DRAFT

[05worldserieschamps]

I just wanted to start some draft diolouge.

-First round projections

-Sleeper picks

-Signability issues

Who does everyone have the Royals taking first? Im going to say Tim Beckham, then Alvarez going 2nd.

[J35J]

KC doesn't have the #1 pick.

I belive it goes
1. TB
2. Pit
3. KC
...

[05worldserieschamps]

Right, thats may bad. D-Rays take Beckham, then Pit takes Alvarez.

[Jackalope]

Right, thats may bad. D-Rays take Beckham, then Pit takes Alvarez.

The D-Rays have plenty of prospects who are major league ready (Longoria, Price, Brigniac, Upton) and McGee/Davis not far behind.

If I am not mistaken Tim Beckham is a HS player no?

That being the case, would you not think that a Major league ready Pedro Alvarez makes more sense for a team who's loading up to compete?

Of course the same logic could be used to argue the flip side, that the Rays have so much major leauge tallent there, that they will go young to begin building a 'second wave'....

It's my guess, that the Rays will go offense for Alvarez to use at either 1B/3B depending on where Longoria eventually settles in.

[rookies and cream]

Agreed

[05worldserieschamps]

Right, thats may bad. D-Rays take Beckham, then Pit takes Alvarez.

The D-Rays have plenty of prospects who are major league ready (Longoria, Price, Brigniac, Upton) and McGee/Davis not far behind.

If I am not mistaken Tim Beckham is a HS player no?

That being the case, would you not think that a Major league ready Pedro Alvarez makes more sense for a team who's loading up to compete?

Of course the same logic could be used to argue the flip side, that the Rays have so much major leauge tallent there, that they will go young to begin building a 'second wave'....

It's my guess, that the Rays will go offense for Alvarez to use at either 1B/3B depending on where Longoria eventually settles in.

Right. I think they have enough talent coming up in the next few years to compete. Alvarez will be a few years behind anyway. But with Brignac, Longoria, Iwamura and the recent surges from Upton and Pena, they seemed to be set in the infield for the next few years. Beckham is a big upside guy that they could use as huge bait to get a big time veteran player if they want to make a run here in 2-3 years.

[Jackalope]

Is the upside of Beckham that far superior to Alvarez? I have read and heard great things about Alvarez.

If Alvarez is (as you said) 2-3 years away. Would a Major League Ready player not be greater trade bait than a guy who is still a few years away. Say for instance this years crop (Ellsbury vs NYM F. Martinez) --- both great but Ellsbury would likely have fetched higher returns in a trade to make a run last season as he is more Major League Ready.

I think they have enough talent coming up in the next few years to compete. Alvarez will be a few years behind anyway. But with Brignac, Longoria, Iwamura and the recent surges from Upton and Pena, they seemed to be set in the infield for the next few years. Beckham is a big upside guy that they could use as huge bait to get a big time veteran player if they want to make a run here in 2-3 years.

[deerayfan072]

Alvarez should be the pick for the Rays.

I see you included Upton in the list of INF, not sure why, he plays OF now and they have absolutely no plans of moving him back to the infield. Alvarez makes the most sense since he will be two years away and Pena has a 3 year deal. The Rays do not have a decent spec for 1B in the system to take over for Pena, so Alvarez makes the most sense.

[05worldserieschamps]

Is the upside of Beckham that far superior to Alvarez? I have read and heard great things about Alvarez.

If Alvarez is (as you said) 2-3 years away. Would a Major League Ready player not be greater trade bait than a guy who is still a few years away. Say for instance this years crop (Ellsbury vs NYM F. Martinez) --- both great but Ellsbury would likely have fetched higher returns in a trade to make a run last season as he is more Major League Ready.

I think at this point a High Schooler with plenty of tools does have a higher upside than an establshed college hitter. Alvarez is fairly projectable, even is it is very high. With Beckham, the sky is the limit. So to answer your question, I think Beckham edges Alvarez with upside.

Also, Beckham plays SS. Its harder to find a premium, solid SS and if you can draft a guy like Tim Beckham who may one day become a star there. All star SS are hard to find, and even harder unless you draft one. Alvarez figures to be a 1B/Cr. OF in the Majors. He wont play 3B. A power hitting 1B/LF is much easier to find than a 5 tool SS.

Now lets jump ahead two years. The Rays' prospects develop and they figure to be competing for a title. They are in second place(2 games back) behind the BoSox and an easy first in the Wild Card. Which do you think is more likely to get you an All Star player from a last place team, 25 year old Pedro Alvarez, who is already seeing Major League time and 1 year left on his deal, or 20 year old Tim Beckham, who ranks First in the Rays Farm System, and a little to no finacial liablity. These teams that will be selling come Trade Deadline when the Rays do go for it are going to look for the future, and Tim Beckham will be a great player to build a team around.

PS- The reason I dont think they will go for Matusz or Crow is because they are loaded with pitching. They have Sonnanstine, Kazmir, Shields and Garza in the Majors and Price, Davis, McGee, Niemann along with 2 other pitchers in a loaded Top 10 on the way. They simply dont need pitching. You can always have more pitching I suppose, but they have taken pitching 3 of the last 4 years with their first pick in the draft, I see them going for offense this time.

[Omaha Red Sox]

Baseball America is predicting:

1. Rays - Tim Beckham, SS, Griffin (GA) HS
2. Pirates - Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt
3. Royals - Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri
4. Orioles - Brian Matusz, LHP, San Diego
5. Giants - Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina

For what it's worth.