MLB Draft Signing Deadline: Zach Lee Edition

The MLB draft signing deadline has come and gone with only 3 of the top 50 picks not signing. It was not big surprise that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado signed at the very last minute. But Zach Lee, that one I didn't see coming. Let's take a look at some of yesterday's highlights while I try to reign my Dodger hatred in a little...

Nationals
In no surprise, the Nationals were able to sign Bryce Harper right before the 11:59 p.m deadline last night. It's the second straight year the Nationals have signed once-in-a-lifetime prospects according to Super Agent Soctt Boras. Harper got a 5-year deal worth $9.9 million including a $6.5 million signing bonus. The power hitting 17-year-old will be transitioned to the outfield from catcher to expedite his arrival to the majors. Keith Law Tweeted that the Nats might even send Harper to the AFL in October.

The Nationals also signed 2nd round pick left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis for a $1 million bonus and 4th rounder right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole for a $2 million bonus. Quite the nice haul for the Nationals who are putting together a good core of young players. I've technically been a big fan of theirs since they signed Vladimir Guerrero in 1993 so I don't want to hear any lip about hopping on the bandwagon.

Pirates
Pittsburgh continues to be the biggest spender come draft time. It helps if you're constantly one of the worst teams in baseball but that's just a theory I'm working on. The second overall pick right-handed pitcher Jameson Tallion signed for around a $6 million bonus. Fellow right-handed pitcher Stetson Allie tumbled all the way to the second round before the Pirates drafted him. Allie probably has the most uside of any pitcher in the draft other than Tallion and the Pirates opened up their wallet and paid out $2.25 million for him. Impressive draft.

Orioles
Baltimore gave a $5.25 million bonus to short stop Manny Machado minutes before the deadline.

Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks reached a deal with 6th overall pick pitcher Barret Loux but his physical revealed arm damage. The D-Backs were able to void the contract and, it turns out, Loux will become a free agent. Loux will be able to sign with any team (Diamondbacks?) and the Diamondbacks will receive the 7th pick in next year's draft as compensation.

Padres
The Padres reportedly offered 9th pick overall pitcher Karsten Whitson a $2.1 million bonus but Whitson held out for more and never signed. $2.1 million with a chance to eventually live in San Diego and pitch in a massive pitchers park? Doesn't seem bad to me but I live in New Orleans where the temperature is Fire but with a lot of humidity.

Brewers
The 14th overall pick Dylan Covey declined to sign for a different reason. The pitcher was on his way to signing when his physical revealed Covey has Type 1 diabetes. The Brewers were still interested in signing him but Covey decided it would be better to attend the University of San Diego which is close to home. I wish the kid the best of luck. And if he ever wants to have me out to watch a game and maybe hit a party, my email is on the right of the page.

Angels
The Halos were able to reach a deal with 2-way star Kaleb Cowart. They'll likely give him a chance to play third base before moving him to a full time pitcher.

Rockies
The 26th pick in the draft struck a deal right before the deadline. Outfielder Kyle Parker signed a $1.4 million contract allowing him to still quarterback the Clemson Tigers. By choosing to play football, Parker probably left close to $1 million on the table.

Dodgers
Buckle in kids, I have a lot of venom built up for this one. It was already a bad day for LSU when Anthony Renaudo and LSU commit Lucas LeBlanc ended up signing with Boston. But it got worse when future quarterback, Zach Lee signed with the Dodgers. I was convinced the Dodgers had a near zero percent chance of signing Lee away from LSU as I wrote here and more recently here.

It took $5.25 million to buy Zach Lee out of his LSU commitment and love for football. Where did the Dodgers, tied up in the McCourt divorce, get that kind of cash? I can't be certain, but this has Alyssa Milano written all over it. Lee was already enrolled at LSU and even practiced with the football team that afternoon before signing. Lee might have even had a shot at starting by the end of the season considering the track records of incumbent QBs Jarett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. Of course, the LSU baseball team also suffers losing Lee from their rotation.

The Lee bonus more than doubles Clayton Kersaw's $2.3 million in 2006, the Dogers' former largest bonus. Despite the fate of the franchise being in limbo because of the divorce, the Dodgers both added payroll at the trade deadline and gave out one of the largest bonuses of the draft. I have a feeling this will make me angry for quite some time. Or until Thursday, my attention span isn't very...oh my god, that dog is wearing a hat.

The Dodgers' Throwaway Draft Pick

When the Dodgers drafted right handed pitcher Zach Lee on Monday night, I wondered if they had any intention on signing him. Obviously, this was a popular opinion but I was there too! The Dodgers franchise is currently being held hostage in the famous McCourt episode of Divorce Court. The Dodgers are in no position to be spending way over slot and they weren't even allowed to offer arbitration to some of their free agents last season which cost them draft picks.

And they will have to go over slot. Zach Lee is committed to LSU to play baseball and quarterback for the Tigers. Before the draft, it was public knowledge that it was going to take at least $3 million to sign Lee. That might not even get it done anymore. LSU football head coach Les Miles recently discussed Lee...

"Zach wants to come to LSU, get a degree and play football and baseball for the Tigers. I met with Zach and his parents today and I think that they are looking at LSU as a great opportunity both academically and athletically. Zach is an outstanding student and he's excited about the college experience."

Lee is also starting summer classes at LSU this week. Keith Law even dropped some insider knowledge in a Klaw chat saying "Rumor of the day had the kid saying $6 million wouldn't get him signed." The Dodgers definitely aren't shelling out $6 mil.

Sure, I'll try to defend the pick. It's never a good idea to intentionally draft a player with no intention to sign him. 1. You lose an entire year of development of a player you could have signed. 2. The compensation pick you receive the following season isn't protected. If you don't sign a player with your comp pick, you don't get another one the following year, leaving you with little leverage. That said, it's possible the Dodgers drafted Lee and will meekly try to sign him and collect the draft pick 28A in next year's draft. This way it looks like the Dodgers tried to sign a nice talent but just couldn't get it done. We tried, fans! After the top three picks, this was a pretty weak draft. Next year's draft is absolutely loaded. An extra pick in next year's draft is a great thing to have. The divorce and future of the franchise should be decided by then and they could be free to overspend next year.

Hey, I didn't say I could defend that move, just that I'd try. Personally, I love the pick. I don't like the Dodgers and I love LSU. Win, win for me.

Super Tuesday

I'm all drafted out. The first round was fun and had some surprises. I'm looking at you, Chicago Cubs. The second round was the landing spot for most of the first round fallers. But when I realized I was listening to the eighth round, it was time to reassess what I was doing with my day. So I took a nap. What? I needed to be well rested for tonight's debuts.

Tonight we get the debuts of the top two prospects in the minors. I can't remember the last time that happened and quite frankly, it seems like a lot of work to find out. I've briefly mentioned that Stephen Strasburg and Mike Stanton were on their way to the bigs. Well, tonight is the night. Let's take a look.

Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg makes his debut against the Pirates tonight in perhaps the most hyped game the Pirates have been a part of in over a decade. When the Nationals selected Starsburg first overall last year, he immediately became their best pitcher. They sent him to the minors to keep his arbitration clock in check but he had nothing to prove there. Between AA and AAA, he went 7-2 with 1.30 ERA and 65 strikeouts against 13 walks. The game will be on the MLB Network and if Strasburg doesn't no-hit the Pirates, riots might break out in D.C. Alternate possibility, Strasburg ho-hits the Pirates and riots break out in D.C.

Mike Stanton. The 6'5, 230 pound power hitter has tore up the minor leagues, but this year he's been downright ridiculous. At 20-years-old in AA, Stanton hit 21 home runs and .311/.441/.726. That .441 OBP suggests he's not merely a one-trick pony. The 53 strikeouts in 52 games isn't great. For him. For me, I smell golden sombreros. Smells like queso. Stanton faces Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies tonight. Certainly, a couple of big flies aren't out of the question.

I'll be watching all of the action. Feel free to join me on Twitter. You never know when I might think of a Strasburg drinking game for us to play.

Second Round

We've put MTD back in the walk-in freezer to try and preserve him for later on this evening. I've got day two of the draft covered with the second round beginning shortly. The Nationals again pick first, but Washington isn't allowed to pick Bryce Harper again. It would be a huge story if Harper was selected in the second round. I'll keep my eyes open.


51. Nationals - Sammy Solis, LHP, University of San Diego. Quite a journey for Solis, who three years ago was drafted in the 18th round out of Aqua Fria HS (AZ), then made the West Coast Conference all-freshman team in 2008. In 2009 he pitched twice before suffering an injury and taking a medical red shirt. Now, he's the 51st player taken in the 2010 draft.

52. Pirates - Stetson Allie, RHP, St. Edwards HS (Ohio). MTD can get down off the ledge as Allie gets selected early in the second. One of the top arms in the draft.

53. Braves - Todd Cunningham, OF, Jacksonville State.

54. Royals - Brett Eibner, RHP, Arkansas.

55. Indians - Levon Washington, OF, Chipola JC (Florida). This is the 12th consecutive season at least one Chipola player was selected in the draft. Most notable: Dodgers catcher Russell Martin and Toronto's Jose Bautista, who might hit 250 home runs this season.

56. Diamondbacks - James Bradley, RHP, Nitro HS (West Virginia).

57. Redsox - Brandon Workman, RHP, Texas. Perhaps selected a bit low, but Workman is 6-5, 230 with great stuff and he's a great pick for Boston. Just typing that sentence makes me want to vomit tacos.

58. Astros - Vincent Velasquez, RHP, Garey HS (California).

59. Padres - Jed Gyorko, SS, West Virginia. Had a 1.222 OPS with 19 home runs as a first-team all-Big East performer for the Mountaineers. Could be moving from short to third.

60. Athletics - Yordy Cabrera, 3B, Lakeland Senior HS (Florida). And the next phase of Money Ball begins: stockpile Yordys.

61. Bluejays - Griffin Murphy, LHP, Redlands East Valley HS (California).

62. Reds - Ryan LaMarre, OF, Michigan.

63. Whitesox - Jacob Petricka, RHP, Indiana State. The Sycamores have a pretty good track record of getting former players to the big leagues. Of the 69 players drafted from ISU through 2009, 18 have played, or are currently playing (Colorado 2B Clint Barmes).

64. Brewers - James Nelson, RHP, Alabama.

65. Cubs - Reggie Golden, OF, Wetumpka HS (Alabama). One of the best names in the draft, but honestly, no matter what the first name, if it's followed by "Golden" you should be in good shape. Maybe not Rory Golden.

66. Devilrays - Jacob Thompson, RHP, Cal State Fullerton.

67. Mariners - Marcus Littlewood, SS, Pineview HS (Utah).

68. Tigers - Drew Smyly, LHP, Arkansas. Last night pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings to help get the Razorbacks to this weekend's Super Regional against No. 1 Arizona State. MLB.com likes Smyly-108 strike outs in 98 1/3 innings in 2010-as a back-end rotation guy or lefty specialist.

69. Bluejays - Kellen Sweeney, 3B, Jefferson HS (Iowa).

70. Braves - Andrelton Simmons, SS, Western Oklahoma State. Not much size to Simmons-6-2, 170-and I don't know what's going on with his first name, but like that idiot who coached my 8th grade all star team once said: you can't teach desire. Either way, Simmons can hit: in a freshman season that's still going at WOSC, he has a 1.315 OPS.

71. Twins - Cartier Goodrum, SS, Fayette County HS (Georgia).

72. Rangers - Cody Buckel, RHP, Royal HS (California).

73. Marlins - Robert Rasmussen, LHP, UCLA. Rasmussen is me with talent: 5-11, 170 pounds. Oh, and he's five inches taller.

74. Giants - Jarrett Parker, OF, Virginia.

75. Cardinals - Matthew Swagerty, RHP, Arizona State.

76. Rockies - Chad Bettis, RHP, Texas Tech. Was Team USA's closer during last season's world tour. Good size-6-1, 200-and a plus-fastball with good breaking stuff could keep Bettis in a short relief role at the big league level.

77. Phillies - Percy Garner, RHP, Ball State.

78. Dodgers - Ralston Cash, RHP, Lakeview Academy (GA).

79. Devilrays - Derek Dietrich, SS, Georgia Tech.

80. Bluejays - Justin Nicolino, LHP, University HS (Florida).

81. Angels - Daniel Tillman, RHP, Florida Southern College. Since 1975, the Division II Mocs have now had at least one player drafted in every year except 2004.

82. Yankees - Angelo Gumbs, SS, Torrance HS (California). Prediction: best friend once he gets to the Bronx will be Frankie Nostrils.

Second Half Of The First Round: Stetson Allie Edition

Alright, we had some surprises in the first half of the first round. And what happened to Stetson Allie? Did his arm fall off at 5 pm? We'll get to that later, I promise.

26. Kyle Parker, Rockies, OF
Jim Callis called this one too. Parker has a good bat and was a nice pick here.

27. Jesse Biddle, Phillies, LHP

28. Zach Lee, Dodgers, RHP
This is an interesting pick. The Dodgers can't really afford to spend much money with the franchise held up in Divorce Court. Lee is a near-impossible sign because he's committed to LSU to play baseball and quarterback for the Tigers. This could be a potential throwaway pick since they'll get 28A if they can't sign him and next year's draft class is much stronger.

29. Cam Bedrosian, Angels, RHP
Perhaps the closer of the future for the Angels and that can't come soon enough with Brian Fuentes and Fernando Rodney in tow.

30. Chevez Clarke, Angels, OF
Okay, we get it. Georgia is good at producing baseball players. This is where I can't figure out why the Angels didn't draft Stetson Allie. He has all of the potential as Tallion. The Angels have been all over him too. So what happened?

31. Justin O'Conner, Rays, C
The Rays finally draft a quality catcher in the first round after fumbling the Posey pick a couple of years ago.

32. Cito Culver, Yankees, SS
Local kid, way outside the top 100. But I'm sure, New York, he is the heir apparent to Capt'n Jetes.

Five Minute Break

Comp Round A (not as delicious sounding as sandwich round)

33. Michael Kvasnicka, Astros, C
Yeah, you try pronouncing that.

34. Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays, RHP

35. Matthew Lipka, Braves, SS
Peter Gammons was happy with this pick, but, um, he's been happy with every pick.

36. Bryce Brentz, Red Sox, OF
Looks like the Sox get a steal here. Nothing really new with that. They aren't afraid of MLB's recommended slotting.

37. Taylor Lindsey, Angels, SS
Stetson Allie

38. Noah Syndergaard, Blue Jays, RHP

39. Anthony Ranaudo, Red Sox, RHP
This makes me sad. I love LSU and I hate the Red Sox. Damn you, Theo.

40. Ryan Bolden, Angels, OF
Stetson Allie

41. Asher Wojciechowski, Blue Jays, RHP
Good value and can't pronounce his name either.

42. Drew Vettleson, Rays, RHP
Linked to the Yankees, so he must be the next Rivera or Clemens, right?

43. Taijuan Walker, Mariners, No position listed

44. Nick Castellanos, Tigers, 3B
Tigers make the most of their first pick and have the cash to sign him.

45. Luke Jackson, Rangers, RHP

46. Seth Blair, Cardinals, RHP

47. Peter Tago, Rockies, RHP
Again, I'm amazed the Angels passed up on a SoCal prep arm in the first round. I didn't know that was legal.

48. Chase Ruffin, Tigers, RHP

49. Mike Olt, Rangers, 3B

50. Tyrell Jenkins, Cardinals, RHP

Half Way Through The First Round...

There was no surprise in the first three picks.

1. Bryce Harper, Nats, outfielder

2. James Tallion, Pirates, RHP

3. Manny Machado, Orioles, SS
I'd like to formally dub him Manny "Macho Man" Machado. Sure, I like alliteration. What's it to you?

4. Christian Colon, Royals, SS
The first surprise of the draft was, surprise, Kansas City. Although, Keith Law called this pretty early today.

5. Drew Pomeranz, Indians, LHP

6. Barrett Loux, DBacks, RHP
Another bit of a surprise but Keith Law and Jim Callis had it.

7. Matt Harvey, Mets, RHP
The Angels drafted him out of high school but wouldn't pony up the proverbial fat cash, jerks.

8. Delino Deshields, Astros, 1987
8. Delino DeShields Jr, Astros, CF
Astros reach here because they didn't think he'd be there at 19. Doesn't make it right though.

9. Karsten Whitson, Padres, RHP
Keith Law loves this guy. Sometimes my analysis skills even blow my mind.

10. Michael Choice, Oakland, OF

11. Deck McGuire, Blue Jays, RHP
One of my favorite names in the draft. Next to Tanner Fudge, of course.

12. Yasmani Grandal, Reds, C

13. Chris Sale, White Sox, LHP
Sale slid out of the top five to the Sox here. Great value.

14. Dylan Covey, Brewers, RHP
The Angels war room is in disbelief. They didn't know other teams were allowed to draft Southern California high school kids.

15. Jake Skole, Rangers, OF

16. Hayden Simpson, Cubs, RHP
Barely cracked Baseball America's top 200. My first reaction, "Who's running the Cubs now, Will Farrell's Harry Caray?"

17. Josh Sale, Rays, OF

18. Kaleb Cowart, Angels, 3B/P
I guess the Angels are willing to spend. Signability is an issue and Cowart wants to be a third baseman even though he projects better as a pitcher.

19. Mike Foltynewicz, Astros, RHP

20. Kolbrin Vitek, Red Sox, 2B

21. Alex Wimmers, Twins, RHP
The last two picks seemed like locks at the beginning of the day.

22. Kellin Deglan, Rangers, C
Remember when the Rangers had TOO many catching prospects?

23. Christian Yelich, Marlins, OF

24. Gary Brown, Giants, CF

25. Zack Cox, Cardinals, 3B
The Cardinals get the steal of the night saving Cox from his Jimmy Clausen-esque free fall. Cox was a projected top ten pick.

Okay, 25 more picks to go including the sandwich round. Mmmm, sandwiches...

Bryce Harper: Outfielder

As expected, Bryce Harper was drafted first overall by the Washington Nationals. Within his first 20 seconds as a professional, he switched from being a catcher to an outfielder. Bud Selig announced the Nationals were drafting Bryce Harper, outfielder, Nevada. Which is exactly what his agent, the evil Dr. Boras, said he was going to be anyway.

I'm not sure it puts a huge dent in his value compared to how much this will speed up his ETA to the majors. Maybe for the fans, he will just catch Strasburg. Who didn't want to see that? They're both once-in-a-lifetime prospects!

2010 MLB Draft Coverage

Alright kids, we're about a half an hour away from the 2010 MLB amateur draft. There won't be much to see with the first three picks. Bryce Harper is the lock for number one followed by James Tallion and Manny Machado. There is a slight chance the last two might flip flop spots. I'll be guiding you through tonight's first round and Derwood joins us tomorrow. I'll be spending most of my time on Twitter but I'll get some posts up as I see fit. If for some reason you're too lazy to look for my Twitter handle on the right side of this page, you can follow me @MnkysThrwngDrts.

Mike Trout: Steal Of 2009 MLB Draft?

Mike Trout was drafted 25th overall in the 2009 draft by the Angels. The high schooler was touted for his athleticism, speed and ability to field center field. As an Angels fan, I was happy with the pick. Trout, in his first full season at class A Cedar Rapids, has 6 home runs and 30 stolen base while hitting .366/.444/.546. Did I mention he won't turn 19 until August?

Anyway, Keith Law made Angels fans very happy today in his ESPN chat.



But wait, it gets better.



Just one year removed from last year's draft, Keith Law would move Trout ahead of Ackley who was, at the time, the no doubt about it second pick overall. While Trout is a special talent, it just goes to show you that anything can happen in the MLB draft. So many different opinions, so many different projections, so many different philosophies. Should be fun tonight. Unfortunately, in a year that the Angels have three first round picks, the talent pool is pretty much the same from 4-44.

The MLB Draft's 23rd Pick

With Major League Baseball's amateur draft starting on Monday, people like to look back at the top picks from the past decade. Well, we also happen to care about the 23rd pick. But should we? Also check out the fourth pick and the tenth pick.

2000
23. David Espinosa, Reds, SS

The Reds, in their never ending quest to replace Barry Larkin, did a little reaching for Espinosa. After two years of A ball, he made his way to the Tigers minor league system. Then there was some independent ball. Now there's a little Mariners' minor league system action. Up next, drug muling and Mexican stickball. By the way, Mexican stickball has nothing to do with baseball.

Verdict: We should not care

2001
23. John-Ford Griffin, Yankees, RF

Griffin had a career batting average of .427 at Florida State. After a year in the Yankees' system, he was part of a three team trade that landed him in Oakland and Jeff Weaver in New York. Around seven months later, Griffin was dealt to the Blue Jays. Released, signed by the Dodgers, released, signed by the Dodgers, released, signed by the Cubs, released. Now, I hear he just walks around in a revolving door at the Woodfield Mall all day.

Verdict: We should not care

2002
23. Jeff Francoeur, Braves, OF

Where to begin, where to begin. In 2006, Francoeur played in 162 games, hit 29 home runs and had 103 RBI. He also struck out 132 times, walked 23 times and registered a .293 OBP. The next season was his best when he, again, played 162 games while hitting 19 home runs and .293/.338/.444. He has a career OBP of .312 which seems a little high to me. The Braves eventually dumped the local boy off to, wait for it, Omar Minaya. I'm not sure that guy would know OBP if it punched him in the groin. While Francoeur is technically a major leaguer...

Verdict: We should not care

2003
23. Brandon Wood, Angels, 3B

This is going to be painful and biased. Full disclosure, I am an Angels fan. This is the first season he was given a full shot at third base. But in his random 346 plate appearances in his major league career, he has 9 home runs and averaged .179/.203/.277. Yikers! In eight minor league seasons, he hit 160 home runs and averaged .284/.352/.538. I'm afraid Brandon feels too much pressure to succeed with the Angels and will need a change of scenery to reach his major league potential. And for that...

Verdict: We should care

2004
23. Philip Hughes, Yankees, RHP

Hughes, at one point, was considered the number one pitching prospect in baseball. Then he was rumored to be involved in Johan Santana trade discussions and then jerked around between the rotation and the bullpen. In 2010, the Yankees finally gave Hughes a guaranteed spot in the rotation. So far, he is 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 64 strikeouts against 20 walks. Full disclosure, I hate the Yankees. But...

Veridct: We should care

2005
23. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox, CF

Boy, is the jury out on his defense. UZR has his metrics all over the place. All I know is that the Sox do seem to play better defense when he's playing. He led the AL in stolen bases in 2008 (50) and 2009 (70). The kid is fast and will probably get a cameo in Fever Pitch 2: Tahmmy Takes A Wicked Pissah On Hollywood.

Verdict: We should care

2006
23. Maxwell Sapp, Astros, C

I plugged Maxwell Sapp into Baseball-Reference and it laughed at me and contacted the authorities.

Verdict: We should not care

2007
23. Nick Schmidt, Padres, LHP

Schmidt missed all of the 2008 season with the dreaded elbow reconstructive surgery. When I have my first left handed pitcher son, I'm getting him Tommy John surgery for his 13th birthday. Something will have to make up for his poor genetics. Schmidt now pitches for my favorite baseball logo, the Lake Elsinore Storm. But at 25-years-old and in high A, I'm afraid...

Verdict: We should not care

2008
23. Allan Dykstra, Padres, 1B

The Padres draft a player who has a famous sounding last name for the second year in a row. The 23-year-old first baseman/DH is also at high A Lake Elsinore. He doesn't look like much of a prospect.

Verdict: We should not care

2009
23. Jared Mitchell, White Sox, OF

Mitchell is a freak of an athlete. He played on both the LSU football and baseball teams and was the Most Outstanding Player for LSU's 2009 College World Series championship team. He's raw and, unfortunately, will miss the entire 2010 season after tearing a tendon in his ankle during spring training. He has all the tools to be a very good major league outfielder. And before you ask, I am an LSU homer.

Verdict: We should care

Recap: 6 We should not care, 4 We should care

Summary: I've wasted both your time and mine.

Good luck on Monday, boys. The draft is like evens and odds. And I don't appreciate it when you use the middle finger to represent one.

The MLB Draft's 10th Pick

With Major League Baseball's amateur draft starting on Monday, people like to look back at the top picks from the past decade. Well, we also happen to care about the tenth pick. But should we? Also check out the fourth pick.

2000
10. Joe Torres, Angels, LHP

Torres never made it past A ball with the Angels and battled injuries early in his career. Since then he has bounced around with the Rangers and White Sox, all in the minors. Fun fact, Joe Torres played Danny Lightfoot on Nickelodeon's Hey Dude in 1991. I have fact checkers working on if it's the same guy. I'm guessing yes.

Verdict: We should not care

2001
10. Chris Burke, Astros, SS

Burke played four years in Houston averaging .249/.319/.377 before being traded to Arizona in a package for Jose Valverde. He played sparingly in 2008 with Arizona and even less so in 2009 with San Diego. In 2010, he signed with the Reds and broke his finger in spring training. He can play all over the field but can't really, um, hit.

Verdict: We should not care

2002
10. Drew Meyer, Rangers, SS/2B

In 2006, Meyers got 15 plate appearances with the Rangers. He got 3 hits and struck out 8 times. He currently drives a bus in the Astros' minor league system. Or plays in the Astros' minor league system. It's unclear what's going on with the Astros' minor league system.

Verdict: We should not care

2003
10. Ian Stewart, Rockies, 3B

At 25-years-old, Stewart is the everyday third baseman for the Rockies. In his first full season in 2009, Stewart played second, third and the outfield while hitting 25 home runs and .228/.322./464. Obviously, you'd like to see more out of the average and OBP but he's young and this is the first season he will be set at one position.

Verdict: We should care

2004
10. Thomas Diamond, Rangers, RHP

In 2005, the Ranger's highly touted pitching prospect trio, DVD, was being hyped as the greatest thing since the Snuggie. I'm not good with time frames. Thomas Diamond was considered by some to be the best prospect out of himself, Edison Volquez and John Danks. Danks is now a stud for the White Sox and Volquez got a Rookie of the Year vote in his second full season. Meanwhile, Diamond pitches for ears of corn in Iowa for the Cubs.

Verdict: We should not care

2005
10. Cameron Maybin, Tigers, CF

Maybin was the crown jewel in a package that landed the Tigers Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in 2007. Maybin is still only 23-years-old and the future center fielder for Marlins but his bat isn't developing as most expected it would. He has 56 strikeouts and 14 walks this season. Cameron Diaz could do that. But I still believe in his tools.

Verdict: We should care

2006
10. Tim Lincecum, Giants, RHP

You might have heard of Timmy. In his first two seasons, he won two Cy Youngs. He occasionally likes to smoke pot. He's 5'11 and 170 pounds and led the league in strikeouts in 2009 (261) and 2008 (265).

Verdict: We should care

2007

10. Madison Bumgarner, Giants, RHP

There has been some recent concern about Bumgarner's loss of velocity. While it is puzzling, he is still pitching pretty well in the minors and he was considered the best pitching prospect in the minors just a couple of seasons ago. Oh, and he's 21-years-old. Are you watching this, Pittsburgh? This how you do well picking in the same spot year after year.

Verdict: We should care

2008
10. Jason Castro, Astros, C

The Astros' minor league system is well in the bottom half of the league and it's a franchise heading in the wrong direction. That said, Castro is the 'Stros best prospect. While he doesn't project as a power guy, he should be a pretty good receiver and high OBP guy. He also finished fourth on American Idol season 7. My ex-girlfriend used to vote for him because he played the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Verdict: We should care

2009
10. Drew Storen, Nationals, RHP

The Nats had to take Storen here after they drafted Stephen Strasburg with the first overall pick. They had to backup the dump truck filled with gold bars and blood diamonds to Scott Boras' front lawn to sign Strasburg. So with the 10th pick, they drafted a kid who would sign for slot and make it to the majors quickly. Which he did. In 2010, he's pitched 9 innings, given up 2 runs, struck out 6 and walked 5. He's 22-years-old and the heir apparent to the closer role.

Verdict: We should care

Recap: 6 We should care, 4 We should not care

Summary: I've wasted both your time and mine.

Good luck on Monday, boys. The draft is like a coin flip. Sometimes you come out ahead, other times you just fall on your ass.

The MLB Draft's 4th Pick

With Major League Baseball's amateur draft starting on Monday, people like to look back at the top picks from the past decade. Well, we also happen to care about the fourth pick. But should we?

2000
4. Mike Stodolka, Royals, LHP

Stodolka made it as high as AA as a pitcher and as high as AAA as a hitter. Pro career seems to have ended in 2008. He is currently, I assume, a goat farmer in East California.

Verdict: We should not care

2001
4. Gavin Floyd, Phillies, RHP

Floyd was drafted one spot before fellow high school teammate Mark Teixeira. How good was that team? The Phillies traded Floyd and Gio Gonzalez in 2006 to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia. In his four seasons with the White Sox, Floyd is 31-30 with a 104 ERA+. Solid back end of the rotation guy.

Verdict: We should care, but not too much

2002
4. Adam Loewen, Orioles, LHP

Loewen reached the majors in 2006. After 29 starts over the next three seasons, Loewen posted a 85 ERA+ and a 1.26 strikeout to walk ratio. Then he developed control problems. He tried to transition to a positional player and was signed by the Blue Jays in 2008. He's currently barbacking in a Toronto strip club.[citation needed]

Verdict: We should not care

2003
4. Tim Stauffer, Padres, RHP

Stauffer has been up and down with the big club over the past five seasons. During that stretch, he's started 32 games with an 83 ERA+ and a 1.74 strikeout to walk ratio. Tim turned 28 just three days ago. Happy belated!

Verdict: We should not care

2004
4. Jeff Niemann, Rays, RHP

Niemann got a cup of coffee in the bigs in 2008 but really broke in last season. In 2009, Niemann tossed 180 innings with an ERA of 3.94 and an ERA+ of 115. This year he is 5-0 in 11 starts with a 2.79 ERA and a 154 ERA+. Does struggle with basic shaving concepts.

Verdict: We should care

2005
4. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals, 3B

Zimmerman actually got 62 plate appearances in 2005 and has been the Nationals everyday third baseman ever since. He plays Gold Glove defense (whatever that means) and his bat became special last season. In 2009, he hit 33 home runs and .292/.364./525. This year through 197 plate appearances, he's got 11 home runs and a .309/.411/.594 slash line. Fellow third baseman and first pick overall, Alex Gordon, toils in the minors looking for a new position.

Verdict: We should care

2006
4. Brad Lincoln, Pirates, RHP

We're now entering the Pittsburgh Pirate portion of this segment. Go get your "we should not care" shirts on. Go ahead, I'll wait. Lincoln is 25-years-old and has decent stats in AAA. It's hard to care because Clayton Kershaw went 7th and Tim Lincecum went 10th.

Verdict: We should care, but not too much

2007
4. Daniel Moskos, Pirates, LHP

Moskos is 24 and in his second year of AA. I suppose it's too early to tell but they did pass up Matt Wieters. I'll cut them a little slack since a bunch of other teams also passed on Jason Heyward in the first round.

Verdict: Too early to tell, but I'm not happy about it

2008
4. Brian Matusz, Orioles, LHP

Matusz pitched 44 innings last season and 61 so far this year. The stats aren't pretty but his stuff in nasty. Considering he's been pitching against the AL East, I think the kid has a bright future. Plus, he's only 23-years-old. Now if he can just do something about that whole, being on the Orioles thing.

Verdict: We should care

2009
4. Tony Sanchez, Pirates, C

Sanchez crushed the ball at Boston College and it's too early to tell anything about last year's crop of draftees. I'm not entirely sure why I even included 2009.

Verdict: Too early to tell

Recap: 3 We should not care, 3 We should care, 3 We should care, but not too much, 2 Too early to tell

Summary: I've wasted both your time and mine.

Good luck on Monday, boys. The draft is like a box of chocolates and every third one is filled with toothpaste.