the roster, expectations are still high and I'll be constantly looking for ways to upgrade the bottom of the rotation as well as 2B, 3B and RF. The team is still built with solid pitching at the top with Shumpert and Telemaco and excellent defense, though the offense (outside of Seneca) is pretty pedestrian. I expect the team to win the division again, and hope that Shumpert will get hot in the playoffs and we can ride his arm to a WS.
Detroit Wolverines
S18: 61-101 (Dead last in the entire ML)
Last season was a major disappointment, the only bright spot is that we'll get the #1 pick to grab a franchise building player as long as we don't hit the 200 loss mark. The offseason instead of putting money into the Int'l market we decided to be spenders in FA so that we don't get our beloved GM fired. Mitchell Spencer and Kevin Xaio were brought in to both help the offense and the defense; also signed was Santos Siquerios who can play any position and defensive catcher Tito Banks. Defensive C Chip Parker and slugging 1B Aaron Scelfo will get called up from AAA to help out this season, more than likely after the arb date passes. Our pitching staff will see a lot of new faces, signing Terry Clayton, Jose Javier, and Hod Ferrell this offseason while trading for Augie Suzuki. We also have plans for Ivan Cabellero to be called up from AAA and possibly Bonk Price from AA. We have almost as many new faces this season in Detroit as familiar ones from last season which is probably a good thing. Winning the division is probably out of reach so the goal this season is to stay under 98 losses, find that franchise #1 draft pick, and keep shopping Eliezar Arrojo.
Dover Fightin' Blue Hens
Dover went to the world series in season 17 and then was a .500 team in season 18. Management has to figure out whether that was a trend or an anomaly. Dover is building from within, and a number of prospects are ready. Vinny Masato will be promoted to join a rotation led by Dante Li and youngster Ednison Ramirez. Terry Clayton left for free agency. Anchoring the bullpen, Nick Robinson will try to break his own single season save record, and set the career saves mark as well.
On the offense, there are at least 3 spots up for grabs. SS Melky Baez and CF Jamie Lowry look to grab two of them. Rookie of the Year RF Al Bittle will seek to avoid a sophomore slump, and is an able replacement for departed Hamlet Darwin. This is a team built more for speed and defense than power.
Projection: The team will be improved and competing for a division title; how much else is anyone's guess.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are hoping to
continue their slow, steady climb toward respectability in the always tough AL
North. The win total has improved each of the last four seasons, now the
Bearcats are poised to improve a little more, though not yet ready to compete for the top spot in the
division. Kimera Quinn and Lyle Hughes were lost to Free Agency. Ramon
HIgashioka and Hamlet Darwin were Free Agent signees. Promising left hander,
Mateo Miro, was dealt to division rival Portland in
exchange for Andres Rodriguez and Eswalin Calderone. Miro promises to pay
dividends for Portland this season while Rodriguez and Calderone figure into
the Bearcats long range plans. Rookies
Jose Sosa (dh/1b), Neftali Lucano (ss), Juan Posada (sp), Matthew Cox (rp), and
Junior Gutierrez (lrp) will start the season on the Major League team. Each of the rookies has complementary strengths that should
improve the team, though none are super star, or even all-star quality.
Overall, the addition of Darwin and Sosa gives the Bearcats more punch. Lucano is an improvement at ss. Higashioks should be a
reliable rotation contributor and Cox and Gutierrez will shore up the pen. On
paper, the Bearcats should challenge for a playoff spot and a second place
finish in the AL North.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Season Previews - First Batch
Charlotte Tar Heels
The Tar Heels look to follow up the best season in team history with another NL East Division Crown and bye in the playoffs. Arguments were put forth in the front office not to make too many changes by the "if its not broke, don't fix it" mentality. However, AD hopkinsheel is always looking to improve as he knows the other 31 teams are doing the same...when you're at the top, you can't stay fat and happy, there is always something to be done.
Key FA Added: None so far
Key FA Lost: None so far
Trades: We went into the offseason wanting to bring in some good bullpen prospects and feel like we accomplished that task.The Heels made a whopper of a deal with Little Rock. Several trades went back and forth and the players changed dramatically before the Heels and Razorbacks swapped aces while also giving up top of the line defensive CF Jose Gandarilla and getting back a couple of nice bullpen prospects. We never thought we'd give up Fausto Giminez, but feel like swapping him for Brandon Gragg was a fair move to facilitate the other piece to the puzzle. We have several good CF prospects we want to bring up who are much cheaper and we had zero bullpen prospects in the minors. We've also had a crush on Brandon Gragg since he was drafted and hope to keep him around until he retires. We also shipped out Randy Browne who has been a stalwart defensive catcher for a long time to bring back another good bullpen prospect. Not easy to give up Browne, but again, we have a couple really good, younger defensive catcher we feel are as good or better than what Browne brings to the table.
Rookies: We strongly believe in constantly bringing in an influx of rookies to supplement our veteran roster. We have several prospects who look to make their debut this season.
2B Arthur Haynes will make his debut this season as a utility guy while evenntually taking over LF from the aging Ronnie Hamill who we brought back for another campaign.
C Marshall Damon will step in as a backup catcher and nice bat off the bench
C Lyle Baptist will be brought up primarily as a great bat off the bench, but also as an emergency catcher.
SP Al Ortiz should make his debut as a long reliever/spot starter.
RP Al Trammel looks to be the third piece to the puzzle in the bullpen.
Outlook: We feel really strongly about this season. NL East Crown and Playoff Bye are our priorities. The playoffs are always a crapshoot as we've been bounced the last couple seasons by teams with lesser records, but we'd like to play well during the regular season to give us the best shot at the "Crapshoot." Should be a fun season!
Syracuse Orange
Players Lost: Kiki Vazquez, Matty Bohanon, Howard Cora, Clyde Jodie, Kenneth Wall, Torey Feliz, Pasqual Navarre,
Players Added: Vasco Mendoza, Marc Everhart, Joaquin Bautista, Andres Rosario (acquired late in season 18)
Rookies on the Way: Russell Relaford, Buddy Ferguson (Buddy’s probably still a year away)
Outlook: For almost two years now the Orange has been in a rebuilding mode. We hit rock bottom about half way thru last season and the growth has begun. We’re not there yet. None of the prospects that we received in trading away long-time all stars have made the major league squad as of yet.
Last season we had nothing but a bunch of #4 and #5 starters. This year we have a couple pretty good ones in Andres Rosario and rookie Bobby LaPorta.
We do feel that we are going to be a step / step and a half better this season. I’m guessing we could be a .500 team and if things go right could add a few more wins which would put us in a wild card race. We look forward to adding Russell Relaford to the team early in the season. He’s our catcher of the future and can rake.
Richmond Spiders
FA Lost: None of note
FA Signed: None of note
Trades: None
Rookies to debut: Former 1st-rd pick Miguel Ramirez will be promoted as a bench bat and occasional backup at C. Jaime Reed and Daryl Redmond (acquired as prospects in past trades) will be promoted to platoon in CF. Former 1st-rd pick Turner Sanford will be added to the rotation.
Season Outlook: This has been a boring offseason for Richmond as we continue to progress along the rebuilding path. We won 80 games last season and most of that young team will return. We are going to have some minor net upgrades from the promotions listed above, but the ceiling for this team is still going to be fighting at the edge of the wild card, and the likely outcome will probably be similar to last season. If we overachieve, there may be some early promotions of a couple impact players as reinforcements towards the end of the season, but more likely those players will continue their necessary development in AAA and be ready for next season. Player payroll has been minimized through youth and value FA signings which should allow us to command the international market. This should be the last “rebuilding” season in Richmond and we expect to start trending upwards next season.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Notable Additions: C Randy Browne, C Ted Brock, 2B Robert Frederick, 3B Tomas Navarro, LF Gabe Price, LF Max Peterson, CF Matt Aspromonte, SP Kevin Ryu, SP Dallas Parrott, RP Lyle Hughes, RP Ruben Javier, RP Corey Sheffield, RP P.T. Gryboski
Notable Losses: 3B Marc Everhart, 2B Kevin Xaio, C Bill Saipe, 1B Mark Starr, C Ron Montgomery, Most of the bullpen
What’s new? A lot. 3 new SP, 4 new RP…new LF, 2B, 3B, C, and CF…not to mention a remade bench. After falling from 101 wins in S17 to 76 in S18, and with a ton of free salary going into FA, we made the conscious decision to really go after improving our team. We signed 16 free agents (re-signed 6 of those) and really spent on pitching. The offensive improvements weren’t really available, but most teams should not struggle in Huntington offensively. We picked up a couple ace pitchers, and managed to not overspend on a couple other free agents. Even though we got worse offensively, defensively and pitching wise we are better. This should be enough to not endure another losing season and I fully expect to be back in the playoffs this season. Even better, we only have ~$35M committed next season for another set of FA runs. We feel that we are primed for an extended run of success over the next few seasons.
Boise Broncos
The Boise Broncos will be turning things around this year and be on the winning track thanks to 3 major off season signings, one key trade and a few maturing young stars. The pitching staff received some much needed support through free agency when we picked up starter Marc Westmoreland, and two solid bullpen guys in Victor Diaz and Karim Garces. All three should be significant contributors this year. Add that to starter Chris Dawkins and one year older and better Paredes Mendoza and our staff should be solid. We solidified our RF position by trading for Bartolo Espinosa who has a good glove and steady bat. The team is solid defensively up the middle and we have two stars at the corners with Lee and Chavez. Also, just a breath away in AAA is Parish at SS, Dreifort in LF, Ortiz in Center and Carlos Jose on the mound. Things will only get better.
Memphis Tigers
Players Added: Scooter Dillon 2b
Key Players Lost: None
Key Transactions: Signed Welington Velez to a 3yr/$18.5M contract
Rookies to watch for: Lee Golub CF
During the offseason, Tigers Management attempted to pounce by adding a couple of top tier free agents to bolster their lineup and rotation, only to come up short in negotiations. While only making a slight upgrade in the middle infield, management was left scrambling to make any significant additions and changes by the end of the signing period. The Tigers roar into the season with a familiar look, while top prospect Lee Golub looks to be the everyday centerfielder . But, with the long season ahead a couple of other Tiger Cubs could find their way to the big league club.
After being in the thick of last season’s wild card race, a late season collapse left the Tigers tumbling to a losing record and out of contention. Expectations in Tiger Town this offseason were high, hoping to add a couple of pieces to propel the team over the hump. But while those plans unraveled, we are still optimistic of having a modest season and improving upon last season. Look for top pitching prospect Chili Carver to get the nod before season’s end, especially if the rotation goes cold and struggles.
Philadelphia Owls
Key Players Lost : 3B Vasco Mendoza.
Key Transactions : Only one trade(Mendoza) to make space on my payroll.
Rookie expected to contribute: Julio Andrus RP
Owls are rebuilding. They are not expecting great things from the team but some individual could put great numbers on the board. Offensively, this team can compete with young third baseman Frieri Santiago, veteran second baseman Miller Kotsay, right fielder B.C. Polanco and DH Everth Manzanillo. The rotation, lead by young Carlos Martinez, will need some help but there is not much help coming soon in the minors except for Shigetoshi Tabaka who is one year away. The future looks brighter with 2B Terrell Kelly, SP Tabaka, SS Emmanuel Villa, catcher Phil Strickland and RP Francisco Soto. We hope to send a better team on the field very soon.
Nashville Commodores
Expectations are running high in Nashville this season as the Commodores look to improve on last seasons DCS loss. The Commodores rebuilt 3/4ths of their infield with the FA additions of 2B James Hernandez,
3B Marino Gomez and SS Emmanuel Castillo . C Jose Johnson and Utl Willie Berroa were also acqured in FA to provide help off the bench. The addition of Pedro Duran via FA will add depth to the pitching staff. Rookies DH Victor Urbina and Tanyon Allen will be called up early in the season and should contribute right away.
The Tar Heels look to follow up the best season in team history with another NL East Division Crown and bye in the playoffs. Arguments were put forth in the front office not to make too many changes by the "if its not broke, don't fix it" mentality. However, AD hopkinsheel is always looking to improve as he knows the other 31 teams are doing the same...when you're at the top, you can't stay fat and happy, there is always something to be done.
Key FA Added: None so far
Key FA Lost: None so far
Trades: We went into the offseason wanting to bring in some good bullpen prospects and feel like we accomplished that task.The Heels made a whopper of a deal with Little Rock. Several trades went back and forth and the players changed dramatically before the Heels and Razorbacks swapped aces while also giving up top of the line defensive CF Jose Gandarilla and getting back a couple of nice bullpen prospects. We never thought we'd give up Fausto Giminez, but feel like swapping him for Brandon Gragg was a fair move to facilitate the other piece to the puzzle. We have several good CF prospects we want to bring up who are much cheaper and we had zero bullpen prospects in the minors. We've also had a crush on Brandon Gragg since he was drafted and hope to keep him around until he retires. We also shipped out Randy Browne who has been a stalwart defensive catcher for a long time to bring back another good bullpen prospect. Not easy to give up Browne, but again, we have a couple really good, younger defensive catcher we feel are as good or better than what Browne brings to the table.
Rookies: We strongly believe in constantly bringing in an influx of rookies to supplement our veteran roster. We have several prospects who look to make their debut this season.
2B Arthur Haynes will make his debut this season as a utility guy while evenntually taking over LF from the aging Ronnie Hamill who we brought back for another campaign.
C Marshall Damon will step in as a backup catcher and nice bat off the bench
C Lyle Baptist will be brought up primarily as a great bat off the bench, but also as an emergency catcher.
SP Al Ortiz should make his debut as a long reliever/spot starter.
RP Al Trammel looks to be the third piece to the puzzle in the bullpen.
Outlook: We feel really strongly about this season. NL East Crown and Playoff Bye are our priorities. The playoffs are always a crapshoot as we've been bounced the last couple seasons by teams with lesser records, but we'd like to play well during the regular season to give us the best shot at the "Crapshoot." Should be a fun season!
Syracuse Orange
Players Lost: Kiki Vazquez, Matty Bohanon, Howard Cora, Clyde Jodie, Kenneth Wall, Torey Feliz, Pasqual Navarre,
Players Added: Vasco Mendoza, Marc Everhart, Joaquin Bautista, Andres Rosario (acquired late in season 18)
Rookies on the Way: Russell Relaford, Buddy Ferguson (Buddy’s probably still a year away)
Outlook: For almost two years now the Orange has been in a rebuilding mode. We hit rock bottom about half way thru last season and the growth has begun. We’re not there yet. None of the prospects that we received in trading away long-time all stars have made the major league squad as of yet.
Last season we had nothing but a bunch of #4 and #5 starters. This year we have a couple pretty good ones in Andres Rosario and rookie Bobby LaPorta.
We do feel that we are going to be a step / step and a half better this season. I’m guessing we could be a .500 team and if things go right could add a few more wins which would put us in a wild card race. We look forward to adding Russell Relaford to the team early in the season. He’s our catcher of the future and can rake.
Richmond Spiders
FA Lost: None of note
FA Signed: None of note
Trades: None
Rookies to debut: Former 1st-rd pick Miguel Ramirez will be promoted as a bench bat and occasional backup at C. Jaime Reed and Daryl Redmond (acquired as prospects in past trades) will be promoted to platoon in CF. Former 1st-rd pick Turner Sanford will be added to the rotation.
Season Outlook: This has been a boring offseason for Richmond as we continue to progress along the rebuilding path. We won 80 games last season and most of that young team will return. We are going to have some minor net upgrades from the promotions listed above, but the ceiling for this team is still going to be fighting at the edge of the wild card, and the likely outcome will probably be similar to last season. If we overachieve, there may be some early promotions of a couple impact players as reinforcements towards the end of the season, but more likely those players will continue their necessary development in AAA and be ready for next season. Player payroll has been minimized through youth and value FA signings which should allow us to command the international market. This should be the last “rebuilding” season in Richmond and we expect to start trending upwards next season.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Notable Additions: C Randy Browne, C Ted Brock, 2B Robert Frederick, 3B Tomas Navarro, LF Gabe Price, LF Max Peterson, CF Matt Aspromonte, SP Kevin Ryu, SP Dallas Parrott, RP Lyle Hughes, RP Ruben Javier, RP Corey Sheffield, RP P.T. Gryboski
Notable Losses: 3B Marc Everhart, 2B Kevin Xaio, C Bill Saipe, 1B Mark Starr, C Ron Montgomery, Most of the bullpen
What’s new? A lot. 3 new SP, 4 new RP…new LF, 2B, 3B, C, and CF…not to mention a remade bench. After falling from 101 wins in S17 to 76 in S18, and with a ton of free salary going into FA, we made the conscious decision to really go after improving our team. We signed 16 free agents (re-signed 6 of those) and really spent on pitching. The offensive improvements weren’t really available, but most teams should not struggle in Huntington offensively. We picked up a couple ace pitchers, and managed to not overspend on a couple other free agents. Even though we got worse offensively, defensively and pitching wise we are better. This should be enough to not endure another losing season and I fully expect to be back in the playoffs this season. Even better, we only have ~$35M committed next season for another set of FA runs. We feel that we are primed for an extended run of success over the next few seasons.
Boise Broncos
The Boise Broncos will be turning things around this year and be on the winning track thanks to 3 major off season signings, one key trade and a few maturing young stars. The pitching staff received some much needed support through free agency when we picked up starter Marc Westmoreland, and two solid bullpen guys in Victor Diaz and Karim Garces. All three should be significant contributors this year. Add that to starter Chris Dawkins and one year older and better Paredes Mendoza and our staff should be solid. We solidified our RF position by trading for Bartolo Espinosa who has a good glove and steady bat. The team is solid defensively up the middle and we have two stars at the corners with Lee and Chavez. Also, just a breath away in AAA is Parish at SS, Dreifort in LF, Ortiz in Center and Carlos Jose on the mound. Things will only get better.
Memphis Tigers
Players Added: Scooter Dillon 2b
Key Players Lost: None
Key Transactions: Signed Welington Velez to a 3yr/$18.5M contract
Rookies to watch for: Lee Golub CF
During the offseason, Tigers Management attempted to pounce by adding a couple of top tier free agents to bolster their lineup and rotation, only to come up short in negotiations. While only making a slight upgrade in the middle infield, management was left scrambling to make any significant additions and changes by the end of the signing period. The Tigers roar into the season with a familiar look, while top prospect Lee Golub looks to be the everyday centerfielder . But, with the long season ahead a couple of other Tiger Cubs could find their way to the big league club.
After being in the thick of last season’s wild card race, a late season collapse left the Tigers tumbling to a losing record and out of contention. Expectations in Tiger Town this offseason were high, hoping to add a couple of pieces to propel the team over the hump. But while those plans unraveled, we are still optimistic of having a modest season and improving upon last season. Look for top pitching prospect Chili Carver to get the nod before season’s end, especially if the rotation goes cold and struggles.
Philadelphia Owls
Key Players Lost : 3B Vasco Mendoza.
Key Transactions : Only one trade(Mendoza) to make space on my payroll.
Rookie expected to contribute: Julio Andrus RP
Owls are rebuilding. They are not expecting great things from the team but some individual could put great numbers on the board. Offensively, this team can compete with young third baseman Frieri Santiago, veteran second baseman Miller Kotsay, right fielder B.C. Polanco and DH Everth Manzanillo. The rotation, lead by young Carlos Martinez, will need some help but there is not much help coming soon in the minors except for Shigetoshi Tabaka who is one year away. The future looks brighter with 2B Terrell Kelly, SP Tabaka, SS Emmanuel Villa, catcher Phil Strickland and RP Francisco Soto. We hope to send a better team on the field very soon.
Nashville Commodores
Expectations are running high in Nashville this season as the Commodores look to improve on last seasons DCS loss. The Commodores rebuilt 3/4ths of their infield with the FA additions of 2B James Hernandez,
3B Marino Gomez and SS Emmanuel Castillo . C Jose Johnson and Utl Willie Berroa were also acqured in FA to provide help off the bench. The addition of Pedro Duran via FA will add depth to the pitching staff. Rookies DH Victor Urbina and Tanyon Allen will be called up early in the season and should contribute right away.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
New Rule
After a lot of thought I've decided to add a new rule to the worlds I run. It does not affect gameplay at all so I am not putting it up for discussion or a vote. I spend a lot of time and effort to run these HBD worlds. I feel like I do a really good job and anyone can see, most HBD worlds are not run well AND take a lot time to fill during rollover. I've had some bad experiences lately with a couple owners who took over midseason from another owner who chose to leave and then refused to do the same when they did not want to stick around.
All HBD worlds have to deal with the churn of owner. I recently dropped the one world I was in where I did not commish because of time constraints. After 40+ seasons of running worlds, I've found that it EASILY is the most beneficial to the world for a replacement owner to be found immediately once someone decides they are moving on. Inevitably the team is not taken as well care of and/or long term decisions are made by the outgoing owner which the incoming owner has to deal with.
The veteran owners whom I like to attract to these worlds almost uniformly prefer to take over the current budget instead of starting from the standard neutral budget.
Moving forward, if you choose to not come back next season, then you are open to transferring your team early. Preferably I would like that to happen immediately once the roll call is taken, however I understand each of us pays for a full season and if you demand to stick it out through the 162 game regular season then perfectly understandable. Furthermore, NO LONG TERM decisions are to be made by the outgoing owner without prior approval from the commissioner. This primarily is targeted at re-signing outgoing free agents, but trades will not be allowed either.
Very very rarely does an owner from a playoff squad leave one of my worlds. However, in those cases the incoming owner will send a gift certificate to make up for the credits you will be missing out on by transferring your team.
To sum up...the positives are huge for when a new owner comes in before rollover. They get to take their time and analyze their team, they get to promote/demote minor leagues, they get to make free agent decisions, and they get to inherit the current budget. This also helps the other owners in the world as it is MUCH easier to recruit a new owner when they have this option and we don't have to wait for someone to enter the world after rollover.
Sorry for the essay, but I wanted everyone to see I have thought long and hard about this. This rule will make the worlds better and make my job easier.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Amateur Draft First Round Review - Season 18
1. Arizona
Sun Devils - - Doug Treadway
Treadway is an absolute
monster talent. As long as he progresses
correctly, he is a Hall of Fame type prospect that has the chance to be one fo
the all time greats in several hitting categories.
lpa2a – “"The future of the Sun Devils is Treadway!"
Another great hitting prospect that should do a lot of damage. He made the Broncos pay top dollar as he held
out for more cash. He also should be
ready either next season or the following season at the latest so he is an
immediate contributor. Great selection.
Abesmem – “I had Dreifort ranked 2 on my board, so I was happy to
get him. He should cycle to the majors quicker than many of the other prospects
and I needed that. He’s already ripping up AA. H should hit for both power and
average and his splits are good, especially vs righties. Health and stamina are
also positives for Red so I’m hoping for a long run at the ML level. As added
bonuses, he projects to have 83 speed and a pretty good batting eye too. So, while
Red may not be stellar in the field he should be a very good offensive asset
for many years to come.”
The first pitcher
off the board is a doozy. He deserved to
be selected top five for his name alone. I wish his vL was higher, but
exemplary control combined with a great vR should be able to offset the vL and
average pitches. Solid top 5 selection.
Joekendall – “We needed some pitching in the organization so we chose
the best college starter we could find. Strong should be a number 1 starter in
a couple of years for us.”
Kelly will have to be moved to 2B as his
range will prohibit him from being even average defensively in CF. But that’s not a big problem as he should be
a gold glove level 2B while contributing significantly with his bat. He could have gone #1 and I would not have
been surprised. Great value.
Unbelievable relief
prospect that unfortunately has been hit with a debilitating injury. If he is able to bounce back and progress, he
should have a solid career as a reliever.
However, the Hawkeyes had the unique opportunity to capitalize on their
“worst to first” performance this season with a top 5 pick and that won’t come
to fruition.
Tbone66 – “My
first round pick Chico Salinas I thought would be a premier closer in this
league however he just got hit with a 260 day injury that dropped him 6 overall
points. He is only 19 so we will see if he can bounce back from the injury next
season and hopefully will still be as effective as I had hoped”
Starter or Reliever,
Reliever or Starter? Either way, I think
the Wolverines were hoping for more with a high selection in the draft. In another draft, this type of pitcher can be
found mid to late first round. A sign of
things to come after several superstar prospects were off the board?
Tk21775 – “Turner
Shannon #1 pitcher on our board so we're glad he fell to 6th but it was a
weak draft from what our scouts showed us. He'll be a nice #3 SP, sort of like
Julio Johnson who finally made the all-stars this season in his 30's.”
Is this Al Zurbaran’s
kid brother? What an interesting STA/DUR combo.
I’ll be really interested to see how those projections play out. Should be a serviceable starter, but like the
Wolverines above, the Blue Demons were hoping for more.
I like Demel more than the
previous two pitchers selected primarily based on his vR rating which is
excellent. The Orange continue the
rebuilding process after a long run as a top team in NCAA with a solid pitching
prospect to add to the stable.
Evil
doers – “This
year the Orange were lucky enough to draft Chad Demel. It’s been so long since
we drafted that early and don’t usually see this type of talent on the board
when we give the commissioner our pick. For some time now we’ve felt that we
have some #3 and #4 starting pitching talents in our system but were weak at
the front of the rotation. However, we think that with the trade acquisition of
Johnny Ryan and the draft of Demel that we’re starting to round out our future
rotation nicely. We’ll see in a few years I guess.”
Bearcat’s ownership have
already made the correct move in transitioning Perez to 3B from SS. He could be a GG level defender there while
providing some nice pop with the bat which is difficult to find.
Allright – “Willard
Perez , a high school shortstop, is already making the transition to third
in rookie ball. He' not 5 star in any category; but, he scores well in all
categories. A well-rounded, solid prospect who is destined for a good major
league career.”
Whiz kid with the glove and
actually brings a nice bat to the table as well makes for a nice selection as
we round out the top 10. Jenkins could
have gone several slots higher considering who else has been selected in the
back half of the top 10.
Mh17 – “"Having
not had a truly adequate shortstop in some time, if ever, the Tigers are very
pleased with having selected Christopher Jenkins in the first round. While his
defense and durability are a tad off what we original hoped, he should be able
to man the position sufficiently while providing a decent bat with some pop as
he progresses to the bigs. Currently, sooner rather than later. To date, he
could prove to be the best all-round shortstop to wear a Tigers uniform, and in
the event a better option comes available, he will fit nicely anywhere on the
field and in the lineup."
First of all, love
the name. Secondly, I wish his range was
higher. As a left hander with limited
range, he may be too much of a defensive liability at CF and he doesn’t provide
the power you typically like to see at a COF position, but that is where he’ll
probably have to play.
Really nice selection and
another pitcher I like more than a couple others who went higher. Solid #2/#3 starting pitcher and a steal at
this point considering who went earlier.
Not sure he is a
starter, but regardless has quite the “stuff” as his splits are phenomenal and
better than any pitcher chosen except for Salinas at #5. He could be a fantasic “super reliever” and
have a great career. Nice selection.
Z0601 - "The
Golden Bears are very happy to get the top player on our draft board in Haywood Milledge . Milledge
will be a solid back of the rotation pitcher for us in the seasons to come.
Haywood will develop with decent splits versus batter on both sides of the
plate and has the ability to be very accurate with his two top pitchs."
"After getting a Type D pick for the past couple of drafts, Oakland
management is extremely happy to have Juan Rojas join the
organization. We were afraid that Rojas would not fall to us at the 19th pick.
Rojas will bring a big bat to the plate and should arrive to the ML just in
time to replace our current DH players. We are very happy to have gotten the
player we did in this years draft and continue the turnaround here in Oakland.”
Interesting choice. His career will mimic where his vR ends up. He loves pitching against lefties and has some
other nice qualities that will help.
Will be interesting to see how he ends up with his combination of
ratings.
Solid relief prospect with
very good splits, but mediocre pitches.
Another guy that can be had later in drafts typically, but this draft
seems to be extremely top heavy.
16. Portland
Ducks - - Has not signed.
I think he’ll struggle a
decent amount due to a mediocre vR, although he has an above average vL and
solid pitches. Not sure they are good
enough to overcome the vR however.
Tdfactory – “At the 17th slot, lefty Stephen Harvey out of NY. Stephen
is projected to be a solid ML reliever with a nasty knucklecurve and a
devloping sinker as his featured pitches. When paired with last years first
round pick Hector Narveson, the Buckeyes hope their future bullpen is set with
two solid lefties.”
I really like this
value here. His STA/DUR should allow him
to be an absolute workhorse that will help out the bullpen and his other
ratings show he should be a good, serviceable SP. Nice value.
Love this selection. Would love it even more if his PC was 10
points higher, but regardless is a great hitter and can be a great DH if C does
not work out. Another great value.
Third great value selection in a row. Really nice 2B prospect. Great defensive skills combined with a solid
bat. This draft is showing a bit more
depth than previous thought.
Definitely will not be a 2B,
but has a decent bat to play COF and contribute. As you can see, the Huskies apparently forgot
about the draft. Considering the facts,
this pick could have been much worse.
Jcairns – "the
seattle huskies would like to announce the firing of their amateur draft
director for forgetting that there was a draft. "
Nice relief prospect. Not much more to say. Decent splits and good pitches will combine
to help the Rebels at the back end of games.
Solid selection who compares well to pitchers taken much
higher. Should help the rotation
eventually.
Byers61
– “The Fighting Blue Hens carried three late
first-round picks into the draft, and emerged with Marquis Harper at pick #23. He
looks to be a servicable 4th or 5th starter if he reaches projections.”
24. Dover Fightin Blue Hens -- Morgan Garland
Hmmm,
can Garland’s extreme power make up for everything else? Not sure.
He may be the prototypical AAAA player.
He doesn’t have the glove to play 3B, but maybe can make the club as a 4th
OFer, power hitter off the bench. The
Blue Hens were probably hoping for more with this pick,
Byers61
– “Pick #24 yielded extreme power candidate 3b Morgan Garland . Finally,
sandwich pick #42 brought Fausto
Ozuna to the Hens.”
Solid defensive 2B who doesn’t show a ton with that bat. Should be a ML contributor.
Drichar138
– “i selected Hugh Ramsey at #25 and Richard
Aurilia at #30. Ramsey is a 2B that will be a platoon opton vs LHP. He makes
good contact and has a decent eye. If Aurilia is able to make it to the ML
level, he would need to be a corner outfielder vs. RHP.”
Great value here as the
Cougars grab a really nice pitching prospect.
His first pitch is outstanding to go along with several other decent
ratings. Nice steal as we enter the last
portion of the draft.
I think Canseco is a pretty
forgettable prospect. Not much to love
here unless he can progress enough defensively to play 3B and find a platoon
mate for him against lefties.
I really like this pick as I love great
defensive catchers that have some type of pop with the bat. Considering some other selections that have
happened in the last 5-10 picks, this is a great value.
29. Minnesota
Golden Gophers - - Hasn’t signed.
I like this pick if he can
progress into a legit CF prospect considering he has a relatively decent bat.
If he can not and is relegated to COF than the value drops significantly.
AAAA player….nothing much to see here.
Jcairns – “the seattle huskies would like to announce the firing of
their amateur draft director for forgetting that there was a draft. "
Definitely is not a SS and
at best will be a 25th guy/utility player on the ML roster. Bat is nothing to get excited about.
Overeasy – “The draft was a bit of a disappointment this season. Marvin Ross, is
likely to top out as a utility player at the ML level, becoming a journeyman
free agent signee as soon as he asks for more than ML min salary.”
Doubt he will play in the big
leagues unless it’s a desperate situation considering his vR projection, but
maybe his excellent pitches will make up for it.
Projections look great as
projected he is the top defensive SS/maybe player in the draft. However, he is already 22 and not sure he’ll
be able to progress to where he needs to unfortunately.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Mr. 3000!
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The Syracuse Orange could not be more proud to congratulate Michael Seay on his 3000th hit. Even after he leaves the game his mountain of great statistics and records will always be with us. He’ll always be known for being the first player ever to reach the 3000 hit plateau just as he will always be known as the first player to hit 800 home runs and also record 2200 runs batted in.
What makes it even more special is that he’s compiled all these milestones while playing for the ”Orange and Blue.”
Thank you Michael for all you have done for the school. Congratulations once again.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Season 17 - Amateur Draft First Round Review
Thanks to tk for taking over the review at pick 20. I just haven't had the time with the newborn, work, etc. So this is kind of a mish mash b/c we have different advanced scouting. But its still an enjoyable read!
1. Little Rock - Franklin Cornelius - What a hitter. He is already good enough to be playing in the bigs. I also like that he has really high patience so he could quite possibly be a Razorback for his while career. The only thing that "kinda" discounts a player like this is that its not that difficult to find a decent hitter that can play a COF/1B/DH position. Obviously Cornelius is an elite hitter and should be a perennial all star. joekendall - "We needed an impact player and took the best one available. We believe Franklin Cornelius was the best option in the draft. He should provide excellent offense for the Razorbacks in a season or two. Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Razorbacks!"
2. Huntington - Markus Crosby - CF is one of those positions where you typically have to sacrifice Offense or Defense so when you can find a prospect that could provide very good defense in CF while also providing a solid bat, it makes sense to scoop him up early. It will depend on how close he can get to his hitting projections to really be able to grade if he is deserving of a number 2 pick. hurricane384 - "We're very excited to add Markus Crosby as we feel that he has the capability to be a long-time SS & GG CF."
3. New York - Guy Forster - Good SP prospect. Don't think he is a #1 because of his vR projection, but a very good #2. Should be able to put together several seasons that are All Star worthy while maybe being a dark horse Cy Young candidate periodically. mamidu - "Guy Forster - very excited about forster. he has elite control, with great ratings across the board with the exception of vRHB, which is still very good. i look for him to anchor my rotation for years to come."
4. Iowa City - Arthur Haynes - Similar to my comments about CF, it is extremely difficult to find someone who can field 2B adequately let alone GG level and provide a good bat. I love his vR and BE projection. Coupled with his above average speed, he could be a very good leadoff hitter. tbone66 - "Arthur Haynes not a flashy player average with bat at best but there was not much to choose from with my scouts anyway so got the best player I could"
5. Buffalo - Johnny Ryan - Ryan is my favorite pick so far. He could have gone #1 and people wouldn't bat an eye. He has ace material and should be very good for the Bulls.
6. Portland - Charlie Stevens - I'm not in love with him. He is already 22 and pretty far from his projections. He should be an ok pitcher, but I think when we look back he will be more of a middle round/back of the draft grade vs top 6. sirius07 - "Charlie Stevens will be a very good pitcher. This is what we were looking for the past years. A nice pick for us." 7. Seattle - Thumper Junge - Should have a very high OBP, just wish he could do a bit more to warrant the 7th pick. Looks like this draft may be setting up to be a bit weak. His plus plus speed is good. It isn't easy to find a good legit, leadoff guy so if Thumper turns into one than it will be judged a success. jcairns - "Seattle is very please with Thumper Junge At number
7. We feel he will be able to help compliment our offense perfectly. ( inside note, read high OBP and doubles power. )"
8. Cincinnati - Danny Gibson - I think he may be more of a reliever. My projections have him topping out in the low 60's STA and low 20's DUR. I guess you could get away with him as a SP assuming a 5 man rotation and understanding that periodically he might need a 6th day off. He should end up being a good pitcher one day. allright - "Danny Gibson should be a solid #2 starter. His 4 seamer, vs. L & R and control project high enough to be a #1. His stamina and durability are the only things keeping him from being a certain #1. On a deep pitching staff, he could be a lights-out closer."
9. Arizona - Glenallen Phelps - I think Phelps is some solid value in the back half of the top 10. Could have gone a few picks higher and I wouldn't be surprised. He should be a good middle of the rotation, maybe closer to a #2 guy. No problem at all grabbing a good SP here. lpa2a - "I'm pretty surprised that I got this guy with the #9 pick. I see him as an ace. But maybe my scouting is off."
10. Dover - Patrick Scharein - Our first "for sure" closer is off the board. I wish his splits projected higher. He could be a super reliever with that DUR rating. 100 innings should be relatively easy to get. His #1 pitch is awesome. byers61 - "With the 10th pick, and only pick in the first three rounds, the Fighting Blue Hens selected Patrick Scharein . He looks to be the closer of the future in Dover, who may, by then, have entered closers Nicky Drew (504 saves) and Nick Robinson (425 and counting) in the hall of fame. Scharein has a Mariano Rivera-type approach, and should be paired with a catcher who keeps flashing the index finger for fastball, fastball, fastball."
11. Kansas City - Nathan McClain - Awesome choice. Top 5 talent. I'm shocked he dropped this low. He projects to have elite control, elite 1st pitch, and very good vR. llcc - "KC first round pick is Nathan McClain. He is a pitcher. His overall projection is a 82. He is a ground ball pitcher with good control and 3 good pitches. He has average stuff against right handed batters. He should be a number 2 or 3 starter in about 3 years."
12. Louisville - Jason Lankford - I wish he was a righty and then could play 2B. Since he is a lefty, he's relegated to COF/1B, but he should be a nice bat there. Decent speed and batting eye will help. Should be able to play GG level defense since he is stuck in between. gerald007 - "At the 12 slot, I like Lankford. He'll be somewhere in my outfield the year after next. Good eye, good versus righties, and he's got some power. Glove won't be good enough for CF, but he'll definitely be good enough for one outfield spot."
13. Oakland - Achilles Jefferson - Lockdown closer, love it. Really nice selection and someone who should be able to close out a lot of games in the future. z0601 - "With what we here in Oakland thought was a pitchers draft, the Golden Bears are a little disappointed that some of the better pitchers had already come off the board in the first 12 picks. However, we are extremely happy to have added another quality arm to our furture bullpen in Achilles Jefferson. Jefferson will mostly used in late innings and could even endup as our closer once he makes the Bigs. With his above average splits and nasty knuckleball, batters will not be happy to see him emerge from the bullpen."
14. Memphis - Lonny Andujar - Solid, middle of the rotation, maybe even a bit higher SP. Can't go wrong with a pick like that as we enter the middle of the first round.
15. Jackson - Jordan Stephens - Really like this selection as well. Both this pick and the last pick could have gone higher and it wouldn't have been a surprise. Solid SP prospect.
16. Columbus - Hector Narveson - Super Reliever or Starter? Thats the big decision here. Either way, he is a great pitching prospect, but his STA/DUR issues leave him in the grey area of where he'll end up landing. tdfactory - "There was a lot of debate about this years first round pick for the Buckeyes, and ultimately the GM was sold on veteran scout Sammy Ortiz's recommendation of P Hector Narveson. The club is projecting Narveson to end up as a solid bullpen arm at the ML level. There is some concern over his health as he had some knee problems in high school, but the kid has a nasty changeup and a sinker that should keep hitters struggling to hit this southpaw."
17. Boise - Albert Moreland - Pitches aren't great, but he still seems to get the job done with decent splits. Should be a serviceable ML pitcher. abesmem - "Well, my first pick wasn’t until 17, but I had 4 picks in the first round from 17 up to 46 and I’m reasonably happy in that I got 4 guys that should be serviceable ML players. With Parrish and Waters at SS & 2B I got 2 superior fielding MI’s and one with great speed. Both are starting out at High A. At 17 & 21 I ended up with 2 pitchers that should be a #2 and # 4 in a ML starting rotation. Moreland projects to have very good splits against both sides of the plate and will start out in Low A, while George has better than average splits and starts in rookie ball. Overall, these guys should help in 2 to 3 years. Well, my first pick wasn’t until 17, but I had 4 picks in the first round from 17 up to 46 and I’m reasonably happy in that I got 4 guys that should be serviceable ML players. With Parrish and Waters at SS & 2B I got 2 superior fielding MI’s and one with great speed. Both are starting out at High A. At 17 & 21 I ended up with 2 pitchers that should be a #2 and # 4 in a ML starting rotation. Moreland projects to have very good splits against both sides of the plate and will start out in Low A, while George has better than average splits and starts in rookie ball. Overall, these guys should help in 2 to 3 years."
18. Oakland (Type D) - Hasn't signed. z0601 - "With a second first round pick only 5 slots lower, figured Oakland would have two players to lean on for years to come in this seasons draft. After our pick last season decided not to sign, we hoped not to have the same thing happen again this season. In selecting Paul Stone 18th, we figure we had the perfect setup man for Jefferson. However Mr. Stone has informed us that getting a college education is more important than making millions of dollars right out of high school, so we will be looking to finally sign a player with out Type D selection next season."
19. Detroit - Brian Nixon - Should be a decent addition for the Wolverines. Has a good enoguh glove to play second and its always nice to find someone with a nice bat who can field a middle infield position well. tk21775 - "Solid defense with an average bat for 2B, wasn't all that excited about the draft this season but we got a nice 2B deep in the draft"
20. Richmond - Harry Cordero (P) – Bullpen pitcher with good control; should be very good against left-handed batters but no real solid pitch. cmthieme - "A little disappointing to miss out on one of the potential starting pitchers, but my scouts had Cordero as a very good reliever capable of putting up some innings, so I'm satisfied."
21. Boise (Type A from losing Jack Daley) -Jim George (P) – Great pickup here, solid starting pitcher that will throw a lot of innings, has very solid control, good splits and a great 1st pitch. abesmem - see pick #17
22. Chicago - Alex Carter (SS) – Will depend on his position, has a chance to play SS with a lower glove and if he can defensively play he’ll have a solid bat for that spot; if he moves over to 3rd base he’ll be a gold glover defensively. arte - "Carter is listed as a SS but his weak glove will force him to move to 2B or 3B. Projects out as a bottom of the order guy"
23. Nashville - Nigel Mori (P) – Borderline splits will decide if he gets a shot at the majors. cctigerfan - "Nigel Mori can develop into a middle to back of the rotation starter. He has 4 pitches and should develop good control."
24. Anaheim - David Tatis (SS) – Should be a solid defensive short-stop with some speed. ajwalton - "Tatis should develop into a serviceable defensive SS. Not too thrilled with this pick, but there wasn't much left when our turn rolled around."
25. Syracuse - Terry Overbeck (3B) – His glove might limit him from playing 3B, might have to move to RF; has an average bat for either position but has the stamina to play 162 games for Syracuse. evil doers - "We're very happy with Terry Overbeck. We had him ranked very near the top of our board. As far as his contact, well lets say we're talking. We think we'll be able to get it done. Once we take care of that we'll begin his transition to RF. That's where we see his future."
26. Kansas City (Type A from losing Clay Hausmann) - Enrique Moya (2B) – Nice pick-up this late in the draft; has the defense to play 2B and great speed; switches to left-hand to bat, has great contact and good splits.
27. Philadelphia - Kane Nash (P) – Scouting didn’t pick him up.
28. New Orleans - Kelvim Bourn (P) – Bullpen pitcher with great control and average splits. coachsimon - "NO will be looking for 28th overall pick Kelvim Bourn in the future to hold the middle of the pitching staff in order. Already 22, Bourn should progress quicky through our system. We really like the makeup of this guys an are excited to get him on the mound."
29. Charleston - David Booker (P) – Nice bullpen pickup here by the Cougars; will have to rest a few days but when he pitches he should put up some solid numbers. dgtrache - "Charleston projects David Booker as a middle of the rotation starting pitcher should he decide to sign. While his durability is questionable, he boasts solid pitches, good splits and decent control."
30. Helena - Toby Cornelius (CF) – Throws right-handed so can handle 2B or CF defensively; nice contact and should hit well off right-handed pitchers with great speed. drichar138 - "I picked Toby Cornelius with the 30th pick. I guess he is not bad for that late in the draft. He has great range and should develop into a decent 2b. Offensively he is a speed demon who has a good contact/eye combination. Hoping he can hit lead off in a few seasons if he signs his contract. He is still weighing his options to play basketball. Dude is 5"11. LOL."
31. Kansas City (Type A from losing Ralph Myette) - Chip Beam (SS) – Good defensive SS with some speed.
32. Charlotte - Ralph Booker (2B) – Glove might be low to play 2B but his bat looks good, solid eye, vR, and contact and will do fine against left-handed pitchers as well.
33. Salem (Type D) - Andrew Ramsey (P) – Great bullpen selection here; Great splits and two solid pitches along with a good third pitch should help the Beavers late in the game. overeasy - "Coming out of high school, Ramsay is almost ML ready now, so by the time he is done developing, he should be a great reliever. We are definitely happy with this pick near the end of the round." 34. Fargo - Brayan Cambridge - Not bad at all with the last pick in the first round. Could develop into a decent addition to the bullpen. mikejuggalo - "He will hopefully be able to turn into a reliable reliever in a couple seasons. He's about as good as I could've hoped for that late in the draft."
1. Little Rock - Franklin Cornelius - What a hitter. He is already good enough to be playing in the bigs. I also like that he has really high patience so he could quite possibly be a Razorback for his while career. The only thing that "kinda" discounts a player like this is that its not that difficult to find a decent hitter that can play a COF/1B/DH position. Obviously Cornelius is an elite hitter and should be a perennial all star. joekendall - "We needed an impact player and took the best one available. We believe Franklin Cornelius was the best option in the draft. He should provide excellent offense for the Razorbacks in a season or two. Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Razorbacks!"
2. Huntington - Markus Crosby - CF is one of those positions where you typically have to sacrifice Offense or Defense so when you can find a prospect that could provide very good defense in CF while also providing a solid bat, it makes sense to scoop him up early. It will depend on how close he can get to his hitting projections to really be able to grade if he is deserving of a number 2 pick. hurricane384 - "We're very excited to add Markus Crosby as we feel that he has the capability to be a long-time SS & GG CF."
3. New York - Guy Forster - Good SP prospect. Don't think he is a #1 because of his vR projection, but a very good #2. Should be able to put together several seasons that are All Star worthy while maybe being a dark horse Cy Young candidate periodically. mamidu - "Guy Forster - very excited about forster. he has elite control, with great ratings across the board with the exception of vRHB, which is still very good. i look for him to anchor my rotation for years to come."
4. Iowa City - Arthur Haynes - Similar to my comments about CF, it is extremely difficult to find someone who can field 2B adequately let alone GG level and provide a good bat. I love his vR and BE projection. Coupled with his above average speed, he could be a very good leadoff hitter. tbone66 - "Arthur Haynes not a flashy player average with bat at best but there was not much to choose from with my scouts anyway so got the best player I could"
5. Buffalo - Johnny Ryan - Ryan is my favorite pick so far. He could have gone #1 and people wouldn't bat an eye. He has ace material and should be very good for the Bulls.
6. Portland - Charlie Stevens - I'm not in love with him. He is already 22 and pretty far from his projections. He should be an ok pitcher, but I think when we look back he will be more of a middle round/back of the draft grade vs top 6. sirius07 - "Charlie Stevens will be a very good pitcher. This is what we were looking for the past years. A nice pick for us." 7. Seattle - Thumper Junge - Should have a very high OBP, just wish he could do a bit more to warrant the 7th pick. Looks like this draft may be setting up to be a bit weak. His plus plus speed is good. It isn't easy to find a good legit, leadoff guy so if Thumper turns into one than it will be judged a success. jcairns - "Seattle is very please with Thumper Junge At number
7. We feel he will be able to help compliment our offense perfectly. ( inside note, read high OBP and doubles power. )"
8. Cincinnati - Danny Gibson - I think he may be more of a reliever. My projections have him topping out in the low 60's STA and low 20's DUR. I guess you could get away with him as a SP assuming a 5 man rotation and understanding that periodically he might need a 6th day off. He should end up being a good pitcher one day. allright - "Danny Gibson should be a solid #2 starter. His 4 seamer, vs. L & R and control project high enough to be a #1. His stamina and durability are the only things keeping him from being a certain #1. On a deep pitching staff, he could be a lights-out closer."
9. Arizona - Glenallen Phelps - I think Phelps is some solid value in the back half of the top 10. Could have gone a few picks higher and I wouldn't be surprised. He should be a good middle of the rotation, maybe closer to a #2 guy. No problem at all grabbing a good SP here. lpa2a - "I'm pretty surprised that I got this guy with the #9 pick. I see him as an ace. But maybe my scouting is off."
10. Dover - Patrick Scharein - Our first "for sure" closer is off the board. I wish his splits projected higher. He could be a super reliever with that DUR rating. 100 innings should be relatively easy to get. His #1 pitch is awesome. byers61 - "With the 10th pick, and only pick in the first three rounds, the Fighting Blue Hens selected Patrick Scharein . He looks to be the closer of the future in Dover, who may, by then, have entered closers Nicky Drew (504 saves) and Nick Robinson (425 and counting) in the hall of fame. Scharein has a Mariano Rivera-type approach, and should be paired with a catcher who keeps flashing the index finger for fastball, fastball, fastball."
11. Kansas City - Nathan McClain - Awesome choice. Top 5 talent. I'm shocked he dropped this low. He projects to have elite control, elite 1st pitch, and very good vR. llcc - "KC first round pick is Nathan McClain. He is a pitcher. His overall projection is a 82. He is a ground ball pitcher with good control and 3 good pitches. He has average stuff against right handed batters. He should be a number 2 or 3 starter in about 3 years."
12. Louisville - Jason Lankford - I wish he was a righty and then could play 2B. Since he is a lefty, he's relegated to COF/1B, but he should be a nice bat there. Decent speed and batting eye will help. Should be able to play GG level defense since he is stuck in between. gerald007 - "At the 12 slot, I like Lankford. He'll be somewhere in my outfield the year after next. Good eye, good versus righties, and he's got some power. Glove won't be good enough for CF, but he'll definitely be good enough for one outfield spot."
13. Oakland - Achilles Jefferson - Lockdown closer, love it. Really nice selection and someone who should be able to close out a lot of games in the future. z0601 - "With what we here in Oakland thought was a pitchers draft, the Golden Bears are a little disappointed that some of the better pitchers had already come off the board in the first 12 picks. However, we are extremely happy to have added another quality arm to our furture bullpen in Achilles Jefferson. Jefferson will mostly used in late innings and could even endup as our closer once he makes the Bigs. With his above average splits and nasty knuckleball, batters will not be happy to see him emerge from the bullpen."
14. Memphis - Lonny Andujar - Solid, middle of the rotation, maybe even a bit higher SP. Can't go wrong with a pick like that as we enter the middle of the first round.
15. Jackson - Jordan Stephens - Really like this selection as well. Both this pick and the last pick could have gone higher and it wouldn't have been a surprise. Solid SP prospect.
16. Columbus - Hector Narveson - Super Reliever or Starter? Thats the big decision here. Either way, he is a great pitching prospect, but his STA/DUR issues leave him in the grey area of where he'll end up landing. tdfactory - "There was a lot of debate about this years first round pick for the Buckeyes, and ultimately the GM was sold on veteran scout Sammy Ortiz's recommendation of P Hector Narveson. The club is projecting Narveson to end up as a solid bullpen arm at the ML level. There is some concern over his health as he had some knee problems in high school, but the kid has a nasty changeup and a sinker that should keep hitters struggling to hit this southpaw."
17. Boise - Albert Moreland - Pitches aren't great, but he still seems to get the job done with decent splits. Should be a serviceable ML pitcher. abesmem - "Well, my first pick wasn’t until 17, but I had 4 picks in the first round from 17 up to 46 and I’m reasonably happy in that I got 4 guys that should be serviceable ML players. With Parrish and Waters at SS & 2B I got 2 superior fielding MI’s and one with great speed. Both are starting out at High A. At 17 & 21 I ended up with 2 pitchers that should be a #2 and # 4 in a ML starting rotation. Moreland projects to have very good splits against both sides of the plate and will start out in Low A, while George has better than average splits and starts in rookie ball. Overall, these guys should help in 2 to 3 years. Well, my first pick wasn’t until 17, but I had 4 picks in the first round from 17 up to 46 and I’m reasonably happy in that I got 4 guys that should be serviceable ML players. With Parrish and Waters at SS & 2B I got 2 superior fielding MI’s and one with great speed. Both are starting out at High A. At 17 & 21 I ended up with 2 pitchers that should be a #2 and # 4 in a ML starting rotation. Moreland projects to have very good splits against both sides of the plate and will start out in Low A, while George has better than average splits and starts in rookie ball. Overall, these guys should help in 2 to 3 years."
18. Oakland (Type D) - Hasn't signed. z0601 - "With a second first round pick only 5 slots lower, figured Oakland would have two players to lean on for years to come in this seasons draft. After our pick last season decided not to sign, we hoped not to have the same thing happen again this season. In selecting Paul Stone 18th, we figure we had the perfect setup man for Jefferson. However Mr. Stone has informed us that getting a college education is more important than making millions of dollars right out of high school, so we will be looking to finally sign a player with out Type D selection next season."
19. Detroit - Brian Nixon - Should be a decent addition for the Wolverines. Has a good enoguh glove to play second and its always nice to find someone with a nice bat who can field a middle infield position well. tk21775 - "Solid defense with an average bat for 2B, wasn't all that excited about the draft this season but we got a nice 2B deep in the draft"
20. Richmond - Harry Cordero (P) – Bullpen pitcher with good control; should be very good against left-handed batters but no real solid pitch. cmthieme - "A little disappointing to miss out on one of the potential starting pitchers, but my scouts had Cordero as a very good reliever capable of putting up some innings, so I'm satisfied."
21. Boise (Type A from losing Jack Daley) -Jim George (P) – Great pickup here, solid starting pitcher that will throw a lot of innings, has very solid control, good splits and a great 1st pitch. abesmem - see pick #17
22. Chicago - Alex Carter (SS) – Will depend on his position, has a chance to play SS with a lower glove and if he can defensively play he’ll have a solid bat for that spot; if he moves over to 3rd base he’ll be a gold glover defensively. arte - "Carter is listed as a SS but his weak glove will force him to move to 2B or 3B. Projects out as a bottom of the order guy"
23. Nashville - Nigel Mori (P) – Borderline splits will decide if he gets a shot at the majors. cctigerfan - "Nigel Mori can develop into a middle to back of the rotation starter. He has 4 pitches and should develop good control."
24. Anaheim - David Tatis (SS) – Should be a solid defensive short-stop with some speed. ajwalton - "Tatis should develop into a serviceable defensive SS. Not too thrilled with this pick, but there wasn't much left when our turn rolled around."
25. Syracuse - Terry Overbeck (3B) – His glove might limit him from playing 3B, might have to move to RF; has an average bat for either position but has the stamina to play 162 games for Syracuse. evil doers - "We're very happy with Terry Overbeck. We had him ranked very near the top of our board. As far as his contact, well lets say we're talking. We think we'll be able to get it done. Once we take care of that we'll begin his transition to RF. That's where we see his future."
26. Kansas City (Type A from losing Clay Hausmann) - Enrique Moya (2B) – Nice pick-up this late in the draft; has the defense to play 2B and great speed; switches to left-hand to bat, has great contact and good splits.
27. Philadelphia - Kane Nash (P) – Scouting didn’t pick him up.
28. New Orleans - Kelvim Bourn (P) – Bullpen pitcher with great control and average splits. coachsimon - "NO will be looking for 28th overall pick Kelvim Bourn in the future to hold the middle of the pitching staff in order. Already 22, Bourn should progress quicky through our system. We really like the makeup of this guys an are excited to get him on the mound."
29. Charleston - David Booker (P) – Nice bullpen pickup here by the Cougars; will have to rest a few days but when he pitches he should put up some solid numbers. dgtrache - "Charleston projects David Booker as a middle of the rotation starting pitcher should he decide to sign. While his durability is questionable, he boasts solid pitches, good splits and decent control."
30. Helena - Toby Cornelius (CF) – Throws right-handed so can handle 2B or CF defensively; nice contact and should hit well off right-handed pitchers with great speed. drichar138 - "I picked Toby Cornelius with the 30th pick. I guess he is not bad for that late in the draft. He has great range and should develop into a decent 2b. Offensively he is a speed demon who has a good contact/eye combination. Hoping he can hit lead off in a few seasons if he signs his contract. He is still weighing his options to play basketball. Dude is 5"11. LOL."
31. Kansas City (Type A from losing Ralph Myette) - Chip Beam (SS) – Good defensive SS with some speed.
32. Charlotte - Ralph Booker (2B) – Glove might be low to play 2B but his bat looks good, solid eye, vR, and contact and will do fine against left-handed pitchers as well.
33. Salem (Type D) - Andrew Ramsey (P) – Great bullpen selection here; Great splits and two solid pitches along with a good third pitch should help the Beavers late in the game. overeasy - "Coming out of high school, Ramsay is almost ML ready now, so by the time he is done developing, he should be a great reliever. We are definitely happy with this pick near the end of the round." 34. Fargo - Brayan Cambridge - Not bad at all with the last pick in the first round. Could develop into a decent addition to the bullpen. mikejuggalo - "He will hopefully be able to turn into a reliable reliever in a couple seasons. He's about as good as I could've hoped for that late in the draft."
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