One more draft update for today. Some interesting movement on the draft tracker. The () represents where the player was on the last version, bolding is my own emphasis.

01. David Price (01)
02. Matt Wieters (03)
03. Rick Porcello (02)
04. Mike Moustakas (04)
05. Josh Vitters (05)
06. Jarrod Parker (09)
07. Jason Heyward (06)
08. Ross Detwiler (07)
09. Daniel Moskos (08)
10. Beau Mills (10)
11. Blake Beaven (11)
12. Madison Bumgarner (12)
13. Matt Dominguez (13)
14. Devin Mesoraco (16)
15. Matt Harvey (14)
16. Julio Borbon (15)
17. Michael Main (17)
18. Casey Weathers (18)
19. Phillippe Amount (19)
20. Josh Smoker (20)
21. Matt LaPorta (21)
22. Kevin Ahrens (22)
23. Nick Schmidt (23)
24. Pete Kozma (26)
25. Todd Frazier (24)
26. JP Arencibia (25)
27. Will Middlebrooks (NR)
28. James Simmons (30)
29. Andrew Brackman (28)
30. Brett Cecil (NR)

Out of the Top 30

Jack McGeary (27)

Some interesting stuff here. Porcello could very well go from the projected #2 slot in the draft out of the first round. If he wants a $10 million dollar deal, I find it hard to believe a team is going to give it to him, unless it’s Boston or the Yankees. If we end up with the 19th best talent, we’d end up with Amount, a guy the Phillies have been connected to. Amount has HUGE upside, literally and figuratively, as he’s already 6’7, 225 lbs. He’s going to need some work, but his ceiling is a true #1 starter. Will Middlebrooks, a guy I highlighted last week as a possible guy to look at in the compensation round, now might sneak into the back of the first round, and Brett Cecil is popping up on the radar again as a potential first round pick.

After watching Jarrod Parker’s scouting video a few times, if you could sign him for half the money Porcello wants, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I love his mechanics and his arm. For those excited about the possibility of a Boras guy like Porcello or Wieters falling to the Phillies and us getting lucky, you can put those hopes to bed, as the ownership has mandated not paying over slot. Harvey was once in the same group as those two, but at this point, he might be more affordable and a viable option. We’ll see.

The hits just keeping coming. It’s like being a kid at Christmas, and every 2 hours, you get a new toy. Goldstein has his list of the top 50 talents in this year’s draft, ranked on pure talent, not signability, and based more on projections as a pro. Here is the list, you probably need a subscription to read the full thing, but you should have a subscription to BP anyway 😉

Some highlights..

Continue reading Kevin Goldstein’s Top 50 draft talents →

JE posted this in the comments section of another post, thought it was worth it’s own slot. This looks MUCH better for the Phillies, and it’s quite interesting in some other spots.

1. Tampa Bay Devil Rays: David Price, LHP, Vanderbilt University
2. Kansas City Royals: Rick Porcello, RHP, Seton Hall Prep (N.J.)
3. Chicago Cubs: Josh Vitters, 3B, Cypress HS (Calif.)
4. Pittsurgh Pirates: Ross Detwiler, LHP, Missouri State
5. Baltimore Orioles: Phillipe Aumont, RHP, Ecole Du Versant Gatineau, Quebec
6. Washington Nationals: Daniel Moskos, LHP, Clemson University
7. Milwaukee Brewers: Jarrod Parker, RHP, Norwell HS (Ind.)
8. Colorado Rockies: Nick Schmidt, LHP, University of Arkansas
9. Arizona Diamondbacks: Mike Moustakas, 3B, Chatsworth HS (Calif.)
10. San Francisco Giants: Matt Wieters, C, Georgia Tech
11. Seattle Mariners: Casey Weathers, RHP, Vanderbilt
12. Florida Marlins: Julio Borbon, CF, University of Tennessee
13. Cleveland Indians: Blake Beavan, RHP, Irving HS (Texas)
14. Atlanta Braves: Jason Heyward, Henry County HS (Ga.)
15. Cincinnati Reds: Kevin Ahrens, 3B, Memorial HS (Texas)
16. Toronto Blue Jays: Matt Dominguez, 3B, Chatsworth HS (Calif.)
17. Texas Rangers: Matt Harvey, RHP, Fitch HS (Conn.)
18. St. Louis Cardinals: Jake Arrieta, RHP, Texas Christian University
19. Philadelphia Phillies: Devin Mesoraco, C, Punxsatawney HS (Pa.)
20. Los Angeles Dodgers: Madison Bumgarner, LHP, South Caldwell HS (N.C.)
21. Toronto Blue Jays: Beau Mills, 3B, Lewis-Clark State
22. San Francisco Giants: Aaron Poreda, LHP, University of San Francisco
23. San Diego Padres: James Simmons, RHP, UC Riverside
24. Texas Rangers: Michael Main, RHP, Deland HS (Fla.)
25. Chicago White Sox: Chris Withrow, RHP, Midland Christian HS (Texas)
26. Oakland A’s: Sean Doolittle, 1B, University of Virginia
27. Detroit Tigers: Tim Alderson, RHP, Horizon HS, Scottsdale
28. Minnesota Twins: Peter Kozma, SS, Owasso HS (Okla.)
29. San Francisco Giants: Josh Smoker, LHP, Calhoun HS (Ga.)
30. New York Yankees: Wendell Fairley, OF, George County-Lucedale HS (Miss.)

While I clearly would love Mesoraco at 19, some of the picks above us don’t make an awful lot of sense. The rumors are that Porcello is asking for 10 million dollars in a total package to sign….even with a new regime in KC, I don’t see that happening. If they pass, they’ll likely take Ross Detwiler. At #3, Vitters makes sense, and he’s been linked to Chicago constantly over the last month. I can’t see Milwaukee taking Parker, as they are deep in pitching but kind of shallow in impact bats. This seems like a good destination for Moustakas or Heyward. Nick Schmidt to Colorado seems like the overdraft of the round. Florida loves prep arms, but Borbon would represent an organizational need, so I guess I can see the logic there. 13-24 make sense to me, but I feel like Main is going to go higher than 24. I think Fairley is a big stretch at 30, and I don’t see Arrieta going 18th.

Interesting stuff, no doubt. This is the best case mock for the Phillies that I’ve seen to date.