Jim Callis on the Cardinals drafts

[jdk82]

He said a few things in the draft chat today

kyle from st. louis asks:
my two teams are the cardinals and the twins. from what i've heard, they both had disappointing drafts. is this true from your perspective as well?

A: John Manuel: As I've said before, I thought STL acquitted itself just fine. Minnesota really went long on tools, not so high on present stuff . . . They did not take obvious guys, let's put it that way. It seems like money was a big, big factor.



todd from arkansas asks:
Why do you suspect the Cardinals took a high school ss with their first round pick, instead of a polished college pitcher who would be able to fill a need sooner than the kid they picked? I realize they picked up some pitcher later in day one, but their first pick still makes me wonder.

A: Jim Callis: I didn't get a chance to say this on the ESPN show, but I liked the Pete Kozma pick at No. 18. He was the best shortstop in the draft for me, the only guy who was going to stay at short and would hit. That's a good value pick in a draft that was very thin on middle infielders. Kudos to the Cardinals--everyone expected them to go college heavy (including me) and that's a good pick.



Q: Chris from St. Louis asks:
Is there any way you can make me feel better about the Cardinals draft?

A: Jim Callis: I hope I just did with the last question.



Pat from New York asks:
With Kyle Russell and Bradley Suttle lasting to the 4th round, do you see either of them signing (with the Cardinals or Yankees - repectively) or will they play one more year at Texas?

A: Jim Callis: I've heard they both want $1 million each. They're both draft-eligible sophomores, so they won't lose leverage if they go into the 2008 draft. MLB is clamping down on paying above slot. So there's a chance they'll rejoin the Longhorns. That said, both the Cardinals and Yankees can afford the price tag, especially the Yankees.