GatewayRedbirds.com

FR has a nice write-up on some of the early mocks and who they have us taking at 19.

http://www.futureredbirds.net/2012/04/1 ... #more-8860

I haven't paid as close attention this year as I have in the past, so others (phins?) may know more about these potential prospects.

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Too early to be too in on the guys right now. If Pierce Johnson is healthy (has a forearm issue right now), he'd be a guy around the area we'll be drafting. He's a right hander out of Missouri State who has a great sinking fastball, throws 92-94, has a great curveball and a decent changeup and will be ranked in that 20 area if healthy.

The guys FR has us looking at are not overwhelming to me. This draft is not great at this point, with college bats being beyond bad right now. Nick Fontana is basically Ryan Jackson with better makeup. He will move pretty quickly and is ready defensively already.

Still lots of time, and the high school kids especially will rise. Would love it if Lucas Giolito somehow fell to us. We could pool some of our money for other picks and take Giolito. A guy like Johnson would sign for slot and then maybe a few easy sign guys to make up for a little bit over slot going to Giolito (5% of pool I believe is the max).

With so many picks, and college bats being horrible, do you think the Cardinals will go mainly with high school picks with high ceilings (if they can)?

Seems like with so much talent just now reaching AAA, AA and highA right now that we can afford to go with younger guys that will take a while to develop.

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That Johnson kid seems right up our alley. Sinking fastball + a curve + a change ... that's early Adam Wainwright. Probably not that big of a curve, though. Still, you can get a lot of mileage out of a pitcher like that. It seems to me, and I have no stats to back this up, that if you have a sinking fastball in the low to mid 90's, decent command, and at least one other pitch, your odds of reaching and sticking at the majors in some role are really high.

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Since we'll be drafting at the end of the first round, probably won't get any blue chip prospects this year unless they really find a diamond in the rough that other teams aren't aware of just how good he really is.

We aren't drafting at the end of the first round. We'll be picking at #19. We also have several other compensatory picks as well: first round pick for Pujols, and sandwich picks from Jackson and Dotel.

At time of his injury, he led the NCAA in strikeouts as well, so he's not just a pitch to contact guy. Needs to hone his command, and his velocity is not overwhelming, along with the arm injury are what keep him from elite draft status.

Like I say though, it's April, so lots of things will change between now and the draft. High school kids will visit the showcases and work out for teams later on and those kids can swing winldly based on results there.

It will be interesting this year. The new CBA has changed everything, and I think you'll see a LOT more kids go to school because of the semi-slotting system they have in place. With so many picks, taking a mixture of upside kids and signability kids makes sense. Take a few upside kids, and if they don't sign, you have next year as a better draft to get the picks back and try again.

Either way, I think you'll see talent go in more representative spots this year.

Pick 19 From Angels for AP
Pick 23 Original Pick
Pick 36 For AP
Pick 52 For Dotel
Pick 59 For Jackson

That's just round one and supplemental one. I had no clue the cards had that many supplemental picks.

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