Archive for 2009 mlb draft

Today, as many of you probably already know, is deadline day for Major League Baseball teams attempting to sign 2009 amateur draft picks. Ever since the draft occurred back on June 9-11, clubs have been negotiating with the college and high school players that they selected in the 50-round selection process. Because of MLB’s (ridiculous and ineffective) hard line on exceeding draft-slot signing bonuses, a lot of player signings will be announced today (having effectively cut into their development time line).

However, a number of key players from the first round of the draft signed long before the deadline loomed. It’s always nice to see players excited about beginning their pro careers, with less emphasis placed on money. Let’s have a look and see how some of the early first-round signees are faring in pro ball.

Drew Storen: This right-handed reliever was drafted out of Stanford with the 10th overall pick that Washington received for failing to sign 2008 first-round pick Matt Harringt… er, Aaron Crow. Storen actually signed on draft day and quickly entered the minors. In 24 innings split between low-A and high-A, the reliever allowed 18 hits and just two walks. He also struck out 37 batters. He was recently promoted to double-A, where he’s made three appearances and has allowed just one hit in four shutout innings. Here’s hoping he doesn’t catch the curse of Ryan Wagner… or Craig Hansen… or Joey Devine… or…

Tony Sanchez: The Pirates organization received a lot of flack for selecting the Boston College catcher with the fourth overall pick. He was considered a very good draft prospect, but seemingly no other teams had him positioned that high on their draft boards. The Pirates organization, though, is currently looking pretty good as the club used some of the money it saved by selecting the catcher to signed a number of later round diamonds-in-the-rough to over-slot contracts… and Sanchez is arguably the hottest hitter in the minors right now. The right-handed hitter has a .410 average in his last 10 games, and he has also slammed three homers and driven in 15 runs. Overall in low-A ball, Sanchez is hitting .367/.470/.624 in 109 at-bats.

Randal Grichuk and Mike Trout: The Los Angeles Angels organization had back-to-back selections in the first round of the draft with picks 24 and 25. The club selected two high school outfielders with those selections and both players are currently raking in rookie ball. Grichuk, who has more raw power than Trout, is currently hitting .311/.341/.477 with 12 doubles and seven triples in 193 at-bats. The right-handed hitter has some work to do, though, with a 0.13 BB/k rate and a BABIP of .423. Trout is a more well-rounded player and he’s currently hitting .369/.428/.541 with six doubles and six triples in 122 at-bats. He appears to have a better handle of the strike zone with a walk rate of 10.3 BB% and a strikeout rate of 18.9 K%, but Trout also has an unsustainable BABIP at .449.

Jiovanni Mier: Houston has done a very good job of bungling previous drafts to horrific levels, but the organization seems to be making amends with its last two drafts. Mier was selected out of a California high school with the 21st pick of the draft and has performed better than expected. The raw shortstop is currently hitting .302/.406/.504 with nine steals and 15 extra base hits in 139 at-bats. Scouting reports suggest Mier has average to below-average power, but he’s already hit four homers in rookie ball. He’s also showing an encouraging walk rate of 13.1 BB%.

Other players who signed quickly included: A.J. Pollock (Arizona), Brett Jackson (Chicago NL), Reymond Fuentes (Boston), Tim Wheeler (Colorado), and Jared Mitchell (Chicago AL).

The moment we have all been waiting for is almost here. The 2009 MLB Amateur Draft will begin on Tuesday, June 9 at 6 pm Eastern time with the first round airing live on the MLB Network. MLB.com will be streaming the first three rounds of the draft (plus the supplemental rounds), all of which will occur on June 9. The remainder of the draft (the other 47 rounds) will be spread out over the following two days (June 10 and 11).

In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham with the first overall pick. Pittsburgh took Vanderbilt University third baseman Pedro Alvarez with the second selection, followed by Kansas City, which nabbed Florida prep first baseman Eric Hosmer.

The Washington Nationals organization has the first overall pick and is expected to take San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg, the consensus best player available. University of North Carolina outfielder Dustin Ackley is expected to go second overall to Seattle. After that, things get murky. The Philadelphia Phillies will be the last organization to pick in the draft when it makes the 75th selection. The club gave its first-round pick (27th overall) to Seattle when it signed free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, which has turned out pretty good for Philadelphia, so far.

For more than a month now, Fangraphs.com has been reviewing each teams past three drafts, as well as offering some insight into how each club might approach the 2009 draft. Links to each of those reviews is listed below in 2009 draft order (Just click on the team’s name). Be sure to check back with Fangraphs after the draft for post-draft analysis.

First Round
1. Washington Nationals
2. Seattle Mariners
3. San Diego Padres
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Baltimore Orioles
6. San Francisco Giants
7. Atlanta Braves
8. Cincinnati Reds
9. Detroit Tigers
10. Washington Nationals (Compensation)
11. Colorado Rockies
12. Kansas City Royals
13. Oakland Athletics
14. Texas Rangers
15. Cleveland Indians
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (Compensation)
18. Florida Marlins
19. St. Louis Cardinals
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Houston Astros
22. Minnesota Twins
23. Chicago White Sox
24. Los Angeles Angels (Compensation)
25. Los Angeles Angels (Compensation)
26. Milwaukee Brewers
27. Seattle Mariners (Compensation)
28. Boston Red Sox
29. New York Yankees (Compensation)
30. Tampa Bay Rays
31. Chicago Cubs
32. Colorado Rockies (Compensation)

Supplemental First Round
36. Los Angeles Dodgers

Second Round
72. New York Mets
75. Philadelphia Phillies

2008 Draft Slot: Fifth overall
Top Pick: Buster Posey, C, Florida State University
Best Pick: Buster Posey
Keep an Eye On: Brandon Crawford, SS, UCLA (4th round)
Notes: I’ve been on the Brandon Crawford bandwagon for a couple months now, and the reputation for having a good glove but no bat is starting to be shed. After a very good performance in A-ball, Crawford is already in double-A, although the strikeouts are starting to catch up to him. LHP Scott Barnes (St. John’s University) is another quality sleeper to keep an eye on. Supplemental first round pick Conor Gillaspie has already been in the Majors, but it was a contract stipulation, and it was not based on his production (He’s having a respectable, but unspectacular, season in ’09). Buster Posey, on the other hand, is knocking on the door for a promotion to double-A.

2007 Draft Slot: 10th overall
Top Pick: Madison Bumgarner, LHP, North Carolina high school
Best Pick: Madison Bumgarner
Worst Pick: Wendell Fairley, OF, Mississippi high school (Supplemental first round)
Notes: What is in the water in North Carolina…? Prospects just seem to come out of the woodwork, whether it’s through the prep or the college ranks. Madison Bumgarner, in less than two full years, has risen to double-A and is one of the Top 3 pitching prospects in all of baseball. The club’s other first-round pick, Tim Alderson, is another excellent pitching prospect, who was also taken out of high school and is also in double-A. With six choices before the second round, the club made a number of overdrafts to save money, rather than really reap the benefits of the once-in-a-decade (or more) opportunity to restock the system. Picks such as Wendell Fairley (29th overall), Jackson Williams (43rd) and Charlie Culberson (51st) were all picked well ahead of where many teams had them ranked going into the draft.

2006 Draft Slot: 10th overall
Top Pick: Tim Lincecum, RHP, University of Washington
Best Pick: Um, Tim Lincecum
Worst Pick: Mike McBryde, OF, Florida Atlantic (5th round)
Notes: Tim Lincecum is, as you likely know, already one of the best pitchers in the National League. The club lacked a second round pick thanks to its foray into the free agent market. Supplemental first round draft pick Emmanuel Burriss is contributing in the Majors right now. California prep pick Clayton Tanner (3rd round) is moving slowly, but the southpaw is having some solid pro results. Mike McBryde has not been a terrible pick, but he’s a tweener and is looking at a career as a triple-A outfielder and occasional injury fill-in at the MLB level… Not bad work if you can get it.

2009 Draft Slot: Sixth overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): They take the best player available and do a great job of it
MLB Club Need: First base, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Depth just about everywhere on the diamond
Organizational Strength: Pitching, although the depth is not there, Shortstop
Notes: The Giants organization has a very straight forward draft this season with no extra picks and no lost selections. The club will have the opportunity to take an impact player at No. 6, should it choose to. Everyone knows the organization needs quality hitting prospects but the best draftees available in this spot project to be pitchers. Prep right-hander Tyler Matzek is a name being associated with the Giants by most reputable mock drafts (Baseball America, ESPN, Baseball Prospectus).

2008 Draft Slot: 25th overall
Top Pick: Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky University
Best Pick: Christian Friedrich
Keep an Eye On: Charlie Blackmon, OF, Georgia Tech University (2nd round)
Notes: The Rockies organization was very lucky that Christian Friedrich fell into its lap. He just kept sliding in the draft for no good reason and he’s had a very nice start to his pro career. Second rounder Charlie Blackmon has also had a good beginning to his career and could develop into a solid everyday center fielder or, at worst, a useful fourth or platoon outfielder. Arizona State’s Kiel Roling (6th round) is hitting .343/.421/.564 in his young pro career spanning parts of two seasons. The bad news is that he was drafted as a catcher but has solely played first base. With just three homers in 31 low-A games this season, the power may not be there to be an everyday first baseman. Keep an eye on RHP Ethan Hollingsworth (4th round), too.

2007 Draft Slot: Eighth overall
Top Pick: Casey Weathers, RHP, Vanderbilt University
Best Pick: Casey Weathers
Worst Pick: Brian Rike, OF, Louisiana Tech University (2nd round)
Notes: It seems that (almost) every time a club takes a reliever in the first round it backfires. Luckily for Rockies fans, in Casey Weathers‘ case it’s an injury that has slowed his development (Tommy John surgery) and not a regression of skills. He was throwing fairly well before the injury and should come back batter than ever. Even so, every team out there… Repeat after me: Don’t take a reliever with a Top 10 pick… Don’t take a reliever with a Top 10 pick… Don’t take a… As for Brian Rike, his average has dropped from his debut at .296 to .247 in 2008 to .213 in 2009. The power has also diminished each season.

2006 Draft Slot: Second overall
Top Pick: Greg Reynolds, RHP, Stanford University
Best Pick: Michael McKenry, C, Middle Tennessee State (7th round)
Worst Pick: Greg Reynolds
Notes: There is still some head-scratching going on as to why the Rockies took Greg Reynolds over Brad Lincoln, but both players have been slowed by injuries and neither one has reached their potential. Reynolds wasn’t a terrible pick but he’s had a lot of bad luck and his stuff has not looked nearly as good in pro ball as it did in college. The club really got very little out of this draft. The best two players were catcher Michael McKenry and right-hander Brandon Hynick (8th round), both of whom might eek out some Major League playing time.

2009 Draft Slot: 11th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College pitchers
MLB Club Need: Relief pitching, Third base, Left field
Organizational Need: Right field, First base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Shortstop, Second base, Center field
Notes: The Rockies organization is poised to add some talent to the system with the 11th overall pick, as well as the final pick of the first round (32nd overall) after losing free agent reliever Brian Fuentes to the Los Angeles Angels. The club also has a supplemental first round pick (34th overall) relating to the same winter transaction. The club has been linked to a number of players (all college) including SS Grant Green, OF Tim Wheeler, RHP Alex White, and RHP Mike Leake.

2008 Draft Slot: 23rd overall
Top Pick: Allan Dykstra, 1B, Wake Forest University
Best Pick: Jaff Decker, OF, Arizona high school (Supplemental first round)
Keep an Eye On: Logan Forsythe, 3B, University of Arkansas (Supplemental first round)
Notes: Allan Dykstra almost did not sign with the Padres after a physical raised some questions on an old injury suffered by the first baseman. He had a good (brief) debut but is struggling to hit .200 this season in low-A ball. He is, though, walking more than 20 percent in his career, so maybe he’s being a bit to patient – especially against young pitchers that throw a lot of cookies. The Padres had a nice draft and you could throw the “keep an eye on” header on a number of players including: 3B Logan Forsythe, 3B James Darnell and 2B Cole Figueroa. Forsythe is showing some power in high-A, while also hitting .329 with more walks than strikeouts. Darnell is also walking a lot one level lower, but he’s striking out at a higher rate.

2007 Draft Slot: 23rd overall
Top Pick: Nick Schmidt, LHP, University of Arkansas
Best Pick: Schmidt… because no one else has stepped up…
Worst Pick: Danny Payne, OF, Georgia Tech (Supplemental first round)
Notes: The Padres organization had eight picks before the third round, but the club just did not do quite as good of a scouting job in 2007 as it did in 2008 with fewer picks. First pick Nick Schmidt’s career was delayed by Tommy John surgery but, after missing all of 2008, he’s back striking out a lot of batters (10.62 K/9) – but he’s also walking more than five batters per nine innings. OF Kellen Kulbacki (Supplemental 1st round) had a solid 2008 season but it was in a very, very good hitter’s park and he struggled at double-A in 2009 before getting hurt. The club had five supplemental first round picks in total and none of them have stepped up consistently, but none have outright disappointed either – although Danny Payne is getting close.

2006 Draft Slot: 17th overall
Top Pick: Matt Antonelli, 3B/2B, Wake Forest
Best Pick: Matt Latos, RHP, Florida high school (11th round)
Worst Pick: Matt Antonelli
Notes: Rushed through the minors by the organization, Matt Antonelli stopped hitting the moment he reached triple-A and the promotion to the Majors in 2008 did not help at all. Last year, the infielder hit .215 in 128 triple-A games. This season… .158 in 21 games. The club’s supplemental first round pick, Kyler Burke, was traded to Chicago (NL), where he is showing promise but he’s also developing slowly. Second-round pick Chad Huffman looks like he could develop into a part-time MLB player. RHP Mat Latos was the best of the picks way down in the 11th round, where he slid due to signability. He received $1.2 million as a draft-and-follow when he signed just before the 2007 draft.

2009 Draft Slot: Third overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College players, most often hitters
MLB Club Need: Center field, Shortstop, Catcher, Starting pitching
Organizational Need: Catcher, Shortstop, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: First base, Third base
Notes: The organization has had some well-documented foibles in its first-round selections. The news surrounding the club’s third overall pick in 2009 has not been encouraging, as the rumor mill suggests the club will “go cheap” in order to spend more money on the international market, which opens up in July. Then again, another rumor had the Padres looking at prep outfielder Donovan Tate, who is asking for $6 million despite being a very raw (but athletic) baseball player.

2008 Draft Slot: 26th overall
Top Pick: Daniel Schlereth, LHP, University of Arizona
Best Pick: Daniel Schlereth
Keep an Eye On: Kevin Eichhorn, RHP, California high school (3rd round)
Notes: The club picked up some left-handed pitching depth when it selected collegians Daniel Schlereth and Wade Miley with its first two picks. Schlereth made his MLB debut last week after flying through the minors. Miley is pitching OK in the minors, although he’s moving much more slowly as he’s only in low-A ball. Prep right-hander Kevin Eichhorn was nabbed a couple rounds later and bought out of a trip to college. Eichhorn, whose father Mark pitched for 11 years in the Majors, is currently in extended spring training but he’ll be taking to the field in a couple of weeks when rookie ball begins. RHP Trevor Harden (14th round) was a great find – a Diamondback in the rough. He’s pitched at both low-A and high-A in 2009.

2007 Draft Slot: Ninth overall
Top Pick: Jarrod Parker, RHP, Indiana high school
Best Pick: Jarrod Parker
Worst Pick: Ed Easley, C, Mississippi State (supplemental 1st round)
Notes: The club had two supplemental first round picks in this draft and it once again focused on pitching, with mixed results. RHP Jarrod Parker is looking like a potential No. 2 starter. RHP Wes Roemer (50th overall) is getting back on track after hitting a wall in 2008. RHP Barry Enright (73rd) is in double-A but he’s been too hittable. At 23, RHP Sean Morgan (133rd) is still in low-A because of injuries but he’s having some success as a swing man. RHP Bryan Augenstein (7th round) was a nice find and he’s already contributed at the MLB level. Ed Easley entered pro ball with the reputation of being a solid offensive catcher whose glove was just good enough to remain behind the dish. Unfortunately, he hit .250 in his pro debut and has seen his batting average drop each season.

2006 Draft Slot: 11th overall
Top Pick: Max Scherzer, RHP, University of Missouri
Best Pick: Max Scherzer
Worst Pick: Brooks Brown, RHP, University of Georgia (Supplemental first round)
Notes: With all the talent in the world, Max Scherzer was expected to be one of the first picks in the draft but he slid because A) He was hurt sporadically throughout his junior year, B) He had a violent delivery, and C) He was represented by Scott Boras. Arizona, though, certainly does not regret the pick one bit. Prospects LHP Brett Anderson (2nd round) and RHP Dallas Buck (3rd round) were used in separate trades to obtain veteran talent. RHP Brooks Brown was also used in a trade, as he was sent to Detroit to secure the rights to 2008 Rule 5 draft pick James Skelton. Brown, a sinker/slider pitcher, has had trouble striking out batters in pro ball (3.15 K/9 in 2009) but he’s always posted good ERAs, for what it’s worth.

2009 Draft Slot: 16th and 17th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Pitching, college more often than prep
MLB Club Need: Starting pitching, First base
Organizational Need: First base, Second base, Third base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Shortstop
Notes: Now this is where things always get fun…. as long as the club does not go cheap. The Diamondbacks organization has back-to-back picks, with the 17th pick of the draft coming from the Dodgers after the division rival signed veteran second baseman Orlando Hudson. The club then has three supplemental first round picks for the losses of Hudson, RHP Juan Cruz (Kansas City), and RHP Brandon Lyon (Detroit). The club also has two second-round picks – its own and the Royals’ selection as a result of the club signing Cruz. So Arizona has seven of the first 60 picks.

2008 Draft Slot: Second overall
Top Pick: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt University
Best Pick: Pedro Alvarez
Keep an Eye On: Robbie Grossman, OF, Texas high school (Sixth round)
Notes: The Pirates organization is still trying to live down some poor (cheap) draft picks from recent years and Pedro Alvarez was the first move in an attempt to erase those memories. He’s struggling more than expected in high-A ball, but scouts agree that the tools and potential to be a star player at the Major League level are still there. The organization gave Robbie Grossman $1 million to sign after he slid to the sixth round. He’s shown some intriguing tools, but his power has been muted (one homer in 152 low-A at-bats in 2009) and he’s striking out more than 40% of the time as a pro. The Pirates failed to sign second-round pick Tanner Scheppers out of Fresno State, who is expected to go in the first 10 picks of the 2009 draft.

2007 Draft Slot: Fourth overall
Top Pick: Daniel Moskos, LHP, Clemson University
Best Pick: Brian Friday, SS, Rice University (3rd round)
Worst Pick: Daniel Moskos
Notes: Daniel Moskos was an ill-advised selection with the fourth pick from Day 1, especially with the likes of Matt Wieters, Rick Porcello, Madison Bumgarner and Matt LaPorta still on the board. Moskos was terrible last year (124 hits in 110.1 innings) and things are not getting any better this season (52 IP, 20 BB, 18 K – 3.12 K/9). Making matters worse, the club failed to find any diamonds in the rough in later rounds. This an all-around-uninspiring draft. Shortstop Brian Friday looks like he could develop into a nice utility player at the MLB level.

2006 Draft Slot: Fourth overall
Top Pick: Brad Lincoln, RHP, University of Houston
Best Pick: Brad Lincoln
Worst Pick: Mike Felix, LHP, Troy University (2nd round)
Notes: Brad Lincoln’s career was slowed by Tommy John surgery in 2007, but he’s looked good so far this season in double-A. He has a fastball that can still touch the mid-90s, as well as a plus curveball. Lincoln projects as a No. 2 or 3 starter. Shelby Ford and Jim Negrych should both, at the very least, develop into useful part-time players at the Major League level.

2009 Draft Slot: Fourth overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College prospects
MLB Club Need: Starting pitching, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Right-handed pitching, Left-handed pitching, Left field, First base
Organizational Strength: Shortstop, Center field, Third base
Notes: Along with the fourth-overall selection in the draft, Pittsburgh also has the final supplemental first round pick (49th overall) for failing to come to terms with 2008 second round draft pick Tanner Scheppers. With the fourth-overall pick, Pittsburgh has reportedly been focusing on prep picks, according to ESPN’s Keith Law. Baseball America has the club looking at independent league hurler Aaron Crow and college pitcher Kyle Gibson, as well as prep hurler Zack Wheeler. Both media outlets report that the club is trying to free up money to sign the top Dominican prospect: Miguel Angel Sano.

2008 Draft Slot: 13th overall
Top Pick: Brett Wallace, 3B/1B, Arizona State University
Best Pick: Brett Wallace
Keep an Eye On: Lance Lynn, RHP, University of Mississippi (Supplemental 1st round)
Notes: He’s posted modest strikeout totals and he’s not missing a ton of bats to this point in his career, but Lance Lynn is already in double-A. The sinker-slider pitcher may see his hit totals drop as he gets higher in the minors and into the Majors as he receives better defense behind him, which will gobble up those ground balls. Brett Wallace is just a hitting machine and would probably be in the Majors already if A) Albert Pujols wasn’t at first base, and B) The organization was convinced he could handle third base at the MLB level. The first round aside, this was a rather uninteresting draft.

2007 Draft Slot: 18th overall
Top Pick: Peter Kozma, SS, Oklahoma high school
Best Pick: Jess Todd, RHP, University of Arkansas (2nd round, 82nd overall)
Worst Pick: Thomas Eager, RHP, Cal Poly (5th round)
Notes: The Cardinals organization went outside its comfort zone of taking college players and selected Peter Kozma with the first-round selection. It is turning out to be an uninspired choice, given Kozma’s offensive ceiling may top out as a utility player. The selections of pitchers Clayton Mortensen, Adam Reifer, and Jess Todd, could help to turn things around, though. The club also had a couple of interesting early-round picks that are turning into sleepers after modest starts to their pro careers: RHP David Kopp (2nd round) and 3B Daniel Descalso (3rd round).

2006 Draft Slot: 30th overall
Top Pick: Adam Ottavino, RHP, Northeastern University
Best Pick: Chris Perez, RHP, University of Miami (Supplemental 1st round)
Worst Pick: Brad Furnish, LHP, Texas Christian (2nd round)
Notes: Brad Furnish narrowly edges 1B Mark Hamilton for the worst pick in the draft so far. Adam Ottavino has not been very good of late, either, since graduating from high-A ball. Chris Perez has already helped the Cardinals in the bullpen. Pitchers P.J. Walters (11th round) and Nick Additon (47th round) have exceeded expectations. Outfielders Shane Robinson (fifth round) and Jon Jay (second round) are looking like useful part-time MLB players.

2009 Draft Slot: 19th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College
MLB Club Need: Third base, Shortstop, Second base
Organizational Need: Left field, Right field, Second base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Third base, Center field
Notes: All the mock drafts to this point seem to be looking at the Cardinals taking a college left-hander, such as Mike Minor or Rex Brothers. The club could use some infield depth too.

2008 Draft Slot: 16th overall
Top Pick: Brett Lawrie, 2B, British Columbia (Canada) high school
Best Pick: Brett Lawrie
Keep an Eye On: Logan Schafer, OF, Cal Poly State University (3rd round)
Notes: Logan Schafer, a gifted defender, is making huge strides offensively despite being quickly promoted to high-A to begin 2009. He’s hitting more than .300 and he’s trimmed his strikeout rate by 10%. The walk rate, though, is too low at about 4%. Brett Lawrie has looked good at the plate for such a young player – and given his inexperience as a Canadian product. His move from catcher to second base, though, hurts his value a bit, especially considering his defense at the keystone is… not good.

Bonus: Here is my pre-2008 draft interview with Brett Lawrie.

2007 Draft Slot: Seventh overall
Top Pick: Matt LaPorta, OF/1B, University of Florida
Best Pick: Matt LaPorta
Worst Pick: Dan Merklinger, LHP, Seton Hall (6th round)
Notes: Remember when Seton Hall was a powerhouse school? Dan Merklinger has struggled with staying healthy and throwing strikes. But it’s not a bad draft when your worst pick (which isn’t that bad) doesn’t occur until the sixth round. Matt LaPorta was a valuable pick because it helped the club get C.C. Sabathia from the Indians for the playoff race in 2008. The club lacked a second-round pick, but it found value in the third round with Jonathan Lucroy, who is now in double-A.

2006 Draft Slot: 16th overall
Top Pick: Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Virginia high school
Best Pick: Jeremy Jeffress
Worst Pick: Brent Brewer, IF, Georgia high school (2nd round)
Notes: Brent Brewer would be a great marketing tool for the Brewers, but the bat just does not look like its going to play above A-ball. Jeremy Jeffress is still one of the most talented players in the draft but he’s painfully inconsistent and there are questions regarding his maturity and dedication, as well. Cole Gillespie (3rd round) and Lee Haydel (19th round) both appear to have the potential to make the Majors as fourth outfielders, if not more.

2009 Draft Slot: 26th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best available player, college or prep
MLB Club Need: Second base, Catcher, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Right field, Second base, First base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Center field, Catcher
Notes: The Brewers organization does not pick until the back end of the first round in 2009, but the club also has two supplemental first round picks for losing pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Brian Shouse to free agency. The club also has an extra second-round pick for Sabathia (It would have been a first-rounder if the Yanks hadn’t signed Mark Teixeira too).

2008 Draft Slot: 10th overall
Top Pick: Jason Castro, C, Stanford University
Best Pick: Jason Castro
Keep an Eye On: Ross Seaton, RHP, Houston high school (Third round)
Notes: The Astros organization made some interesting decisions during the 2008 draft. The club nabbed Ross Seaton in the supplemental third round after the talented Texan dropped out of first-round consideration due to signability concerns. The club used its supplemental first round pick on South Carolina prep pitcher Jordan Lyles, whom most clubs did not consider a top pick. Lyles, though, has pitched extremely well so far, which has made Houston’s scouts look incredibly wise. Both Lyles and Seaton are playing in low-A ball, with the former out-performing the latter. Jason Castro is having a solid offensive season in high-A ball and could potentially see double-A by the end of the year.

2007 Draft Slot: Third round (111th overall)
Top Pick: Derek Dietrich, 3B, Cleveland high school (Did not sign)
Best Pick: Collin DeLome, OF, Lamar University (Fifth round)
Worst Pick: David Dinelli, RHP, California junior college (6th round)
Notes: There is no sugar-coating the fact that this was an ugly draft. The Astros organization did not have a pick before the third round and then it failed to sign its third- and fourth-round selections. The sixth-round pick posted an ERA above 7.00 in two rookie seasons, and the seventh-round pick is hitting .134 in low-A ball in 2009. Collin DeLome is showing some promising power at double-A this season, but his average is modest and he’s walking just 3.3% of the time. There is also some hope for RHP Kyle Greenwalt (20th round).

2006 Draft Slot: 23rd overall
Top Pick: Max Sapp, C, Florida high school
Best Pick: Bud Norris, RHP, University of Cal Poly (6th round)
Worst Pick: Nick Moresi, OF, Fresno State University (3rd round)
Notes: Max Sapp suffered a severe case of viral meningitis this past off-season. He’ll miss the entire 2009 season, but that is hardly important at this point. He’s also still young. RHP Sergio Perez (2nd round) missed most of the 2008 after breaking his hand and injuring his groin. He’s currently working his way back into baseball shape in double-A. Third baseman Chris Johnson (4th round) has a chance to contribute at the Major League level, although probably not as an everyday player.

2009 Draft Slot: 21st overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): High school or prep players
MLB Club Need: Third base, Starting pitching, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Right field, Shortstop, Second base, First base, Pitching
Organizational Strength: Catcher, Center field
Notes: The Astros organization has an extra pick in the supplemental third round (the only club with such a pick) after the team failed to sign its 2008 third-round selection Chase Davidson. The draft has definitely not been a strength of the team’s for quite some time. In fact, a few of the recent drafts have been almost laughable. The club did, though, take some interesting names last year so perhaps things are starting to improve. The club desperately needs some minor-league depth.