2010 Draft Thread - Cards Take Zack Cox (3B) @ 25

[go birds]

Today is the day people!

You can catch it live on the MLB Network starting at 6 P.M. CDT.

Admittedly i haven't been following as much this year as i have in the past so i can't really comment too much on the draft this year.

I've only done a little bit of research and come across a couple names associated with the cards..

Austin Wilson, a toolsy high-school outfielder. From what i understand he'll be a tough sign as his parents want him to go to college. I've read where it woudl take ~$3 mil to sign him

Stetson Allie, SP. Don't really know much about him.

I've also seen a couple other names like Matt Harvey, Brandon Workman, and Brett Eibner.


I'd really like to see the organization start stocking the system with high-upside players. Our system seems to be fine with depth so let's go after some of those high risk/high reward players.

Anywho, today is the today! I am excited to see who we end up with!

[go birds]

Draft Preview per Matthew Leach:

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/a ... p&c_id=stl

Jon Heyman has us taking a SS outta WV, Jedd Gyorko:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... aft/1.html

[Fat Strat]

I would love to see us draft a mature college hitter ala Wallace this year. The system could use another potential replacement for Ludwick who could move through the system quick.

Hard to turn down a big HS arm, but I think we need some more rapid returns on investment now. Both to restock the upper part of our system, but also to give us a little insurance for the looming contract negotiations with Pujols. Most likely none of these guys will be ready in 2012, but it would be nice to have a few players in Springfield or Memphis that we can look at and say they're potential answers if we have to fill some slots normally devoted to higher priced players.

Then again, our promotions the last two seasons -- Freese, Rasmus, Garcia, Motte, and Boggs -- look like they're going to stick and will be cheap for several more years.

[go birds]

From what i understand, this draft isn't very deep with talent. In fact, i believe it's one of the thinnest drafts in years.

I wonder if we are, in fact, going to lose Ludwick. I think it is a real possibilty the cards re-sign him.

[Fat Strat]

I think he's almost a lock to be gone, honestly. It makes almost no sense from a baseball perspective to hang on to him. We have him under control until after 2011. He'll be 33 when he starts his 2012 season and likely wanting $10 million plus per for 3-4 years. Would you want to give that to a player of Ludwick's caliber at that point in his career when we have to pay Pujols?

That to me epitomizes a bad baseball move. Skip is up after 2011. Carp, Lohse, and Yadi in 2012. Wainwright after 2013. That's a good chunk of your core that are going to be needing more money at the same time that Pujols' contract kicks in.

Mozeliak said that the draft is rich in young pitchers (which I interpret as HS arms) and didn't rule out drafting 3 pitchers in the 1st and supp. Who knows what they'll actually do, but if we draft a bunch of HS arms now, when are they likely to be ready? 2013? 2014? 5 years would be the most likely scenario.

Anyway, that's why I would love to see a couple of our first picks be a more mature college player. This is dreaming big, but if all of them were over slot players (talent that falls becasue of signability) then all the better. You don't want to sacrifice the talent if it's there, but I just don't think it will be there at pick 25. A guy like Miller won't fall that far.

[vinsanity]

I can see the need for a mature hitter who'd be here quickly, but with Rasmus and Holliday patrolling the OF and Jones still in the Minors I'm not sure we need a 'toolsy OF' bat.

I could see a 3B or middle IFer.

But I'd rather bolster that starting rotation, especially since Carp isn't getting younger.

[vinsanity]

I can see the need for a mature hitter who'd be here quickly, but with Rasmus and Holliday patrolling the OF and Jones still in the Minors I'm not sure we need a 'toolsy OF' bat.

I could see a 3B or middle IFer.

But I'd rather bolster that starting rotation, especially since Carp isn't getting younger.

[Fat Strat]

You weren't quoting me, but just to clarify, I don't mean a "toolsy OF bat". In fact, I was trying to imply the opposite of "toolsy" when I said mature. "Toolsy" guys (especially outside of the top 15) almost always come with the implication of being projects and that ups the risk factor. With two toolsy guys already patrolling the outfield, a solid power hitting OF'er would be just fine with me.

Those guys are just so usable and seem to work out a greater percentage of the time. They're great trade players; they can usually fill two-three spots on the field (RF/LF). They're high side is an All-Star caliber starter. Downside is usually a Stavinoha... who's still able to contribute to the major league club.

There's few other types of players that you can draft outside of the top 20 where you have that kind of odds of getting a return. (College arms being another, which has been why we've drafted so many of them over the last decade).


Keep in mind, my thoughts on this are mostly due to the fact that we have three 1st round/supp round picks, but nothing in the zone where impact players usually get drafted. If you're hoping for or expecing a player like Miller or Wallace to fall to us there, you're going to be disappointed. We're looking at guys comparable to the draft talent level of of Jay, Todd, Ottavino, Lynn, Greene, Rasmus...

[Zomby Woof]

If we go with 3 "young arms" (as per Moz, a possiblity) in out 1st 3 chosen, Stetson Allie will be the leader of that pack. Tops out at 98mph using 4 and 2-seamers, with a Slider that overmatched the competition. Problem: he could be the 2nd coming of Ottovino...

FWIW, Id like to see us get the best position player available with the 1st pick(@ whatever the cost), then we can go pitching with the 2 sups.

[vinsanity]

You weren't quoting me, but just to be clarify, I don't mean a "toolsy OF bat". In fact, I was trying to imply the opposite of "toolsy" when I said mature. "Toolsy" guys (especially outside of the top 15) almost always come with the implication of being projects and that ups the risk factor. With two toolsy guys already patrolling the outfield, a solid power hitting OF'er would be just fine with me.

Those guys are just so usable and seem to work out a greater percentage of the time. They're great trade players; they can usually fill two-three spots on the field (RF/LF). They're high side is an All-Star caliber starter. Downside is usually a Stavinoha... who's still able to contribute to the major league club.

I guess I said toolsy cause that's what Go Birds said about the OFer with signability issues. Isn't Jones the current 'toolsy' OFer? I always thought 'toolsy' was 5 tool player with some raw talent, but not a 'project'. Just a guy who did everything above average to well, but nothing great.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the hitters take a little longer to reach the majors and have less immediate impact when they do, but last longer and improve more over their career (Yadi, Ludwick, Colby) whereas the pitchers seem to get to the majors a little quicker and have a little bit more impact, quickly, but don't last as long, are a bigger risk and more likely to flame out (Reyes, Wainwright, Garcia, Haren, Perez, Motte come to mind).

I'm perfectly ok with the teams offense being built around Albert/Holliday/Colby for the next 7 years, so I'm not as concerned with a power OF bat - though it'd be nice.

Keep in my thoughts on this are mostly due to the fact that we have three 1st round/supp round picks, but nothing in the zone where impact players usually get drafted. If you're hoping for or expecing a player like Miller or Wallace to fall to us there, you're going to be disappointed. We're looking at guys comparable to the draft talent level of of Jay, Todd, Ottavino, Lynn, Greene, Rasmus...

You know more about the draft and strategy of it than I do (I'm learning here!). I'm not expecting to get a guy who everyone agrees has top of the rotation potential (though I'm mildly surprised you'd rank Wallace ahead of Rasmus unless your basing it just on draft-time-stock). But grabbing an OFer who'll be in right in 3-4 years seems like less of a need than grabbing three young, strong arms if one can stick as a #2 or #3 and make a splash in 2 or 3 years.