colbyjack

No Brewers appeared in this evening's Javelinas game.

Cody Scarpetta didn't have the prettiest of lines this evening (4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 4 BB), but he pitched well enough to earn his first HWB victory as West Oahu blew out Honolulu, 13-5. Caleb Gindl definitely stepped up to help his teammate, with another strong performance batting third, going 2-5 with a pair of doubles, 3 RBI, a run and a walk. Logan Schafer also chipped in, with a 1-3 night that included a double of his own and a pair of walks. Schafer has really been doing a good job drawing walks (and not striking out) during his stint in the HWB, while Gindl took a while to heat up during the regular season as well. Let's hope the success continues to these guys finish the fall on a high note! http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_04_honwin_wocwin_1

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/11/04/rMV442aq.jpg Someone must have read my rant last night, as there is a nice feature story on Lorenzo Cain on MLB.com today: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ws_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Cain learning plate discipline in AFL Triple-A stint forced Brewers prospect to reevaluate approach By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- Lorenzo Cain will be the first to admit that he's aggressive in the batter's box. It's the kind of protect-the-plate, jump-on-the-first-good-pitch mentality that has contributed to his success as he's progressed through the Milwaukee system. While his aggressiveness has proved beneficial at times, it's also occasionally been a detriment. Cain's strikeout totals have been high and he knows it. He spent much of this season working on better control at the plate, an approach he's continuing to develop with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. "I'm a very aggressive hitter," Cain said. "You play in those lower leagues and you're always swinging. And that's not good all the time. You rack up a lot of strikeouts if you're too aggressive. You have to be patient and get on so you can steal some bases, which is also part of my game. "Sometimes you have to be able to take a pitch, no matter where you are in the count. And then with two strikes, just try to put the ball in play and avoid the strikeout. If you put it in play, you might look up and have a hit." Cain did put the ball in play quite a bit this season, combining to hit .279 in the Florida State, Southern and Pacific Coast Leagues. He had 11 homers, 60 RBIs and stole 25 bases, but what stands just as much are the career-high 115 strikeouts. But he is learning. Compare that regular-season strikeout number to his results so far in the AFL. Cain struck out only twice in his first 32 at-bats. He had two homers, four RBIs, a handful of steals and an OBP (.382) that would look good at the top of most batting orders. It's all a learning process for the 22-year-old Cain, who didn't begin playing baseball until high school. He's a bit behind other prospects his age, but is quickly catching up with the rest of the top-flight talent in a very deep Milwaukee system. "I think I've progressed pretty quickly and I'm close to the other guys in this league and on this team now," Cain said. "You always have a lot of learning to do. I think I had a pretty good season in all aspects of the game. My power numbers went up, I improved on the defensive side of the ball. I just didn't improve on my plate discipline. That still needs work. "The pitchers get better as you move up. The breaking balls get better, the fastballs are harder and the pitchers locate better. But after you go through it and you experience it, you'll be fine." Cain began the season at Brevard County in the Florida State League before a surprise promotion to Triple-A Nashville in June. He hit just .158 in 19 PCL at-bats before returning to the Florida State League, but while he was with Nashville, he had an epiphany of sorts. The pitchers in the Pacific Coast League are much better than what Cain faced at Brevard County. He saw the future and realized that an adjustment was in order. He went 22-for-67 upon his return to the FSL, raising his average from .277 to .287, hitting safely in 15-of-17 games and earning another promotion, this time to Double-A Huntsville. "I was [in the PCL] for two weeks and I saw the difference," he said. "So when I got back to the Florida State League, everything felt a lot easier. Those guys [in the PCL] really know how to locate their off-speed pitches. They are real pitchers up there and it helped me out a lot. I didn't do well there but it helped learn to see pitches." Cain is seeing pitches well for the Javs, hitting .344 heading into Tuesday's action. So while the Brewers have some big names in their system -- Mat Gamel, Angel Salome, etc. -- Cain is proving that he belongs in that group. Not that he's looking for the attention. "I don't like being in the spotlight," he admits. "I want to sit back, lay low and just handle my business and let things come my way. I'll let them have the spotlight."

http://www.aflacallamerican2008.com/imageGallery/gallery%2FGame%20Day%2F15.JPG With Purke up, I wanted to tackle Tyler Matzek right away, since these two are probably going to be contested back and forth between now and next June, similar to how Rick Porcello stacked up against Matt Harvey at a similar time as they prepared their talents for the 2007 draft. Many prospect publications and journalists seem to think Matzek is the top prep prospect available for 2009, and it is really hard to go too far out of my way to argue against them. Matzek and Purke actually have similar profiles before you see them in person. They're both left-handed pitchers in the 6'3", 180-190 range. Matzek has a little more meat on his bones, or at least isn't as long and wiry strong as Purke is. Matzek is also a talented overall athlete that could draw interest for his bat if he wasn't so talented as a pitcher. He too throws in the low-90s while reaching the 93-94 range, although there isn't much movement to this pitch, although at those readings you could argue that it doesn't need to move to be successful. While he does throw a very nice slider, he also spins a true, hard-breaking curveball that typically sits in the mid-70s. His changeup gives him a very polished four-pitch repertoire. Matzek's arm angle is more traditional, and his mechanics are picture perfect. He pitches aggressively and he isn't afraid to come inside on right-handed hitters. Matzek also pitched at the Aflac All-American Classic, the Under Armour game, Tournament of the Stars and the Perfect Game National Showcase this past summer. He has yet to commit to college. So why do I have Purke ahead of Matzek? I think Purke profiles more as a true power pitcher, and that's due to a few somewhat intangible qualities as well as his stuff. I think his fastball movement and the deception to his delivery play in his favor, and while both are high character players, I like Purke's killer instinct a little better.

PG Crosschecker has had their top prospect lists out for quite some time, so I'm not going to bother link to those individual lists, but I do want to remind people of their daily (or at least frequently) top 10 lists. One of their most recent ones covered the top 10 players that created a buzz, with Shelby Miller checking in at #6. Miller was already one of the nation's top prospects going into the event, but as David Rawnsley notes, he might be the top pitching prospect in the nation coming out of Jupiter. I brought up Miller in the Jupiter thread as a name to keep an eye on at this event, as I've been hearing more and more about this young man. He appeared in two games at the tournament, and touch 94 during both of those games. He already was on my top 10 prep list, and could debut in the top 5 when my list is finally released. Here's a link to the top 10 list archives. Click on week 41 for the list referenced above: http://www.pgcrosschecker...toptenlists/archives.aspx

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/awhite08428309aw.jpg UNC RHP Alex White graces the homepage of Baseball America today as they release their top 100 college prospects eligible for 2009 (subscribers only): http://www.baseballameric...aft/news/2009/267141.html I missed this last week, but they released their top 100 high school prospects (again, subscribers only): http://www.baseballameric...aft/news/2008/267114.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/jturner08428309ab.jpg Jacob Turner

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2746585317_585b490e5e.jpg Let's switch to one of the top high school prospects, LHP Matthew Purke, who in my opinion is the best prep prospect available for the 2009 draft. This may surprise some people, but I actually have Purke #2 overall at this point in time, behind only Stephen Strasburg. That's how good I think he could be if he's able to stay healthy, not that there's any reason to believe that he won't outside of the usual concern with young arms. As you can probably tell from the photo above, Purke has a slender frame. He's a well-proportioned overall athlete with plenty of room to fill out as his body starts to mature into his early 20's. He throws from a low three-quarters delivery that creates a fair amount of deception, and his arm action is so effortless it makes it look as though he isn't putting much stress on his arm. The ball explodes out of his hand, as he can touch 95 with his fastball and sits comfortably in the 89-92 range, and there's a little bit of natural, late sinking movement to his fastball. While he does maintain his velocity deep into ballgames at this stage in his career, filling out and adding more muscle mass should only help him continue to do so, not only over the course of a game, but over the course of a much longer season. His arm action is tailor-made for a slider, a pitch that comes out of his hand looking like a fastball that explodes in on the hands of right-handed batters and away from left-handed swingers. Purke also throws a nice changeup that is advanced for his age, but doesn't throw it as often given the success of his fastball-slider combination. A talented overall athlete, he fields his position well and also is a gifted hitter that plays first base when he's not pitching. In addition to his physical attributes, Purke also receives high marks for his character. Not only does he have a good head on his shoulders, but he also very confident in his abilities and has a nasty competitive streak that causes him to want the ball and exceed in the highest pressure situations. During the summer of 2008 Purke pitched for the Aflac All-American Classic, the Under Armour Classic, the Perfect Game National Showcase, the Tournament of the Stars and for the Team USA 18U National Team. He has committed to play for Texas Christian University, but I highly doubt he ever steps foot on campus.

I've been one of the bigger Vazquez supporters during his entire career, but I have a friend who is a die-hard White Sox fan who tells me that I'll love the idea of getting Vazquez, but won't love actually having him over time. I'm not so sure about that, as the guy has been incredibly consistent throughout his career, as he's pretty much a lock for 200 innings and an ERA in the 4.00-4.50 range. He's essentially league-average while also chewing up a ton of innings while never missing significant (if any) playing time. A warning though, he's been particularly lousy in the playoffs. Yes, that's mega-small sample, but lousy nonetheless. The White Sox are looking for athletes with speed, with a need at second base with Alexei Ramirez sliding over the SS. Chris Getz may be an internal option to fill 2B, but the White Sox are reportedly going to go after Orlando Hudson. If Bill Hall isn't a good fit, and if the White Sox are looking for more than that, Rickie Weeks might be part of a bigger deal with the White Sox. Hernan Iribarren could be a good fit for them if they're looking for a straight salary dump, and he might be an even better match considering both he and manager Ozzie Guillen are Venezuelan.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/okla/sports/m-basebl/auto_wide/2460529.jpeg The University of Oklahoma has a Q&A and 3-part video feature up on Mehdi Djebbar, who transferred from Seminole State College to player for the Sooners for his junior year of eligibility: http://www.soonersports.c...l/spec-rel/110308aaa.html Also, if you have not yet discovered the College Baseball Blog, check it out. It is like Jim's Link Report for college baseball and is an awesome resource: http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/

http://www.capecodbaseball.org/weekly/week2007/Photos/WK4_AndyOliver.jpg Andrew Oliver is up next, somewhat of a controversial player in that he was suspended late in the 2008 college baseball season for supposedly having violated NCAA rules about relationships with agents. He has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and Oklahoma State for his suspension, which somewhat clouds his status for the 2009 season. There are rumors that the agent that caused Oliver to be suspended was Scott Boras, who may have written a letter in defense of Oliver to Oliver's previous advisor(who, based out of New York City sent Oliver a six-figure bill for their previous advisement after Oliver switched advisors), which is violation of NCAA rules. Regardless of the legal issues, Oliver is one of the top pitching prospects available for the 2009 draft, and he was also one of the top prospects available for the 2006 draft coming out of high school from Vermillion, Ohio. He reportedly turned down $400,000 to sign with the Twins after falling to the 17th round of the draft. With perfect, athletic proportions, the size to sustain long innings and a cool, collected approach, Oliver is similar to former big-league pitcher Chuck Finley. His fastball velocity and command support that comparison, as he sits in the 89-93 range, touching 94-95, and maintains that velocity deep into ballgames. He's not afraid to come inside on right-handed hitters, and with his velocity is also able to get away with elevating his fastball as he racks up strikeouts. While he is able climb the ladder, he also has a knack for keeping the ball down in the zone earlier in counts, and his heavy heater can induce some weakly hit ground balls. His secondary stuff needs refinement, although both his breaking ball and changeup show promise. His change is ahead of his slurve at this point in time, which is thrown from the same arm angle and velocity as his fastball. He has a tendency to overthrow his breaking ball, and while it isn't as consistently good as his fastball, he does throw it more frequently deeper into ballgames giving opponents a different look. Oliver also fields his position well, and can hold his own at the plate as a pitcher. His strike-throwing approach led to him being knocked around early in his college baseball career, but he posted much better numbers during his sophomore campaign, and is poised for a huge junior year despite the legal issues that have not yet gone away. He will continue to be advised by Scott Boras. Here are the overall stats, which includes a stint on the Cape after his freshman year, and his time spent with Team USA this past summer: 16-4, 2.62 ERA, 41 games (36 starts), 206.1 IP, 149 hits, 216 K, 97 BB, 1.19 WHIP

Brent Brewer got the start today for the Javelinas. He went 0-3 with a K, but was part of two double plays on defense. Lorenzo Cain appeared as a pinch runner and swiped a base, his 3rd in the AFL. EDITORIAL NOTE: Cain should be starting everyday. The situation with Michael Brantley and his impending departure to Cleveland really hurt Cain's status in this league since he had to wait to be named a participant. It doesn't help that he's playing on the same team as Austin Jackson, the Yankees' top prospect, and Drew Stubbs, a top prospect in the Reds organization, but Cain is more than holding his own, and is out-hitting all of the OFs on the Javelinas by nearly 100 points, yet he has the second fewest ABs among outfielders on his team.

I'm with Toby, I think Nelson is basically just a bat and shouldn't be out on the field very often, other than first base. He's a late inning pinch hitter and possible DH during interleague. That doesn't mean he couldn't have value to the team. Iribarren if developed (and used) properly could become the Brewers version of Tony Phillips.

As the Rotoworld link notes, Hernan Iribarren got freaky on Halloween, going 4-5 with 4 runs, 2 triples (not doubles per the Rotoworld report) and 2 RBI. His line is up to .362/.433/.586 in 58 ABs. 37 of those have been vs. RHPs, and he's hitting to the tune of .459/.512/.676 against them. Keep in mind, he's only a year removed from a very good season at AA Huntsville in which he led the Southern League in triples, and does have a taste of the big-leagues. Another lefty-hitter that could be fighting for a spot on the big-league roster next spring is Brad Nelson, who exploded the night before Iribarren did, going 4-4 with 3 runs scored, a double, triple and 2 home runs while driving in 7. He is now hitting .326/.404/.804 (.462/.517/1.038 vs. RHP). While the more sexy Arizona Fall League and even the Hawaii Winter Baseball league haven't been giving us many exciting storylines worthy of regular discussion, I think Iribarren and Nelson are definitely worth following. We all know the Brewers roster is painfully thin with hitters that can make a dent vs. RHPs with a righty-heavy hitting lineup. Doug Melvin could hit the free agent and/or trade market to address this need and overall depth, or he could choose to pursue the more cost effective and arguably just as productive internal (yet unproven) route. Iribarren of course offers speed and contact while Nelson brings some left-handed hitting thunder. In the defense of Tony Gwynn, another left-handed hitter, he's now hitting .339/.391/.403, going with 8 hits in his last 15 ABs and 14 in his last 35. He has never really had drastic LHP vs. RHP splits however.

I really like Jackson's glove, it's actually impossible not to love his glove. He's so slick and makes everything look so easy. He's Adam Everett almost across the board because I think he's really going to struggle to hit at the next level. He has gotten better in that area going from his freshman year to his sophomore one, and I'm guessing he will continue to improve into his junior year. He's going to be drafted in the top 1-2 rounds for his glove alone, because you could insert him into any lineup today and have a potential gold glover. I got to see Jackson in person at the Aflac game a few years ago. He has a slighter and wiry body. There's room to add strength, but I guess I don't see that bat getting close to putting up solid numbers on an annual basis. I hope he proves me wrong, because he's a lot of fun to watch.

His raw tools are probably more in line with a 2nd or 3rd rounder, however the more you watch the guy play, the more you're impressed. He's the type of guys that plays above his tools and just flat-out produces, a la Dustin Pedroia (a 2nd rounder) and Kevin Youkilis (an 8th rounder), and we all know there are a handful of teams that jump at the chance to select guys like these. The Brewers haven't been one of those teams, but their first pick also hasn't been in the 20s for a long time. Also, the lack of impact bats from the college level could inflate his value.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/2611599925_a146b5eec4.jpg?v=0 Stephen Strasburg is up next, as I couldn't be predictable and start with the number one guy! I want to start with the overall numbers for Strasburg because it really does show just how dominant he has been throughout his college career (includes two stints with Team USA and the NECBL). 14-7, 1.68 ERA, 60 games (20 starts), 198.1 IP, 118 hits, 273 K, 37 BB, 0.79 WHIP He started his career at San Diego State out of the bullpen, and continued to be used that way the following summer for both Team USA and during his stint in the NECBL. The 2.43 ERA he posted his freshman year was the highest ERA at any level he has pitched, as he hasn't had an ERA above 1.80 at any other stop. He doesn't walk batters and he doesn't allow many hits while posting a ton of Ks. I hate to make it sound as though I'm over-glorifying Strasburg, but he really is as close to a perfect pitching prospect as you can find, with the size, stuff and overall athleticism that makes him very similar to pitchers such as Mark Prior and David Price at similar stages of their careers. His fastball sits in the 93-95 range and can approach triple digits. He can vary the speed and break on his breaking ball from a high-70s hammer to a low-80s sweeper. He also throws a changeup, and commands all three pitches extremely well, which has led to his incredibly low walk totals. Since he did start his college career out of the bullpen, his arm is relatively fresh, as he hasn't been overworked. He pitched for the US Olympic team this past summer in Beijing, the only amateur selected, and had an incredible start last spring against Utah in which he struck out 23 batters. He started off his season last year by out-dueling crosstown rival Brian Matusz, the third overall pick in last year's draft, of the San Diego Toreros. Strasburg will be advised by Scott Boras, meaning it is no sure thing that he goes first overall, as he should, to the Washington Nationals in next June's draft.

vannzee52, if you go to Barnes and Noble or some other bookstore, you should be able to pick up a print copy of BA that has the draft report cards. It may be worth your money, as CC Sabathia is on the cover as he was named BA's player of the year. I don't know how much an individual issue costs, since I've been a subscriber for roughly a decade, but I'm guessing it's $4-6. Or, go to BA's site and request a free sample issue and keep your fingers crossed that you get that issue http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. In BA's draft report card chat on Friday, John Manuel was very complimentary of the Brewers draft effort, with props to Jack Z. on his last draft sharing support for Lawrie and Odorizzi in particular. Manuel has kept tabs on the Brewers more closely than most national columnists, having written the team's top prospect list and handling the chat responsibilities a few years ago in place of Tom Haudricourt.

Sorry Mike, we haven't heard what the details are. It definitely sounds like an injury replacement. Chris Cody got the start today for the West Oahu CaneFires against the incredibly tough lineup of the Waikiki Beach Boys, which boasts the likes of Buster Posey, Yonder Alonso, Tony Thomas and Roger Kieschnick. Cody lasted 5 innings, giving up 6 hits and 2 walks which led to 4 ER, while striking out 6. He actually retired Thomas, Posey and Alonso quickly in the 1st, as most of the damage against him came after those three batters in the 2nd inning, and the red-hot Posey was 0-3 against him. Caleb Gindl returned to the lineup today, although batting third which was somewhat surprising to see. He responded well, going 2-4 with a double, 2 runs, 1 RBI and a K. Logan Schafer also went 2-4, and had a run scored and a K. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_02_waiwin_wocwin_1

Loney advantage over Prince is his glove. I think it's pretty hard to try and argue that Loney at any point in time will be better than Prince already is offensively. If I were LA, yes, I would seriously consider that deal because the team is in desperate need for offense. If Ramirez goes elsewhere, that need to going to be magnified. I also agree that the Orioles would be a good fit, and definitely could be in the mix as a dark-horse. I still think the Giants make the most sense. They made their stadium for left-handed sluggers, and have almost no impact hitters in their system. In the papers it's reported that they're intent on moving forward with what they have, but if they do they're just going to continue their downward spiral. At least they seem to have a knack for developing pitchers, which is a perfect match for the Brewers.

Blengino was an area scout for three years IIRC (I think 2003-2005), working in the New England region. While he was there, he definitely made a strong impression on Zduriencik, convincing him to draft players such as Mark Rogers, Angel Salome and Steve Garrison, as well as key DFEs such as Darren Ford, Zach Braddock and Nick Tyson. He was added to the front office and became Zduriencik's right-hand man, who supervised/crosschecker the team's Canadian drafting efforts and also frequently traveled with Zduriencik to see some of the bigger players across the nation. Blengino is definitely an example of Zduriencik's talent for finding diamonds in the rough when it comes to those that have a knack for finding talent, as there is much more than just a statistical background there. McNamara recently returned to the Brewers to take over the role of East Coast Crosschecker, but he was previously an area scout for the Brewers that covered Florida, and was given somewhat of a going away gift prior to his departure after the 2002 draft. He is credited with fighting for the Fielder pick, and IIRC took a few other early picks in that '02 draft credited to McNamara. I'm glad to hear the Ms retained their international guy. They definitely didn't have any problems there. As for the new-age GM, I think you'll be pleased with Zduriencik, and if he doesn't succeed in turning the team around, it certainly won't be due to a lack of effort. I don't really understand why so many people get bent out of shape wanting someone with a strong statistical background, as the key to baseball from a front office perspective is identifying talent. Stats may be pretty to look at, but ultimately you need someone that can look at the players to determine if the numbers they put can translate to the highest and most important level, and no statistic can quantify that. Ideally you have a mix of both, and since Doug Melvin definitely understands the numbers side of the game, I'm sure that trickled down to Zduriencik as well over the years.

Logan Schafer went 1-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a BB. He was also caught stealing. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_01_waiwin_wocwin_1 They play again today at 1pm HT (which I believe is 6pm CST).

Lou Palmisano came in to catch in the 6th inning, and recorded a pair of hits in his 2 ABs. Brent Brewer made his AFL debut while also coming in during the 6th. He went 0-2 with a K. He only had one grounder hit his way during his brief time playing, and handled it cleanly. David Welch used a pair of strikeouts to work around 2 hits and a walk in a scoreless inning, and Omar Aguilar continues his strong stint with another scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out a batter. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_11_01_msswin_perwin_1 The AFL is off on Sundays so Lou Palmisano's dad can watch the Packers.

I thought a thread devoted to the players eligible for the 2009 draft may be appropriate, since the draft resource thread usually brings people up to speed on the raw draft order, free agent compensation, and top prospect lists provided by other publications. One thing I do every summer is compile an Excel spreadsheet that has the stats of the more notable '09 draft eligibles, from their spring campaigns at their individual schools as well as the numbers from the summer leagues. I'm going to start with A.J. Pollock, a CF from Notre Dame. http://www.capecodbaseball.org/Weekly/Week2008/Photos/AW_%20AJPollack3.jpg Pollock was named the MVP of the Cape Cod League. For some reference, Conor Gillaspie won this award last year, with Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Jason Varitek representing some of the more notable award winners. Pollock did so by finishing first in hits (61), doubles (15) and slugging (.556), second in batting (.377) and extra-base hits (20), third in runs scored (35), and fourth in on-base percentage (.455). He started and led off for the West squad, going 2-3 with a home run in the Cape's all-star game. His success dates back to his high school career, being named the Gatorade player of the year in Connecticut in 2006, where he was a talented two-way star that excelled on the mound as well as at the shortstop position. He started his career at Notre Dame playing second base, and a move back to the infield isn't completely out of the question, with either second base or third base being the more likely destinations. While he doesn't have ideal speed for centerfield, his baseball instincts allow him to get great jumps on balls and he has a strong arm. Pollock has good bat speed and good pitch recognition. He rarely gets fooled, has good plate coverage, hits to contact and doesn't strike out much. While there isn't a ton of power in his swing, there's enough for double-digit readings, and scouts were encouraged to see his power bloom this summer on the Cape while swinging a wood bat while not compromising his approach. He has plenty of gap power, and his speed allows him to leg out plenty of doubles and triples. He has been very effective stealing bases (85% success rate in college), although he's probably not good for more than 20-30 a year at the professional level. Here are the cumulative numbers from his freshman and sophomore years at Notre Dame, the summer of 2007 (New England Collegiate Baseball League) and this past summer: .362/.438/.504 in 709 AB, 52 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 91:60 BB:K ratio, 63 for 74 in stolen base attempts With the usual disclaimer that you can never rely too much on numbers from any amateur baseball player, these stats do speak of Pollock's abilities. I'm sure Brewers fans will find his high walk output and low strikeout totals appealing, while his leadership qualities, work ethic and overall approach the game could be appreciated by any fan. He's not super toolsy, so at this point in time I don't think he's a candidate to go among the top 15 picks, but the same was said about Buster Posey at this time a year ago. He's more likely to go somewhere in the 20s if he is picked in the first round, as his upside is somewhat limited, but he makes the most of his tools and could see his numbers translate in a very similar fashion to the big-league level. He reminds me a lot of Aaron Rowand, although with more speed and probably less raw power potential at a similar stage of their careers.

2008-09 Free Agents I'm still waiting for the actual Elias rankings, as that definitely plays a part with draft picks compensation, but for now I'll just post the list which is provided via Sports Illustrated: http://sportsillustrated....elias.rankings/index.html UPDATE: Here's a link to the actual rankings. I've tried my best to put the players in order below: http://www.usatoday.com/s...ias-player-rankings_N.htm Type A free agents represent the top 20% of players at their position category, while Type B free agents represent the top 21-40% of players at their position category. Below I will break the list down by the free agents, subtracting names as we find out which ones aren't offered arbitration, and also subtracting them (or crossing them out) as they are signed, noting the compensation as the offseason moves along. For Brewers fans, CC Sabathia had the second highest Elias rating of any free agent to Mark Teixeira, while Ben Sheets was also ranked as a Type A. Mike Cameron, Eric Gagne, Brian Shouse and Salomon Torres were ranked as Type B free agents. Type A Free Agents: Mark Teixeira - 98.889 CC Sabathia - 98.110 Manny Ramirez - 93.438 A.J. Burnett - 89.729 Brian Fuentes - 86.694 Francisco Rodriguez - 87.196 Orlando Cabrera - 86.000 Raul Ibanez - 83.684 Bobby Abreu - 83.421 Russ Springer - 82.580 Adam Dunn - 81.25 Andy Pettitte - 80.911 Pat Burrell - 80.000 Orlando Hudson - 79.911 Edgar Renteria - 79.429 Ben Sheets - 79.038 Oliver Perez - 78.694 Juan Cruz - 76.627 Kerry Wood - 76.364 Jason Varitek - 76.037 Derek Lowe - 75.430 Trevor Hoffman - 74.613 Doug Brocail - 73.650 Jamie Moyer - 73.110 Darren Oliver - 70.798 Bobby Howry - 66.968 Type B Free Agents: Garret Anderson - 72.105 Milton Bradley - 70.909 John Smoltz - 70.103 Jeff Kent - 70.089 Moises Alou - 69.792 Ken Griffey - 69.605 Ivan Rodriguez - 69.585 Casey Blake - 69.505 Brad Penny - 68.729 Jon Garland - 66.473 Alan Embree - 65.902 Randy Wolf - 65.550 Brian Shouse - 65.541 Jason Isringhausen - 65.334 David Weathers - 64.955 Paul Byrd - 64.922 Greg Maddux - 63.832 Brandon Lyon - 63.729 Jeremy Affeldt - 63.000 The Reds receive a supplemental first-round pick Braden Looper - 62.973 Mark Grudzielanek - 62.733 Arthur Rhodes - 62.008 Randy Johnson - 61.856 Luis Gonzalez - 61.667 Frank Thomas - 60.000 Mark Loretta - 59.598 Gregg Zaun - 59.447 Joe Beimel - 59.192 Dennys Reyes - 57.480 Rudy Seanez - 57.047 Luis Ayala - 56.668 Juan Uribe - 56.571 Eric Gagne - 56.493 Paul LoDuca - 56.371

In the next week or two I hope to have my 2008 draft review/2009 draft preview story up on the homepage. At that time I plan to have the top 30 2009 draft eligible players/scouting reports entered on the default draft page. In the meantime, with the release of the Elias rankings I figured it was time to put this thread together. Here are some handy links to recent conversations and links to similar threads from last year. Recent 2009 Discussion: 2009 Draft Order 2008 Summer Showcase/League Thread 2008 College Resource Thread (some notes on '09 eligibles) Player Spotlight/Scouting Report Thread 2008 Draft Review/2009 Preview 2008 Draft Resource: 2008 Draft Resource Thread Official Draft Pick Selection/Signing Thread Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 21-50 General Draft Discussion Like past year's, this thread will provide a handy resource with the raw draft order while also keeping tabs with free agent activity to determine compensation picks. 2009 Raw Draft Order Overall Order/First Round Changes 1. Nationals (.384) 2. Mariners (.377) 3. Padres (.389) 4. Pirates (.411) 5. Royals (.428) 6. Braves (.442) 7. Giants (.445) 8. Orioles (.448) 9. Reds (.452) *9a. Nationals (for not signing A. Crow) 10. Rockies (.456) 11. A's (.459) 12. Tigers (.479) 13. D-Backs (.490) 14. Indians (.490) 15. Rangers (.490) 16. Marlins (.507) 17. Dodgers (.514) 18. Yankees (.527) 19. Cardinals (.534) 20. Blue Jays (.541) *20a. Mariners (if they don't sign J. Fields) 21. Astros (.544) 22. Phillies (.544) 23. Twins (.548) 24. White Sox (.555) 25. Brewers (.565) 26. Mets (.566) 27. Red Sox (.588) 28. Cubs (.603) *28a. Yankees (for not signing G. Cole) 29. Rays (.604) 30. Angels (.610) Second Round Changes 2a. Pirates (for not signing T. Scheppers) 29a. Yankees (for not signing S. Bittle) Third Round Supplemental Round (for unsigned third rounders 1. Astros (for not signing C. Davidson)