colbyjack

If I were pulling the trigger I'd put Baez at 3B from day one, because I don't believe he stays at SS long-term and would want him to get as many reps at 3B so he's as close to MLB ready in all phases of his game when he gets there. I like Baez, but in some of the projections I'm seeing there's a chance guys like Matt Barnes, Sonny Gray and Jed Bradley could fall to the Brewers pick. Tyler Anderson is another guy I like that I would consider, and Trevor Story is a guy I may take at #15. While the extra first-rounder is nice this year, it certainly would be fun to have a comp pick or two (or more) this year.

Colby, like you mentioned about no one seeing Covey last year, how do you feel about Dillion Howard? I had one person tell me they fully expect Howard to go to college (Arkansas). He's a strong kid, not overly tall, but he may have maxed out. He's still good even if he has maxed out, as he has been throwing in the low-to-mid-90s with a good slider since his sophomore year in high school. He also is advised by Boras, which of course complicates matters. As for Baez, he has hit well on the showcase circuit, and hits good pitching. His bat is clearly his best tool, and is a similar prospect to both Brett Lawrie and even Ryan Braun at a similar stage in his career. I don't think he sticks at shortstop, but I have heard he has been making some acrobatic plays this spring. He's far from the type of prospect Anthony Hewitt is/was, but may eventually settle in at third or even an outfield corner. Chris Reed is a name that has been on the rise, with a few rumors of teams in the 20-30 range considering him with their pick. The Astros at #11 is an interesting fit, and I agree it's one less team to contend with should someone like Lindor get past the top 7-8 picks. I haven't heard any signability issues with Daniel Norris. He has top of the rotation stuff, but needs consistency.

Similar to Piliere's pick of Archie Bradley, Goldstein seems to be guessing with Springer and Michael in that mock. Kudos to Toby for his report on Baez, and as good as Guerrieri has been this spring, he has enough issues to stay away from. Keep in mind that no one had the Brewers associated with Dylan Covey at this time last year. I think Spangenberg and Cron are more likely at #15 than some of the other names being brought up.

Great question DHonks, and a nice wrinkle to your previous, annual inquiry (and you do know my answer to your old question for this year, the most apt one ever, right?). The answer is Joe Ross. He's the younger brother of Tyson Ross, who pitches for the A's. Joe isn't as tall but has a better and more projectable/wiry frame than Tyson. He sits in the upper-80s to low-90s with the ability to touch higher than that (and a lot of room for added/consistent velocity) with a very good 3-pitch mix (slider/changeup). He repeats his delivery well and commands the zone well, particularly for his age. Definitely the type of guy that can get a lot of Ks looking (and swinging) simply by his pitching moxie. He likely goes somewhere between the Brewers pick at #15 and their 2nd rounder. I could definitely see him being the pitcher we're all scratching our heads wondering how he wasn't a premium pick a few years from now. Keep in mind, I had Yo going 10th overall to the Rangers the Brewers took him in the 2nd round. I don't bring that up to toot my own horn, but to point out that his talents were plenty recognized when he was draft eligible. And Colby, who would you rather see the Brewers draft, Taylor Guerrieri or Archie Bradley? Bradley, 10 times out of 10 without thinking twice. Money may make that difficult but based strictly on talent, I really like Bradley and think he's a good bet to succeed.

Anyone a little suspicious of Guerrieri's sudden helium? He didn't get noticed that much until either January or February, and then suddenly shot up through draft boards. Is he really gonna sustain his stuff and velocity? Eric Arnett also had a sudden helium and saw a jump in velocity, and when he got to the minors, he just crashed and burned. Not saying that Guerrieri = Arnett, but I'm a little suspicious about the sudden helium. Guerrieri didn't come out of nowhere though, as he was well known to scouts particularly when he was throwing in the 93-95 range last July. He's a guy that was rated as a top 20-30 prep prospect, putting him in the 50-60 overall range prior to the spring. That's still sandwich to 2nd round range, as I had him 65th in my top 100 rankings as of January 9th: http://www.5tooltalk.com/...pects-top100-1-9-11.html Just a guess, but I would think the comparison between Bradley and Sheets is because they both rely on 2 pitches: fastballs and a similar 12-6 curveball. And then perhaps that neither one really uses a change up - but maybe with Bradley it's because he hasn't developed it yet or had to use it. You nailed it heresrobin. Ben Sheets and Archie Bradley are nowhere near the same other than the fact they throw FB/CB. Bradley's is a knuckle curve in which he curls in his forefinger to snap off the pitch the way he does. Bradley is much bigger and more physical than Sheets. I really respect Piliere's work, but I didn't get the impression that he said the Brewers were actually considering Bradley like he did with a few of the other players. It sounded more like a guess. I would be pleasantly surprised if Bradley were the pick, although remind myself that at least with whatever they sign him for they can spread it out over five years since Bradley is a 2-sport guy. And DHonks brings up a good point. There's a difference between being cheap and spending slot value. You could have argued that the Brewers went cheap when they took Braun over Cameron Maybin back in 2005 depending on your view of how they approach and spend on the draft. Also, I hope everyone at least checks out Perfect Game come draft day. We're rolling out a new draft tracker so to speak that is going to be side-by-side with a CoverItLive chat window that we're calling Draft LIVE! You'll be able to see the picks and read commentary from myself and other PG experts as they occur. The links to the players will take readers to their PG profiles, and we also made all of our 2011 draft coverage free of charge, including Allan Simpson's one-of-a-kind state-by-state follow lists.

One other guy I'm intrigued by is Dante Bichette Jr. Colby, do you think he'll be around for the Brewers 2nd round pick or is his commitment to UGA pretty solid and going to make it difficult to sign him? The Brewers could use another 3B prospect as Taylor Green has kind of fizzled out a bit and the only other prospect is Mike Walker. I don't think Bichette sticks at 3B, but I do think he could be at the team's pick in the 2nd round. I got up his 50 in 50 profile this evening if you want to read his detailed report (free for all to enjoy): http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5717 And speaking of free, most of PG's draft coverage is free. The only thing that won't be are the state-by-state lists, which really are the only thing of their kind out there, and well worth the price. Alabama's is available for free to get a feel for what the lists are all about: http://www.perfectgame.or....aspx?Year=2011&State=AL DHonks, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Instead of answering your question, I invite you to read the Arizona state preview. My PG associates usually have a good finger on the pulse of which players are being targeted for what rounds: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5690 SessileFielder already pointed out that the Brewers have already drafted Winkler once, so yes, they would be interested. His stuff was consistently better this season, at least earlier in the spring. I don't mean to sound like a corporate shill, but if you don't visit Perfect Game regularly for draft coverage, please be sure to do so. We're working on some things behind the scenes right now that we hope to put in place on draft day, but won't be able to announce that until we can confirm that it will actually happen. I can tell you that we want to be the place people go to for draft coverage, as the amount of information we have in-house is unmatched (and that is a big part of the reason I was brought on board full-time). We're really our own scouting department, we just don't have any picks of our own. And thanks to Toby for sharing some of my recent tweets.

Colby you think Alex Dickerson could be available for the Brewers to take during the second round? I haven't heard much about him lately has his stock really fallen that far since the beginning of the spring? Or are scouts just concerned that he is a 1B/DH type of a player? He could fall to the team's 2nd round pick. He's having a good, not great spring, as his power is down (although so are a lot of other college hitters due to the new bats). He's somewhat one dimensional as a hitter with power, as he's likely restricted to LF or possibly even 1B down the road. Tyler Anderson and Jeremy Sowers are two different kind of pitchers. Sowers was your prototypical crafty lefty, who I liked quite a bit coming out of both high school and college. Obviously he didn't pan out, but just because he didn't doesn't mean Anderson won't. Anderson is actually getting his degree after only three years in college, and is a very driven and determined young man. If he doesn't succeed it won't be because of a lack of effort. Nick Faleris of DiamondScapeScouting saw him earlier this spring and took some good video of him: As for Jungmann, the fact that he does project as a #3 starter affects his draft status. Plus, there is some effort on his arm and a noticeable head-snap. He uses an upside-down takeaway (part of the 'inverted W' that is frowned upon), although so do Purke, Gray and several other pitchers. So, there could be some future injury risk and his ceiling is limited. That said, I agree that he has won from day one since stepping on Texas' campus, and falls under the near MLB-ready category. I personally don't think signability will play as big of a factor for the Brewers 2 picks. As noted, they don't have extra picks, and they've known since last summer that they would have an extra pick, meaning the likely have budgeted appropriately. They may not go over slot for whoever they take, but I don't buy the rumor last week that Larry Greene could be their pick. Most of the people I spoke to about that don't think Greene is worthy of a first-round pick, although the Brewers reportedly aren't/weren't the only ones that were possibly considering him for a first-round pick.

Tulowitzki vs. Braun is an interesting discussion in hindsight. If you remember correctly, prior to the draft the Brewers asked Tulo if he would be willing to slide over to 3B (they had J.J. Hardy at the time who seemed like the Brewers SS of the next 5-10 years). Tulo said no, and of course Braun was willing (and unfortunately not able) to play anywhere. All the more reason to never let positional strength play into drafting decisions. Anything can, and will happen, and as nice as Braun is to have, Tulo would be that much better. However, you can't knock the Brewers selection of Braun here, as they nailed the pick even if Tulo is a better overall player. Thank goodness most everyone's wish for Cameron Maybin didn't happen.

James Madison has been an interesting program to follow this year given the guys that are putting up huge offensive numbers this year for them. That is a pretty common topic of conversation trying to determine whether their success is legit. Lowery is currently ranked #103 on PG's college list. Some 2nd-3rd round targets as I see it... Erik Johnson, RHP, Cal -- Big bodied RHP with good stuff Chris Reed, LHP, Stanford -- tall projectable, has been used as a reliever but has starters repertoire, fresh arm Tyler Goeddel, 3B/OF, CA prep -- good contact bat with developing power, good overall athlete Trevor Story/Phillip Evans/Joe Panik/Julius Gaines -- all of these guys could go between the team's 1st and 2nd rounders, but it would be nice to get a premium SS prospect Jason Coats, OF, TCU -- had a huge year last year and was one of the best hitters on the Cape last summer, not as great this spring Jake Cave, OF/LHP, VA prep -- good overall athlete, great arm on mound with advanced CH and good FB Eric Haase, C, MI prep -- he shouldn't fall to the Brewers 2nd rounder, but if he does, I hope they take him Chris Marlowe, RHP, OK St. -- really exciting arm, somewhat Thornburg-esque -- has a hammer curve Ryan Carpenter, LHP, Gonzaga -- doubt he's there, but a great pick if he is Sean Trent, 3B/OF, FL prep -- big arm, polished offensive skills Matt Dean, 3B/OF, TX prep -- similar prospect to Trent Nick Burdi, RHP, IL prep -- missed some time w/ injury, but has interesting sinker/slider combo Burch Smith, RHP, OK -- big body with big stuff, didn't have greatest year but talent is there Austin Wood, RHP, USC -- see Smith Connor Barron, IF/OF, MS prep -- super athletic, rising quick Brett Austin, C, NC prep -- good all-around C prospect Anthony DeSclafani, RHP, FL -- college reliever has stuff to start, big arm and FB, improving breaking ball The more I think about Matt Barnes, the more I like him for one of the team's picks. He entered the year as a top 10 overall selection, and while a lot of players have established themselves as premium players, Barnes has quietly had a very big college season while showing incredible command, his biggest issue entering the year, while maintaining his velo and improving his breaking stuff. The K numbers aren't there, but he is pitching much better to contact, and is also doing a much better job game-planning to exploit his opposing team's weaknesses. He's a perfect example of a player that could be a steal this year that normally would be a no-brainer to go in the top 10.

Levi Michael? Seriously? Hes a nice player with a high floor, but not a guy I'd take at 15, and not sure if I'd take him in the first round. Meyer's consistency is encouraging, but keep in mind my projection was made based off of who I think they will take based on a variety of factors, and not based on who I want them to take. I think the #15 pick will be more of a wildcard, but I really don't think the pick will be a Larry Greene surprise. And yes, I think if Rendon is at #2 I think the Ms take him. If not they go Lindor. They want a bat.

Yeah, Rendon's shoulder is a huge concern. Boras of course isn't releasing that info for leverage purposes. And taking Lindor over Rendon isn't that odd. Rendon hasn't looked as sharp this year as he did last year, and there is a growing concern that his nagging injuries are going to be a long-term issue. Here's the link to the mock. Enjoy: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5677

TLB brings up a good point, although crazier things have happened. I talked to someone yesterday that Lindor won't make it past the top 5 overall picks, and could go as high as 2nd overall to the Mariners. I'll have a mock draft up at PG later today, keep your eyes open for it.

Thanks Toby, I wasn't really speaking to say what he was this year, just what he was last year. If he is 90-92 consistently that could explain some of his increased effectiveness. And the changeup I saw last year was already a solid pitch, although I can't say if it was working for him all year.

Pitchers always call their own games. Catchers just make 'suggestions' based on their familiarity with their pitchers.

The times I saw Bucci, he was mostly 88-92. That's not bad, but the best thing I liked about him was that he was able to record strikeouts with his fastball, curveball and changeup. I think I saw him pitch three times last year, and while he got roughed up at times, all of the pieces were there for him to succeed. I'd love to get a report on him this year, as last year he pitched really, really fast, almost as though he had no patience. With his repertoire he could be very successful if he learns patience and the benefit of setting up batters to put them down. I'm happy to see the increased statistical success this year, and also know the Brewers fell in love with him two years ago, but also recognize that he's pitching in BC and the FSL.

He's a very interesting wildcard to the draft. You don't see this type of prospect make such a late arrival to the draft discussion, a two-sport athlete (with basketball being the primary sport prior to recent reports) with upside similar to Antonio Gates' development in the NFL. I think everyone is trying to catch up to get info on him, which makes it a little difficult to share an informed opinion of him.

Yeah, Bundy's asking price was circulating at the event I was at today. He, Starling and Archie Bradley were among the topics of conversation. That said, Bundy has really put himself in special company this year. Big asking prices always scare teams away, but all three have no business going to college (similar to Karsten Whitson -- he could be pitching in low-A right now). Lindor shouldn't be around at #12, my point is that I wouldn't be surprised to see him taken in the top 2-5.

I could see them going with Guerrieri, Norris or possibly even one of either Jose Fernandez or Robert Stephenson. I had the conversation today that in any other Dylan Bundy would be talked a lot about more for the #1 overall pick (and there is some buzz out there that the Pirates could go that direction) and guys like Archie Bradley and Taylor Guerrieri would never slide out of the top 10. While it looks less and less like Rendon and Cole are the slam dunks they were thought to be entering the spring scouting season, the emergence, or at least the consistent improvements, of college lefties such as Danny Hultzen and Jed Bradley have helped to stabilize the top of the class. In what is considered a strong year, I could see a lot of surprises at the top. I think the overall depth is proving to be this draft's strength, and not necessarily the talent available at the top. That is what makes it different from 2005, or even 2008, when so many impact college bats were available (I believe BA had a story on the same thing the last day or two). That is why I don't think it is as surprising that big bats like CJ Cron or Larry Greene could be targets of the Brewers (although I agree with the point above about taking Javier Baez instead, although he may not even be available). One player that I think has to be taken at #12 if he's there is Francisco Lindor. I'll put my Casey Kotchman stamp of approval on that pick (hopefully with better results http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif). However, Lindor is another player that could surprise some people by how high he could be taken. It's just a really hard year to project.

Keep in mind that with the rumored changes to the draft after this season there are a lot of players out there, regardless of their agent affiliation, that are rumored to be looking for big money. This could be the last year they have the opportunity to do so. I confirmed today that Bubba Starling wants Bryce Harper money, and Archie Bradley wants money north of what Zach Lee got last year ($5.25M). Their scenarios are a little different since they have football to contend with, but I have heard there are a lot of players out there that know their value relative to the draft that are going to be asking for a lot. This is the time of year in which those aspirations are discovered, and as I believe someone else noted, the Rays are already looking at all of their extra picks wondering how they are going to sign them all. Look for them to take some players not usually associated with the top 1-3 rounds, kind of like the A's did I think in 2002. Remember this name for the early rounds: Eric Haase, a prep catcher from Michigan.

Interesting news on Larry Greene. He's limited to a OF corner or possibly even 1B down the road, but I've been impressed with him in the past. While his power potential is his best tool, he's a pretty good athlete for his size (he's strong as an ox), consistently hits line drives and knows how to square up the ball. Since Archie Bradley was brought up (one of my favorite prospects eligible for this year's draft, but an unlikely target of the Brewers given his $6M asking price) my PG mates Ben Collman and Todd Gold were at his most recent start as he propelled his team to the OK state championship vs. Dylan Bundy's Owasso team (Bundy didn't pitch). Check out the story, which includes some video: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5650 No way Bundy falls to the Brewers. Guerrieri is intriguing as his velocity often gets better as a game progresses. That's a very good sign for future success, as he was 90-93 last summer, touching the mid-90s, and has been 93-96 this year touching 97/98.

CJ Cron is a monster. My PG associate David Rawnsley thinks Cron would be the perfect fit for the Brewers (he had the Brewers taking him in one of his mocks), and could replace Fielder a lot sooner that pretty much any other realistic option. Although I do like Swihart. EDIT: Overall, nicely done Craig. I don't think Cron has caught all year though. He's already been labelled an AL player.

Also, one more thing. I'm handling all of these on a first-come, first-serve basis. I don't want people upset that I'm not giving anyone a fair shake at getting these. I want these to go to good people and good collectors, and if I were trying to break the bank (not saying I wouldn't like fair compensation) I would take the time and post them individually on ebay. And if you PM me, please make an offer with your message. I found 4 more last night: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bobbles-missed.jpg Doug Melvin (2) Derrick Turnbow Racing Bratwurst

As for pricing, all of the minor league ones are a lot harder to find, and I did drop some cash back in the day to acquire all of those ones. Please make an offer, and I'd be willing to part with them in larger groups for a lesser price/bobble if someone wants to make an offer for a bunch of them. For the Brewers giveaway items and the ones purchased at the stadium, obviously those were mass-produced, and would be willing to take whatever I can get for those. Also, I will not be shipping these. If you want them, you have to come to me.

TracyThom, I live in Brookfield. I took some pics and did an inventory of the bobbles I have for sale given some of the inquiries. All but one of the bobbleheads come with their original box, and all but two are in great condition. I do have others, but intend to keep my better ones of more long-lasting Brewers greats. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bobbles-beloit.jpg Beloit Snappers. Brad Nelson -- HOLDING BJ Surhoff (broken head, it's a clean break if you tried to glue it back on -- came like that out of the box) Snappy Krynzel (2) Brewsteer -- HOLDING Vinny Rottino -- HOLDING Tony Gwynn Jr. Don Money (in powder blue uniform, I believe this was the first Don Money bobblehead) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bobbles-giveaways.jpg Brewers stadium giveaways 2005 Lyle Overbay 2005 Carlos Lee -- HOLDING 2002 Richie Sexson 2004 Jim Gantner 2007 Chris Capuano 2004 Gorman Thomas (3) 2007 Gorman Thomas (mini) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bobbles-huntsville.jpg Huntsville Stars Dave Krynzel -- HOLDING Ben Sheets -- HOLDING (sorry, I know I mentioned Bucky Jacobsen earlier, but I don't have his bobblehead from this same series) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bobbles-sheets.jpg Ben Sheets collection (minus the Huntsville one listed above) Stockton Ports - HOLDING Indianapolis Indians 2002 2005 (head of this one isn't fastened properly to spring/body) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bobbles-stadium.jpg Stadium Brewers bobbles Mid-90s - German-style typeface with larger "B" and "S" of Brewers (only bobble with no box) Late-90s - German-style typeface, same-size letters-navy jersey Late-90s - German-style typeface, same-size letters, white jersey Late-90s - Bernie Brewer with interlocking MB/bat logo on apron And here are the placemats I talked about. I may just have to keep these if I don't get a good offer for them: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/placemats1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/placemats2.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/placemats3.jpg

I'm cleaning out and having a rummage sale this year, and am getting rid of quite a lot of my Brewers collectables. Here are some of the things I'm going to be selling: Bobbleheads: Ben Sheets Stockton Ports I believe is the best of this collection which includes Tony Gwynn, BJ Surhoff and Dave Krynzel in Beloit, Krynzel and Bucky Jacobsen in Huntsville, I believe a Ben Sheets Indianapolis and some easier to find ones such as Gorman, Capuano, Gantner, Yount, Uecker, Jenkins, Sexson, Lee, Turnbow. Placemats: I had these since I was a kid, the McDonalds set from 1982 that had two Brewers (head/bust shot) on each placemat (I'm pretty sure I have the whole set), and two other sets that I'm not sure if they're complete or not. One has action shots of the players (I know Sixto is on one of them), the other has cartoon caricatures sitting around a checkboard table eating pizza (Pizza Hut?). I know Buck Martinez is on one of them, again, to give an idea of the timing. I have a bunch of old hats for people that still collect the old ball and glove logo mesh hats from free giveaways. I'm still debating whether or not to give up my pennant collection. If you're interested, shoot me a PM and I'll give you my address, or even if you want me to pull something aside if you want it that badly. Oh yeah, we'll have a bunch of baby/kids stuff as well -- high chair, clothes, toys.