Draft Chat

I'll be doing my best to not work today and provide draft coverage. Talk about it here.

The Rays make high school shortstop Timothy Beckham the number one overall pick.

Dammit, I actually had to work.

Round One, Pick 15: Ethan Martin, RHP SP, Stevens County High School

Scouting Report : He went from an interesting two-way player to an upper-echelon pitching prospect in one start. Showing three above-average pitches he can throw for strikes as well as the ability to maintain mid-90s velocity deep into a game, Martin was sure to be one of the most closely watched prep pitchers in the Draft class. He jumped on the screen with that one start; if he keeps it going, he'll move quickly up the charts.

Throws 91-96 with a plus curve and a potentially plus splitter.

Round Two, Pick 61: Joshua Lindblom, RHP RP Purdue University, 21 years old, 6'5 240

Scouting Report : With a fastball that has been clocked up to 97 mph with some sink, Lindblom has the power arsenal you look for in a short reliever. His curve is inconsistent, but his splitter has the chance to be a plus pitch in the future. He's also got a changeup that can work against left-handed hitters. He's been up-and-down this season, sometimes being very hittable and sometimes being untouchable. But with his live arm and big-league body and stuff, someone is sure to bite fairly early on.

Round Three, Pick 91: Kyle Russell, OF, Texas, 22 years old, 6'5'' 190

Scouting Report : Russell led NCAA Division I with 28 homers last year (eclipsing the previous Longhorns record of 20) and has a quick bat with power to all fields, yet scouts still aren't sold on his bat. Many think he has a grooved swing, and he has repeatedly made poor contact with wood bats. He's an average athlete and runner with a right-field arm, though his ability to hit will determine his ultimate value.

"I'm kind of in the middle on Russell," the first NL scouting director said. "I do really respect the lefthanded power. I do question how much he's really going to hit, though. But he has put up pretty good production at the highest level of amateur baseball."

Round Four: Pick 127: Devaris Strange-Gordon, SS, Seminole CC, 20 years old, 5'11'', 150

New front runner for best name in the organization. He's skinnier than I am, which can't be a good sign.

Scouting Report : Tom Gordon's son, Devaris Strange-Gordon, is an infielder who hasn't been played much baseball but he's really caught the eyes of baseball scouts with his multiple tools.

Round Five, Pick 157: Jon Michael Redding, RHP, Florida CC, 21 years old, 6'1'', 195

Scouting Report:   "Perhaps the most impressive season by a Tiger signee this year came from pitch Jon Michael Redding, the 6-2 right-hander from Florida CC in Jacksonville. Redding was 8-5 with a 2.02 ERA, and in 125 innings he posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 123-29. Redding also hit 92 with his fastball all season. The word on his is that while he’s going to likely be drafted fairly highly next month it’s going to take a big number to keep him from going pro, so Redding might be a guy who could be an option as a weekend starter next year. Particularly so if Ryan Verdugo and Blake Martin, both of whom are seen as 50-50 possibilities to turn pro, actually do sign contracts."

Round Six, Pick 187: Anthony Delmonico, SS, FSU, 21 Years Old, 6'1'', 195

Scouting Report (2007):  Delmonico had an erratic sophomore season at Tennessee, switching back and forth betweensecond base and shortstop in search of a comfort zone, and continued to struggle in the field this summer at Cotuit, alternating between second, short and third base—and even the outfield. Though he has good range and a cannon fromany infield position, he constantly struggled with his hands and eventually lost confidence in his ability to field ground balls. His missteps in the field also affected him at the plate from time to time, though he hit .267-3-18 on the summer. He normally has good timing and bat control at the plate, and can occasionally drive a ball with wood, but stopped switch-hitting to bat only righthanded—even though he struggles with breaking balls from that side. No one was harder on himself throughout his troubles than Delmonico, but scouts haven’t lost faith in his ability. They appreciate his athleticism and tools package—though not one of his tools stands out. With the ouster of his father Rod as the long-time baseball coach at Tennessee after the 2007 season, Delmonico has transferred to Florida State for his junior year. His father will be close at hand having taking a job as a volunteer assistant with the Seminoles