[Bub13]

The annual draft came and went and it was...unimpressive. We had a supplemental pick (for losing Jack Shewmake to the Dodgers), so that was nice. My focus early on went towards pitching, since there was very little that I liked in the way of everyday players. Although I have to add that after using my first four picks on pitchers, I didn't take another one until the 14th round, and he may not even sign with us. As usual I put a lot of emphasis on intangibles, avoiding attitude problems and the work-shy. My very late rounds were mostly spent on high INT/WE players, with a hope that one or more of them might surprise in their development.

Round 1, 30th overall, LHP Taylor Barnett, 20, Clemson. A hulking 6'6" groundballer, Barnett right now looks like a back-end starter. Good stuff and movement, but his control needs work. Should develop five pitchers, the best being a fastball that already touches 97 mph. Definitely will start in rookie ball.

Supplemental pick, 40th overall, RHP Jamie Berisford, 22, Texas. Another big guy, at 6'2" 220, who may also be one of the better hitters I drafted this year. Stuff and movement don't match Barnett's, but his control is way better, and he already has three decent pitches. Smart kid, and a hard worker, which has me pinning my hopes on him developing beyond what he projects to currently.

Round 2, 80th overall, RHP Justin Sutton, 22, Clemson. Barnett's teammate at Clemson, but looks nearly identical to Berisford. Like the former, he may develop five pitches, none of which look to stand out, however. Hawaii native, so I had to take him. Was also taken in the second round last year, by the Astros.

Round 3, 122nd overall, RHP Ryan Hein, 23, Oregon State. Looking more closely at him, I see now that I'm probably going to move him to outfield. His pitching potential is not great (good stuff, meh elsewhere), but he's got some promise at the plate, and great range and arm in the outfield. Needs his contact to develop beyond expecations, however, or else he'll probably stall out at AAA. Was a fourth round pick of the Giants last year.

Round 4, 158th overall, OF Adam Huwe, 23, Central Washington. Being entirely honest, Huwe's probably never going to start in the bigs, as he looks like a fringe backup OF. What will help is his excellent defense, good enough for all three outfield positions, his speed and baserunning, decent contact, and strikeout avoidance. He doesn't stand out anywhere else. Will probably go to Short A, with an eye to getting some time in A ball this fall.

Round 5, 194th overall, 1B Jonathan Klump, 18, high school. Taking a chance here, as he's listed as "impossible" to sign. But I have money to spend this year, so I went for it. He's a power hitter, pure and simple, and will play either 1B or DH. No speed, no apparent defensive talent. Very smart kid with a very high work ethic, so if I can get him signed, I think he'll be worth it as a replacement for Dunklee/Hullinger in the middle of the lineup.

Round 6, 230th overall, C Juan Tovar, 19, Oregon State. Still trying for a decent catcher out of the draft. Looks to have some contact and gap power, and won't strike out. Not a power bat though. Excellent with pitchers, good game manager, but his arm strength is a serious concern. Good intangibles too: intelligence, work ethic...so you see where my hopes lie with him. Was a 10th round pick by Oakland last year.

After these guys, it's a whole lot of Maybe. Divided between guys with some talent who probably won't get past AA, and guys who have guts and grit and want-to, but won't even get to the A level. But like I wrote above, I took a lot of guys with great intangibles, so maybe you'll hear more one day from a Flinn Ciminelli, Marty Gallagher, Doug Kachurak, Shawn Mueller, Dennis Marre, or Keith Christie. Or, more likely, their names will never appear here again. As for the top six rounds: no earth-shattering talent, but some good pieces there. My only concerns are that some are a little old to be so far back in their development. Hein and Huwe, for example, are 23, and nowhere near ready for even A ball. So...there's that. As usual, it's a now a waiting game.

......

The other news is that I got Mr Everything, 3B Adam Groff, signed to a long-term deal. He was under arbitration control for three more seasons, topping out around 12M according to the estimates (which I didn't believe), but I wanted him under tighter control for longer. My initial offer was an escalating seven-year deal, ending in his age-32 season, starting at 9M and ending around 15M. He countered with another one-year deal, for more money than he initially wanted (11M versus 7.5M), which had me worried. So I tamped down my enthusiasm and offered him a four-year contract, paying 11.57M the first two years, and 12.57M the final two, and including MVP and All-Star bonuses. He took it, made me happy, and the fans went nuts (fan interest is now gauged at 100, per my spies). The only drawback, to my thinking, is that the deal ends when he's 29, after 2043. He'll probably want a monster contract by then, but that's years away. I figure this contract gives us a solid, four-year window to try to win NOW. We have a good core in place, and some cost control, so I'll worry about four years from now when I get there.