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| Hi all. As the draft has ended and the season is in its infancy, I just wanted to take a second and review who did what, good and bad, in the past draft. I broke grades out on a division by division basis for ease of comparison. Grades and comments are just one guys opinion, so dont get too involved in patting yourself on the back or throwing yourself in front of an Anhauser Beer truck...... Until the All-Star break, Mel Viper Jr. AL EAST BOSTON Wieters, Jurrjens, Alvarez and a plethora of usable arms for 2008 gives Boston a solid grade for the draft. Drafting and trading Snider for a plethora of Baltimore picks in 2009 puts the grade into elite status. Grade: A CLEVELAND Guthrie, Cust, Owens, Chico and Nyjer Morgan all top usable talent that should plug directly into the Clubbers 25 man roster. Gomez is a top 100 uncarded prospect who has his near term path blocked, but still a good pick. Clubbers get elite grade. Grade: A NEW YORK The rebuilding of the Flatirons in this draft has a pitching heavy flava' with the Flatirons nabbing solid usable starters in Owings, Kendrick, Litsch and DiNardo with first 4 picks and added 7 more in the next 9 picks, some with more upside than others. Sammy Sosa was added late and adds a usable bat vs lefties, and a supply of clear and cream. Viper likes the early efforts alot. Grade: B PITTSBURGH The Conspiracy only had 2 picks and added usable players with strong futures. Only having 2 picks holds the grade back but Pittsburgh did the most with the few picks they had. Grade: C+ AL CENTRAL CHICAGO Getting Yunel Escobar with the 5th overall pick maybe the best pick of the draft. Viper doesnt like much after that however, and uncarded draftees like Mills and Rule 5 OFer Barton feel like reaches. Grade: C HOUSTON Brandon Jones, Aaron Laffey and Jo-Jo Reyes all have future potential, but other than a limited Laffey effort are unusable in 2007 and apparently in 2008. 3 picks again limits the grade for the Dogs. Grade: C- MILWAUKEE Viper doesnt understand. The Maulers first pick, the 33rd overall pick, was Rich Aurilia. The Maulers then drafted a collection of average carded players and passed on using their last 3 picks. We are pretty sure Aurilia could have been chosen in round 13 with one of their unused picks and still been available. Grade: D- TEXAS The Japan to Missions express is still running on schedule with the additions of Fukudome and Kuroda. Soria is a great pick at #3 overall. Flores and De la Rosa have potential and need to mature. Solid draft, and even better if either Flores or De la Rosa pan out. Grade: C+ AL WEST LOS ANGELES The Skyhawks did a wonderful job of trading their first round pick Rick Porcello, and adding more mid-round picks and a mix of solid future and usable talent for 2008. LaPorta, Bonifacio, Willits and Gabbard should keep LA fans coming to the park for meaningful September games for the forseeable future. Grade: B+ OAKLAND A prospect heavy draft with little immediate help. Cabrera, Lu and Vanden Hurk will have some but little impact in 2008 but this should change as soon as 2009. Austin Jackson and Felipe Paulino are future helpers as well with longer projections. Grade: B+ SAN DIEGO Viper really liked San Diego's draft strategy. Took immediate impact bat Carlos Pena with 1st overall pick and then added carded players with high ceilings with a number of other picks including Liz, Gallagher and Blackburn. Would have given an A but trade of Blackburn and super OF bat Ross to Toronto for a bag of magic beans knocks the luster off the effort. Grade: B- SAN FRANCISCO Viper is bipolar when it comes to the Seals. He loves Moustakas, O'Flaherty and Harris where they were drafted. He finds the drafting of multiple uncarded NON-MLB drafted players to be a waste of cap space and roster spots considering the number of Top100 uncarded prospects that were still available. Viper will watch these players with great interest in the future... Grade: (Bipolar) B+ excluding uncarded players, C- with them in the mix. NL EAST ATLANTA 5 picks, 3 of which, Hamilton, Dobbs and Pena, should help the Mets immediately. Not alot of flash but no misses either. Solid effort. Grade: B BALTIMORE 3 picks limit letter grade, but not much. All 3 players have bright futures and Perez was one of the real difference makers available in the draft. McGee and Soto should be All-Stars. Paid a stiff price for Snider, but should pan out. Grade: B+ FLORIDA Only 2 picks. Reynolds will help at 3b but Invaders already have Rolen tied up at that position and had more pressing needs at starter. Murphy is a nice bench player for when he was drafted. Grade: C- (more picks would have helped) PHILADELPHIA Phanatics add 6 immediately helpful carded players and give Philly fans a reason to believe in 2008. Hopper, Bergmann and Byrd were 3 solid picks in round 1, although the order of how the picks were selected may be debated. Grade: B NL CENTRAL DETROIT Marcum, Moseley, Francisco and Rivera add immediate help to this improving squad and Vitters gives an other core prospect. The last thing the NL Central needs is a 4th competitive team, but Detroit seems to be on the path. Grade: B KANSAS CITY Addition of Towles in round 1 helps buoy a weak catcher position, while Lindtsrom, Anderson and Ojeda give the Monarchs some solid role players. Prospects like Balentien, Parker and Meloan are intriguing for 2009 but dont help this playoff ready team. Grade: B- ST LOUIS Only 3 picks, 2 of which were uncarded futures and good ones (Marrero and Anderson). Shelley Duncan may find a job on this super stacked team's bench, although he may not....although he has been spotted wearing a WHITEY IS NY SAVIOR T-shirt in spring ball. Grade: B- TORONTO: An equal split of futures and part time usable impact players make up the draft for the 2 time defending champs. Desmond Jennings and Lillibridge project as future MLB impact players, however Teagarden and Rodriguez do little for Viper. The rest or Toronto's draft have marginal futures but may help in their run for a 3-peat. Grade: B NL WEST ANAHEIM Vipers pre-season favorite had a solid draft with 6 overall picks, 3 of which were uncarded futures. Viper loves Lowrie and de los Santos but is thumbs down on Conger, even before the injury. Okajima just makes Anaheims pen stupid good. Morrow is a stud. Grade: A- COLORADO Addition of Bell, Ankiel, Moylan and Sonnastine give the Bears a chance at being competitive for a playoff spot. Ceda and Alderson are 2 top notch prospects and have the colorado fans chanting "We want Anaheim" in the streets. Be careful what you wish for...... Grade: A MINNESOTA: Viper is dizzy from trying to follow the number of draft picks Minnesota traded then traded away ...and then actually ended up with.......dizzying. When the Moose management eventually did make selections and/or subsequent drafts and trades, they did a solid job, acquiring Porcello as a future stud and Heyward as an eventual middle of the lineup power bat. Other solid picks include Manny Parra and Patrick Misch. Grade: B+ SEATTLE: The Ironbirds once again went prospect mad, selecting some of the most highly touted prospects available with a number of their early picks. This is a great strategy for a squad that is rebuilding, but going into this draft, Viper felt Seattle was on the verge of competing with Anaheim, pending acquistion of players that could help the immediate Ironbirds effort. Instead Seattle again added prospect after prospect passing on some useful players that also had upside. We love Seattle's roster, and we really like alot of the players they drafted, we just wonder when "the prospect fever" will break. Grade: A- |
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