caulfield12

QUOTE (oneofthemikes @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 06:31 AM) That's sorta what I was wondering. Why now? Don't get me wrong, I am fine with whoever gets selected, because I trust what the front office is doing right now, I just don't get what could have caused the 11th hour slide. Signability concerns? Any pitcher in this day and age who's going to be picked in the first 3-5 selections would have no logical reason to risk an injury...if Kolek were to risk going to TCU for two seasons, especially after watching Hoffman and Fedde go down in the last six weeks, it would be insane. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/...ction=si_latest With Kolek, it has to be more than this inauspicious article coming out, you'd HOPE. (Shouldn't there be a "reverse SI jinx" in these cases?) It might be nerves coming back, reminding every front office about the Colt Griffin story, and David Clyde almost 30 years before that.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 06:20 AM) Crawford's final mock. Corroborates Kolek falling. White Sox take Nola instead. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/06/the-final-mock-ever/ Pretty much okay with this if it happens. Especially if he's underslotted. As long as they don't start trying to sell or spin it as a "bargain" at #3. For the 19th pick and his MLB results so far, Michael Wacha qualifies in every sense of the word. I think it would be pretty unrealistic to expect Nola to be even better than Wacha, and especially so quickly.

QUOTE (Springfield SoxFan @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 05:59 AM) Does anyone think that all this confirmation from the Sox brass about taking a pitcher is a smoke screen? I keep reading that the Sox are in on five pitchers and one position player. That position player seems to be Gordon and not Jackson. If seems like a foregone conclusion that Tim Anderson will not stay at SS, that is why it keeps coming to me that maybe Gordon is in the mix for tonight's pick. For now, Anderson is a SS. We can argue about his timeline, and the possibility of Semien, Johnson and Anderson all being shifted to the outfield at some point in the near future, but Anderson has the ability/tools/range for the position...his arm isn't great for a SS, but he will have the remainder of 2014 and at least half of 2015 before they switch him (if that actually is going to happen in the future). As I argued before, they might stick him at DH a few times if his error total at SS climbs above 50, we'll see. It's also possible they'll promote him to Birmingham in July or August to prevent him from having a huge error total at one place. Sox brass want to see how well he'll do on a better-maintained infield where there aren't so many bad hops, like you typically see on an A Ball infield. At any rate, I seriously doubt they'd forgo pitching for another athletic/toolsy infielder when that's their ONE area of strength right now. And nobody's making the argument that Gordon is the best player available at 3.

The biggest problem bringing up Bryant is starting the arbitration clock/Super 2. It's the same situation as Polanco and the Pirates. With Boras as his agent, they're not going to submit to any hometown discount deals like the proposed Springer deal or the one that Singleton eventually signed with the Stros. They're kind of between a rock and a hard place, you can certainly understand both sides. So they have to maximize his six years with the Cubs. Would having Bryant start the year struggling with Chicago at the MLB level have helped their revenues for this season? But yeah, with Baez, Manny Ramirez and soon Bryant, the AAA Iowa Cubs are a heckuva lot more entertaining and a much better value for fans.

http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2014/06/...ml#incart_river Very long but informative article on Nola. Seems like the kind of kid who would fit in very well with the Sox. And his last name Nola...same as New Orleans LA, didn't realize that the Times-Picayune website had that acronym. Let's just hope he's better than the last LSU first rounder the Sox took, or Ben McDonald.

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/white-...&ocid=yahoo Don Cooper comes out in favor of Aiken of the top four pitching prospects. Astros looking at the four pitchers, Gordon, Jackson http://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article...n-t-5529991.php No high school righthander has ever gone first overall in the baseball draft. Only two high school lefthanders have been picked first. "I can tell you this is the strongest consideration that we have given to a high school righthander in our three years of having our No. 1 pick," Elias said without specifically addressing Kolek. Ryan, who was 324-292 over a major league-record 27-year career, made a three-hour drive to Jasper to scout Kolek's last start of the season for Shepherd. "I enjoyed being around the scouts because it gives you an opportunity to visit with them," Ryan said. "That group of people are so important to an organization, and they're so dedicated to what they do. They're kind of the unsung heroes to the organization. "I enjoy being around them because of their passion for the game of baseball." The Hall of Fame righthander has said the 18-year-old Kolek is further along than he was at a similar stage. The fact no high school righthander has gone No. 1 is a testament to the inherent risk in picking a teenage pitcher. They're younger and further away from reaching the majors, leaving a greater window to have their road to the majors derailed by an injury or unfulfilled potential. Field trip to see Kolek Despite the risk, the Astros view Kolek as a promising righthander who might be worth the perceived risk. Moreover, he's the only player Ryan scouted personally for Elias. Ryan picked up Astros manager Bo Porter and bench coach Dave Trembley at a local hotel and drove to see Kolek on May 1. They talked baseball the entire trip. "I think what he has is a feel for what it takes in order to be successful at the major league level," Trembley said of baseball's all-time strikeout leader. "Two, he can look at the big picture and project and see what a guy could be, not what he is right now. I think that's what Nolan looks at. "He looks at tools, looks at what a guy now has, and then looks if a guy is made right, if he has the right work ethic and if he's coachable. That's a valuable resource to have someone who puts it in a way that's really easy, real simple." Aiken also is entrenched firmly in the discussion for the top pick, which is why several mock drafts have him going first overall. Rodon was at the top of most mock drafts two months ago. Special deliveries Whatever the decision, Ryan has helped Elias and the Astros' amateur scouting staff dissect the top pitching candidates and many others who will go later in the draft. Astros pro scouting director Kevin Goldstein and director of decision sciences Sig Mejdal also are crucial evaluators who have been brought in for the draft, even though their focus isn't amateur scouting. Club icon Craig Biggio and former Astro Enos Cabell have scouted some of the top prospects for Elias this year. Farm director Quinton McCracken and minor league field coordinator Paul Runge also are in town for the draft. Ultimately, though, Ryan is the pitching expert. "We've looked over video of all the top candidates, hitters and pitchers," Elias said. "(Ryan) is a delivery expert. He makes insights on the delivery. He's still making insights about deliveries that I don't think we've gotten anywhere else."

Looks like the Marlins are going with either Rodon or Jackson. Pure guesswork of course. BY CLARK SPENCER [email protected] The last time the Marlins had the second overall pick in the draft, they selected a high school pitcher from Texas who later won the deciding game of the World Series. His name was Josh Beckett. They will be No. 2 on the list again Thursday for the June draft, baseball’s annual gold dig for the nation’s top amateur talent. Who the Marlins end up taking remains a mystery, in part because of the uncertainty over which player the Houston Astros intend to pluck with the top pick. “They’re playing it close to the vest, and I understand that,” said Stan Meek, the Marlins’ vice president of scouting. “But it won’t really effect what we do. We’ll put our board together regardless of what they do.” Meek said the Marlins have narrowed their short list to four players. Indications are those four are: pitchers Carlos Rodon, Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek, and catcher/outfielder Alex Jackson. Though the Marlins usually tend to favor pitching when drafting, they might be more inclined to go with Jackson — assuming the Astros don’t snatch him first — given their relative lack of skilled hitters in the minors. Jackson, a California prep star, is considered the best bat in this year’s crop. Jackson, who packs serious home run punch, could also be viewed as a safeguard if the Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton are unable to agree on an extension and his career doesn’t continue in Miami. If not Jackson, the Marlins could continue stockpiling arms by drafting yet another pitcher. Most draft analysts have Rodon, Aiken and Kolek ranked high on their lists, and the Marlins probably wouldn’t be disappointed with any of them. “Obviously, at No. 2, you’ve got to get a standout guy,” Meek said. Rodon, being the only collegian (North Carolina State) of the group, is probably closer to reaching the majors than the other two. But Meek downplayed that aspect as a major factor. Meek said he has scouted the top candidates multiple times, and that finding a consensus hasn’t been easy. “I think all of us probably feel there’s not one particular guy that stands out above the rest,” Meek said. “But there’s a lot of good players up there.” Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/04/4158...l#storylink=cpy

In my opinion, they’re making step after step after step that are PR nightmares,” de Castro told the Sun-Times. “At the same time, they’ve lost 35 games this year, 288 games in the last three years, and no one’s listening or watching. “We’ve lost a lot of money on the Cubs, and we’ve stood behind their rebuild for years,” de Castro continued. “And we offered to continue to lose a lot of money in the future, but not the kind of money that CBS is going to lose. It’s just an amazingly layered deal. I can’t figure it out. I’ve been around the broadcast business a really long time, and it makes no sense. “It would be irresponsible, financially, to pay that kind of money.” The station exercised an opt-out provision in the contract last fall over declining ratings and revenue losses during a rebuilding process that resulted in a three-year franchise-record 288 losses in 2011-13. That move followed the Cubs’ decision to opt out of their WGN-TV deal to seek better long-term regional TV rights fees and left the Cubs on WGN radio through this season. suntimes.com There's a shot across the bow of Ricketts and Epstein if ever there was one.

Might want to have a refresher course on those rundown plays again. Abreu looks really shaky out there.

Sorry...here's the exact information June 5 6 p.m. - Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com 7 p.m. - Live Draft (Round 1, Comp. A, Round 2, Comp. B) on MLB Network and MLB.com June 6 12:30 p.m. - Draft preview show on MLB.com 1 p.m. - Live Draft (Rounds 3-10) on MLB.com June 7 1 p.m. - Live Draft (Rounds 11-40) on MLB.com

Why wouldn't it be surprising to me (at all) if Aiken doesn't have a huge impact at the major league level? He would be the 4th pitcher on my list at the moment.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jun 4, 2014 -> 11:21 PM) Industry consensus right now seems to be that the top 3 rated players are Aiken, Rodon and Jackson. I guess the chances of the Sox taking the latter if the former 2 are gone are about the same as Leury Garcia hitting a home run to straightaway centre at Dodgers Stadium. Not top three ranked. Top three in terms of the needs and financial resources of those first 3 teams picking, especially the Marlins. But even the Astros have been known to go for underslot as well, like the Correa pick. And the Astros are doing a ton of posturing with Nolan Ryan, Porter, Luhnow, etc., if they're not taking Kolek. Maybe it's just PR to fend off the idea from their fans they didn't give the local kid a shot with the Stros.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 4, 2014 -> 10:32 PM) <!--quoteo(post=2991089:date=Jun 4, 2014 -> 08:22 PM:name=Balta1701)-->QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 4, 2014 -> 08:22 PM) <!--quotec-->Do people really think the Texas Rangers, if given the choice between using money and using prospects, would have chosen to use a better prospect in that deal? No, but had we been willing to pay his remaining salary his market would have been bigger. It's really not that difficult of a concept, most teams aren't flush with cash come the trade deadline. Ignoring all historical reality that the White Sox have never included significant money (over $5 million) to get a better prospect back.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 4, 2014 -> 11:08 PM) Get me Gillaspie, Reetz, or Weaver with that 2nd pick. Do the Sox just have 1 pick tomorrow? I'm not sure how many rounds they do on the first day. 3

Belisario never threw 97 MPH before the last couple of nights. Interesting, the motivation an athlete has to beat the team that gave up on him in no uncertain terms.

Need the DP ball badly here. Putnam's the guy to do it.

Need the DP ball badly here. Putnam's the guy to do it.

Decision time for Ventura. Could Garcia have made that play? Just says deflected online.

Danks getting more Buehrle-like by the day. Well, results are more important than MPH any day of the week, unless it's Erik Johnson. Danks now at 104 pitches and counting.

By the way, is there anyone in the majors now with a lower OPS than DeAza with over 175 AB's?

First time all season Eaton in the 240's and Viciedo in the 260's. Big time scuffling going on with our offense, other than Abreu and Beckham, who's forgotten how to field.

In that scenario, the White Sox would probably wind up with a potential Nolan Ryan clone in Tyler Kolek, a country boy from outside of Houston whose fastball was clocked at 102 mph this season. John Hart, the Braves' advisor who is an analyst for MLB Network, says Kolek has more potential to dominate than anyone in the Draft. As a high school power pitcher, he'd bring potential for both career-changing injuries -- think Kerry Wood -- and stalled development. He's listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, but he's hardly a big lug. Kolek, like Ryan, was raised with a strong work ethic and has become a workout fanatic. And unlike a young Ryan, he's received high-level coaching that has given him a good idea where his pitches will go. "This is just not some big, crude kid who is heaving the ball in there," Hart said. "This is a guy who has athleticism. Look, he throws 100 mph. He's going to pitch with a plus-fastball, [but] he's got a late, hard breaking ball. He's got a feel for a nice delivery, clean delivery, easy arm, quick arm. The sky is the limit when you're talking about Kolek." One other thing to keep in mind about the White Sox. They believe in Don Cooper, Kirk Champion, Curt Hasler, J.R. Perdew and their other pitching coaches. They've historically kept pitchers healthy and aren't afraid to rush them. Kolek could contribute as soon as 2016. From phil rogers' article right now at mlb.com http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/phil-r...p;vkey=news_mlb First time in 49 years both teams have picks in the Top 4.

Humanely...funny, especially since my class is watching "Of Mice and Men" today. And it was Noesi, not Nieto. By the way, the Tigers are losing again, 6-2 to the white hot Blue Jays. That would be 4-11 over their last 15 games (they were 27-13, which was their best start since 1984 or 87 or whatever the year was that Hernandez won MVP and Cy Young). Not quite panic city like in St. Louis, because of the lack of divisional competition, but getting nearer to full meltdown time, especially Nathan. Just recalled top SS Eugenio Suarez from AA to take the place of Romine/Worth as well.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 4, 2014 -> 07:27 PM) Someone said it best the other day. The idea of trading Reed for a near-ready offensive player was great. However, the scouting of that player might be where the trouble lies. KW and Hahn have traded a lot of big league talent over the last 5 years with very little to how for it. It's hard to imagine getting less production that what they have received from trading Quentin, Swisher, Santos, Rios, Vazquez and Reed. Doubled with not getting anything back from Jenks, Crede, Gavin Floyd and Jesse Crain. At least we still have Flowers, who is more or less holding his own this season. He's not killing us, like in 2013. And didn't we also trade Hernandez from the Padres to help us get Liriano? If Liriano pitches for us in 2012 like he did with the Pirates in 2013 and carries us to the playoffs over the Tigers, that move looks really good in retrospect.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 4, 2014 -> 07:35 PM) If you want a decent return, part of the matter is not including guys who are pretty much useless. Kanekoa (No Relation to Mark) Texeira, or Swisher?