2012 MLB Draft Wraps After 3 Days

The Pirates had something like $3.5 million available for Appel’s signing bonus, so we may assume they offered him something like $3.5 million. Which is more than usual for the eighth pick in the draft, but less than usual for the first pick in the draft. And Appel might easily have been the first pick in the draft.

The good news for the Pirates is that they’ll have a compensatory draft pick -- the ninth in the first round -- next June. The bad news is that the draft next year isn’t supposed to be as deep as this year’s, and they’re little chance of choosing someone with Appel’s talent.

It happens every year. The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft (as it is officially known) gets deep into the double-digit-numbered rounds and loopy, sleep-deprived scouting directors begin spending their picks on the offspring of people who they work for. Or who they used to work for, or for people who work for some other major league team, or kids of friends of theirs.

Here are some of the more interesting nepotism picks from the just-completed 2012 draft. A big thank you to my Minor League Editor at Bleed Cubbie Blue, Josh Timmers, for his assistance in putting together this feature.

In the newest collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball cut down on the amount of money teams could invest in the amateur draft. It was intended as a step toward greater parity, but lots of people disagreed with that, as it wasn’t always the high-spending teams spending more than the rest in the draft. Anyway, the new draft rules meant less money for amateur players. You know who’s upset? A guy who represents a lot of amateur players. Scott Boras, via Bob Nightengale:

Boras client Mark Appel was expected to go first overall, but slipped to eighth, while Carlos Correa climbed to the top. One is free to declare that Scott Boras is biased, and indeed, he is biased, because he’s pulling for the players. But much of Boras’ argument also isn’t wrong. The new rules clearly changed the way that players were drafted, and not necessarily for the better.

Cal Ripken Jr. had a Hall of Fame career with the team. He played alongside his brother Billy for more than six years and their father, Cal Sr., managed the Orioles for a little over a year.

Now, another Ripken might be joining the Orioles family:

Major League Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement agreed to this past winter overhauled a few systems that had been in place for years. The results of these tweaks have been felt this week, in the first two days of the amateur entry draft. Instituting a budget to curb spending, rather than just frowning whenever a team went over slot repeatedly, had the potential to change the dynamic of the draft. If the first 10 rounds are any indication, those changes are significant.

In the past, as long as there was room in a team’s budget -- meaning, however much money they were willing to pour into the draft -- then players could be signed. Drafted a high schooler in the fifth round with a scholarship to a great school? Throw a larger bonus at him, and hope it entices him to forgo college ball. Have a 15th-round pick, and there’s a serious talent who might not sign left on the board? Draft him, and offer a bonus big enough to make him reconsider school.

If this were Football Nation, we would have had six straight weeks of draft material leading into Monday night. There would have been instant draft grades handed out for each pick, and those draft grades would have received draft-grade grades. We would have argued about the winners and losers for weeks. There would have been pre-draft write-ups, post-draft write-ups, and mid-draft write-ups. Right now, as you’re reading this, someone is working on a 2013 NFL mock draft. That is not an exaggeration.

Baseball drafts are different. Here is the most exciting part of the 2012 MLB Draft:

Day 2 of the 2012 MLB draft answered some questions about how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement would impact amateur player acquisition. The early rounds went, more or less, as expected: a mixture of college and high school picks distributed, more or less, as they should be along talent lines.

However, after the fifth round more teams began bargain hunting, picking players (often college seniors) with little bargaining power. The idea here was to find players who were certain to sign, especially those who would sign for less than slot value. Teams could then pocket that money to help sign players who might require over-slot bonuses without breaking through the club’s absolute limit of bonus money allocated under the new system.

I have a request, for everyone who’s involved in Major League Baseball Network’s coverage, a year from now, of the First-Year Player Draft:

Please inject at least a modicum of practicality into your comparisons.

47) Oakland Athletics: Matt Olson, 1B, Parkview HS, Lilburn, Georgia: Olson is a power hitter from the left side who didn’t receive a lot of pre-draft press due to a very strong commitment to Vanderbilt. Oakland has a good read on his signability, however, and, assuming they’re correct, his combination of power, patience, and pure hitting skills will add a booming bat to the organization.

48) Chicago White Sox: Keon Barnum, 1B, King HS, Tampa, Florida: Barnum is an enormous power hitter (6’4”, 225) with outstanding power potential, although his swing is long and he probably won’t hit for a high average. He is committed to the University of Miami and was seen as a third- or fourth-round talent with questionable signability by most teams, although going this early in the draft makes it much more likely that he’ll sign.

49) Cincinnati Reds: Jesse Winker, OF, Olympia HS, Orlando, Florida: Winker is a solid hitter with good power and a refined approach for a high schooler, but his physical tools are otherwise average. Scouts have been watching him play for years, meaning he’s been nitpicked a bit in favor of shiny new toys. If the bat develops as expected, he can be a solid regular at an outfield corner or first base. He is committed to the University of Florida.

Lewis Brinson, OF, Coral Springs HS, Coral Springs, FL: An outstanding athlete, the 6-4, 180-pound Brinson is already an excellent defensive outfielder, but is rather unrefined with the bat. He has plenty of bat speed but is still learning the finer points of hitting, including plate discipline. He is committed to the University of Florida, but considered signable for first-round money. The Rangers have a good track record helping similar hitters refine their swings and develop a feel for the strike zone, but it won’t be a rapid process and the organization will need to be patient with Brinson. His upside is a 20/20 player with excellent defense, but we’ll have to see how his other skills develop. His work ethic and makeup are well-regarded, which helps of course. He was seen as a supplemental-round pick by most experts, but this isn’t really an overdraft, given his raw tools.

Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern University: Roache hit 30 home runs as a sophomore last year, but missed almost this entire spring with a broken wrist, putting his draft status in doubt. He isn’t just a slugger and shows a good work ethic, but his track record with wooden bats is mixed. Any team that drafts him is banking on a full recovery from a significant injury that required insertion of screws, pins, and a metal plate. Obviously, the Brewers are encouraged by their medical reports. Roache is a right-handed hitter listed at 6-1 and 235 pounds, with solid tools across the board, though power is the obvious draw. Adding Roache and Clint Coulter to the system provides an immediate boost for an organization that lacks hitting talent in the minor leagues. Roache may not fully unleash his power until next year, given how long it takes wrist injuries to fully health, but if health allows this pick is a steal.

Clint Coulter, C, Union HS, Camas, WA: This former high-school wrestler has a strong 6-3, 210 build. He is a fairly polished hitter with power and plate discipline from the right side, and has the tools to be a strong defender with more experience. He isn’t quite as athletic as Wyatt Mathisen, a Texas high-school catcher who was Coulter’s main competitor among the prep backstop ranks, but the general consensus is that he has a decent chance to stay behind the plate if a) he doesn’t get too big, and b) he puts in the work, which he will. He has a confident personality, along with a reputation as a hard worker and team leader. Coulter is committed to Arizona State but is signable for first-round money. The Brewers went heavy for pitching in the draft last year, so adding a powerful backstop provides some positional balance for the organization.

Stryker Trahan, C-OF, Acadiana HS, Lafayette, LA: Listed at 6-1, 215, Trahan features a strong bat from the left side, particularly in the power department. His overall tools project well, with good speed and above-average arm strength, but he is raw as a defensive catcher and many scouts think he’ll wind up in right field. Trahan is committed to the University of Mississippi, but is signable for first round money. Few scouts doubt Trahan’s bat, and his stock would be higher if they were more certain of his defensive position. He has the athleticism and arm strength to catch, along with the emotional leadership makeup needed for the position, but he needs a lot of work improving his blocking and throwing. He has unusual speed for a catcher, which is another reason that scouts think he could wind up in the outfield. Area scouts have liked him for a long time due to his impressive makeup.

Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson University: Shaffer is one of the best college bats available, featuring above-average power and sound plate discipline, hitting to all fields and getting the most out of his 6-3, 210-pound frame. He has a strong arm, but not everyone is sold on his ability to stay at third base, although his defensive stats are fine this year. Many scouts think he’ll end up at first base, or perhaps right field since he runs well for a big guy. Shaffer is hitting .338/.483/.579 with 10 homers and 63 walks through 228 at-bats. His strike-zone judgment is very impressive, and he wasn’t impacted by the switch in bats last year. He handles fastballs well, and has learned to lay off breaking pitches that he can’t handle. Shaffer would have gone sooner in the round if teams were more certain about his long-term defensive position, but then again the Rays already have a pretty good third baseman. He’s a good value here.

Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State University: Marrero was considered one of the top amateur talents last winter, but he didn’t live up to expectations with the bat, hitting just .268/.329/.396 in 149 at-bats. That said, his glove at shortstop is highly regarded, and he’s one of the few shortstops available this year who can handle the position in the majors. A right-handed hitter, he’s listed at 6-1 and 195 pounds. He lacks power and hasn’t shown much offensively since college baseball switched to the less-potent bats last year, but even so he was expected to hit more effectively than this. However, Marrero is the best defensive shortstop in the draft this year, and with a fresh start in pro ball he might rediscover some of those hitting skills. His track record with wooden bats isn’t bad, and while it doesn’t look like he will be a star, he still has a decent chance to become a regular.

James Ramsey, OF, Florida State University: Ramsey is a rare bird, a college senior who went in the first round. Hitting .388/.520/.689 with 13 homers and 55 walks in 206 at-bats this year, Ramsey hits from the left side and has average tools across the board. He is also considered a safe pick with few weaknesses and has a reputation for thriving under pressure. He was a 22nd-round pick by the Minnesota Twins last year, but turned down more than $500,000 to return to college. He’ll get a lot more than that this year. Some teams like Ramsey as a potential second baseman, and it remains to be seen if his range will work in center field, but even if he ends up in a corner, his on-base skills and his power will play. He has an excellent work ethic and plays above his tools due to his excellent instincts for the game.

Corey Seager, 3B, Northwest Cabarrus HS, Concord, NC: The younger brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, Corey is a 6-3, 200-pound left-handed hitter with power, a refined approach, and a good chance to be an above-average fielder at third base, although he is currently a shortstop. He’ll need first-round money to pass up the University of South Carolina, but should be signable in this spot. The Dodgers usually look for pitching this early in the draft, especially from the high-school ranks, but Seager’s bat was too good to pass up. He isn’t just a hitter; his overall tools are quite solid. His makeup (like his brother’s) is extremely well-regarded, and was part of the reason he moved up draft boards so quickly in recent weeks. His brother’s success this spring may also have had something to do with it, by highlighting the baseball instincts they both possess.

D.J. Davis, OF, Stone HS, Wiggins, MS: The fastest man in the draft, with 80 speed on the 20-80 scale, Davis shot up boards when he started to show more power and an improved hitting approach this spring. A 6-0, 17- pound left-handed hitter, he has the range to stick in center, which is fortunate because he doesn’t have the arm for right field. He is committed to Meridian Community College, not a Division I program, and should definitely sign in this slot. Davis was known to scouts for his superb speed entering the spring, but surprised them by showing more power and a better feel for the strike zone. Davis has been linked to the Blue Jays for a couple of weeks, and he fits with the tools/upside approach that the front office has adopted in recent years. Davis might become a leadoff man with outstanding speed, impressive on-base skills, respectable pop, and a sound glove.

With the 13th pick in the Rule 4 Draft, the White Sox took a Corpus Christi high-schooler named Courtney Hawkins.

Hawkins is super-athletic. How athletic?