2014 Draft class

[royoung]

I'm glad NC State's overuse of Rodon to the tune of 130-140 pitches got them to the promise land.

 

To me it's a nice plus Rodon's season is done. He pitched 98.2 inning this year, which gives the Sox (or whichever team selects him) a little breathing room to start his professional career. Rodon's Freshmen year, he led the ACC with 114.2 IP, then went out his Sophomore year and threw 132.1 innings. I think the 132 innings would be roughly the maximum they would let him pitch.

 

For reference, Chris Sale pitched 103 innings at FGCU in 2010, then went on to pitch another 33.2 professional. This was a career high for him, blowing away his previous high of 89.1 innings in a season. The Sox then eased his innings back in 2011 with 58 appearances out of the bullpen, totally 71 innings.

[Balta1701]

To me it's a nice plus Rodon's season is done. He pitched 98.2 inning this year, which gives the Sox (or whichever team selects him) a little breathing room to start his professional career. Rodon's Freshmen year, he led the ACC with 114.2 IP, then went out his Sophomore year and threw 132.1 innings. I think the 132 innings would be roughly the maximum they would let him pitch.

 

For reference, Chris Sale pitched 103 innings at FGCU in 2010, then went on to pitch another 33.2 professional. This was a career high for him, blowing away his previous high of 89.1 innings in a season. The Sox then eased his innings back in 2011 with 58 appearances out of the bullpen, totally 71 innings.

That's not quite true. He pitched in a summer league the previous season for 40+ innings that don't show up on his college innings list. he basically threw 130 innings in both seasons.

[royoung]

That's not quite true. He pitched in a summer league the previous season for 40+ innings that don't show up on his college innings list. he basically threw 130 innings in both seasons.

 

Good catch Balta, I completely forgot he was a Cape Cod League star. He pitched 55 innings for the CCL in 2009, upping his year total to 144.1 in 2009.

Edited May 26, 2014 by southside hitman

[Melissa1334]

some posters corrected me and mention that with the salary cap for drafted players, player are slotted with

the amount of what an agent or advisor can asked. I still believed the advisor can asked for the max

and there by limiting the ability to sign the other drafted prospects. Rodon, Alex Jackson are 2 known prospects

that have boras.

 

Second the personal animosity that the sox and boras has for each, HAS to play into the equations.

to me that isnt the biggest problem, the slot money, its the future money if he pans out. its the year to year arb and hitting free agency. no quintana/sale type deals is what i mean

[caulfield12]

IMHO Aiken and Kolek seem to have more upside. According to BA and MLB, Aiken seems to have more polish and upside than Rodon, and Kolek is the hardest thrower/pitcher than Rodon.

 

Regardless that Rodon has Scott Boras as his agent.

 

 

Kolek is consistently 95-100.

 

Rodon was down in the low 90's for most of his recent collegiate season, and tops out around 95-96 typically. It's his slider which gets outs, not blowing away hitters with fastball after fastball like Yordano Ventura.

[CyAcosta41]

to me that isnt the biggest problem, the slot money, its the future money if he pans out. its the year to year arb and hitting free agency. no quintana/sale type deals is what i mean

 

I've been saying exactly this for quite a while now.

 

Subject to the current rules that reigns in Boras a lot more than before, plus the absolutely huge financial risk of going back to school (others have talked numbers about this, so I won't take up bandwidth going through it again, Boras WILL be a pest and make the Sox life miserable in the initial signing. But, realistically, he can only do so much and Rodon would be extremely likely to sign.

 

The elephant in the room is that IF Rodon pans out (and you would hope they expect the 1-3 pick to pan out), then you know for a certainty -- a CERTAINTY -- that Boras will get Rodon to the open market (unless Rodon changes agents or puts his foot down). Everything about the one contract approach is diametrically opposite to the Chairman's way of doing business. I'm convinced that they would prefer ANY other reasonably equivalent player who didn't come with this rather sizable zit on his Bor-ass.

 

But there's the rub. It's entirely likely that if Rodon is available at 1-3, there is NO reasonably equivalent player. The Sox clearly run scared of H.S. pitchers. That might be wise too. And, sure, it might be that despite being scared, they could be secretly salivating over either Aiken or Kolek. All evidence suggests that Hoffman might have been their college arm of choice, but even with incredible advances in TJ-surgery, that's a monster risk to take at 1-3. So, Rodon very well might be the runaway best arm in the draft, the only other option being going for the next tier of college arm, and using limey underslot savings to improve the draft generally.

 

Of course, they could also go position player too. Unfortunately, wouldn't you know that the likely best position player is Jackson -- also a Boras kid! So the same one and done concerns apply. They COULD do what the Cubs are rumored to be doing -- grabbing the Pentecost (sp?) catcher kid underslot, but if you do that, I'm sure this org would prefer to go the underslot route from a pitching perspective.

 

After the fact, wouldn't you love to administer truth serum to get past the public explanations and find out what was really being discussed by the brain trust?

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Kolek is consistently 95-100.

 

Rodon was down in the low 90's for most of his recent collegiate season, and tops out around 95-96 typically. It's his slider which gets outs, not blowing away hitters with fastball after fastball like Yordano Ventura.

Ventura is getting knocked around by the Astros. He's still young obviously but so far he's not blowing anyone away until he gets his command. But I like him a lot

[Jake]

We act like a guy who sits low 90s and reaches back regularly for 95-96 while getting a lot of swing and misses with a slider is bad from a LH starter while we all watch Chris Sale in awe

[DirtySox]

Ventura is getting knocked around by the Astros. He's still young obviously but so far he's not blowing anyone away until he gets his command. But I like him a lot

 

He's getting knocked around because he's injured. Was sitting around 90 before he was pulled. Might have to add him to the TJ epidemic of 2014.

[Heads22]

I honestly have no idea how we handle this draft. None.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

He's getting knocked around because he's injured. Was sitting around 90 before he was pulled. Might have to add him to the TJ epidemic of 2014.

Ya seen that. That happened literally after I posted my comment. Crazy

[caulfield12]

We act like a guy who sits low 90s and reaches back regularly for 95-96 while getting a lot of swing and misses with a slider is bad from a LH starter while we all watch Chris Sale in awe

 

Not bad at all, that's Quintana, or Johan Santana, or Liriano, etc.

 

The problem is that his fastball isn't his primary out pitch, it's his slider. From all reports, his FB is a good pitch, but not off the scouts' charts....rather pedestrian, in the same way that Hector Santiago's FB is, even in the mid 90's.

 

Sale has the advantage of his leverage/height/arm angles and deception.

[LDF]

to me that isnt the biggest problem, the slot money, its the future money if he pans out.

its the year to year arb and hitting free agency. no quintana/sale type deals is what i mean

 

what you said may be true, however to get to those arb yrs, first they will need to sign for the slot money

and not having their so-called advisors asking for more money. there are more players drafted that need to

be signed.

 

if they achieved success, then let it be fought on another level at another time.

[LDF]

do what the Cubs are rumored to be doing -- grabbing the Pentecost (sp?) catcher

 

kid underslot, but if you do that, I'm sure this org would prefer to go the underslot route from a

 

pitching perspective.

 

lets for this discussion say that the sox are looking to under slot, beside outside the top 3 pitchers, who could

be available and are they the best pick to make?? pitcher vs position player

[royoung]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/draft/mock/...-Law-Mock-Draft

 

Keith Law's 2nd mock draft is out and it has some VERY interesting information about the Sox's pick. He has the top three going:

 

1. Aiken

2. Rodon

3. Kolek

 

"Tyler Kolek

 

Analysis: The White Sox have been locked in on Kolek for more than a month, and the industry is betting he's their guy even if Carlos Rodon or Brady Aiken drop to this pick. They apparently prefer Kolek to Aiken and would rather not grapple with Rodon's perceived high price tag. (I say "perceived" because I don't believe he has put out any demands at all.)

 

They were also in heavy at Aaron Nola's last start, with former GM Kenny Williams in the crowd."

 

For all of you who have Rodon or Aiken above Kolek (frankly, nearly everyone), let's hope Keith Law is getting bad info.

 

He says this about the Marlins, "I've heard this comes from the owner: If the Cuban-American lefty is there at No. 2, take him, and we'll have a pair of Cuban aces at the top of our rotation."

 

 

 

 

[flavum]

Only 9 more days of nonsense.

[fathom]

I'd be stunned if it was Kolek. With that said, it would be awesome to see Hawk try to explain the pick given Kolek is the exact type of pitcher he's warned against drafting high.

[harfman77]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/draft/mock/...-Law-Mock-Draft

 

Keith Law's 2nd mock draft is out and it has some VERY interesting information about the Sox's pick. He has the top three going:

 

1. Aiken

2. Rodon

3. Kolek

 

"Tyler Kolek

 

Analysis: The White Sox have been locked in on Kolek for more than a month, and the industry is betting he's their guy even if Carlos Rodon or Brady Aiken drop to this pick. They apparently prefer Kolek to Aiken and would rather not grapple with Rodon's perceived high price tag. (I say "perceived" because I don't believe he has put out any demands at all.)

 

They were also in heavy at Aaron Nola's last start, with former GM Kenny Williams in the crowd."

 

For all of you who have Rodon or Aiken above Kolek (frankly, nearly everyone), let's hope Keith Law is getting bad info.

 

He says this about the Marlins, "I've heard this comes from the owner: If the Cuban-American lefty is there at No. 2, take him, and we'll have a pair of Cuban aces at the top of our rotation."

 

 

Interesting. The Sox must think that they can develop his secondary stuff if they like him more than the others. I do wonder if this is a smokescreen though as Hahn seems to operate much more in that manner than KW did. We'll see next week.

 

[southsider2k5]

I wonder who is getting fed their information from whom? It is obvious that someone has legit sources, and others are being fed BS to cover the scent. The questions is who is who?

[Dunt]

I wonder who is getting fed their information from whom? It is obvious that someone has legit sources, and others are being fed BS to cover the scent. The questions is who is who?

 

Should be interesting to look back after and see who had it right

[bmags]

This year TJ has hit so many different pitchers who can even tell what the reason is.

[NorthSideSox72]

I wonder who is getting fed their information from whom? It is obvious that someone has legit sources, and others are being fed BS to cover the scent. The questions is who is who?

Well, at least one of KLaw's tweets from a "source" was outright stricken down as wrong. He had said KW Jr and JR had been at the Nola start for the Sox. JR wasn't there (which, duh), and KW Jr works for another org.

 

[bmags]

Even though I don't care for the "Keith Law hates the White Sox!" meme, I have a hard time believing he would have good sources on this.

[Buehrle>Wood]

For fathom

 

 

 

 

1. Aiken

2. Rodon

.........

3. Kolek

 

 

I'll be honest I'm going to be sad if we don't get one of the first. Yes I realize there's a chance they go 1 2 and I'll be one sad panda. I'll especially be mad if one or both are available and we pass.

[Baron]

I'd be stunned if it was Kolek. With that said, it would be awesome to see Hawk try to explain the pick given Kolek is the exact type of pitcher he's warned against drafting high.

 

Honestly it doesnt and shouldnt matter what Hawk has to say on this subject. There is a reason why Aiken and Kolek are ranked so highly...even above the mighty college pitchers. This especially goes for Aiken...the pitches he has at his age are why he is being considered at 1.