John_Havok

Jays have signed Hayden Gilliland, C, Tennessee Tech Undrafted FA

I agree. The slot system and international drafting system need massive overhauls - but really MLB is unique in the big 4 sports. No other major sport have more than 1 or 2 levels of professional development below the show, let alone the 6 of MLB. i know the NCAA would absolutely love the slot system to disappear since pretty much every high schooler would then go to college rather than make slave wages in minors.

Round 20 Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek UC San Diego (CA) USA SS R/R 4YR JR -- 6' 3" 185lbs DOB:06/04/03

I dont think it would be wise to do so while the slot system is in place. Rich teams trading for picks and therefore more pool money isn't what they want.

Yeah i think that's true for most of the High school kids that in that 100+ ranking range every draft. But some of them sign every draft also.

D'Marion Terrel is a wishful thinking sign IMO, hope they land him

Round 15 Jonathan Todd Western Carolina U (NC) USA P L/R 4YR SR -- 6' 6" 225lbs DOB:08/21/01 Round 16 Colby Martin Southeastern University (FL) USA P R/R 4YR SR -- 5' 11" 195lbs DOB:04/02/01 Round 17 Gavin Smith Valley Christian HS (AZ) USA SS R/R HS SR -- 6' 2" 185lbs DOB:11/27/05 Round 18 Holden Wilkerson Virginia Military Institute (VA) USA P R/R 4YR JR -- 6' 4" 205lbs DOB:06/07/03 Round 19 D'Marion Terrell (ranked 153) Thompson HS (AL) USA 1B L/L HS SR 6' 3" 212lbs DOB:02/10/06 While Carter Johnson is the consensus top high school prospect in Alabama, some evaluators believe Terrell has a higher ceiling. He's a physical left-handed hitter who draws some comparisons to Cliff Floyd, albeit with less athleticism. Originally ticketed for Northwest Florida State JC, he committed to Auburn following a strong senior season. Terrell's raw power is his best attribute, as he has 25-30 homer potential thanks to the strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3, 206-pound frame. There are mixed reports on his hitting ability, though his proponents like his gap-to-gap approach, plate discipline and pitch recognition. He has a sound left-handed swing with impressive bat speed, though he won't fully tap into his pop until he improves his timing. Terrell moves well for his size and can flash plus straight-line speed, though he plays as more of an average runner on the diamond. He probably fits best in left field with his average arm and could be a quality defender if he winds up at first base. He'll need some time to develop but the payoff could be huge.

ROund 14 J.R. Freethy Nevada (NV) USA 2B S/R 4YR JR -- 6' 0" 205lbs DOB:12/23/02

Round 13 Brock Tibbits C Bats: R Class: 4YR JR Height: 6' 4" Pick Value: -- Throws: R DOB: 10/04/02 Weight: 225 Birthplace: USA Tibbitts endeared himself to scouts by missing just a month after surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee in April, and also by selflessly spending more of the season at first base (where Indiana had a need) than behind the plate (which would have helped his Draft chances). Though he hasn't caught much for the Hoosiers, he's athletic for a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder, is making strides as a receiver and has solid arm strength. He puts the bat on the ball but needs to make better quality contact to tap into more power. He hit .313/.404/.472 this spring.

Round 12 Carson Messina P (ranked 222) Bats: R Class: HS SR Height: 6' 2" Pick Value: -- Throws: R DOB: 04/15/06 Weight: 225 Birthplace: USA Messina's older brother Cole is one of the best college catchers in the 2024 Draft, making it unlikely they'll be reunited at South Carolina next year. While Cole was starring with the Gamecocks, Carson was establishing himself as Palmetto State's best prep pitching prospect. He ran his fastball up to 97 mph before missing the end of his senior season with a hamstring injury. Messina is all about power on the mound, where he regularly operates with a 92-95 mph heater with running action. His curveball can be a wipeout pitch at times, sitting in the low 80s with plenty of depth. While his fading low-80s changeup is a work in progress, he does show some feel for throwing it for strikes. More physical than athletic, Messina throws with considerable effort and his delivery puts stress on his shoulder. That leads to questions as to whether he'll have enough control -- he doesn't have a track record of throwing strikes -- or durability to succeed as a starter. He has late-inning upside if he winds up in the bullpen, though teams usually are reluctant to invest heavily in a high schooler who projects as a reliever.

Round 11 Troy Guthrie P Bats: R Class: HS SR Height: 6' 3" Pick Value: -- Throws: R DOB: 11/03/05 Weight: 205 Birthplace: USA Don't know much about him but throws FB, CB, Slider and change. This high schools season threw 28 innings over 5 starts. Struck out 53, walked 5, 3 ER. Only velocity I could.find was him clocked at 91 with the FB last year, not sure what he's up to this season

Didn't mean to sound that way, just that I'm more into judging the overall process, not the variant results. The process of signing Turner was pretty logical The process of signing IKF was ... troubling, but defensable. The process of signing KK was less defensible, but I somewhat understand why they went that way given thebterrible FAs available after Ohtani. The overall process of Atkins and FA signings has been objectively more good than bad. The process of drafting and development...clearly there's a lot left to be desired there, but I think the development part is the more problematic piece there.

Yes. Because my opinion isn't based on results that change from month to month and week to week.

Cleveland had an interesting first 2 days at the draft. 11 picks, took 9 pitchers after taking the near consensus best hitter and a top 5 ranked catcher. Only 3 very obvious punts for savings. I guess when you have 20 million to spend in the draft it helps.

Would you still think that if he comes back from injury and puts up a 70 wRC+ the rest of the season after not being traded?

Round 8 Eddie Micheletti Jr C Bats: L Class: 4YR SR Height: 6' 1" Pick Value: $208.70k Throws: R DOB: 12/29/01 Weight: 220 Birthplace: USA

Round 7 Austin Cates P Bats: L Class: 4YR JR Height: 6' 1" Pick Value: $253.30k Throws: R DOB: 05/20/03 Weight: 200 Birthplace: USA A two-way standout for two years at the College of Southern Nevada, Cates moved on to Nevada-Las Vegas and focused on pitching only, settling in as UNLV’s Friday night starter and earning an All-Mountain West First Team nod. Cates is an extreme strike-thrower, walking just 1.5 per nine in 2024, with largely average stuff across the board. He has a fastball that typically sits 90-93 mph, a short 81-84 mph slider and a splitter in the low 80s that he uses to finish off hitters.

I suppose, but that profile is available way later in the draft, no real need to pop him in round 4 is there?

Unranked player in round 4 = punt Most likely

Punt #2 Round 6 Aaron Parker C Class: 4YR JR Height: 5' 9" Pick Value: $323.40k Throws: R DOB: 01/17/03 Weight: 200 Birthplace: USA

Round 5 Jackson Wentworth Bats: R Class: 4YR JR Height: 6' 1" Pick Value: $414.60k Throws: R DOB: 08/08/02 Weight: 210 Birthplace: USA Part of a 2021 bumper crop of Iowa high school pitchers that also included likely 2024 first-rounder Brody Brecht, Wentworth went undrafted and headed to college as Kansas State's top recruit. He missed his first college season following Tommy John surgery and struggled to an 8.72 ERA when he returned last spring. He has pitched his way into the top five rounds after opening the season in the bullpen and joining the rotation in late April. Wentworth's fastball is fairly ordinary, sitting at 92-94 mph and peaking at 96 without much life, but his slider and changeup have posted swing-and-miss rates better than 50 percent this year. His low-spin slider parks in the mid-80s and features tremendous depth, while opponents have batted just .074 against his fading mid-80s changeup. His upper-80s cutter gets a lot of chases and shows signs of becoming a solid offering. Wentworth has some shoulder tilt in his delivery and throws with some effort, but he repeats his mechanics well and creates some deception while providing regular strikes. He has a sturdy 6-foot-1 frame and a chance to make it as a starter in pro ball if he can add some velocity or movement to his fastball. He may be better suited as a reliever who can work heavily off his slider and changeup. Not a punt.

Punt#1 confirmed

That's what I said, Horwitz approach except with real power. That's got all kinds of potential I can find few faults in the first 4 picks. I'm guessing the punts for savings are coming to shortly

Sound like they just drafted a younger Horwitz with more power

Another decent pick, I actually hope they try him as a two-way player