If there was one proven way of drafting that would guarantee winning we’d all be doing the same exact thing. ”

Brett, i’m not arguing different draft strategies per say, but what he said about mauer/mccann going by 3rd round is not advice for a draft. you should practice flexibility instead of going into drafts with thinking some player has to be gone by a certain round. i would rather preach things like value picks or adjusting on the fly, instead of saying something like that.

i am just trying to make a point that reaching for catchers are not necessarily that great in terms of ROI. catcher is a position that is very hard to project year by year. mauer has an awesome year and then has a down year. v-mart had a low power year and then had a high power year, mccann had an awesome year and then had a down year; you really think russell martin will repeat 07?

i’m for drafting for value at your spot; theres no reason to reach for mauer/mccann by the 3rd round when ADP reports suggest that they will still be there in the next round or two. that’s the risk i’m willing to take.

I don’t really see anything in his minor league history to support the supposition that he’s especially fragile, and we must remember, as a Rule 5 pickup last year, the Reds’ rights to him were at all times very tenuous–the selecting team has to maintain the player on their MLB roster the entire ensuing year, or offer him back to the team they took him from (the Rays) for half of his selection price (last I knew this was a “paltry” $50,000). Hence, any time they needed another arm, or a backup catcher or MI or whatever, it was either burn an option on one of their own guys, or move Hamilton to the DL. They couldn’t send him down, because that would have meant losing him for $25,000, as the Rays would surely have reclaimed him, if only to sell his rights to a higher bidder. His “injuries” last year could easily have been just roster games played by the team to preserve their hold on him.

As for the substance abuse angle, while there are all kinds of health risks attendant such activities, they generally dissipate once the user goes clean. I know plenty of ex-coke and meth users who could run circles around your average clean civilian, believe me. Lawrence Taylor’s entire HoF career was built on a foundation of pure Bolivian Marching Powder.

He’s still an unknown quantity, yes, so there is always risk, but I just think that maybe people are really making a lot of highly questionable assumptions about this guy when they posit he probably won’t go more than 120 games or whatever the standard guess is these days.

If there was one proven way of drafting that would guarantee winning we’d all be doing the same exact thing.

i do like mccann for this year and i think he’ll be the better pick than mauer. it’s kind of true what one of the readers said, that he’s a freddy sanchez with C eligibility. plus, i’m starting to think mauer is a bit injury prone. i am expecting something of an average of 06 and 07 year for mccann, which will be a almost v-mart like #s.

I’m actually targeting McCann and Mauer more than Martin and V-Mart. Catcher is a VERY tough position to repeat – and those two (especially Martin) were worked heavily last season. I expect a more healthy season out of Mauer/McCann and wouldn’t be surprised if those two were the most valuable catchers this season in the least bit. Remember, Mauer won the batting crown in the AL 2 years ago – this guy has serious talent. Who are you going to draft instead in the fourth round? Derek Jeter?

i suppose if i miss out on v-mart, r-mart, mccann (i’m not high on mauer), you might as well wait until towards the end to draft a C.

compare for example these 2007 stats:

kenji johjima: 52R, 14HR, 61RBI, 0SB, .287
AJ pierzynski: 54R, 14HR, 50RBI, 1SB, .263

not much difference there, right? but you know there is at least 100 spots of difference in their ADP?

Your Chris Young post was reassuring.

Yunel is a great value pick. Thoughts on Alexei Ramirez now that Richar is out 4-6 weeks and Uribe in the dog house? The guy led the Cuban League in homers last year and is set to start at 2B for the White Sox.

Agree totally with Brian Wilson. Job’s his to lose.

Anyone disagree with DDD on Chris Young? If so, click here http://kobayashibaseball.blogspot.com/2008/03/player-spotlight-chris-r-young.html