Cubs Draft Thread

[BH]

2nd & 3rd round picks:

Reggie Golden | OF | Alabama HS
Golden is another fast riser that has been mentioned in first round consideration. The raw, but athletic outfielder flashes all five tools and speed is a big part of his game right now but he's expected to slow down as his body matures. Golden also has good bat speed and a very strong arm, which is tailor-made for right-field. He'll have to watch his conditioning, as he's already 210 lbs on a 5′10" frame and he has a thick lower half. He's committed to the University of Alabama.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Broad shoulders and strong chest, strong hands, forearms and grip. Stocky lower half, strong and durable legs and thighs. Medium height and low center of gravity.

STRENGTHS: Above-average runner, good first step. Above-average raw power, above-average raw arm strength.

WEAKNESSES: Will need to improve power frequency, arm accuracy, contact consistency, defensive footwork and angles of approach over the coming years; all correctable with time, age and experience.

SUMMARY: Should not have one below-average major league tool in coming years. Should profile as everyday corner outfielder with middle-of-the-order potential.

Micah Gibbs, c
Louisiana State
Gibbs has the best receiving skills among catchers in the 2010 draft, and those and his ability to handle a pitching staff earn repeated comparisons to Jason Varitek. He doesn't have a cannon behind the plate, but his arm strength is average and he enhances it with a quick release and good accuracy. However, he had thrown out just 15 percent of basestealers through mid-May, down from 32 percent in his first two seasons. His hitting has gone in the other direction, as he was batting .424, up from .306 the previous two years and .212 with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. A 5-foot-11, 207-pound switch-hitter, Gibbs has spread out his stance, added more balance and simplified his swing. He has strength, but his swing can get loopy at times and he doesn't have an abundance of bat speed or power. He may not be more than a .260 hitter with 10-12 homers annually in the majors, but his defensive ability should make him a starter. The scarcity of catchers often enhances their draft status, so Gibbs could sneak into the first or sandwich round.

Meaning he previously committed, or he's still committed to going?

I'm sure a $10 mildo bonus, no trade clause would get him to change his mind.

[Andy]

One of the reasons some teams take a first rounder who won't command a ludicrous amount of money is so they can take a shot in later rounds on good players who have committed to colleges and then try to buy them away from their commitments.

If you draft a guy like Simpson with the 16th pick when you think he's a reach there--but a guy you know you can sign--it leaves money in your budget to draft high school or JUCO kids who are leaning towards going to four-year schools.  In 2006, the Cubs took Colvin in the first because they didn't have a second round pick, and used the money they saved by not having that pick and taking an easy sign like Colvin to throw huge money at Samardzija.  It only works if the guy you take early turns out to be good.  (And apparently if the guy you pay can throw a fucking strike once and a while.)

This kind of strategy doesn't surprise me with the Cubs because it's something Theo and the Red Sox love to do.  They don't worry so much about their top pick, they concentrate on the top 10 guys they pick, and take some fliers on guys they think are really good but who until they start waving cash at are going to college.  The Rickettses are trying as hard as possible to emulate how the Red Sox do..everything.  In this case, I think it's pretty sound.

I'd rather they approach the draft like the Tigers do.  They just take the best guy available in every round and throw money at them. They figure if they sign half of them it's a success.  It's how you get Rick Porcello at the end of the first round.  Everybody said he was "unsignable" until Mike Ilitch started throwing crazy pizza money at him.

[PenPho]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

[Saul Goodman]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/06/your-morning-phil-simpson-sale-strasburg.html

"You can find pitching in funny places. The White Sox landed Mark Buehrle as a draft-and-follow pick from Jefferson Jr. College, outside of St. Louis. The Cubs got Greg Maddux  as a scrawny high school pitcher from Las Vegas. In Sale, the headliner for a start-up program at Florida Gulf Coast University, and Simpson they landed pitchers with better amateur portfolios than either Buehrle or Maddux.
The Cubs sort of stumbled onto Simpson on the reports of their area scout for southwest Arkansas, Jim Crawford -- or "Crawdaddy,'' as scouting director Tim Wilken calls him -- and every time a different scout looked at him he continued to look better. He has a Tim Lincecum-style delivery, which roving pitching director Mark Riggins graded as a 100 on a scale of 1-100, and throws four quality pitches, including a fastball that hit 97 in games the Cubs scouted.

"You had to say, 'Hey, wait a minute, this is almost too good to be true,' " Wilken said.

Simpson was 35-2 with a 2.39 ERA in his career for the Muleriders -- yes, the Muleriders.

"That shows you his competitiveness, his will to win,'' Wilken said. "His freshman year he was 10-0. I think that shows he has a really good feel for pitching.''"

I like almost everything I read of that quote except the last paragraph.  I'm pretty sure every prospect in the draft has "competetiveness" and "will to win."  They're athletes and that's what athletes do.  I don't care about that.  Can he throw gas, get people out and not have mechanics that could Mark Prior himself in pro ball?  KTHX

I don't agree with that at all. Lots of great athletes could give 2 shits about winning. And end up playing minor league baseball for their entire career or just quiting all together.

I think it's just standard stuffyousayafteryoudraftsomebody.  They're not going to get into the specifics of what they liked about him, so "COMPETATIVE" and "WINNAR" are good enough to satiate the Chad and Trixie mob.

[Slaky]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

I'm going to assume we have the next Lincecum on our hands. Go Cubs!

[Saul Goodman]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

I'm going to assume we have the next Lincecum on our hands. Go Cubs!

We had the original Lincecum on our hands, too, but didn't wave enough cash at him to skip college.

[Slaky]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

I'm going to assume we have the next Lincecum on our hands. Go Cubs!

We had the original Lincecum on our hands, too, but didn't wave enough cash pizza money at him to skip college.

Andy'd

[Saul Goodman]

Wilken just took Bryce Harper's older brother, Bryan Harper, also from the College of Southern Nevada, in the 27th round.

The "other" Harper sometimes gets to pitch to his brother, Bryce. And, while he's not quite the prospect younger bro is, he's making a name for himself on the mound.  Tall, lanky lefties who can touch 92 mph aren't all that common, and Harper also has a pretty good feel for his breaking ball and changeup.  He'll need to cut down on his walk rate a bit, but there's also room for growth in his frame and has some upside as he continues to learn how to pitch.  He'll wait a bit after his brother goes in the Draft, but if he continues to show the kind of stuff he has, it won't be too long a wait.

Scouting video

[JD]

2nd & 3rd round picks:

Reggie Golden | OF | Alabama HS
Golden is another fast riser that has been mentioned in first round consideration. The raw, but athletic outfielder flashes all five tools and speed is a big part of his game right now but he's expected to slow down as his body matures. Golden also has good bat speed and a very strong arm, which is tailor-made for right-field. He'll have to watch his conditioning, as he's already 210 lbs on a 5′10" frame and he has a thick lower half. He's committed to the University of Alabama.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Broad shoulders and strong chest, strong hands, forearms and grip. Stocky lower half, strong and durable legs and thighs. Medium height and low center of gravity.

STRENGTHS: Above-average runner, good first step. Above-average raw power, above-average raw arm strength.

WEAKNESSES: Will need to improve power frequency, arm accuracy, contact consistency, defensive footwork and angles of approach over the coming years; all correctable with time, age and experience.

SUMMARY: Should not have one below-average major league tool in coming years. Should profile as everyday corner outfielder with middle-of-the-order potential.

Micah Gibbs, c
Louisiana State
Gibbs has the best receiving skills among catchers in the 2010 draft, and those and his ability to handle a pitching staff earn repeated comparisons to Jason Varitek. He doesn't have a cannon behind the plate, but his arm strength is average and he enhances it with a quick release and good accuracy. However, he had thrown out just 15 percent of basestealers through mid-May, down from 32 percent in his first two seasons. His hitting has gone in the other direction, as he was batting .424, up from .306 the previous two years and .212 with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. A 5-foot-11, 207-pound switch-hitter, Gibbs has spread out his stance, added more balance and simplified his swing. He has strength, but his swing can get loopy at times and he doesn't have an abundance of bat speed or power. He may not be more than a .260 hitter with 10-12 homers annually in the majors, but his defensive ability should make him a starter. The scarcity of catchers often enhances their draft status, so Gibbs could sneak into the first or sandwich round.

Reggie Golden is my new second-favorite cub after Hayden Simpson.  So he better get signed.

[Quality Start Machine]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

I'm going to assume we have the next Lincecum on our hands. Go Cubs!

We had the original Lincecum on our hands, too, but didn't wave enough cash pizza money at him to skip college.

Andy'd

Intrepid Reader: Huey

Why get pizza money from the Cubs when you can get a bigger slice on Clark St.?

[morpheus]

Well, if it's not good enough for Chicago Now...

[MAD]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

I'm going to assume we have the next Lincecum on our hands. Go Cubs!

We had the original Lincecum on our hands, too, but didn't wave enough cash pizza money at him to skip college.

Andy'd

Intrepid Reader: Huey

Why get pizza money from the Cubs when you can get a bigger slice on Clark St.?

Bacci is on Addison, dillweed.

[Quality Start Machine]

I'm not panning this pick because it sure seems like forecasting success at the major league level is absurdly hard, but...

Look to Chicago for the draft's biggest early surprise -- Hayden Simpson. No one was on him at No. 17 overall. Simpson, our No. 191 prospect on our Top 200, was our preseason Division II pitcher of the year, and he was the pitcher of the year at Division II. But Simpson is a big surprise as a 6-foot, 170-pound righthander whose velocity parks at 92-94 mph, and he lost just two games in three seasons. Still, many scouts had Simpson in as a middle reliever.
Baseball America

I don't know if all 200 of those guys were draft eligible or if it includes guys currently in the minors, but assuming the former, that's an ugly number.

However, look to the comments for INSIDE INFORMATION:

This guy is as ligit as they come. Dont buy into the scouting reports, i was in the stands when he struck out 13 against Florida Southern in the regional. First pitch was 97-98 on some of the stalkers.
He can throw 4 pitches for strikes when ever he pleases.  He didn't throw a pitch under 93-94 the whole night and touched 96-7 many times.  Hammer curve. bulldog and athletic. looks like lincecum and could be.

I'm going to assume we have the next Lincecum on our hands. Go Cubs!

We had the original Lincecum on our hands, too, but didn't wave enough cash pizza money at him to skip college.

Andy'd

Intrepid Reader: Huey

Why get pizza money from the Cubs when you can get a bigger slice on Clark St.?

Bacci is on Addison, dillweed.

I don't keep the fucking pizza datase. that's your job, suckhole.

[Saul Goodman]

BP's Kevin Goldstein:

Day One Selections
16. Hayden Simpson, RHP, Southern Arkansas

Inside the Pick: Easily the biggest shocker of the first round, but post-draft inquiries had it making more sense, as he's the player the Cubs wanted, and they feared a team with multiple first-round picks would nab him before they selected again.

What He is: A guy who can light up a radar gun, as some scouts have seen him touch 97 mph with fastball while parked comfortably in the 92-95 range. He also has a plus curveball, and maintains his stuff deep into games.

What He is Not: One with a classic scouting profile. The stuff is good, but he's undersized for a right-hander, and his fastball tends to be straight. He's unproved against top-notch competition, and will certainly need to make some adjustments as a pro.

Path with the Cubs: Simpson shouldn't be a tough sign, but despite his college background, he'll likely start slowly with Boise in the Northwest League in preparation for a full-season debut in 2011.

Through Three Rounds
2. Reggie Golden, OF, Wetumpka HS (AL)
3. Micah Gibbs, C, Louisiana State

Golden is a tremendous athlete without classic toolsy outfielder size. Compact and strong, he's a plus runner with intriguing power, excellent arm strength, and the skills to play center. He's unrefined at the plate, but his upside is higher than many picked ahead of him. Gibbs is another potential steal, as some teams only had him a notch behind first-rounder Yasmani Grandal as the top college catcher in the draft. His beefy (to be kind) frame turns some off, but he should get to the big leagues on his defensive prowess alone, and he has a good offensive track record.

Summary: While it was initially hard to understand the Simpson selection at 16, at least it's more understandable with some time to digest the pick. Golden and Gibbs are one of the best second/third round combos around, and the club seemed to focus on upside throughout day two.

[Quality Start Machine]

Golden is a tremendous athlete without classic toolsy outfielder size. Compact and strong, he's a plus runner with intriguing power, excellent arm strength, and the skills to play center. He's unrefined at the plate, but his upside is higher than many picked ahead of him. Gibbs is another potential steal, as some teams only had him a notch behind first-rounder Yasmani Grandal as the top college catcher in the draft. His beefy (to be kind) frame turns some off, but he should get to the big leagues on his defensive prowess alone, and he has a good offensive track record.

Summary: While it was initially hard to understand the Simpson selection at 16, at least it's more understandable with some time to digest the pick. Golden and Gibbs are one of the best second/third round combos around, and the club seemed to focus on upside throughout day two. Golden is Korey Patterson 3.0

Pie was 2.0