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...and our first pick went towards a Canadian RHP.

More as events warrant.

From Keith Law on ESPN:

At 6-foot-6, Aumont is an imposing pitcher. At the same time, though, he is an excellent athlete who is still very crude as a pitcher, but he has the velocity and sink you don't see very often. I had him going as high as No. 5 to the Orioles, so this is outstanding value for the Mariners.

I'll admit I don't know the first thing about the guy, but it sounds good. Before the draft I had read (also from Keith Law) that the M's were looking to draft someone they could get to the Majors very quickly; but the word "crude" would imply that they went in a different direction.

Still more from Keith Law. Explanation of ratings:

80 - Hall of Fame caliber
70 - Perennial all-star
60 - All-star caliber
55 - Above average
50 - Average
45 - Below average
40 - Future potential player
35 - Non-prospect

Aumont's ratings:

Fastball - 50 present, 60 future (88-92 mph) ("Several scouts reported 92-96 mph in prior outing")
FB movement - 60 present, 60 future ("Serious sink")
Command - 35 present, 45 future
Control - 40 present, 50 future
Curveball - 35 present, 40 future (73-76 mph)
Slider - N/A
Changeup - 45 present, 50 future (83 mph) ("Fair arm speed")
Splitter - N/A
Other pitch - N/A
Feel for pitching - 35 present, 50 future

After looking at that, why the hell is this guy a first-rounder (projected as high as #5, no less)? You mean his only current above-average attribute is the sink on his fastball? It's one thing to draft a guy with no control if he can blow past people, but his fastball currently rates only a 50? Even if it develops into the "All-star caliber" 60 rating projected for the future, how's that supposed to get Major Leaguers out with poor control and no other decent pitches? To be the kind of guy who just blows the ball past everyone, shouldn't that fastball be at least a 70, if not better?

And a bit more:

Physical Description: 6-foot-6, athletic; imposing, broad frame.

Arm Angle: Low 3/4.

Mechanics: Short stride. Arm has to catch up a bit. Slight slinger.

Tempo: Inconsistent.

Release time: 0.0

Ultimate Role: No. 2 starter

Draft Estimate: 1st round (high)

Summary: Excellent athlete who is very crude as a pitcher, but has the sort of velocity and sink you don't see often. Fastball reported up to 96 mph in other outings but just 88-92 today, with excellent sink generated by the low slot. Curveball is a waste of time, flattens out,. Should be throwing a slider from that slot. Holds arm speed well on the changeup; looks like he hasn't had much experience with the pitch. Outstanding guy to take if you have a good instructor in player development.

Whatever. Bill Bavasi has proven to be somewhat like Isiah Thomas -- even though he's a totally incompetent GM on the whole, he scouts and drafts well. I'll try not to get down on this pick.

Okay, I've been avoiding work too long, but here you can see a video of Aumont. What can I say, he makes some good pitches, but he's more or less all over the place.

I don't know anything about the guy, but I'd rather the M's gamble on the guy that has high upside than settle for a college pitcher who is what he is. The MLB draft is a totally different type of draft than other sports...

Everything I