colbyjack

I'm not trying to be picky, but just so we avoid any future Richie Sexton references, Mark Rogers' name is not spelled with a "d". And no, there has been no word on Gallardo. I would bet we'll start to hear more about him once Rogers is inked. Fellow Brewers prep 2nd rounders such as J.J. Hardy & Josh Murray took longer than the first rounders in 2001 (Jones) & 2002 (Fielder).

So I'm the only one who reads "Colt Griffin" when I see Mark Rogers? Rogers actually can throw more than just a fastball, and his curveball at this stage is better than Mike Jones' when he was at Beloit. All 3 can dominate with their fastballs, but Colt Griffin IMO isn't a fair comparison.

Thanks again Rogers8fan for your thoughts, and thanks for other for their input as well, especially for some of bjamesw22's oberservations. His crouch & delivery do seem a little odd, so it will be interesting if our pitching coaches get him to "straighten" up a little bit. I know cress mentioned Rogers' delivery before the draft, with him throwing across his body, so this isn't the first time we've heard this. I can't say that's exactly pleasing, because it's not the easiest thing to correct. The more I read about Rogers the more I yearn for Sowers or even Bailey. I'll root for Rogers just like everyone else, but when & if he falls to a serious injury I may just have to join greg's "I told you so" camp http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Then again, I don't think the Brewers would have taken the guy unless they feel they can do something to fix his mechanics.

I'm sure our top 5 picks will debut on the Power 50 on merit alone. Everyone else might be a bit of a stretch, although I think LeClercq will be the Corey Hart/Steve Moss of this draft. He could break the Power 50 on his athleticism alone. I think low ceiling guys like Sollmann, much like Heether discussed on the minor league thread, is going to have to earn his keep, although Toby does appreciate gritty guys that know how to get on base, such as Tommy Carrow & Drew Anderson. Stephen Chapman could make the list as well, just given the lack of true corner outfielders in our system, although I'm guessing he too is going to have to prove his worth. Salome might have to prove his worth a little bit as well. While he had a huge year at the plate, he seems rather raw. I wouldn't be surprised to see him struggle with a wood bat at Arizona and/or Helena this year & next.

Teams never release signing bonuses, and from what I'm told, they typically don't release salary info either. That stuff is usually found elsewhere. I know when we met Doug Melvin last year he told us that he wishes that kind of info wasn't even available to the public, because it really isn't any of our business. It's like if you salary was published in the local newspaper, not like anyone would care. I guessed before the draft that the Brewers might be able to open their pocketbooks a little bit with later signees given the fact that they wouldn't have to pay Rickie Weeks money to their first round pick coupled with the existence of the revenue sharing money. LeClercq is a perfect example of this, getting about $50-100,000 more than a player usually taken in that kind of slot would have received. I'm pleasantly surprised he signed for that "little."

Rogers8Fan, thanks a lot for your posts. We hope you stick around and follow his career along with us. As for pictures, I do know some people post pics, but I believe you have to have the web-space to do so. I would suggest emailing them to our webmaster: webmaster@brewerfan.net Thanks again! Looking forward to officially adding Mark to our system.

Outstanding signing. Well above slot value, so you know the Brewers aren't just signing players to please Uncle Bud. Nice to know we have a talented SS prospect in the lower levels of the system.

If any HS draftee attends a 4-year institution, as you said, they are not eligible for the draft for 3 years, unless they're 21 within 45 days of the draft after their sophomore season. The Brewers would lose any & all control of that player as soon as they set foot on campus, unless of course they draft them again down the road. And I don't think we have to worry about Rogers or Gallardo going to school. When working on Gallardo's player profile it seemed as though he was pretty intent on turning pro, even with his commitment to TCU. It may take a little bit longer to sign him, since the Brewers have had to wait a little bit longer with their recent 2nd round picks outside of Gwynn. I think Toby's earlier prediction of Rogers signing on Wednesday will be close to accurate, if not dead-on, and it will likely be for $2.5 million, the pre-determined slot value based on the commissioner's office. Gallardo will probably make something in the $850k range.

His fastball was as fast as a Geo? Does that mean it will take him until the 5th inning to reach the 60s? That's not good http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Thanks coach, we definitely appreciate your input, and hope that you stick around & find yourself at home here.

Jim Powell reported on tonight's broadcast that the Brewers have signed 10 of their draft picks: 3rd rounder Wahpepah 4th rounder Baker 5th rounder Salome 8th rounder Parillo 10th rounder Sollman 13th rounder Ayala 14th rounder Richardson 23rd rounder Festa 32nd rounder Needham 33rd rounder Bernal

This isn't about a Brewers signee, but I didn't want to start a different thread. I only bring it up knowing how many people here follow the Twins. The Twins already have signed Kyle Waldrop & Trevor Plouffe. The signed Waldrop quickly for $1 million, likely a pre-draft deal. Waldrop had a commitment to Vandy, never an easy school to pry a prep player away from. Plus, they're reportedly close to signing Matt Fox, and are expected to sign Glen Perkins. They might have a harder time signing Jay Rainville & Anthony Swarzak, but still, signing their first 4 picks, all first-rounders, is rather impressive for a budget-minded ballclub. I suppose that's how you make up for losing so many high-profile free agents.

I'm going to offer some overall draft thoughts here since some of the points I want to bring up have already been noted. I really don't have a big problem with the amount of HS players taken, particularly pitchers. A large chunk of them came on the 2nd day, and as noted, most to all of those players will be followed as DFE candidates. Usually, the 2nd day is filled with more college players, as some teams extensively look at college players on day 2 to fill out their system. The Brewers obviously didn't take this approach, and as we've discussed elsewhere, there already seems to be enough players to fill out Helena's roster, or at least close to. I think this is another reason to give Jack Z. & the Brewers' scouting staff a lot of credit. They have done a good job filling their system in past drafts so there isn't as big of a need to fill holes in the lower levels of the system, so they can take chances on other players while retaining their signing rights. They did fill one organizational hole with a couple of day 2 picks: 3rd base. While they didn't do it with a high pick, both Festa & Prettyman should at least hold the position down until a more permanent option is found. Neither is a very sexy pick, and if either one even sniffs the majors it will likely be as a utility-type player, but hopefully the Brewers won't have to worry about the Shelton's of the world in a couple of years. And there are a couple of more college bats similar to Drew Anderson from a year ago that could be decent run producers at the lower levels of our system. With us looking for power, especially at the high-A level, Grant Richardson, Josh Brady & Jon Mungle could step up in a year or two and follow the likes of Anderson, Deevers, Trofholz, etc. I counted 28 draftees that could be DFE candidates through next spring, an incredible total. Obviously they're not going to sign all of these players, but they have increased their chances of someone, if not a couple of players, busting out like Parra did. Maybe not to that level, but as someone else pointed out here or on another thread, even a few players like Eveland or Dillard would be nice to add before next year's draft. That's not to say that I'm not concerned about our early prep picks, and there really aren't that many, if any positional players outside of everyone's favorite new player, Angel Salome. Stephen Chapman also deserves mention, as he could be a steal as a 6th rounder, but they're are several questions looming about his bat. Now, that many DFE candidates may allow the team to sign one of their perceived tough signs like LeClercq, Morgan, Bowman or Pryor, but I wouldn't count on it. If we sign one of those guys we should be happy. 2 of them and we should be thrilled. 3 and it's time to bust out the pampers. Bowman is going to be tough. He wanted 2nd round money heading into the draft and I don't see the Brewers at this point in time handing out $800k + to make it happen. It wouldn't surprise me, but I will be estatic if it happens. Keep in mind, we're going to have to have money to sign those DFE players next year. Also, when digging up info on these players it was interesting to find out how many of them have the propensity to throw a sinker. I wondered before the draft if the Brewers would carry their big-league philosophy over to their drafting efforts, and I think it's pretty clear they did. As I also pointed out several times before the draft, the Brewers focused on several Canadian players, and as I believe as MassBrew noted on another thread, they did so while everyone else passed on them given the visa issues. This goes along with them taking so many DFE candidates. They really have nothing to lose by taking so many Canadian players, as they all could be DFE candidates, and even if one of them blossoms over the next year, it is an excellent tactic IMO. I'm happy with the draft because it's pretty clear they entered with a plan, similar to last year (no, not the 5-5-5-5 plan), and that plan coincides with the overall big picture. With the lower levels filling up with intriguing talent, they took a lot of players that they won't necessarily sign, yet they keep their options open if those players flourish over the next year. They also stockpiled pitching, which is encouraging given how evident it is that you can never, ever have too many arms. A few players past the usual suspects to watch: Derek DeCarlo: Has been known about for a while, but has had some injury issues. If he can stay healthy he could be a key draftee. Angel Ayala: Probably a DFE candidate, it will be fun to follow a pure power hitter through next spring. Jose Garcia: Another likely DFE candidate. Great upside. Dustin Timm: Like DeCarlo, Timm has had his fair share of injuries. He's starting to regain his arm strength, and could be a nice day 2 find. Ty Pryor: While I really like the idea of signing LeClercq, Bowman or Morgan as noted above, I love players like Pryor, who was moved to the mound because of his special arm. Brandon Jasper: Another likely DFE. And, he's a 3B. 'Nuf said. Derek Miller: I think Miller has lefty specialist written all over him. We really don't seem to have any lefties in our system that profile as a potentially dominant reliever, unless they move Eveland back to the pen.

Yup, he's a Ned Yoster.

Jim Powell mentioned just now that the Brewers reportedly are close to signing 8th rounder Brandon Parillo, a shorter lefty from California.

I think Bill's man-love for Steve Sollman is evident http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Look out Jeff Pickler...

Most scouts like Owings better as a pitcher because his swing is rather long. He has incredible power potential, and before the spring started I asked around a few different places about his potential as a power-hitting 3B. While he is very athletic, his athleticism is probably better suited to a corner OF spot or even 1B. He may not hit for that high of an average, and is extremely aggressive at the plate (I think he struck out something like 74 times last year, not good), but again, his power potential may be worth the experience. On the mound he has a very good sinker/slider combo, but I think scouts have doubts about him as a starter at the big league level. He still may be a very effective closer. I think he could really benefit from returning for his junior year, as he still has a lot to work on.

If Neighborgall ever learns to pitch he could be the best player available next year. That's a huge if, since he really struggled this year. Luke Hochevar from Tennessee is the 2nd best college arm available for next year, and possibly the best. He has a great fastball and a great curveball, good size, and a nice delivery. I had the pleasure of watching him pitch a couple of weeks ago and he looked really good. Stephen Head of Mississippi really made a name for himself this spring. He was already considered one of the top prospects for the '05 draft, but this spring cemented that. He might be the best college hitter since Texeira. And if Jeff Larish doesn't sign with the Dodgers & opts to return to ASU, he could jump right back up with a strong spring. Justin Upton highlights all of the draftees from the prep class. He will be the one can't-miss positional prospect that this year's draft class lacked.

I hope someone else pops in tomorrow & questions the signing of one of our other picks http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Make it someone like LeClercq, Bowman, Pryor or Morgan. I also think Rogers will be inked really soon, we just have to wait for his season to get over with. The Brewers signed Krynzel, Jones & Fielder within a matter of days of the draft, and the only reason Weeks took so long is because rarely do you see a team simply hand over the type of contract he got. Signing Weeks never was in doubt, but everyone knew it would take some time.

Hey Al, I thought you might find this chart that Jim Callis came up with in his latest installment of Ask BA to be helpful. It not only lists averages for bonuses in the top 10 rounds, but it also breaks them down by where those players came from (HS, college juniors, college seniors): www.baseballamerica.com/t...askba.html Also note that the #9 college prospect for next year is Stephen Kahn, who is expected to pitch for Team USA this summer.

Actually MB I was doing quite a bit of planning for a Boston vacation about a month ago. I really thought this was going to be the year, and I wanted to do my homework first before contacting you. Then, the day after I gathered flight info, game schedules (Cape League & a trip to Fenway), something was brought to my attention that is drastically going to affect the 2nd half of my summer. I'll share that info at a later time when I'm able (it's work related). So, it's still on my mind. As I've said the past couple of years, maybe next year... I haven't scanned the Cape rosters for a few weeks now. I'll put that on my to-do list. I'm starting to get some answers back from coaches, and I still need to email a few more.

I'm not sure if this is what biedergb meant, but Pence could have been a DFE candidate if he didn't transfer to Texas-Arlington. He spent his freshman season at Texarkana JC. BTW, I haven't had a chance to check the entire draft list to see where some of our former picks, local players & some of my all around favorite fell to. I hope to catch up slowly but surely within the next few days. Unfortunately draft day also coincides with my busy season. ***Oh yeah, I believe I noticed that Ray Liotta also went in the 2nd round, to the White Sox IIRC.

Pence was pretty raw when we drafted him. He really burst onto the scene last summer, being named the Jayhawk League's #6 prospect last summer. He doesn't offer much more than his bat, but as you saw by his numbers he has one heck of a bat. I've seen his name mentioned on a few top prospect lists/All-American teams over the past year or so, so people in scouting & Baseball America have known about him for quite some time. He transferred to Texas-Arlington after his freshman season, so he likely saw the opportunity to play at a D1 program to be more appealing than being followed as a DFE. It may have taken the Brewers by surprise for all I know. There may have been a miscalculation involved, but I also would take it as another sign that our scouts have a good eye for talent. Pence is another example of how a player can really develop within 1-2 years. 2nd round seems a little high, but good for him.

Jack Z. noted on tonight's pre-game show that they took somewhat of a different direction with all of the Canadian signings. Not so much in the number of picks, which was obvious, but how they plan to use those picks. He strongly implied that they would follow these players as DFE candidates through next spring, noting that they would be playing stateside next spring in college. This makes a lot of sense, since they can't play in our system this summer anyway. I'm not sure how many of these guys have commitments to D1 programs, but I think it could say a lot about the jobs our Canadians scouts did this spring, possibly convincing a few of them to head to a JC so they could be followed through next year. So, don't be surprised if we see a lot of unsigned picks this summer. A good chunk of them, including players selected on day 1 will still be under our control. I wonder if this will allow them to aggressively pursue someone like Drew Bowman. Jack Z. also noted that Wahpepah might take a little bit more to sign, since he turned down a deal to sign as a DFE with the Tigers a week before the draft.

Sorry Toby, I missed that. Great job covering both days of the draft.

They also took Jon Mungle in the 2003 draft in the low 20s.