Jeremy Nygaard

I think the Twins could get creative if they want. But I know at least one of those names never made it onto the Twins board.

Of course there's some risk, but if you know you have to offer what other teams don't... and the agent repeats those demands to other teams... not a whole lot of risk.

Haven't got through the thread, so maybe this has been addressed. If you take Enlow there and he doesn't sign, you lose a lot more money than if you take him where you did and he doesn't sign. Sound strategy.

Keith Law posted this earlier this morning: "Royce Lewis was a slight surprise as the first overall pick, especially because, like the Upton brothers were in their own draft years, he's a shortstop who is almost universally assumed to be moving off the position, with most people -- myself included -- assuming he's headed for center field. (Melvin Upton was the No. 2 overall pick in 2002; Justin was the No. 1 overall pick in 2005.) Lewis is a plus runner with quick hands and a rotational swing that should eventually produce power as he fills out physically. His footwork is not right for the infield, but in center his speed and instincts would be more important and should make him a plus defender."

Here are all your results from Day 2 of the MLB Draft. The Twins started it with a bang, using up the money they saved on Day 1 by selecting Blayne Enlow, a projectable, high upside prep starting pitcher who would require a large bonus to keep from his college commitment. His background and seven more are below....Round 3 (76, Slot $755,500) - Blayne Enlow, RHP (St. Amant HS, LA) 6'3" right-handed pitcher out of Louisiana high school. Ranked 33rd on Baseball America's board. Very projectable with a low-to-mid 90s fastball that scouts expect to tick upward in the coming years. Looks like this is a tumbler guy the Twins will use their saved-up slot money to sign. Jeremy had predicted Twins would take Enlow at #35. Something else that should be noted, too, is that if Enlow was drafted at #37 and doesn't sign, the Twins lose $1.85 million from their bonus pool as opposed to only $755k if he doesn't sign as the 76th pick. (Update: Rhett Bollinger is reporting that Enlow is expected to sign for $2M.) Round 4 (106, Slot $507,000) - Charlie Barnes, LHP (Clemson) Barnes won't overpower hitters, but is a crafty left-hander with a plus-changeup. Strictly speculation, but Barnes should come in a hair under slot and projects as a back-end starter. On the smaller end (6' 0", 175), Barnes also possesses a curveball and a slider and is smart on the mound, commanding all four pitches well. Scout's take: Not just crafty. Up to 95. Mixes pitches and manipulates ball well. High-floor and could move fast. Round 5 (136, Slot $378,700) - Andrew Bechtold, 3B (Chipola College) A transfer from Maryland, Bechtold has developed a bat that projects for both average and power. He's got the arm to stick at the hot corner as well and also possesses pretty good speed. Bechtold is a third-year college player, but committed to LSU. Though both LEN3 and Doogie report he'll come in over-slot, signability shouldn't be an issue. . Round 6 (166, Slot $283,300) - Ricardo De La Torre, SS (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy) Committed to Auburn, De La Torre had first-round buzz before a disappointing spring drop him down draft boards. Considered a solid defensive shortstop, De La Torre has a questionable hit tool. At 6' 2", 175 lbs, De La Torre could fill out and end up at third base, where his arm would play. More likely to stick at shortstop than Lewis, it shouldn't matter as De La Torre could follow in the last few Puerto Ricans' footsteps and get two seasons in the GCL. Scout's take: Athletic, strong, exciting prospect. Skilled enough to play other positions if he grows out of SS, but hope he sticks. Round 7 (196, Slot $220,700) - Ryley Widell, LHP (Central Arizona JC) Widell had a very good season in the JC ranks after transferring from Washington State. He has a fastball that sits around 90 mph and a pretty good change-up. He'll need to continue to develop a breaking ball and refine his fastball. He's committed to UNC and offers some upside in his 6' 4", 205 lb frame. Round 8 (226, Slot $174,400) - Bryan Sammons, LHP (Western Carolina U.) A senior who has had success in the Cape Cod League, Sammons throws a variety of pitches though none are anything special. Senior signs help teams stay under their budget and Sammons was one of the better ones available. Scout's take: Big-bodied, durable lefty. Easy and loose arm action. Sits 89-91 but has plenty of 92,93. Slider, cutter, curveball. All four pitches can be major-league average. Starter. Definite prospect despite being a senior. Round 9 (256, Slot $148,000) - Mark Contreras, OF (UC Riverside) Contreras is another senior and hit .366 in his final year in college. Very good athlete. Round 10 (286, Slot $137,100) - Calvin Faucher, RHP (UC Irvine) A third senior rounds out the top 10 rounds. Faucher is strictly a bullpen arm - with a 90 mph fastball and a nasty slider. If he can be a successful fastball/slider pitcher, there is a certain big league bullpen that could certainly use some help. (No, I'm not saying this year.) ----- That's it for Day 2. The Twins are, as one front office exec says, "all out of money", so it would appear they will play Wednesday relatively straight. Look for more college pitchers, catchers and guys who can hit. Expect there to be a a few hard-to-sign guys drafted just in case money frees up as a backup plan. Hope you enjoyed Day 2. See you for Day 3 tomorrow. Click here to view the article

I can't imagine that either of these guys are going to come in over slot, so they still have money to spend. I don't know who those guys might be... but there are still going to be guys that tumble. But yeah, not super exciting... at least not the excitement I was hoping for.

The Twins made a somewhat surprising choice at 1-1 by selecting SS/CF Royce Lewis, who is represented by Scott Boras. The rumor was that it was a money-saving pick. And Mike Radcliff said the Twins had big plans at 35 and 37. So we spent the next nearly three hours watching the names that might be tumbling down the draft boards.Does either outfielder Brent Rooker or RHP Landon Leach equate to a "big plan?" Only time will tell. Here is a very brief description of each. Comp Round A; 35th overall - Brent Rooker, OF, Mississippi State Rooker put up video game numbers after re-entering the draft after not signing with the Twins last year. I'd expect Rooker to make his way to Cedar Rapids this year and could move relatively quickly. Not a pick that should command much of extra bonus money. Rooker reminds me a bit of a right-handed version of Daniel Palka. 2nd round; 37th overall - Landon Leach, RHP, Ontario (Canada) prep A big-bodied (6' 4", 220 lb) prep, Leach is projectable and currently features a three-pitch mix which includes a low-90s fastball, a curveball and a changeup, Leach has had success while competing on a Canadian national team. Leach is committed to Texas. Minnesota prep pitcher Sam Carlson has likely priced himself out of getting drafted in the Top 10 rounds. It appears likely that he'll head to Florida. (EDIT: Interestingly, Carlson was drafted by the Mariners 55th overall. This is a puzzling one... if he's signable here, what gives...?) Greg Deichmann, who was drafted by the Twins last year but instead returned to LSU, was taken in the second round. The Twins will be first on the clock tomorrow afternoon when the 3rd round starts with the 76th overall pick. So what do you think after three picks? Click here to view the article

The Twins have big plans for 35 and 37. Sent LEN3's tweet to one in the draft room and he text back. "Boom. Just wait." They've got something lined up and I have some pretty high hopes. Baz is my first choice. DL Hall and Carlson are 2A and 2B. I'd love Jennings, Rogers, and others as well. Let's not judge the Lewis pick til all the dust settles.

That's not how this works. Whatever they save, they reinvest in later picks. It's essentially trading down four picks to move up from #35 to #15, assuming that Lewis comes with a discount.

It's been a pretty shielded mystery since the moment draft talk started, but the answer to the question, 'Who goes 1-1?' has finally been answered. Over the course of the last few months the focus has been primarily on four names: Hunter Greene, Kyle Wright, Brendan McKay and, most recently, Royce Lewis. The Twins finally settled on their choice...California prep SS Royce Lewis. Bet you didn't see that one coming a few days ago. Represented by Scott Boras, Royce Lewis is a high-upside, middle-of-the-diamond player. He'll start his career at shortstop, but has the athleticism to play center field as well. There are some questions about his hit tool and if power will develop. There are also some doubts that his arm can hold up on the left side of the infield. Those questions are pretty typical of prep position players. He'll have a few years to develop and answer those questions. But there are no questions about his speed, his approach and how he's an elite athlete. The ceiling is amazingly high. The big question is how taking Lewis will shape how the organization uses the rest of their draft pool. It was suggested to me that if Lewis didn't go first, he could tumble to seven... that might give the Twins an extra $1.75 million to play around with. Get your popcorn. The rest of your night is going to be fun! Click here to view the article

Where's he going to pitch? He got kicked off of his college team? I suppose he could go the Indy ball or lesser college route, but he'd be better off taking the money and trying to straighten things out as opposed to doing something stupid and ruining a third chance before he was even able to cash a check.

I've been saying how hard it would be this year... yet everyone wants to talk about it. Then I suggest it's possible and everyone is like, "Nah... can't happen." I'd worry about the Rays cutting a deal, but not the other teams. Reds take Greene, they aren't banking much. The rest of the teams don't have nearly the pool the Twins do.

If they could pull off Lewis at 1-1 and free up the money to get Baz to drop at 35... that's impressive. Very impressive.

Romero was kicked off the Houston team twice. Luke Heimlich is the pitcher with a legal issue - he's a registered sex offender - he's not going any time soon.

This might actually be what happens tonight. Coming down to $$$ between McKay and Lewis. Though it might not be the names we'd all choose, this is the strategy fans have long clamored for.

As far as I can tell, Callis has it spot on: McKay is the #1 choice, but if Lewis will come in significantly cheaper, he'll be the guy. I'm not sure how much either want... or how much "signficantly" is... but that's where I'd say things are at this point. Drafting Lewis probably allows the Twins to draft two falling prep arms - which could be Sam Carlson and Steven Jennings... or anyone else really. Those two would just be my preference.

I don't think Wright gets past the Braves if Lewis is gone in the Top 4. I think Lewis seems like the perfect fit for the Braves... and it still wouldn't shock me if Lewis is the first to go. Wright is still "in the mix" at 1-1, per a source. But the decision has been made who's going first (which means it isn't Wright) as long as the price is right.

Everyone loves a good mock draft. Or even a poor one. This is my one and only projection of the first 37 picks of this year's draft.1. Twins - I'd love to put Hunter Green here. I would absolutely love to. And I think there's still a slim chance. After all, why would they bring him to town and wine and dine him in the final days leading up to the draft? Maybe, all along, their perceived lack of interest was just a smokescreen... I mean, what if they just didn't want every other team to know they were locked in on making history by drafting a 17-year-old right-handed pitcher who only threw 28 innings as a senior in high school? But what would the point of that be? Who cares if teams know what the team is doing first? Could that prevent other teams from getting a better feel about where they could save money and manipulate their own draft pools? I don't know. As would probably be expected, no one with the Twins is real interested in divulging the biggest secret of the day... and that makes me question why this late turn back to McKay came to light? As of press time, word hasn't broke from the Draft Room about the direction the club is going. But they have made their decision about who they like the most. The next eight hours will be all about money... and that could change things. Drastically. You've probably noticed there is a blank next to the Twins name above. It's because I'm torn. I think there are still a few possibilities: Kyle Wright, Brendan McKay, Royce Lewis and Hunter Greene. I'll trust the new front office - one scout who has been involved in many drafts text me "these guys are f****** good, man" - and even if the selection wouldn't be my first choice, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. And I think their choice is going to be Brendan McKay, LHP, Louisville. 2. Cincinnati - Hunter Greene, RHP, California prep 3. San Diego - MacKenzie Gore, LHP, North Carolina prep 4. Tampa Bay - Bubba Thompson, OF, Alabama prep Last year, I knew the Braves were taking Ian Anderson. I just didn't see it happening at #3. It's the same for Thompson and the Rays... only this year, I'm going to pull the trigger. They will save up to load up on prep arms later. 5. Atlanta - Royce Lewis, SS, California prep 6. Oakland - Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt 7. Arizona - Pavin Smith, 1B, Virginia 8. Philadelphia - Keston Hiura, 2B, UC Irvine 9. Milwaukee - Jo Adell, OF, Louisville prep 10. LA Angels - J. B. Bukauskas, RHP, North Carolina 11. Chicago White Sox - Adam Haseley, OF, Virginia 12. Pittsburgh - Shane Baz, RHP, Texas prep 13. Miami - DL Hall, LHP, Georgia prep 14. Kansas City - Trevor Rogers, LHP, New Mexico prep 15. Houston - Alex Faedo, RHP, Florida 16. NY Yankees - Austin Beck, OF, North Carolina prep 17. Seattle - Jake Burger, 3B, Missouri State 18. Detroit - Nate Pearson, RHP, JC of Central Florida 19. San Francisco - David Peterson, LHP, Oregon 20. NY Mets - Jeren Kendall, OF, Vanderbilt 21. Baltimore - Heliot Rams, OF, Puerto Rico prep 22. Toronto - Logan Warmoth, SS, UNC 23. LA Dodgers - Clarke Schmidt, RHP, South Carolina 24. Boston - Evan White, 1B, Kentucky 25. Washington - Seth Romero, LHP, Houston 26. Texas - Tristen Lutz, OF, Texas prep 27. Chicago Cubs - Tanner Houck, RHP, Missouri 28. Toronto - Tristan Beck, RHP, Stanford 29. Texas - Luis Campusano, C, Georgia prep 30. Chicago Cubs - Nick Pratto, 1B, California prep 31. Tampa Bay - Matt Sauer, RHP, California prep 32. Cincinnati - Sam Carlson, RHP, Minnesota prep 33. Oakland - Stuart Fairchild, OF, Wake Forest 34. Milwaukee - Steven Jennings, RHP, Tennessee prep The Brewers have taken a lot of prospects I wish the Twins would get - so I'm assuming Jennings, who could be a steal, will go to the Brewers before the Twins get a chance. 35. Minnesota - Brady McConnell, SS, Florida prep After playing it relatively safe at 1-1, McConnell is a high-ceiling shortstop who could burn into some of the money the club saves. 36. Miami - Mark Vientos, SS, Florida prep 37. Minnesota - Jacob Heatherly, LHP, Alabama prep Don't see how Falvey can make three picks and none of them be a prep pitcher. There you have it! Click here to view the article

I don't know all the ins-and-outs of what scouts look for, but one professional scout I trust said there were way more similarities between Wright and Strasburg's delivery than he realized. Glad I drew his attention to that... cause he's in the draft room right now. I don't know if it's been a topic of conversation though.

As of press time, they hadn't begun talking. Today might be that day though.

Kyle Wright is a right-handed pitcher from Vanderbilt University who has used a late-season charge to take the lead as we race to Monday’s MLB Draft. Wright is still pitching as Vanderbilt advanced to the Super Regionals, where he will face an Oregon State team this weekend that is 53-4.Who Is He? Kyle Wright is “best player in the the draft by far” a Twins scout told me about a month ago. It just so happened to be an echo of what the same scout told me late last summer, around the time the Hunter Greene hype-train started barreling down the tracks. Wright had just completed his time pitching for the Collegiate National team, with his last outing coming in relief, but pitching five one-hit innings and striking out five Cubans. That was the exclamation point to a very strong summer showing: 16 2/3 innings, 16 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.20. Kyle Wright had officially arrived. Armed with a low-to-mid-90s two-seamer, a four-seamer that touches 97, two breaking balls - a curveball and slider that both sit around 80 mph and a changeup that has slowly been getting better and better. Four usable pitches when he’s at his best, Kyle Wright has the makings of a top draft prospect. You can read an interview with Kyle Wright done by the boy wonder Chris Cotillo. Why the Twins Will Pick Him When you’re picking first, you take the best player in the draft, right? Well, that’s arguably one feather that Wright has in his hat. But that’s all relative. If you want ceiling, there are higher ceilings than Wright's. If you want a higher floor, Wright’s got a lower floor than some others. What Wright has, in many people’s opinion, is the perfect combination of potential and floor. He’s developed admirably since arriving at Vanderbilt. As a high school senior, he was 6’ 3”, 175 lbs with a fastball that touched 90 if the wind was blowing right. Three years later, he’s 6’ 4”, 220 and can touch 97 and could still have more developing to do. After being a stud in the bullpen as a freshman, Wright moved into the rotation and was Vandy’s Friday night starter as a junior. The stars were aligned… and then he struggled. The velo was there. The consistency wasn’t. But after not putting up great numbers, he’s Wrighted the ship. The 5-5 record might not be as pretty as last year’s 8-4 or the 6-1 as a freshman, but the peripherals are all better. His K/9 is up to 10.5 from 10.3. His WHIP went down to 1.06 from1.22. His walks are down. His home runs are down. He’s just better. His performance last Saturday, with many Twins scouts in attendance, was the stuff worthy of being the first overall pick. You can read all about it here. Why the Twins Will Not Pick Him When you think of first overall picks, the names Stephen Strasburg and David Price pop into your heads. Wright isn’t those guys. There isn’t a “generational” college prospect. Ideally, when you’re drafting first, there’s the can’t-miss guy that’s going to breaking into the major leagues within a year of signing. This isn’t one of those drafts. You may make a comparison between Wright and Strasburg though. Only it revolves around their deliveries. I went into more depth a few weeks ago in a separate piece for Twins Daily. While Kyle Wright has a clean bill of health, Strasburg hasn’t as he’s had multiple arm injuries. Is it enough to make the Twins look another direction? That remains to be seen. Then there are the inconsistencies that Wright has shown over not only the last few months, but the last few seasons. As with anyone with a developing body and skills would, that shouldn’t be too alarming. But when mixed with the other things, how does it stack up against other prospects? Nick Nelson wrote about the Vandy product being the Wright fit recently. I’d say he is. I would guess that somewhere in the upper parts of Target Field the team has made a call to Wright’s representatives, CAA, and have begun negotiating what it’s going to take to get that name on the dotted line. (Editor's note: they haven't... yet.) In my estimation, that conversation - if the sides aren’t close - is the biggest factor as to whether the Twins pick him or not. And I’m guessing they won’t be too far apart… at least not by the end of the weekend. Follow Kyle on Twitter too. Previous Draft Profiles: Hunter Greene, SP/SS by Nick Nelson Brendan McKay, SP/1B by Cody Christie Royce Lewis, SS/OF by Nick Nelson Pavin Smith, 1B by Tom Froemming My 10-round Mock Draft Click here to view the article