Comments on: Padres Farm Report (4 Jun 08)

By: LynchMob

LynchMob — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:38:50 +0000

And then there’s the look-ahead to the ‘09 draft …

rich-0 (baltimore): What is a reasonable major league comp for Steven Strasburg, the presumptive #1 pick next year? Is he potentially a once in a decade pitching talent for the draft?

Kevin Goldstein: Once a decade? That might be pushing it, but certainly a once-every-few-years kind of guy.

By: LynchMob

LynchMob — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:35:57 +0000

#22@LynchMob: Here’s a fun Q&A from KG’s chat …

jimbeau (Left Coast): Kevin, what are the odds that Gillaspie could become Wade Boggs II? Or more Bill Mueller II?

Kevin Goldstein: I like the Mueller comp way more. Just so you know Jay Jaffe saw Gillaspie’s dad play at Walla Walla in an outfield flanked by Tony Gwynn and John Kruk — how cool is that?

By: LynchMob

LynchMob — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:12:44 +0000

#21@LynchMob: Oops, based on KG’s answer to my question in his now-going chat at BP … I think I’ll back off my “I like Ike” mantra …

LynchMob (Corvallis, OR): If Ike Davis can play OF, why didn’t he play more OF this season?

Kevin Goldstein: The only real outfield tool he has is a nice arm, but he’s pretty unathletic and Arizona State didn’t want to tax him too much with the muscle strain. Few think he could or should play there as a pro.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/chat/chat.php?chatId=473

By: LynchMob

LynchMob — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:09:49 +0000

#20@Loren: IMO, Hewitt’s gotta go to Vanderbilt … then everyone will know if he can learn to play baseball. OTOH, I have no idea how/why he’d pass up even 1st round slot money if he really is a baseball-only guy … it sure seems likely that right now is his peak value.

I like Ike …

By: Loren

Loren — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:53:56 +0000

#19 Ben
Hunt’s an interesting choice and sure fell along way down. Would he project more as a starter (and if so where in the rotation) or a relief guy? And I’m a little concerned about a guy who sorta ran out of gas at the end of the year like that.

I know its a big ass risk and I know he could turn into a cataclysmic bust, but I’m really jonesing hard for Anthony Hewitt – I just think he’d be huge here.

By: Ben B.

Ben B. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:31:46 +0000

I’m a big fan of Goldstein’s mock draft (which doesn’t require a subscription). No college relievers rumored, a willingness to draft any kind of player, and ultimately ending up with Shooter Hunt, who at the minimum has a cool name. Here’s the direct link.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7615

By: Steve C

Steve C — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:36:46 +0000

#15@Rain Delay: Bummer I always liked Chang, I knew he would never make the big league club but he was still a great story.

By: Geoff Young

Geoff Young — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:26:30 +0000

#14@Steve C: Yeah, that whole "great athlete" thing only gets you so far in life. Ask Reggie Abercrombie... No doubt, Hewitt comes with tremendous risk...

By: PaulR

PaulR — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:25:32 +0000

Hewitt would be a pretty exciting change of pace for the Pads. Getting a chance to draft a guy who has been frequently described as the best athlete in the last several drafts and who some scouts compare to Bo Jackson…wow. It does make me nervous that Goldstein describes him as “not a baseball player,” but I think that if he’s available, the Padres should give it a shot. It would be great to see a top athlete wind up in a system that emphasizes strike zone judgment and see what happens.

If Hewitt’s not available, or the Padres don’t actually have interest, I’d prefer a high school arm over Havens or a college reliever. Moneyball is about finding undervalued commodities, and the pendulum may have swung to the point where what’s undervalued is high upside high school arms.

By: Rain Delay

Rain Delay — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:23:54 +0000

Not that it really matters that much, but the Padres released INF Ray Chang. He had been on the Beavers roster, after getting moved up from Double A (I guess).