2015 DRAFT SIGNING THREAD

[Tapate50]

"He was a top 100 prospect on most boards, with a potential plus hitting tool and was well-regarded for his work behind the plate. He has a good, but not necessarily great arm but makes up for any deficiency there with great footwork coming out of the crouch and a quick release. He has a very mature approach at the plate and while he may never hit 30 home runs, his bat shouldn't keep him from have a shot at progressing through the minors."

Doesn't sound like a defense only player to me.

Yeah I didn't get that impression either during the process, but hey some people like their cucumbers pickled.

[50PoundHead]

If you read all the sites, Herbert was taken in the strata where he was expected to be taken. Catcher has really become a premium defensive position, but everything I've read makes me think Herbert's bat will carry. And I take the draft sites with a grain of salt.

[Hawk]

Jerry Crasnick
@jcrasnick
Austin Riley, 41st pick in MLB draft, agrees to a $1.6M deal with #Braves. Slot value was $1,506,400. MVP Sports client

[chop2chip]

Jerry Crasnick
@jcrasnick
Austin Riley, 41st pick in MLB draft, agrees to a $1.6M deal with #Braves. Slot value was $1,506,400. MVP Sports client

He's the most interesting pick that we made on draft day. I know a lot of people hated the pick because of pre-draft rankings, but I actually like the idea behind drafting him. It was probably the highest ceiling, lowest floor pick that we made in the draft, but I don't mind taking a home run swing.

[Heyward]

David O'Brien ‏@DOBrienAJC
#Braves haven't announced it yet, but they've reached agreements with most of their top draft picks including all six from top 75.

[skillet]

He's the most interesting pick that we made on draft day. I know a lot of people hated the pick because of pre-draft rankings, but I actually like the idea behind drafting him. It was probably the highest ceiling, lowest floor pick that we made in the draft, but I don't mind taking a home run swing.

I don't hate the player and if fact am looking forward to watching his progress, but I do hate that we used a high draft pick on a guy that most likely could have been gotten much, much further down the line and been given a much smaller deal.

[thethe]

I don't hate the player and if fact am looking forward to watching his progress, but I do hate that we used a high draft pick on a guy that most likely could have been gotten much, much further down the line and been given a much smaller deal.

I just don't see how we can make these assumptions. Nobody knows how many times other teams sent their area scouts to obswrve. He was picked there because the Braves felt he wouldn't last another round. They have more information than everyone aside from the 29 other organizations.

[skillet]

I just don't see how we can make these assumptions. Nobody knows how many times other teams sent their area scouts to obswrve. He was picked there because the Braves felt he wouldn't last another round. They have more information than everyone aside from the 29 other organizations.

No we don't know that, but even if that were true that some other team might possibly have taken him before some lower pick, who the hell cares? There were soooo many guys we could have taken that damn near everybody rated considerably higher than him. Are you saying we know better than everyone else in baseball?

[thethe]

No we don't know that, but even if that were true that some other team might possibly have taken him before some lower pick, who the hell cares? There were soooo many guys we could have taken that damn near everybody rated considerably higher than him. Are you saying we know better than everyone else in baseball?

The rankings are not done by organizations. The 30 teams know best then everyone else.

[smootness]

I don't hate the player and if fact am looking forward to watching his progress, but I do hate that we used a high draft pick on a guy that most likely could have been gotten much, much further down the line and been given a much smaller deal.

As a Mississippi State fan, I can tell you this is not at all true. Most State fans thought he was coming to school even though he was our best signee. The Braves actually still had to go slightly over slot to get him to sign.

If we had drafted him later, we still would have had to pay him that much; otherwise, he was college bound.

[skillet]

As a Mississippi State fan, I can tell you this is not at all true. Most State fans thought he was coming to school even though he was our best signee. The Braves actually still had to go slightly over slot to get him to sign.

If we had drafted him later, we still would have had to pay him that much; otherwise, he was college bound.

Then let him go to college. Can't blame a guy for doing what he thinks is best for himself. But over drafting and overpaying is a recipe for failure.

[chop2chip]

Then let him go to college. Can't blame a guy for doing what he thinks is best for himself. But over drafting and overpaying is a recipe for failure.

You are relying on draft pundits whose source of scouting is attending games by the very cream of crop top 15 prospects and making phone calls to teams around the league about other players whilst scouting minor league players. This isn't the NBA or the NFL where film exists for every draft eligible player. The draft pundits, by their own admission, are limited in their ability to put together comprehensive lists. That's why you never see anybody put out draft grades in baseball.

I know it's lazy and cliche to say to trust the Braves scouts, but in baseball there isn't much else you can do.

[clvclv]

No we don't know that, but even if that were true that some other team might possibly have taken him before some lower pick, who the hell cares? There were soooo many guys we could have taken that damn near everybody rated considerably higher than him. Are you saying we know better than everyone else in baseball?

Are you seriously saying you consider Keith Law/Jim Callis/Jonathon Mayo/the other draft pundits the brightest minds in baseball?

This kind of statement assumes that "damn near everybody" else's draft boards looked like those rankings. I have absolutely no clue whether they did or not, but that's an awfully wide brush you're painting with.

[jpx7]

Are you seriously saying you consider Keith Law/Jim Callis/Jonathon Mayo/the other draft pundits the brightest minds in baseball?

This kind of statement assumes that "damn near everybody" else's draft boards looked like those rankings. I have absolutely no clue whether they did or not, but that's an awfully wide brush you're painting with.

I saw the best minds of baseball destroyed by draft boards, starving hysterical ranking, dragging themselves through the bonus-pool streets at dawn looking for a hungry scout Tommy-Johned pitchers burning for the ancient surgical connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the mound.

[50PoundHead]

I saw the best minds of baseball destroyed by draft boards, starving hysterical ranking, dragging themselves through the bonus-pool streets at dawn looking for a hungry scout Tommy-Johned pitchers burning for the ancient surgical connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the mound.

Thank you Mr. Ginsburg.

[sturg33]

Guys - are we seriously gonna question this powerhouse FO?

[nsacpi]

Guys - are we seriously gonna question this powerhouse FO?

I criticize it all the time.

But with respect to the draft, there are two points I would make. One is that it obviously takes years before you know who did well and who didn't. Second, to the extent you want to take certain types of players at certain points of the draft (high ceiling high school players in the first round for example), the FO followed "the book" in this draft. They did show a strong desire to get college arms in the middle rounds (4-10) but the data show that if there is a part of the draft where you should skew toward college arms, it is the middle rounds. I think they were a bit dogmatic in taking 7 consecutive college pitchers from round 4 to round 10, but that is quibbling.

I do have a question for thethe about the 2015 draft. If it turns out to be a poor draft, would it be because of the residual effects of the damage done to the organization by Wren and Manno.

[weso1]

If you read all the sites, Herbert was taken in the strata where he was expected to be taken. Catcher has really become a premium defensive position, but everything I've read makes me think Herbert's bat will carry. And I take the draft sites with a grain of salt.

"And now coming to bat, Lucas Herbert."

I just don't see it happening.

[sturg33]

I do have a question for thethe about the 2015 draft. If it turns out to be a poor draft, would it be because of the residual effects of the damage done to the organization by Wren and Manno.

Of course it will be

[thethe]

I criticize it all the time.

But with respect to the draft, there are two points I would make. One is that it obviously takes years before you know who did well and who didn't. Second, to the extent you want to take certain types of players at certain points of the draft (high ceiling high school players in the first round for example), the FO followed "the book" in this draft. They did show a strong desire to get college arms in the middle rounds (4-10) but the data show that if there is a part of the draft where you should skew toward college arms, it is the middle rounds. I think they were a bit dogmatic in taking 7 consecutive college pitchers from round 4 to round 10, but that is quibbling.

I do have a question for thethe about the 2015 draft. If it turns out to be a poor draft, would it be because of the residual effects of the damage done to the organization by Wren and Manno.

I think the organization shifted as soon as Hart was hired. From then on forward it's on him and JC.