December 17th, 2020 – Expansion Draft
So, the big day, or I should say night finally arrived. ESPN carried the draft, and so we started at 7pm. Oh, there was a lot of hoopla in the pre-draft show. Who would go first, some interesting players available, what would be the strategy of each team? When, in reality, and as we expected, there really weren’t any “game changers” on the board, that are suddenly going to make these two expansion teams into contenders.
Not many familiar names, but one that stuck out for me. Jesse Biddle, who once was the Phillies 1st round pick in 2010 and has had an up and down career was available.
Gotta love TV – Three days prior to the draft, ESPN wanted to know who we were picking first overall. When I got the call, I was totally surprised, and explained to the network guy that we had several names that we were considering. He said they absolutely had to have the name, so that they could fly the player to New York(where the draft was held), and they could get pictures, interviews, etc. And he said this came down from the top, whoever that may be? I told him I’d get back to him before the end of the day.
So, I got with my Assistant GM, and Scouting Director, and we went over for about the 100th time, the pros and cons of who we were going to select. Surprisingly, that didn’t take too long, and in the end I called back the ESPN executive, and told him we were selecting:
And then the announcement by Commissioner Rob Manfred. “With the first pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball Expansion Draft, the Montreal Expos select, center fielder
Danny Mars! Cameras were flashing, Manfred handed Mars his Expos uniform, and then a mike was shoved in front of him for a few comments!
Mars at the mike – “Well this is a surprise, but quite an honor. I was hoping I would get picked at some point, and be a part of baseball history, but never dreamed I would go number 1 overall.” “In speaking with GM Randy Lawrence, I liked the philosophy of the organization, and how they were looking to build this team.” I will continue to work hard, hone my skills, and prove to Mr. Lawrence and the entire Expos organization, that they’ve made the right choice.”
So, who you say is
Danny Mars? Well he’s a 26 year old centerfielder who can actually play all three outfield positions, that has been up and down from AAA to “the show” over the last few years. But this past season with the Rockies, he started 68 games, and hit .316 and was solid in the outfield. I also liked the fact that he’s a switch hitter, and although doesn’t have much power, is fast, and can steal some bases. We felt he was one of the best players on the board, and we all felt we made a good selection, considering what was available.
Mexico City selected Joseph Musgrove with their 1st pick. Musgrove was mainly used as a reliever, but has started in the past, which I understand, is what Mexico City is considering.
The draft went by quicker than I would have imagined, and overall, I’m happy with the players we were able to get. Here’s a rundown on some of those players, that I hope can help this team, either now, or in the future.
Round 2 – Landon Holifield(26) – MR/SP – Holifield pitched for the Dodgers the last three years, and in 2020 was in 63 games, 8 games as a starter, when the Dodgers had some injuries to their staff. I spoke to Landon after we drafted him, and assured him he’d get a shot at starting for us. He went 8-2 with a 3.53 ERA.
Round 3 – Cameron Haskins(27) – 1B – Haskins spent most of last season at AAA, in the Red Sox organization, where he hit .292 with 12 dingers! He did get a call up in September and played in four games. He’s a solid defensive first baseman.
Round 4 – Duane Underwood(26) – MR/SP – Underwood spent most of 2020 at AAA, starting 26 games, and had a fine 2.92 ERA. He was called up in September by the Cubs, where he pitched six games out of the pen. Just like Holifield, when I spoke to Underwood, I assured him a shot at starting as well.
Round 5 – J.D. Hearn(26) – 2B/OF – Hearn played all of 2020 at AAA Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization, and I watched him progress through the minors when I was with the Phillies.
Rounds 6 through 13 were mainly players at the AAA or AA level, that will most likely be fillers for our minor league teams, with some getting an opportunity to make “The Show”. No real game changers though.
Round 14 – Joey Wendle(30) – 3B – It was a bit of a surprise that he was still around this late in the draft, so we figured we’d take a shot. Wendle played at the AAA level in 2020, and then briefly with the Rays and Yankees. He can play second or third base.
Rounds 15-35 – Because the talent pool was thin anyway, for these rounds, I chose players that were all on minor league contracts, and had played at either AA or AAA level. Some, had even played recently in an independent league. Hey, always looking for that diamond in a rough!