colbyjack

Wow, that is great news. Thanks Mike!!! Barnes, Eveland & Mannon. And 3 of our biggest organizational needs are 3B, LHP & corner OFs. The 2002 draft definitely looks a lot better today than it did last September.

Thanks frog, I think you're right. $4 million total makes a lot more sense.

I think the Big Cheese has been saving up! The Brewers have a glaring need for a blue-chip second basemen, and low and behold Weeks is a second basemen. If you look at the top (top meaning the top 5 or 10) Brewer minor league prospects, not one is a 2B. Meanwhile, we have many potential outfield prospects. I know the Brewers are tinkering with moving Brad Nelson to the OF and with Krnzyel, Clark and Geoff Jenkins, there isn't a desperate need to find an outfielder. The Brewers don't have a glaring need for an outfielder? Who is going to take over in RF the next couple of years? I wouldn't simply count on one of our 1B prospects to do so, and there is a big difference between a CF prospect like Krynzel & a corner OF prospect like Young. As for not having a 2B prospect, the team is pretty high on Enrique Cruz, even if you're not quite sold on him. I guess I never try to use the need argument unless the need is so crystal clear & you have 4 guys on the board ranked equally with one playing that premium position. And I agree with igor, I strongly doubt Weeks would be plopped in AA right away. Jim Powell suggested the same thing a week ago, and I just can't see any prospect getting that far that fast. Again as igor pointed out, Weeks is far from a finished product.

Baseball sources said the Orioles gave Loewen a five-year, major-league contract with a $3.2 million signing bonus and $800,000 spread over the next four years. That deal could help set the market for players picked next week. Yikes. If I did my math correctly, that contract is worth $6.4 million total. $3.2 million now & $3.2 million to come. If only I were a foot taller & knew how to pitch, my "rising" fastball might make me some $$$.

I don't want to make this it's own post since I don't want anyone getting to excited, so I figured I would add it here. BA rated Tim Dillard as the #15 prospect from Mississippi, and this is what they had to say about him: The Brewers selected RHP/C Tim Dillard in the 15th round in 2001 and the 34th round a year ago, and hope to sign him as a draft-and-follow. If he doesn't turn pro this time he'll head to the University of Mississippi, where his father Steve starred en route to the major leagues. Dillard has good catch-and-throw skills but teams want to use his strong arm on the mound. He touches 94-95 mph and is solidly built at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds.

Brian/Patrick anything you've heard about Mannon? Nope. I've talked to his coach, Doyle Wilson (West crosschecker Ric Wilson's brother) a few times via email & on the phone. I sent him an email just the other day, but I've yet to hear back from him. I'm guessing we'll need to be patient & wait for the Brewers to fill us in. A lot of these DFE signings are slow to come out, as I still don't think the Brewers have officially announced that they signed Justin Barnes.

Harrington's advisor is indeed Scott Boras. However, the first time around I believe it was Tommy Tanzer. He turned down 7 figures TWICE! Not sure what the heck he is waiting for, as he'll continue to drop this year. He'll be lucky to make 6 figures.

Welcome aboard!!! I've been looking forward to this moment for a very long time!

This makes me sick if true. Yeah, as a Tigers fan I could see why you feel like you got screwed. With Loewen, there were 3 solid candidates for the top 3 picks in the draft. Now, there are only 2, and I strongly doubt Weeks & Young slide past the D-Rays & Brewers. How about Ryan Harvey? He might be a nice consolation prize.

Well, if they did sign him, at least we can't blame the Brewers. They never had the chance to take him, 2 years in a row. I'll still be happy with Weeks or Young, even if my heart was set on Loewen.

BA listed the top prospects from the Midwest today, and here's a look at the top prospects from Wisconsin: WISCONSIN There are plenty of arms but not many position players in Wisconsin this year. With a good body (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and an 87-90 mph fastball, Ryan Zink could sneak into the first 10 rounds. 1. Ryan Zink, rhp, La Follete HS, Madison 2. Cal Stanke, rhp, St. Mary Central HS, Neenah 3. Tony Harper, c/rhp, Oak Creek HS, South Milwaukee 4. Jordan Timm, lhp, U. of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 5. Dan Grybash, rhp, Carthage U. 6. John Stocco, rhp, U. of Wisconsin (CONTROL: Twins) 7. Brady Endl, lhp/1b, U. of Wisconsin-Whitewater 8. Daryl Maday, rhp, Westosha Central HS, Bristol 9. Nick Johnson, of, Ripon College 10.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Brooks Bollinger, 3b, U. of Wisconsin Brooks Bollinger has been drafted by the Dodgers the past couple of years, although I'm guessing he's going to have to absolutely fail at football before he joins the minor leagues. A lot of the high school kids were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa a week ago at the Perfect Game pre-draft showcase. It gave a chance for some of the northern kids to show their stuff, as Iowa & Wisconsin are the only 2 states that I know of that play their seasons during the summer (I know some teams in WI play baseball in the spring, or at least they used to). Tough to gauge a lot of these kids because so many times they haven't had the reps to make a strong showing at this pre-draft event. Matt Macri & Jeff Clement are 2 of the most recent kids from Iowa that suffered in the draft because they had poor showings. You think their track record would speak for them, but it does speak volumes on how even your last impression really leaves a mark in the scouting world. I've always argued that the only reason Brad Nelson fell to us in the 4th round in '01 was because he played in Iowa. Anyway, Tony Harper really turned some heads at the Perfect Game event, and some are speculating that he might get drafted within the top 10 rounds. Keep in mind, not too many WI kids get drafted at all, so that is somewhat of a victory. The MJS did an interesting story on Harpery in today's paper. Given some of those issues & how much teams place emphasis on character, he is really going to have to wow some teams to get drafted as high as round 10. Nice to see Harvey Kuenn Jr.'s name in the mix, as the Brewers should definitely be interested in their own hometown kids, especially at a position of need. www.jsonline.com/sports/p...143417.asp Be sure to check the link on the right to read about some of the other talented prospects in SE WI. The kids from Brookfield Central are a couple to watch for next year, as both I believe are projected to go somewhere in the top 5-7 rounds.

Didn't week's Southern team qualify for postseason? Could that cause schedualing conflicts that are keeping the Crew from working out Weeks? That's a good call X. Weeks has more pressing issues to deal with since his team is indeed in the NCAA playoffs. However, the D-Rays & reportedly one other team were able to schedule a private workout with Weeks over the past week. Plus, Weeks' regular season has been over for several weeks now, so the Brewers could have had plenty of opportunities to see what he can do in front of their brass. Who knows, maybe he already did? I think we've heard reports of Melvin getting out to see all 4 of the top guys on the Brewers' list, so maybe they've already seen enough of him. Regardless of the situation, without a doubt the Brewers like Rickie Weeks. And Paul Molitor is a pretty fair comparison based on potential. I think Weeks will have a little less speed but a little to potentially a lot more power.

MB's been waiting for someone to lead him in http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Allison's situation is rather odd. I don't know if it's because he's not 6'5" with the perfect pitcher's build, but Allison has done nothing but impress people for a couple of years now. Over the past year, he has seen Jared Hughes & Andrew Miller vault ahead of him due to some pretty impressive showing at showcase events & tournaments, only to fall back down after getting hitting around quite a bit during their regular season games. Allison continues to absolutely dominant, and from some of the reports I've heard players don't get much more competetive than Allison. A true gamer. So why isn't he the sure thing that guys like Kerry Wood, Josh Beckett & Gavin Floyd were in past years? Like I said before, it could very well be because he's only 6'2". Plus, everytime you seen someone bring up his stats they always bring up the fact that Massachusetts makes their prep players hit with wood bats. This is an advantage, but who is to say that he wouldn't be just as effective if the competition was using aluminum? And without a doubt it would help if he were pitching in Florida, Texas or California where legends are made. While Massachusetts has churned out it's fair share of prospects, players from the north always seem to have a heck of a lot more to prove than kids from the Sunbelt. As for the #2 pick, tough to take any prep pitcher there, no matter how good they are. Even the aforementioned Josh Beckett has had his troubles staying healthy, and the same goes for Kerry Wood. His mechanics are impeccable... This is the only thing I would question, as I have heard there are some concerns with how he plants his lead foot on his release. A lot of mechanical issues are correctable, so maybe he did indeed correct this.

They have until 12:01 am EST on Tuesday, which is right about now. Unless we get a friendly tip on our own boys, we may not find out about Eveland, Mannon or anyone else until someone affiliated with the Brewers finds it necessary to fill us in. In other words, Drew Olson will let us know by next week http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

I believe BA tackled this in one of their AskBA segments, and I'm sure it's better explained in some FAQ somewhere (I didn't bother to check, I'll probably look around a little bit tomorrow for the proper wording if someone doesn't beat me to it), but it has to do with the fact that he was a college senior last year. He returned to school to play during his final year of eligibility and is now a 5th year senior.

From BA's Draft Tracker on Loewen: Time is running out as the two sides are reportedly closer while the midnight Tuesday deadline approaches. Keep up that hexing Toby, and go Weeks! Go Young!!!

Nice wish list, and I think your picks are stacked up pretty well with the area in which they'll be taken. I don't think Battle will make it to our 2nd round pick, but it's not a stretch to think he might. As you said, it is your "dream" draft http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Battle as a Georgian is drawing a lot of interest from the Braves, who love drafting hometown players & could very well do so with one of their 2 first round supplemental picks. I'll have to put some thought into a dream draft. Jared Hughes has reportedly been falling, even if he shouldn't be, and might be cool to snag with our 2nd rounder. Salty would still be ideal there.

Jim Powell talked with Delmon Young on the pre-game show yesterday, and both Bob Uecker & Ned Yost also talked about him at length during their segment of the pre-game show. He really turned some heads. It quotes that Weeks will not be visiting the Brewers, so it doesnt look like the Brewers are even interested in him. No, that's not true. The Brewers are VERY interested in Weeks, and just because they're not bringing him in doesn't mean they don't have interest in him. If Loewen signs with the O's & Young goes 1st overall to Tampa Bay, I would be VERY surprised if the Brewers reach for Stauffer with Weeks sitting there.

Yeah, he's a mid-first-rounder. Even if he does slide past that, there seems to be pretty much zero chance he lasts until the Brewers 2nd round pick. The Major League Scouting Bureau has his overall grade at 52, which is just above average for a Major-Leaguer. He fastball is good, but not great. He does have a nice curveball, but it's not outstanding. I guess his strongest aspect is his feel for the game, and the complete package. Everyone is looking for the next Barry Zito that just has that uncanny feel for pitching that causes guys like Markakis to be highly sought after, and for good reason. I've heard several people say he's not quite the prospect Manny Parra is/was last year, although Markakis may be looking for more than the $1.55 million Parra received. Might be indicative of the draft pool this year, with more & more scouts calling it more & more weak everytime BA brings it up. If I had to guess, I'd say the Reds won't sign him. They've been dirt cheap with their signings ever since taking Dane Sardinha, David Espinosa & Dustin Moseley with their first 3 picks back in 2000.

Good points Peavey. I guess they're trying to decide if they want to offer anything more than the $2.5 million that is still on the table. The fact that Loewen remains unsigned when the sides were/are only 1.4 million apart is still astounding. Angelos says no more than 2.5 million, and Loewen wanted 3.9 mil. Heck, didn't we give Prince 2.5ish million to sign at a lower spot? I think Prince signed for $2.375 million, but the Brewers wanted to sign him for about $2-2.1 million. Scott Moore's quick contract that was slightly over slot value screwed that up. The Orioles are using the $2.5 million the Reds gave to Chris Gruler with the #3 overall pick as a benchmark, while team Loewen is pointing to the $4.2 million Gavin Floyd received from the Phillies as the #4 overall pick from the year before (2001). Of course both aren't entirely accurate since Gruler came to an agreement beforehand as the Reds were on the cheap, and Floyd was one of the extremely talented players from the talent-laden 2001 draft. So, they're letting Loewen sweat it out. Given the stories that teams are going to be more budget conscious certainly doesn't help any of the draft eligible players this year. If the Orioles get their offer up into the $3.5 million range, Loewen may not want to risk not being offered that kind of money again.

Just wanted to give people a head's up that I snuck in a few more featured player profiles that never made it on the homepage. Jerry Owens, Abe Alvarez, Brian Anderson, Jeff Flaig, Jason Hirsch, Myron Leslie & Thomas Pauly were all added to the list, and should all show up as entered in the month of February. There will be a few more snuck in before the draft, and there will also continue to be 1 new player added each day leading up to the day before the draft. When all is said & done, I think there should be around 130 profiles, which is about 4 rounds of players.

So did Jamey Wright, J.M. Gold, Nick Neugebauer, Cal Eldred, Jeff D'amico, etc.....I'm not saying we shouldn't draft Loewen, but I would rather see us drafting a positional prospect with the #1 pick. For every Peterson, Gold & Neugebauer you throw out there, I can counter with a Felder, Williamson & Green. It's not a matter of taking a pitcher vs. a positional prospect, it's about taking the RIGHT positional player or pitcher. I know all that but you didnt get to the heart of the matter. I want to know if loewen is a cant miss ace of the future. If he is Prior-like then yes take him and go with it, but if he is just the best of a bunch of average pitchers then get another bopper. Well, you did ask me to handicap the "3-way horserace," and that's what I did. As for the Mark Prior comparison, wipe that clean from your memory, there is no such thing. Mark Prior was a once in a lifetime prospect, much like Arod was in the early 90s. That's not to say there won't be players that effective, it's just that those guys guys were as close to a sure thing as you can get at the time they were drafted, and they didn't take long to live up to their lofty billing. They are just THAT good. That said, I have heard one person say that Adam Loewen could very well be a left-handed version of Mark Prior. Reportedly, he has a similar athletic build, delivery, smooth mechanics & great pure stuff. He has struggled a little bit at times this past year, but I'm sure Mark Prior did during his freshman year in college. So yes, he does have that potential. As I've stated before, Mark Mulder is a quick & easy comparison. Mulder like Loewen was also scouted as a positional player, and could have been a high pick as a hitter, just like Loewen could be. They're both extremely athletic ballplayers with good size & stuff. That athleticism allows them to have a good delivery & repeat that delivery well with good coordination & a strong base. They both can touch the middle 90s with their fastballs & work consistently in the low-90s. They both show a good, hard-breaking curve, and Loewen even mixes in a slider from time to time, along with a changeup. In other words, he's far from average. RHPs like Kyle Sleeth & Tim Stauffer, while not average, are not worthy of the #2 selection. Plus, we wouldn't talk about the guy if he wasn't worthy of the selection. Give us some credit. And as the profile in the link Toby provided shows, there are plenty of player profiles to check out on this site. Last I counted there were about 100 currently up, with another 20-30 on the way before draft day.

Actually I'm sticking with my draft preview story with the same thing in mind by predicting Delmon Young as our selection http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Go Young! If not Young, Weeks. Woo-hoo! Go Weeks!

Top 5 might be a bit much, and 10 is darn near impossible, but top 3 might work. Amen. Trying to predict the 1st one is hard enough. If you want to try & predict our top 10 selections, knock yourself out, but don't expect a competition past the first 2-3 picks.

Someone with more info than me please handicap this 3 way horserace for the rest of us. Again http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ? You really should visit this forum more often scoop. 1. So much really depends on whether or not Loewen signs with the Orioles by next Tuesday. I personally think that Adam Loewen will not sign with the Orioles. 2. The D-Rays reportedly will take either Weeks or Young, regardless of Loewen's availability. I personally think they will take Weeks. 3. If the D-Rays don't take Weeks, would the Brewers select him over Adam Loewen? 4. Melvin did state a day or two ago that he felt no pitcher was worthy of the #2 selection. However, he could have been posturing for all we know, and he may have been talking about the pitchers without considering Loewen, who technically cannot be talked about by other teams right now since the Orioles control the rights to sign him. 5. Melvin also specifically mentioned Tim Stauffer according to a poster yesterday along with Loewen, Weeks & Young. Stauffer probably would only be considered as a budget pick, and from everything Jack Z. & Melvin have said, signability will not be an issue. So, who is our pick going to be? Either Loewen, Weeks or Young. My guess is that it will be Loewen, but I'm too scared to be disappointed for the 3rd year in a row to make that my final answer http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .