Jaw (06-10-2019)
The strategy this year makes sense if:
1) the Braves believe the pool of HS players available on day 3 who could be enticed by over slot bonuses is superior than in past years
2) the Braves have researched things more carefully and believe that this is a pool of players where there has been a "market efficiency" in past years
It could be some of both. I believe 2 might be true. Its something I've looked at in a cursory way and wondered in the past if we should take a few more flyers on HS players in later rounds.
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."
50PoundHead (06-10-2019), Jaw (06-10-2019), jpx7 (06-10-2019)
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."
Here's 36th rounder Anthony Hall hitting a home run.
Some Makhi Backstrom video.
It's easy to say with the benefit of hindsight but if we liked him so much we should have taken him with the second round pick we used to select Tyler Stovall and signed him for slot. It wasn't really a question of money so much as preferring another player (Stovall) for that money.
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."
I think the names listed show the relative folly of expecting too much from day 3 draftees. It's betting a long shot. It might pay off, but most likely won't. And to suggest that the Braves structured their draft so they could play more long shots is a scary thought to me. That's when you know your friend has a problem and it's time for an intervention.
The Braves had the 6th most money in the draft, two first round picks and went with a second tier catcher and a college shortstop who likely can't stay at short then went with a relative unknown in the second round.
If the Braves only had one first round pick then Langeliers can easily be defended. But, with the money available and the flexibility, I for one at least am disappointed that they didn't shoot for more upside.
If Langeliers becomes a back up at the ML level, if Shewmake becomes a useful utility guy, and Philip as well, then people will look at it as an OK draft. But, those type guys are very available year to year, so how much value is really there? To me, it's a wasted opportunity.
Putting lipstick on it, doesn't make me want to kiss this pig.
For some reason, Langeliers having a relatively high floor has evolved into the belief that his likely ceiling is as a backup catcher. I feel like that's a disservice to the description of his tools that I've read. He's not a low upside guy at all, in my view.
The Braves didn't have very many huge upside plays at #9. Rutledge perhaps was one, but I don't see any of the bats that were there as any more likely to be all stars than Langeliers.
My thing is that if they saved 1m with the #9 pick, I'd rather have seen that 1m spent trying to upgrade pick #21, then passed down further in the draft.
But they are doing modeling now and perhaps that modeling is more predictive than people's feels. My issue with Shewmake is that he didn't get any better at TAMU over his career. But he was pretty good and maybe their models show that starting point to be the best predictor of success. I don't know.
I don't have a real strong view of individual guys, but when you talk about where you spend your money, I think you probably are better off spending it on day 1 or day 2, then Day 3.
I guess it's likely that is indeed what they did. They took no senior signs, so they had a pricy two days, I would guess.
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."