The Sox have also made a habit of picking up some catching in trades, Rivera is a good example but now Rivera = He Gone.

 

Burke is the 3rd catcher, he's 32. They have Maldanado and Stewart at AA, and Stewart shows some defense but he's been weak with the stick, although improvement has been noted this year.

 

Lisk, Gustavo Molina, and Wally Rosa have disappointed.

 

Hankins is new to the catching game and is 28 this year.

 

Every year, the Sox draft a bunch of catchers and sign some as undrafted FA but they have not developed. So they've tried to address the need but it has not worked out.

 

You can bet your bottom dollar they'll take some catching in this years draft too.

Any ideas who the Sox mite be leanin toward with their 1st pick yet? Any chance one of the Rice stud pitchers falls to us?

http://teamonebaseball.rivals.com/viewpros...=3&pr_key=29102

A little more info about Suzuki.

I don't know about how we should take w/ our first pick, but I'd like to see us draft Colin Mahoney or either of ECU's Lawhorn twins (preferably Trevor) with some of our extra picks.

 

btw, just click on their names for links on articles about these guys.

BA's has its first 1st round projection out and it has us taking BJ Syzmanski an OF from Princeton. He was rated as the best athlete in college and the best power hitter, and 3rd fastest in college. I'm not sure thats a great idea to draft another OF even if he fell to us.

Found this on Suzuki,

 

Q: Mike from NH asks:

Hi, Allen. Cal State Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki seems to have come out of nowhere this year. Is this guy for real? Why did he sit the bench the past two years? And in what round do you think the A's, Blue Jays or Red Sox will draft him this year? Thanks - and keep up the great work!

 

A: Allan Simpson: Suzuki has become one of the hot names in the draft this year. He's a solid defender and has really stepped it up with the bat, especially the last 3-4 weeks in Big West play. He's come a long way in all areas after being a walk-on as a freshman. He has a very good chance of being a sandwich pick, which would make him ripe for the A's who have two sandwich picks. And I've heard he's one of Billy Beane's favorite players. The Red Sox don't pick til 65, so they'll have little chance of getting him.

BA's has its first 1st round projection out and it has us taking BJ Syzmanski an OF from Princeton. He was rated as the best athlete in college and the best power hitter, and 3rd fastest in college. I'm not sure thats a great idea to draft another OF even if he fell to us.

I don't care how good he is, I hope they don't draft an outfielder with their first pick, I'm wit jas and want to see pitching, pitching, and more pitching.

Looking at the baseball america mock draft, it says the sox have been targeting college pitchers: Diamond, Hoyman, Perkins, Purcey and Vargas, I see their stats but what do you guys know about these pitchers?

I'm gonna say Purcey...just a hunch.

College pitching is the best idea, but I will go against conventional wisdom and say they should take a catcher with one of the sandwich picks.

 

The good thing too about college players is that they're generally easier to sign vs. high school guys.

This is a guy that I REALLY hope we pick with one of our first 7 picks in the first 3 rounds. Billy Butler, about 6'1 230 I believe, 1B/OF

 

Supposedly could have the most power in the draft.

 

This from BA.com

"Butler looks best in the batter's box, and scouts are eager to see him with wood instead of metal in his hands. He'll have to move across the diamond to first, or with plus arm strength that helps him throw 93 mph off the mound, move to a corner outfield spot, but he has the raw power to make the move work. Butler has a mature approach. He trusts his quick hands and allows balls to get deep in the zone, giving him excellent loft power. He has natural rhythm to his swing and excellent hand-eye and body coordination."

BA's has its first 1st round projection out and it has us taking BJ Syzmanski an OF from Princeton. He was rated as the best athlete in college and the best power hitter, and 3rd fastest in college. I'm not sure thats a great idea to draft another OF even if he fell to us.

In the MLB draft a club does not draft on a "need" basis, rather the club drafts the best player available that they believe they can sign.

 

I'd love to have Syzmanski, probably one of the best position players in the draft.

In the MLB draft a club does not draft on a "need" basis, rather the club drafts the best player available that they believe they can sign.

 

I'd love to have Syzmanski, probably one of the best position players in the draft.

Just playing devil's advocate here: Wouldn't another OFer create a log jam in the system? For example, we see Brice being held back when he wouldn't be otherwise. What if some of our OFers stay in the system a while like Borchard and clog up the works? Do you see that as an issue or not?

Just playing devil's advocate here: Wouldn't another OFer create a log jam in the system? For example, we see Brice being held back when he wouldn't be otherwise. What if some of our OFers stay in the system a while like Borchard and clog up the works? Do you see that as an issue or not?

I see it as an asset --

 

There's no way that all of these prospect make the major leagues -- and there's even less chance that they make the ML with the sox. While not quite as valuab;e as SP's if you have enough of them stockpiled, some of them become expendable to pick up on of your other needs.

I see it as an asset. If the Sox end up having their system filled with too many good outfielders then when the time comes they can move one of them to another team to fill a need.

 

I tend to agree with Cerb, if they get Syzmanski I'd have no problem. He probably has more upside than any of the outfielders in the Sox system (which says a lot) and has the speed to be a potential 2 hole hitter with some sick power.

 

The guy is very fast and very strong.

I'm gonna say Purcey...just a hunch.

Hey heads just to let you know Koch has 7 saves not 6.

I know how MLB teams draft, some draft for needs, others draft best available player. Teams like the Yankees usually draft the best available player, because they can sign them, and also they trade away most of their minor league players. Teams like the Tigers, Royals, Pirates, etc usually draft on need basis, due to signability mainly. If we only had one pick in each round, I would be a little more against drafting a luxury, but with all of our picks we have early, I would be completely fine drafting another great OF'er.

I know how MLB teams draft, some draft for needs, others draft best available player. Teams like the Yankees usually draft the best available player, because they can sign them, and also they trade away most of their minor league players. Teams like the Tigers, Royals, Pirates, etc usually draft on need basis, due to signability mainly. If we only had one pick in each round, I would be a little more against drafting a luxury, but with all of our picks we have early, I would be completely fine drafting another great OF'er.

Exactly. Plus the draft is thin on position players so if the Sox are able to get a stud early on in what is a pitching heavy draft then I see no problem with it.

 

I would like to see the Sox take Hughes with one of their supplemental picks. He is a high schooler that is ranked pretty high from Foothill or something along those lines. I've seen him pitch in a couple games on the local tv station and he's got sick stuff.

 

Great fastball and a very nice sharp curveball.

 

Of course if one of the good college pitchers happens to drop to the Sox, I can't see them passing one up.

Exactly.  Plus the draft is thin on position players so if the Sox are able to get a stud early on in what is a pitching heavy draft then I see no problem with it.

 

I would like to see the Sox take Hughes with one of their supplemental picks.  He is a high schooler that is ranked pretty high from Foothill or something along those lines.  I've seen him pitch in a couple games on the local tv station and he's got sick stuff.

 

Great fastball and a very nice sharp curveball. 

 

Of course if one of the good college pitchers happens to drop to the Sox, I can't see them passing one up.

Jas, what do you think the odds of one of the real good starting pitchers falling down to the sox? I love drafting pitching and I think the sox really need some good starting pitchers down on the farm. Also besides the top 3 or 4 college pitchers what others are you high on that you think really have great upside including high school pitchers. Also an unrelated question where do you think Huston Street will go, I think he'll be a pretty interesting pick just because a team might draft him to put him in the pen later this year.

I don't know enough about where each team sees a player to really project anything accurately. I know where some of the players will go but to me the MLB draft is so tough to predict because their are a lot of teams that won't draft particular players for signability purposes and what not.

 

However, I got a feeling the Sox will nab a pretty good pitcher. I just see one of the good guys, possibly Rice's 3rd best starter falling to the Sox somehow. Call it a hunch.

I'm not Jason but it wouldn't suprise me to see Huston Street picked around the sandwich aread by someone like Oakland, who favors control. Huston doesn't have great stuff, but he has great control with average stuff, and can apparently get outs.

I'd say the Jays would be another possibility. They are a team that favors strikes to velocity. I'd even say the Sox are potentially that type of team, although I think the Sox scouting is rather unique.

 

They see guys whom they like the potential and will quite often notice players that they feel they could make minor changes and then turn them into real studs.

 

They did that with both Rauch and Wright and while neither has panned out, both had high ceilings at one point in time or another.

I'm not Jason but it wouldn't suprise me to see Huston Street picked around the sandwich aread by someone like Oakland, who favors control. Huston doesn't have great stuff, but he has great control with average stuff, and can apparently get outs.

After the Royce Ring experience, I don't think the Sox take another college reliever. Just a hunch.

After the Royce Ring experience, I don't think the Sox take another college reliever.  Just a hunch.

Well, not in the 1st round, and not one that doesn't feature a dynamite fastball.

Another player I wouldn't mind taking with one of our picks would be Josh Fields, a 3B from Oklahoma St.