2014 MLB Draft Thread

[gunnarthor]

Here is a mock from bleacher report yesterday.

 

Rodon, Kolek, Aiken, Beede, then the Twins taking Gordon.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2049801-2014-mlb-mock-draft-latest-1st-round-projections-one-month-from-draft-day#articles/2049801-2014-mlb-mock-draft-latest-1st-round-projections-one-month-from-draft-day/page/2

 

Interesting mock draft - Zimmer going before Jackson. I think I still want Jackson over Gordon but I'll trust the FO.

[InfraRen]

Welp...

 

keithlaw @keithlaw

RHP Jeff Hoffman of @ECUBaseball will have Tommy John surgery next week. Had been a probable top 4 pick in the draft before injury.

[Mike Sixel]

Jackson or Gordon it is.....

[Twins Twerp]

Crap jeff...that sucks for him and us...flyer in second?

[gunnarthor]

Dang. Yeah, I'd be ok with taking him in the second round but it probably won't happen. Gioltio fell from a top 5 pick to 13. I don't think Hoffman will fall all the way to the second round.

 

So Aiken, Rodon and Kolek are all pretty much locks to go in the top 4. Gordon, Jackson, Nola, Beede ... I wanted Jackson and still do.

[cmb0252]

Tough break for Hoffman. Seems like Jackson/Gordon are the most likely choices right now.

 

On a different note HS pitcher Bukauskas has sent a letter out to teams saying he will be going to college.

[cmb0252]

Also, BA will be releasing their first mock draft of the year tomorrow. Not sure if it will behind their pay wall.

[cmb0252]

From Darren Wolfson:

 

No shock: told East Carolina RHP Jeff Hoffman is no longer in the mix for #MNTwins at No.5. Would be if lasted until No.46.

 

No surprise.

[cmb0252]

Kiley Mcdaniel's new updated top 116:

 

http://sbb.scout.com/2/1400460.html

 

This part was the most interesting:

"There are already rumors that my #5 player, Nick Gordon, will cut a below slot deal with the Twins at pick #5 with his father, former big league reliever Tom Gordon, acting as Nick's advisor. Every player/advisor in this range knows they could slip to the bottom if they lose a few coin flips in split war rooms, so they are incentivized to market themselves as signable because if they slip 5-10 picks, even an over-slot deal at a lower pick would likely be for less money."

[diehardtwinsfan]

Hmmm... makes me hope for Gordon in the 1st and Hoffman in the second... won't happen, but one can dream.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Welp...

 

keithlaw @keithlaw

RHP Jeff Hoffman of @ECUBaseball will have Tommy John surgery next week. Had been a probable top 4 pick in the draft before injury.

 

Wow. That sucks. As Kiley Mac had Hoffman in the top tier and now that is one guy less. It also takes away one more stud pitcher.

 

I plan to post the 3rd draft preview soon, so I'll reflect more on what this all means there.

[cmb0252]

If McDaniel is right and the Twins take Gordon under slot at #5 I wonder who they will target at #46. Hoffman won't make it to #46 with how many other teams have multiple picks before us. Outside of the other draft news about Bukauskas wanting to go to college I can't name many big name hard signings this year. Obviously players will fall but there is no Ryan Boldt/Kyle Serrano this year. Maybe once the draft gets closer we will hear a few more names.

[gunnarthor]

Who are the hurt first round talents or HS kids claiming they want to go to college? Hoffman, Fischer, Bukauskas. Probably a few more.

[cmb0252]

Crawford's new mock draft (must have been released before Hoffman news). Has Twins taking Gordon:

 

http://mlbdraftinsider.com

[Mike Sixel]

Crawford's new mock draft (must have been released before Hoffman news). Has Twins taking Gordon:

 

http://mlbdraftinsider.com

 

I clicked on that, and it has the Cubs taking Gordon, and Twins taking Jackson?

[cmb0252]

Who are the hurt first round talents or HS kids claiming they want to go to college? Hoffman, Fischer, Bukauskas. Probably a few more.

 

Luis Ortiz was a top arm but was injured to start the year but I can't see him dropping to #46. Maybe Justus Sheffield who pitched poorly and has a commitment to Vanderbilt. Dylan Cease is also a Vandy commit with a big arm but is currently resting because of an elbow that has been bothering him (good chance he has TJ).

 

Those are the first three off the top of my head. With the draft being 29 days away I'm sure we will be a few more.

[cmb0252]

I clicked on that, and it has the Cubs taking Gordon, and Twins taking Jackson?

 

Really? Mine isn't showing that. That is strange....

[Mike Sixel]

i'll check when I get home....

[twinsin17]

I've got a fever and the only cure is more mock drafts! Anyone see the Perfect Game mock? I know its poor form to ask for pay content but I'm sick here!

[cmb0252]

i'll check when I get home....

 

You are right. I was looking at the page before it got updated. I personally don't see the Cubs drafting Gordon but what do I know? I see Jackson as a better fit for them. Either way I would be happy with Gordon or Jackson. Getting one under slot would just be icing on the cake.

[cmb0252]

I've got a fever and the only cure is more mock drafts! Anyone see the Perfect Game mock? I know its poor form to ask for pay content but I'm sick here!

 

I would share if I had a subscription. As for wanting a new mock John Manuel at BaseballAmerica is releasing one tomorrow. Hopefully it isn't also behind a pay wall. With the Hoffman update I'm sure Perfect Games will release an updated one soon.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The PG mock has Hoffman #1 and Holmes going #5 to the Twins. Gordon is going #14. It's not exactly one that you'd bet on coming true, IMO.

[Twins Twerp]

From BA chat today:

 

Twins twerp (Western ND): Jeff hoffman to have tj surgery. Does he sit out a season untill next draft or fall to the nationals like gioloto this draft?

 

Ben Badler: I would bet he still gets paid this year. If I were him though, given that he’s going to have the surgery anyway, I would do something completely outside the box and consider becoming a resident of a foreign country like Haiti, sit out one year, then try to sign as an international free agent, where he probably could get more money even subject to the pools, which teams would certainly go past for a player of his caliber. I’m not sure MLB would allow it, but this might be the perfect time for someone daring and enterprising enough to try it. More realistically, yeah, he probably slips in the draft but still gets paid.

[twinsfan34]

I completely agree. When the Marlins took Jose Fernandez at #6 and the Dodgers took Kershaw at #7, they weren't hoping for a #4 or #5 starter. Fernandez had command question marks and Kershaw had an oblique injury his senior year. But those lotto tickets had a higher jackpot than a back of the rotation guy.

 

#4 or #5 starters can be signed on the free agent market. Even by the Twins. Kershaw and Fernandez will likely never be free agents and if they were, we wouldn't even put in a phone call.

 

Phone call wouldn't matter.

 

Yankees would go 15 years $500M for Fernandez. Kershaw isn't leaving Los Angeles.

[Lonestar]

Baseball America has their first mock up. Twins take Gordon after Cubs take Finnegan. Jackson at 1-6, Freeland at 1-7.

[gunnarthor]

Here's the link - http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2014-mock-draft-track-record-lands-rodon-atop-first-mock/

 

I have to say - with the knowledge that I don't know anything - that I'd prefer an offensive first player like Jackson over a HS shortstop. Heck, I'd be ok with them taking an injured Hoffman or even a college pitcher like Nola or Freeland ahead of Gordon. Which explains why I shouldn't be a scouting director.

[markos]

Baseball Prospectus released a Draft Ten Pack yesterday where they played out the top 10 picks with various writers/scouts taking each team.

 

This was released prior to the Hoffman announcement (who was taken #4). The Twins ended up taking Holmes, with Toussaint, Jackson and Gordon going 6,7,8.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23506

[kab21]

So it's a 3 player draft just like last year. Let's hope that 2 guys can establish themselves like Stewart did last year to make a 1B tier instead of a true 2nd tier.

 

The arms don't really dazzle me so I'm hoping that Jackson and Gordon can be this 1B tier.

 

It's interesting to see Zimmer and Holmes fall as far as they did.

[cmb0252]

With Rodon, Aiken, and Kolek most likely off the board give me Gordon, Jackson, or Holmes. I just don't love any of the other college arms that much.

[nicksaviking]

The Cubs do seem pretty light on young shortstops.

 

I really want one of the top arms but it's looking unlikely now. It would be nice to get an underslot deal for a change as long as they go high upside at #2. Still, there are too many teams with 2nd picks in the competitive balance rounds that the Twins will almost certainly will not be able to grab the cream of the crop of the "sliders."

 

Deron Johnson in person has recently been watched Aiken, Kolek, Jackson, Zimmer, Gordon, Nola, Penticost, Newcomb and Reid Foley in the last three weeks for what it's worth.