InfraRen

Two big developments for Twins possible draft choices today: Jonathan Gray tested positive for Adderall during the pre-draft testing. There's no guarantee this drops him, but it doesn't help his chances. Much better chance at him today, than yesterday. Also, Texas A&M today signed 5-star QB recruit Kyle Allen, lessening Kohl Stewart's leverage - pretty much evaporating the "leverage" he has/had.

^Agree, this has been great! Keep it comin boys.

Rumors runnin rampant! Only gonna get crazier over next 3 days.

Probably the latter - could also have to do with the further he slides, the less likely he is to sign.

Keith Law 3.0 Mock just posted, anyone have Insider? Prep right-hander Phil Bickford jumps into top 10 in latest mock draft - MLB Draft - ESPN

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisBA1m Four of us @baseballAmerica editors took turns making 1st-rd picks for each club. Here's how it turned out: http://ht.ly/lEuW5 #mlbdraft Editors Make Calls In BA Experts Draft June 3, 2013 by Staff Report With the draft coming up on Thursday, we wanted to take yet another look at how the first round might unfold, this time if four of our draft experts were making the picks. This isn’t our projection of how the first round will play out, but rather who editor John Manuel, executive editor Jim Callis and assistant editors Conor Glassey and Nathan Rode would take with picks 1-33. After the order of rotation was selected from the Baseball America candy bowl/random draft order generator, the four experts alternated choices, balancing their own preferences with each club’s needs and financial situation. Rode won the right to lead things off: 1. ASTROS (Nathan): There’s a certain level of pressure that comes with the first pick and despite the overall feeling that this is a down year in the draft, there are plenty of very good options at the top. I’m a big fan of the high school outfielders in Georgia—Clint Frazier and Austin Meadows—but I can’t pull the trigger on one of them over the college options here. I’m taking Oklahoma righthander Jonathan Gray. I like the size and stuff, with the fastball life being the ever-so-slight separator between him and Stanford righty Mark Appel. It would be fun to see San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant’s power in Minute Maid Park, but you can never have enough pitching. I don’t expect a Carlos Correa discount on Gray, but think I could get enough to give me some wiggle room on later picks: JONATHAN GRAY. 2. CUBS (Jim). You’re not going to draft for need at the top, but the Cubs’ biggest need dovetails nicely with the elite prospects in this year’s draft. They need pitching and there are two obvious frontline starters in this crop. I’m mildly tempted by Bryant, but the choice comes down to Gray and Appel, and the Astros have made it easy here by taking Gray off the board. I like Gray a little more because I think his stuff is more electric when he and Appel are at their best, but I’m happy with Appel at No. 2. He has more polish, a deeper repertoire and a longer track record, and he has dominated this season like scouts always hoped he would: MARK APPEL. 3. ROCKIES (Conor). If the first two picks off the board are the two power pitchers, the third pick becomes a slam dunk, in my opinion. Bryant has the best usable power in the draft and hit 31 home runs this season, the most in the college BBCOR era. He’s cut down on his strikeouts and can hit the ball out to all fields. While he has the athleticism to handle third base, I would stick him in right field and let him mash his way to the middle of the Rockies’ lineup. He has the potential to be their best power hitter since Matt Holliday: KRIS BRYANT. 4: TWINS (John). It’s my fate to have the fourth pick in a three-player draft. So be it; I’m not going off the board with this pick. Texas prep righthander Kohl Stewart is out of the region I report on, but that hasn’t stopped the buzz from spilling over to scouts and crosscheckers I’ve talked to. The consensus seems to be that Stewart has similar stuff to Appel and Gray with a bit more athleticism, and he seems to have dispelled some early reports of shaky makeup. The Twins need power arms, and Stewart gives them one: KOHL STEWART. For the rest: Editors Make Calls In BA Experts Draft - BaseballAmerica.com

MLBInsider posted a new mock late last night: The Mock 2013: Volume VII | First 4: [TABLE=width: 1] [TH=colspan: 4, align: center]No.1; Houston Astros[/TH] Name[TH=width: 25%, bgcolor: #C3D9FF, align: left]Position[/TH] [TH=width: 25%, align: left]School[/TH] [TH=align: left]Slot[/TH] [TD=align: left]Jonathan Gray[/TD] [TD=align: left]RHP[/TD] [TD=align: left]Oklahoma[/TD] [TD=align: left]$7.7904M[/TD] [TD=colspan: 4, align: left]This selection is still very much in the air; and it likely will be all the way up until draft day. Colin Moran is very much in play, and Kris Bryant is still being discussed. At the end of the day though, I still think Houston takes Gray, but absolutely nothing would surprise me at this point.[/TD] [/TABLE] [TABLE=width: 1] [TH=colspan: 4, align: center]No.2; Chicago Cubs[/TH] Name[TH=width: 25%, bgcolor: #C3D9FF, align: left]Position[/TH] [TH=width: 25%, align: left]School[/TH] [TH=align: left]Slot[/TH] [TD=align: left]Mark Appel[/TD] [TD=align: left]RHP[/TD] [TD=align: left]Stanford[/TD] [TD=align: left]$6.7084M[/TD] [TD=colspan: 4, align: left]All spring long, we have heard that Chicago had narrowed their options to Appel and Gray, with the Cubs selecting whichever right-hander the Astros passed on. I still think that’s the likely scenario, with the only possible caveat being that Appel prices himself out of the Windy City. I don’t think that’s going to happen, and if the Cubs are lucky enough to get Appel they’ll have a guy who can compete for a spot in their rotation as soon as next year.[/TD] [/TABLE] [TABLE=width: 1] [TH=colspan: 4, align: center]No.3; Colorado Rockies[/TH] Name[TH=width: 25%, bgcolor: #C3D9FF, align: left]Position[/TH] [TH=width: 25%, align: left]School[/TH] [TH=align: left]Slot[/TH] [TD=align: left]Kris Bryant[/TD] [TD=align: left]3B/RF[/TD] [TD=align: left]San Diego[/TD] [TD=align: left]$5.6264M[/TD] [TD=colspan: 4, align: left]The Rockies have been attached to bats all spring, but if Appel or Gray were to fall into their laps I think they’d jump all over it. Bryant is the best hitter in this class, so this would be a very nice selection for the Rockies. I’ve also heard Austin Meadows, Moran and Dominic Smith as possibilities here.[/TD] [/TABLE] [TABLE=width: 1] [TH=colspan: 4, align: center]No.4; Minnesota Twins[/TH] Name[TH=width: 25%, bgcolor: #C3D9FF, align: left]Position[/TH] [TH=width: 25%, align: left]School[/TH] [TH=align: left]Slot[/TH] [TD=align: left]Kohl Stewart[/TD] [TD=align: left]RHP[/TD] [TD=align: left]St. Pius X High School (Tex.)[/TD] [TD=align: left]$4.5444M[/TD] [TD=colspan: 4, align: left]I think Stewart is — and should be — the selection, but I’m not as confident about this as I was a few weeks ago. The Twins are still very much considering Reese McGuire with the fourth pick, and I think they would consider Kris Bryant if he fell to this spot. Minnesota also would likely snag Gray if he were to fall to this point. [/TD] [/TABLE]

I'm fine with catcher, as long as it's not at #4

That's not a consisent thing though, other sources (like Kiley McDaniel) say the Twins do have a lot of interest in Boldt. We'll see this week who's correct.

MLB Draft ‏@MLBDraft26s Reynolds on @TAMU commit @KohlStewart1: "Love the competitiveness, guts, courage, leadership. If anybody had any guts, they'd take him first Kiley McDaniel ‏@kileymcd51s Manaea/medicals isn't only draft mystery. Won't say name but likely 1st rdpick is so shielded some interested clubs have never talked to him

He definitely would be higher ranked. I dunno. Perfect 1/2 rounds for me would be Stewart and Boldt.

Jason Hursh is a name I haven't been too familiar with - sounds like he's pretty solid.

MLB Network right now, top 50 draft prospects show with Jonathan Mayo, etc.

LavelleENeal: @LaVelleNeal: Byron Buxton to miss a few days with a sore right thumb.

Well done! Mine is a "preparing for a newborn" class so I can't really get out of it. Priorities! Best believe ill be taking a "bathroom break" around the time we pick tho!

Bummed I won't be able to watch the draft live on Thurs due to another engagement but ill be on right after ready to discuss. It's almost draft week!

Awesome. He's gonna be a good one.

^I really wanted Brown last year.

Me too. Especially in baseball drafts where "sure things" bust all the time, if you grab a bunch of risk/reward guys you're bound to get at least 1 "good-or-better" type player.

We've spent countless minutes/(hours) feverishly discussing our pick at #4. We've got a pretty solid idea of who could/will go there. Lets talk about our 2nd round pick (#43 overall.) Who are some guys you've heard we could have interest in? Who do YOU want at that spot? For me: -Hunter Green (P) -Twins have been said to be interested, having him in next week. Lots of potential -Ryan Boldt (OF) - MVP of Perfect Game series this past year, potential 5-tool guy. Not a lot of power yet, and may not be a power guy but will hit/field/speed. -Cody Reed (P) - Twins are rumored to be "hot" on him, another very high potential HS arm. -Sean Manaea (P) - The enigma of this draft. Top 10 talent with injury/sign ability concerns. This is purely a "want" here as we may not have the $ to make this pick. Discuss!

^Good stuff man, thanks.

And so it continues....... Kohl Stewart ‏@KohlStewart11m Good luck to all my aggie teammates moving in today. Ill be there as soon as I can #leverage

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisBA14m Enjoyed doing this. @jeremysickel: P2BNL chats @jimcallisBA about #mlbdraft, Wil Myers, Mark Appel & much more | http://po.st/cg0wVG 2013 MLB Draft Preview and Prospect Report | Podcast to Be Named Later

"Hi, I may be a twin in July!" - Lewin Diaz http://dplbaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Lewin-Diaz-2013.jpg Dude is 16 years old, and does NOT much smaller than David Ortiz. Been given an early comp to Ryan Howard attributes and body-wise: http://dplbaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-DPL-Elite-Travel-Team-tour-Ortid-Diaz-700x463.jpg Click http://dplbaseball.com/scouts-corner/lewin-diaz-of-2013/

When do we get Mr. Bonnes' take?