Season 15 Draft Review

Now that all the players who are going to sign have put their name on the dotted line, it's time to take a look at this season's draft, with selected commentary on good, bad, and otherwise particularly noteworthy selections.

1. New Orleans Voodoo

Otis Evans, RHP - Age 18 - $6.72M - Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: Evans is the clearest choice for the #1 overall pick in quite some time, and may be the best pitcher to enter the league – through the draft or otherwise – in several seasons. He’s well worth his huge signing bonus.

2. New York Knickerbockers

Endy Regan, CF/2B - Age 18 - $6.10M - Rating: - Grade: B-

3. Cheyenne Crackers

Delino Rojas, CF – Age 20 - $3.82M – Rating: - Grade: B

Comment: Regan and Rojas both project to be speedy players with strong defense, but neither is an especially skilled hitter. While they’re both valuable, neither is quite worthy of a top-5 pick.

4. Oakland East Bay Rays

Burke Lincoln, RHP – Age 22 - $3.72M – Rating: - Grade: A-

Comment: In a weak year for pitchers, Oakland gets the marquee prospect their farm system badly needs with the draft’s second-best starter. Best of all, as a college senior, Lincoln is probably closer to the majors than any other player in this draft class.

5. Mexico City Chupacabras

Mateo Mercedes, 2B – Age 19 - $3.63M – Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: Mercedes is almost certainly the draft’s most talented position player, a top-quality hitter with good speed and the durability to play 162 games a season. It’s shocking that he fell this far.

6. Norfolk Destroyers

Kennie Webster, SS – Age 18 - $3.54M – Rating: - Grade: A

7. Boise Drifters

Leo Harris, LHP – Age 19 - $3.44M – Rating: - Grade: A-

8. Milwaukee Manic Maulers

Lance Doyle, 2B – Age 21 - $3.35M – Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Doyle is a difficult player to grade. Scouts say he has great potential both as a contact hitter and a power hitter, but his L/R splits are mediocre at best. No matter how his hitting turns out, his defense and speed are still impressive, but he’s not quite 5-star material.

9. Seattle Killer Whales

Alex Tolbert, RHP – Age 18 - $3.25M – Rating: - Grade: C-

Comment: It’s never easy to draft a good starting pitcher, but the Killer Whales could certainly do better than Tolbert, who throws just 3 pitches and has unimpressive L/R splits.

10. Salem Sacrifices

Sammy Bowen, RHP – Age 18 - $3.16M – Rating: - Grade: B

11. Cincinnati Reds

Robinson Reynolds, 1B/DH – Age 19 - $3.07M – Rating: - Grade: A+

Comment: The switch-hitting Reynolds swings the best bat in this draft class by a wide margin, and if he’s able to overcome his injury problems, he will likely develop into a perennial All-Star.

12. Boston Bambinos

Harold Alston, LHP – Age 18 - $2.97M – Rating: - Grade: A-

13. Chicago Cows

B.C. Sipp, SS – Age 18 - $5.11M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: For the third straight season, the Cows selected the draft’s best high-school position player. The pride of Cajun country (the “B.C.” stands for Beauregard Charlemagne) is more than just a good hitter – he’s also lightning-quick on the bases and projects to be a competent fielder, too.

14. Monterrey Sultans of Swat

Derrek Trammell, 2B – Age 18 - $2.79M – Rating: - Grade: C+

15. Seattle Killer Whales

Spike Alston, RHP – Age 20 - $2.69M – Rating: - Grade: B-

16. Vancouver Grizzlies

Jude Aardsma, RF/1B – Age 18 - $2.60M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Aardsma is a terrific hitter with great speed whose talent is more like that of a top-10 pick than the 16^th overall selection. What might hold him back, however, is his poor durability, which will likely limit him to 130 or so games per season.

17. Scranton Janitors

Bill Barker, LHP – Age 18 - $2.50M – Rating: - Grade: A-

18. San Juan Dead Bunnies

Willis Barfield, 1B/DH – Age 19 - $2.41M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Barfield is almost certainly the second-best hitter in this draft class. But one area in which he’s second to none is his temper, which has been described as “explosive” and “terrifying” by various sources. Hopefully for San Juan, he’ll calm down enough to become a good big-leaguer.

19. Louisville Woodies

Art Dunn, RF – Age 19 - $2.32M – Rating: - Grade: A-

Comment: Dunn has great potential as a hitter, but his platoon splits are as dramatic as they come. Against lefties, he’s the second coming of Babe Ruth; against righties, he’s the second coming of Mario Mendoza.

20. Huntington Riverdogs

Philip Giambi, 2B – Age 18 - $2.22M – Rating: - Grade: B

21. Syracuse Sandmen

Mariano Herrara, LHP – Age 21 - $2.13M – Rating: - Grade: B

22. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Marino Blanco, LHP – Age 18 – $2.04M– Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: Blanco throws hard, has good control, and keeps the ball on the ground – but he only has one good pitch, and his L/R splits aren’t very exciting either. Buffalo may have been better just letting him go unsigned.

23. Salt Lake City Shakers

Billy Nelson, RHP – Age 18 - $1.94M – Rating: - Grade: C+

24. Minnesota North Stars

Vicente Chavez, 3B – Age 22 - $1.85M – Rating: - Grade: A

25. Atlanta Bandits

Dean Hill, RHP – Age 21 - $1.75M – Rating: - Grade: B

Comment: Hill is the third reliever chosen in a four-pick span, but the only one with true potential to be a closer. Though he doesn’t throw particularly hard, he boasts a devastating cutter and slider, and excellent control of both pitches.

26. Anaheim Chiles

B.J. McNeil, LHP – Age 22 - $1.66M – Rating: - Grade: B-

27. St. Louis River City Rage

Antone Webster, LF/RF – Age 18 - $1.57M – Rating: - Grade: D

Comment: It’s typical to see teams reach for pitchers at the end of round 1, but rarely do position players of Webster’s caliber get taken this high. He projects to be an average ML hitter at best, and isn’t especially fast either – not exactly the sort of future you want for a corner outfielder.

28. Helena Shadow Wolves

Willie Nieto, LHP – Age 18 - $1.47M – Rating: - Grade: B+

29. Fargo Dirtbags

Dick Jefferies, RHP – Age 18 - $2.95M – Rating: - Grade: B-

30. Buffalo Blue Cheese

Johnnie Gibson, SS – Age 18 – Unsigned – Rating: - Grade: C-

Comment: Gibson is a mediocre hitter at best, but he’s also one of the best defensive shortstops in the draft. He seems to have chosen football over baseball, as he said he might – but that may be because Buffalo management simply declined to meet his contract demands.

31. Helena Shadow Wolves

Andrew Clayton, 2B – Age 18 - $1.19M – Rating: - Grade: A

Comment: Clayton may not have the durability to last a full big-league season, but whatever portion he does play, he’ll be a dynamic force. He’s a good fielder who can run and hit for both power and contact – a great find for the 31^st pick.

32. Washington Blue Coats

Pete Adams, 1B – Age 22 - $1.10M – Rating: - Grade: A-

33. Salt Lake City Shakers

Hector Machado, SS – Age 18 - $1.00M – Rating: - Grade: B

34. Ottawa O-Jays

Vernon Bruntlett, RHP – Age 19 - $0.96M – Rating: - Grade: B+

Comment: Ottawa closes out the first round with one of its most intriguing selections. Bruntlett has terrific stuff and could be an excellent setup man or even closer someday – but his poor stamina and durability will drastically limit how much he can be used.

Dirtbags won't re-sign Price

Fargo will let closer test free agency

The Fargo Dirtbags informed closer Christian Price that the team will not re-sign him after this season, allowing Price to become a free agent heading into season 16. Price has struggled this season, putting together a 5-10 record with 26 saves and a sub-par 4.42 ERA. The three-time All-Star will be 36-years-old next season and it remains to be seen what type of market there will be for an aging closer who has seen his ERA rise heavily over the past two seasons.

Fargo is also expected to let outfielder Philip McCartin and third baseman Vic Mercado test the free agent market next season as well. The team has previously said they would like to re-sign Mercado but that his demands may be too high.

International market report

As season 15 in The Bigs draws towards a close, we take a look at the big name international free agents that have been signed this year. 

Alex Molina, SS -- signed by Cincinnati Reds ($17.2 million bonus): Molina is the big catch in this year's international free agent market. He projects to be just an average short stop defensively but what he is capable of with the bat is the reason why he's so coveted. It's my opinion that he would be better suited for CF, 3B, or 2B once he reaches the major league level as he could be a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner at any of those positions.

Del Rodriguez, 1B -- signed by Monterrey Sultans of Swat ($16.7 million bonus): Rodriguez could be an average major league first baseman right now and with a little development and coaching, he could be a beast. 

Alex Ortiz, SS -- signed by Atlanta Bandits ($15.5 million bonus): Atlanta landed a solid defensive shortstop though there are some questions about Ortiz's glove and whether or not he may eventually wind up a CF or 2B once he reaches the majors. But if Ortiz can develop into a ML-caliber shortstop defensively, he projects to have good on base potential for a player at the position.

Emil Cerveza, P -- signed by New Orleans Voodoo ($13.1 million bonus): Arguably the top pitcher on the international market (and certainly the most expensive), Cerveza is an above average all-around pitcher. He doesn't have elite stuff in any particular category but he's not weak in any category either. His low durability will limit the number of innings he's able to pitch so it appears that New Orleans will develop him as a short reliever. 

Humberto Segui, SS -- signed by Vancouver Grizzlies ($12.3 million bonus): Segui's speed is what will make him an asset at the major league level once he gets there as he's the fastest man signed off the international market this season. Defensively, he could play 3B for a major league team right now but with some good old fashioned minor league seasoning, he could be an elite defender at a more demanding position such as shortstop.  

NL edges AL for All-Star glory

Manzanillo's HR proves enough

Pitching stole the show but two of The Bigs all-time greats weren't their sharpest as the National League earned a 3-2 victory over the American League at this season's mid-summer classic. NL starter Javier Henriquez allowed two runs in 1.2 innings while AL starter Andres DeLeon gave up a run in two innings of work. From there, it was all pitching. however, until one swing of the bat changed the outcome of the game.

Norfolk 3B Geovany Manzanillo took Jim Clyburn deep for a two-run homerun in the top of the 7th for what would be the eventual game winning run. Manzanillo would earn All-Star Game MVP honors for his only hit of the night.

Floyd wins second HR Derby title

Slugger runs away with Derby crown

Charleston left fielder Floyd Floyd won his second career Home Run Derby title as he dominated in the final round with15 homeruns. Floyd defeated St. Louis 2B Kane Walters 15-6 to capture his second Derby championship in the past three seasons. He finished the contest with a total of 33 home runs over three rounds and also belted the longest home run of the competition, a 535-foot blast in the first round.