There has been much debate this season about the value of losing.  In sports like basketball and football where a draft pick can make an immediate impact there has always been the philosophy that you want to be really horrible or really good and that anywhere in between punishes your ability to improve your club.  For years under the old CBA teams could circumvent the competitive balance measures such as free agent compensation by spending all the money they wanted in the draft and internationally while blatantly ignoring unenforceable edicts from the commissioner’s office. Continue reading The Value of Losing in the new CBA →

The signing is official (as in he signed the paper), but the team has yet to announce it or the amount.  The source right now is a picture tweeted out by Crawford’s sister of him signing his contract.  The tweet has since been taken down because the news has yet to be announced.  Slot for the pick is $2,299,300 and Crawford is expected to be very close to it.

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisBA6m

#Phillies sign 1st-rder J.P. Crawford for $2,299,300. California HSer, easily best SS in #mlbdraft, solid bat/run/D w/a little pop too.

Looks like the deal is right at slot giving the Phillies about $250,000 to entice Hernandez, Monda, and any players after the 10th round.

So I’ll post this graphic here with whatever info I can compile from the various media reports. I’ll try to scan through the comments here for that kind of info, so if you see I’m missing something, just make mention of it in a new comment at the bottom of the page, and please post any media links if you have them, so I can save them on my end.

Continue reading 2013 Draft Tracker →

I will go more in-depth at then of the day, but are some quick notes.

3rd Round – Cord Sandberg – OF

It is going to take a bunch to sign Sandberg but it looks like the Phillies saved some money in the 2nd and they have been on Sandberg long enough to know what it will take.  Sandberg has plus tools except for the hit tool, which due to his limited time playing baseball is really unknown.  this is a boom or bust pick but he could be a Top 10 player in this draft if it works out.  He is a typical Phillies pick but they got him in 3rd not the 1st. Continue reading 3rd – 5th Round Analysis →

Rounds 3-10

First Round Underway, have fun!

Only 4 hours away from the start of the draft.

I will admit that my real knowledge of the draft really ends after the first round so I am going to limit this to the first round.  This is a list of the order in which I would take players in this draft if I was the Phillies.  For the most part this means best player available on pure talent.  However, I have taken into account signability and the Phillies ability to develop pitchers better than hitters over the past few years.

1. Kris Bryant

2. Jonathan Gray

3. Mark Appel

I have had the pitchers above Bryant for a while, but power is at a premium right now and Bryant is going to hit for plenty.  Even in RF he is a middle of the order high impact bat.  Gray has ace potential and I think Appel is more of a #2 long term, even if he is essentially major league ready. Continue reading 1st Round Draft Board →

There is no good way to do a Mock Draft for the baseball draft because teams don’t draft for need and one pick can destroy an entire mock.  The purpose of this activity is step through as many picks as we can before the draft on June 6.  I will update the poll for the next team every so often, when I have time for the next pick in the draft.  The goal is to put yourself in the mindset of the team making the pick and choose the player you would take in their place. Lets see who could be available at #16.