And the Mets select...

[MetfanBren]

So in it's infamous wisdom, MLB has moved the draft to 6 PM for the sake of better ratings. To them competing with live games like Red Sox-Yankees and Mets-Phillies until 8:30 is a great move. The Mets probably won't be picking until tonight's game is over anyway, but what the hell. Maybe they can pull something out of their arses, and if so post it here...

K-Rod was a must sign, but it does sting a little based on the depth of starting pitching available this year. Met fans will probably get a kick of out who John Sickels has them taking at #103. Puerto Rican players get royally screwed compared to their Latin counterparts by being subject for the draft...


National League East Mock Draft*Review - Minor League Ball

New York

72) Ryan Buch, RHP, Monmouth
103) Ruben Sierra Jr, OF, Puerto Rico HS

COMMENT: The Mets director didn't show up, so I did this. Buch had one of the best arms still on the board, perhaps a bit raw for a college guy but the type of pitcher the Mets seem to be interested in. He is also local with a New Jersey connection. This is also an organization that loves raw tools types, and Sierra fits that category very well.

Neither of them are in Keith Law's top 100 (Insider), which only lists the best available. Injuries are factored in, but signability isn't. Law has also given the annual draft c*ck-tease, hinting that the Mets might be willing to go over slot somewhere. Luckily us fans will not be fooled though...

MLB draft - Keith Law's updated Top 100 MLB draft prospects - ESPN

[Bay Ridge Dave]

Ruben Sierra Jr, OF, Puerto Rico HS

It never f*ckin' ends.

[MetfanBren]

Omar loves his toolsy Latins, and the Braves love their good 'ole boys from Geowrgia. They're probably devastated that the Giants took the in state phenom a pick before them...

John Franco is probably wondering why he can't go to the bar until the Mets pick at around 11...

[MetfanBren]

The Angels took HS OF Randal Grichuk with the K-Rod pick. Don't see him on Law's top 100...

[MetfanBren]

Holy Schnikes! Could the Mets be going over slot? They took the local boy from Ward Melville HS, LHP Steven Matz at 72. Keith Law has him as the 47th best available prospect overall, and says he's committed to Coastal Carolina...

Summary: Matz has been a late riser this spring due in part to rain in the Northeast that has made him tough for scouts to see. Matz will pitch with an average fastball now at 88-92 mph, showing plus velocity at times by touching 94, with some life down in the zone, and he has plenty of room to fill out and add velocity as he does. His curveball projects as an above-average pitch with good depth and some two-plane action, but it's not consistent yet; the projection comes from good arm speed and his current ability to get good spin on the pitch. He'll flash a changeup with a little tailing life but has no feel for it right now. Matz's delivery isn't clean; he has a very violent finish with a hard head-whack and recoil, and has a lot of drop in his drop-and-drive. A cleaner delivery and physical development should give him an average or above-average fastball, an above-average curve and perhaps average command as well. He's committed to Coastal Carolina.

Quick BA view:

72. Mets - Steven Matz, lhp, Melville HS, Setauket, N.Y.

The Mets go with a local pitcher with their first pick. Matz is a projectable 6-foot-3 and dials his fastball up to 93-94 mph on occasion.

[MetfanBren]

#103 - Robert Shields - OF - Florida Southern

[Piney Woods]

Originally Posted by Bay Ridge Dave

It never f*ckin' ends.

What, your whining?

[DDPv6.0]

Somewhat random question (Bren or Piney probably knows), but is there a "signing period" for international free agents or can that take place all year round?

[MetfanBren]

Originally Posted by DDPv6.0

Somewhat random question (Bren or Piney probably knows), but is there a "signing period" for international free agents or can that take place all year round?

I'm pretty sure they can start signing on July 2nd. The window stays open for awhile, probably until the end of the season. Most of the big names sign really quick though, and some probably have deals in place already (although they're not supposed to)...

[MetfanBren]

And after just three days, it is over. The Mets used all of their available picks for the second year in a row...


BaseballAmerica.com: Draft: Draft Database


2 72 Steve Matz LHP Melville HS, East Setauket, N.Y. N.Y.
3 103 Robbie Shields SS Florida Southern Fla.
4 134 Darrell Ceciliani OF Columbia Basin (Wash.) CC Wash.
5 164 Damien Magnifico RHP North Mesquite HS, Mesquite, Texas Texas
6 194 David Buchanan RHP Chipola (Fla.) JC Fla.
7 224 Darin Gorski LHP Kutztown (Pa.) Pa.
8 254 John Freeman C McNeese State La.
9 284 Jeffrey Glen C Winter Haven (Fla.) HS Fla.
10 314 Nicholas Santomauro OF Dartmouth N.H.
11 344 Sam Honeck 1B Tulane La.
12 374 James Ewing 2B Southern Mississippi Miss.
13 404 Zach Dotson LHP Effingham County HS, Springfield, Ga. Ga.
14 434 R.J. Harris OF Northwood (Mich.) Mich.
15 464 Casey Schmidt RHP San Diego Calif.
16 494 Jeff Greene OF West Boca Raton (Fla.) Community HS Fla.
17 524 Alex Gregory OF Radford Va.
18 554 Cody Holliday OF Wilmington (Del.) Del.
19 584 Nelfi Zapata C English HS, Jamaica Plain, Mass. Mass.
20 614 Joey August OF Stanford Calif.
21 644 Joe Bonfe 3B Sierra (Calif.) JC Calif.
22 674 Zachary Von Tersch RHP Georgia Tech Ga.
23 704 John Church RHP West Florida Fla.
24 734 Michael Johnson RHP Concordia (Texas) Texas
25 764 Josh Dunn 3B Sickles HS, Tampa Fla.
26 794 John Semel OF Chapman (Calif.) Calif.
27 824 Kurt Steinhauer OF Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) Calif.
28 854 Brian Needham RHP Lamar Texas
29 884 ZeErika Hall OF East Central (Miss.) CC Miss.
30 914 Jordan Harrison LHP New Caney (Texas) HS Texas
31 944 Mitchell Haniger OF Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose Calif.
32 974 Thomas Chism LHP LaSalle Pa.
33 1004 James Schroeder 3B Southern Arkansas Ark.
34 1034 Camden Maron C Hicksville (N.Y.) HS N.Y.
35 1064 Wes Wrenn RHP Citadel S.C.
36 1094 Lance Hoge LHP Kansas State Kan.
37 1124 Brandon Sage LHP South Alabama Ala.
38 1154 William Cherry OF Florida Southern Fla.
39 1184 Anthony Whitenton RHP Darton (Ga.) JC Ga.
40 1214 Jerome Pena 2B Western Nevada CC Nev.
41 1244 Travis Ozga 1B Florida Atlantic Fla.
42 1274 Ryan Gunhouse C Clear Creek HS, League City, Texas Texas
43 1304 Bobby Rinard RF Yavapai (Ind.) Ind.
44 1334 James Wooster LHP Alvin Texas
45 1364 Jacob Johansen RHP Allen (Texas) HS Texas
45 1365 Jeremy Baltz OF Vestal (N.Y.) HS N.Y.
46 1394 Trey Pilkington RHP Oxford (Ala.) HS Ala.
47 1424 Ryan Molica 2B Florida International Fla.
48 1454 Joseph Mantiply LHP Tunstall Va.
49 1484 Josh Easley RHP Weatherford (Texas) HS Texas
50 1514 Zachary Godley RHP Bamberg Ehrhardt (S.C.) HS S.C.

[DDPv6.0]

So, when should we expect Zach Godley in the rotation?

[MetfanBren]

Originally Posted by DDPv6.0

So, when should we expect Zach Godley in the rotation?

Yesterday...

[FrankStylV7]

Originally Posted by DDPv6.0

So, when should we expect Zach Godley in the rotation?

Saturday afternoon.

[MetfanBren]

Sickels has his thoughts on NL East drafts up...

National League East Draft*Impressions - Minor League Ball

New York: With their first pick (second round), the Mets stayed local and picked New York high school lefty Steve Matz, who has a live arm and some projectability but needs polish with his mechanics and command. Florida Southern shortstop Robbie Shields was the third round pick; he had a disappointing spring but is athletic and has performed very well in the past. Fourth round Columbia CC outfielder Darrell Ceciliani runs well and is athletic, but scouts have doubts about his power and he might be an overdraft here. Fifth round Texas prep RHP Damien Magnifico can hit 95 MPH but is raw. Sixth round David Buchanan, RHP from Chipola JC, is similar: arm strength, but needs more pitchability. Seventh round Kutztown lefty Darin Gorski is a soft-tosser but has excellent college stats. I can't say that this class really impresses me. Matz and Shields are interesting, but both come with questions. I do like the raw arms in the fifth and sixth rounds.

The raw power arms are in stark contrast to the low-ceiling, high-polish guys like Owen and Gee taken in recent years...