Cleveland Sports Forum

MLB Draft InsiderThe Mock: What I would do
Jun05
2011 Written by Chris Crawford

I get asked the question all the time, who would I take with so-and-so pick, and as a reward for the loyal viewers, I’ll give you some answers. I’m only doing the top ten, but feel free to post questions in the comments on your favorite team, and I’ll be sure to give you my opinion. Again, this is simply based on what I would do. An updated “real” mock will be up late Sunday night.

01. Pittsburgh Pirates: Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA — Simply put, he’s the best — and most advanced — talent in this draft class.

02. Seattle Mariners: Dylan Bundy, RHP, Oswasso HS (OK) — I understand the thought process of adding a bat — and I understand how much the organization loves Francisco Lindor — but I don’t pass on a talent like Bundy. Let’s not pretend that the Mariners are swimming in pitching prospects, either.

03. Arizona Diamondbacks: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice — So, after all the talk about going best-player-available, why do I say Rendon over Bubba Starling? Because I have another pick in the top ten, and I don’t plan on playing it safe with that pick. I get Evan Longoria-lite (less filling, still tastes great) and still have an opportunity to add a special player to my system at pick seven.

04. Baltimore Orioles: Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton HS (KS) — This would be a no-brainer for me, and I have no idea why Baltimore isn’t considering this now. To get a talent like Starling at four would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the Orioles would be hard-pressed to find a talent like this again — assuming the days of drafting in the top five are over.

05. Kansas City Royals: Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS (OK) — A plus fastball, maybe the best breaking-ball in the draft, and an improved feel for pitching as the season progressed makes Bradley one of the highest risers of the 2011 draft. The Royals might be tempted to take a college pitcher — and Danny Hultzen wouldn’t be a reach here — but if I’m Kansas City, I go with the upside of Bradley over the safety of Hultzen.

06. Washington Nationals: Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia — I would be tempted to splurge on Francisco Lindor here, but getting a lefty with the command and arm strength of Hultzen would be too much for me to pass on here. He’s not an ace, but the Nationals have their ace — assuming Stephen Strasburg can recover from Tommy John surgery — and Hultzen slides in nicely right behind.

07. Arizona Diamondbacks: Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy — Lindor and Rendon on the left side of your infield, you could do a lot worse. And with the pitching-depth of the draft, you can add a solid starter at pick No.43.

08. Cleveland Indians: Alex Meyer, RHP, Kentucky — There are risks with Meyer, and he might be a reliever, but Meyer has the best fastball-slider combination in the draft, and as much as I like arms like Sonny Gray and Jed Bradley, there’s no guarantee that they’re starters either.

09. Chicago Cubs: Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA — Don’t take this as me coming around on the Bauer pitch counts, take this as me saying that at pick nine, if Bauer should fail, the reward outweighed the risk.

10. San Diego Padres: Matt Barnes, RHP, Connecticut — It’s an unprotected pick, so it helps that Barnes appears to be sign-able, but this wouldn’t be a reach pick by any stretch of the imagination. Barnes has two above-average major-league pitches, and if he can improve the slider has the potential to be as good a starter as anyone not named Cole or Bundy.

Final Draft projection: Rendon to follow Cole
Rice third baseman looks like Seattle's choice over pitchers
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | 06/06/11 10:00 AM ET

What follows is the final mock Draft on MLB.com, a projection of the first round hours before the action begins on Monday.

2011 Draft: Danny Hultzen, PQuestions, especially regarding signability, abounded late Sunday night, leaving many things up in the air. I'll be doing a final, names-only projection on my blog Monday afternoon as things become clearer.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates: Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA
After carefully discussing Virginia's Danny Hultzen and Rice's Anthony Rendon as well, the Pirates have settled on taking the UCLA right-hander, a baseball source told MLB.com on Monday.




2. Seattle Mariners: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice
There's still some question about his shoulder, but there wasn't enough to move him off here. High school shortstop Francisco Lindor is a possibility.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks: Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA
Hultzen is a possibility, but there was some buzz about him getting past this spot. Arizona also likes high school right-hander Dylan Bundy.

4. Baltimore Orioles: Danny Hultzen, LHP, University of Virginia
The O's were looking hard at Bundy, but there might be some issues with bonus demands there. If Bauer gets past Arizona, he could be the pick and there was late word that Oklahoma high schooler Archie Bradley had entered the picture.

5. Kansas City Royals: Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton HS, KS
The Royals are still looking at college arms like Bauer or Cole if they drop here. Bundy will get a long look, too. Starling and Lindor are the hitters being considered, with the two-sport toolsy outfielder in their own backyard making almost too much sense.

6. Washington Nationals: Dylan Bundy, RHP, Oswasso HS, Okla.
The top high school arm -- some say best arm, period -- shouldn't drop too far. Fellow Oklahoman Archie Bradley could get a look as well and the college arms above would be welcome should any of them drop to this spot.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks: Matt Barnes, RHP, Connecticut
This one had some buzz behind it late. Barnes had always been in the top-10 conversation, so it's not a big stretch for Arizona and its unprotected pick. Lindor could still find a home here.

8. Cleveland Indians: Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS, Okla.
Bradley came on strong after a slow start and the Indians have always liked the big right-hander. If it doesn't work, they could consider a number of college arms.

9. Chicago Cubs: Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy, Fla.
Lindor is a premium talent who plays a premium position. The Cubs would love to get a bat here and Lindor would be the best on the board, and they'll worry about what to do with a Lindor/Starlin Castro infield later on. Anyone listed above who slides, especially Starling, would get consideration.

10. San Diego Padres: Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas
It's certainly no guarantee that the Padres will go the college route with this unprotected pick, but there are some awfully good arms to choose from among that group.

11. Houston Astros: Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech
This could be a good spot for Lindor should he make it out of the top 10, though the best college pitcher still on the board has always made sense.

12. Milwaukee Brewers: Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt
With two picks in four selections, there's a lot the Brewers could do here. Starting with a college pitcher is a strong possibility.

13. New York Mets: Javier Baez, SS, Arlington Country Day HS, Fla.
Baez will likely have to move to third base, but he's got enough tools to profile very well at the hot corner. North Carolina shortstop Levi Michael has been another hitter mentioned and the Mets were looking hard at the host of college pitching available.

Still think it will be Sonny Gray.

latest from BA:

As draft day dawned, one thing was certain: The Pirates will take UCLA righthander Gerrit Cole with the No. 1 overall selection. After that, teams were still scrambling to line up their picks.

The consensus in the industry is the Mariners will choose Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon with the No. 2 pick, but there's no confirmation from Seattle. The Diamondbacks had appeared locked in on Virginia lefthander Danny Hultzen at No. 3, and the Orioles had zeroed in on Oklahoma high school righthander Dylan Bundy, though now those teams seem headed in different directions.

It no longer looks like the consensus six players in the draft (the four mentioned above, plus UCLA righthander Trevor Bauer and Kansas high school outfielder Bubba Starling) will go in the top six. For scouting reports on the players in our latest first-round projection below, please see our Top 200 Prospect list.

1. PIRATES: Pittsburgh's final decision came down to college pitching, meaning that Rendon did not make the final cut. Multiple sources have confirmed the Pirates will take Cole.
Projected Pick: Gerrit Cole.

2. MARINERS: Nothing official yet, but the story remains the same in Seattle. The Mariners want a bat, with Rendon the frontrunner but Florida high school shortstop Francisco Lindor and Starling also considerations.
Projected Pick: Anthony Rendon.

3. DIAMONDBACKS: On Friday, I wrote that Hultzen to Arizona was the biggest lock in the first six picks. No longer. This decision comes down to Bauer or Bundy, both of whom the Diamondbacks also have liked for a while. If Cole and Bauer go 1-3, they'll match Arizona State's Bob Horner and Hubie Brooks in 1978.
Projected Pick: Trevor Bauer.

4. ORIOLES: Perhaps because of the exorbitant asking prices of Bundy ($30 million big league deal) and Hultzen ($13 million), Baltimore is looking at the other stud Oklahoma prep righthander, Archie Bradley. He has a leverage in the form of the opportunity to play quarterback at Oklahoma, but that also means his bonus can be spread over five years under provisions for two-sport athletes. The Orioles would love a shot at Bauer.
Projected Pick: Archie Bradley.

5. ROYALS: Kansas City suddenly gets to choose between Bundy and Hultzen after not expecting either to be on the board. The Royals want an advanced arm, and Bundy qualifies despite being a high schooler. If they opt for a bat, they could take Lindor over Starling.
Projected Pick: Dylan Bundy.

6. NATIONALS: Before the upheaval at the top of the draft, Washington was just going to wait to see which one of the six elite players would get here. Now the Nationals are going to have multiple options, and it will hard to pass on Hultzen, a local product.
Projected Pick: Danny Hultzen.

7. DIAMONDBACKS: Arizona's dream would be to somehow get Bauer and Hultzen, but that doesn't seem possible. They could get their pick of the next tier of college pitchers, a choice that would come down to Matt Barnes (Connecticut) and Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt). They also have interest in Lindor. This pick is unprotected, compensation for not signing first-rounder Barret Loux a year ago, so signability is an issue.
Projected Pick: Matt Barnes.

8. INDIANS: Cleveland might suddenly be faced with a decision on whether to take Starling, who is a better prospect than fellow two-sport star Donavan Tate, who got $6.25 million as the No. 3 overall pick in 2009. The Indians haven't taken a high school first-rounder since 2001. Grabbing Archie Bradley would be an easier call, and if he's gone they may go with a college arm such as Georgia Tech lefthander Jed Bradley, Texas righty Taylor Jungmann or Gray.
Projected Pick: Jed Bradley.

9. CUBS: Chicago will take a high-ceiling player, and no one has a higher ceiling than Starling. Other candidates include Archie Bradley or Lindor. If Rendon's shoulder injury starts driving teams away, this could be his landing spot.
Projected Pick: Bubba Starling.

10. PADRES: With an unprotected pick received for failing to sign 2010 first-rounder Karsten Whitson, San Diego is looking at college players. The Padres would consider Barnes, Bradley and Jungmann among the pitchers, and Connecticut outfielder George Springer and Indian River (Fla.) JC third baseman Cory Spangenberg among the hitters.
Projected Pick: Taylor Jungmann.

If Bubba Starling gets to # 8 pick and the Indians don't pull the trigger, I'm pissed.

No surprise as Gerrit Cole goes No. 1 to the Pirates

Anthony Rendon is falling. Still on the board after 4 picks.

Rootin' for Bubba to drop to us.

Royals take Starling at 5.

Famous Seagull kiss of death. Bubba gone to KC.

Rendon goes at no. 6.

The Dbacks pick at no. 7 is unprotected. Have to figure they go for a signability pick.

Talk of the Dbacks taking Archie Bradley at 7

Really wanted the Indians to have a shot at him.

And there he goes.

Dammit.

Not much left.

Time to throw the dart and hit the bulls eye.

Indians take Lindor.