The draft

[Ex-hippie]

So we just drafted the White Sox' third baseman. Discuss.

[Sweezo]

They draft an MLB-ready reliever? Why?

[PhilipNelsonFan]

Probably because Bavasi didn't like any of the SP or middle-infield options out there.

If this kid Fields is on the team in 2009, though, then I won't complain too much. Unless he really sucks.

I LOLed heartily at hippie's post.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

Other Mariners picks today:

66 Seattle Mariners -- Dennis Raben, OF, Univ. of Miami
98 Seattle Mariners -- Benjamin Pribanic, RHP, Univ. of Nebraska
132 Seattle Mariners -- Steven Hensley, RHP, Elon Univ.

This is likely the first and last time you will ever see these names. Although I do appreciate the emphasis on pitching.

[Bulltalk]

So who are the top mouth-watering prospects for next year when we have one of the top 3 picks?

[Ex-hippie]

They draft an MLB-ready reliever? Why?

I wonder if they're more concerned about Putz's struggles than we're aware of?

[bennith13]

Or maybe they are going to move Putz. Or, and this is what I hope will happen, Morrow is going to be moved to the starting rotation and they wanted someone to take his place.

[b_roy7]

Or Bill Bavasi is just an idiot? Oh wait, that's not a question.

Do you know anything about those guys PNF?

[Sweezo]

I wonder if they're more concerned about Putz's struggles than we're aware of?

I think bennith may be close...Putz seems like a good trading chip. Although closers on bad teams often end up being trade candidates to good teams as setup men...Putz doesn't seem to fit that mold. What teams out there are likely contenders but have completely rancid closers?

[PhilipNelsonFan]

Do you know anything about those guys PNF?

I have no idea about baseball prospects. BBJ, Bleeding Green and bigboy1234 are the most knowledgeable posters in that department.

That having been said, I don't think we fared well from the online scouting reports I've seen.

[Ex-hippie]

Did a little digging over at a couple of respectable Mariners blogs, USS Mariner and Lookout Landing. They confirm what we all felt: we blew this one big time. Josh Fields is probably the only name we drafted who's worth a damn.

Here's some of what they had to say:

First Round: Josh Fields, RHP, Georgia

Fields has good velocity and a big hook of a curveball despite being undersized, and when talking to people about him tonight, the name Troy Percival came up several times. Of course, the name Blaine Boyer came up just as often as a reminder that a 95 MPH fastball and a 12-6 curve doesn

[PhilipNelsonFan]

Keith Law of ESPN also chimes in:

Worst pick

The first round had a few head-scratchers, but two of them really stand out. One is Josh Fields. He actually has good value for when he was picked, but it makes absolutely no sense for the worst team in baseball to take a college reliever whose value is tied up in "now." The Mariners' best prospects are all in Class A ball, years away, and they're light on both power bats and high-probability starting pitching. Their big league club is second-to-last in the AL in scoring, third-to-last in ERA and dead last in starters' ERA. This is a team that has to be thinking about the future. You look at that club, and that organization, and decide that the best thing to do in the draft is take a reliever who can come to the big leagues right away?

First to the majors

With five relievers going in the first round, there are a few contenders for this title. Fields is 23 years old, has two plus pitches, and was picked by a team with a general manager and manager fighting for their jobs.

Oh, by the way: Fields is a Boras client, adding to the suckitude of this pick.

[BlackMamba]

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2008/index.jsp

a LOT of info of every pick.

20. Fields, Joshua U Georgia RHP R/R 6'00" 180 1985-08-19
Comments: A second-round Draft pick last year by the Braves after a subpar junior season, he and his advisor, Scott Boras, could not come to terms with Atlanta. So the closer returned to Georgia for a senior season to try and make his junior campaign a distant memory. He was off to a good start and could be the kind of college closer teams look for these days.
Enhanced Scouting Report

66. Raben, Dennis U Miami RF L/L 6'03" 220 1987-07-31
Comments: After an All-Star campaign in the Cape, scouts were eager to see what Raben would do for an encore, especially since the outfield group this spring is relatively weak. Unfortunately, he's been disappointing since coming off a back issue. He's got a long swing and takes too many pitches, often hitting in negative counts. His raw power from the left side will still get him drafted fairly early, but maybe not quite as soon as it once seemed.

98. Pribanic, Benjamin U Nebraska Lincoln RHP R/R 6'04" 200 1986-09-01
Comments: A junior college transfer, Pribanic has opened some eyes this spring as Nebraska's Sunday starter. With a big leg kick, he's run his fastball up to 94 mph and shown the ability to throw an average changeup and slider. A strong competitor, he doesn't have much of a track record to go from, but if he pitches this well all season, that won't matter.

132. Hensley, Steven Elon U RHP R/R 6'03" 195 1986-12-27

162. Lorin, Brett Cal St Long Beach RHP R/R 6'07" 245 1987-03-31

192. Burgess, Jarrett Florida Christian School (FL) RF R/R 6'02" 1990-08-10

[PhilipNelsonFan]

Whoa...the Mariners actually drafted a name I recognize: Kenn Kasparek of UT-Austin. He's their 6-10 pitcher. Wonder if he's looking to sign.

EDIT: Probably not unless he's after big money. He's a junior right now.

Here are the Mariners' picks thus far:

7th round: Nathaniel Tenbrink, 3B, Kansas State (JR)
8th round: Robert LaFromboise, LHP, New Mexico State (SR)
9th round: William Morrison, RHP, Western Michigan (JR)
10th round: Nate Newman, RHP, Pepperdine (JR)
11th round: Matt Jensen, 2B, Clovis East HS
12th round: Kenn Kasparek, RHP, Texas (JR)
13th round: Ryan Royster, CF, UC Davis (5th-year SR)

[PhilipNelsonFan]

I seriously think Bavasi is toying with us now. In the 14th round he drafted a left-handed pitcher from Louisiana Tech named Luke Burnett...kid is a college junior who's 6-8, 260.

[Ex-hippie]

-= original quote snipped =-



I think bennith may be close...Putz seems like a good trading chip. Although closers on bad teams often end up being trade candidates to good teams as setup men...Putz doesn't seem to fit that mold. What teams out there are likely contenders but have completely rancid closers?

Might not be a bad idea. I've seen it pointed out recently that many of the most lopsided deadline trades involve closers being traded to teams that are desperate (Heathcliff Slocumb being the most obvious example).

[bennith13]

The only thing I am scared about with trading people is that we have Bill Bavasi doing the negotiations.

[BlackMamba]

weren't those too many pitchers drafted?

[PhilipNelsonFan]

LOL...the Mariners' 50th-round selection has a brief write-up on him on the draft tracker. Sweet. Too bad he'll never don an M's jersey.

So now that the Mariners have drafted, the question remains: who signs? Gotta think the top 7 are probably locks with the exception of Burgess. LaFromboise will probably sign, and I'd like to see the Mariners sign at least two of the four junior pitchers they took. Royster obviously signs, but Jensen will go to college IMO.

Outside of them, every college senior will fill up the rosters of Everett and the AZL team, with maybe one or two of the JC kids thrown in.

Now, out of those who could possibly make the big leagues: Fields, Raben and Pribanic are the proverbial "safe bets". Lorin and maybe one or two of the junior pitchers, if Bavasi signs them, have a chance. So I'll use a liberal estimate and say five members of this draft class will don a Mariners uniform.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

A little more information here on the second-day guys. LaFromboise and Burnett getting some major dap.