Quote from LynchMob on July 11, 2021, 8:09 pm

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 11, 2021, 7:33 pm

We could have drafted a top 30 player and still got this kid with our next pick.

But because of the slot $ rules it becomes a game of  “who can you sign” instead of just selecting the best players.

Super frustrating….because we are missing out on a top 30 player to add to a depleted farm system.

 

Who would you have taken?  What's your definition of "a top 30 player"?

The analysts said that the Yankees had their eye on Merrill and so would NOT have been available with next pick ...

Quote from fenn68 on July 11, 2021, 8:19 pm

Sounds as though Merrill was one of the "high helium" HS kids that was moving quickly up team boards (not just the Padres) after a strong spring. A couple pieces I saw suggested that some teams would be on him in the 2nd round (before the Padres selected). Scouting someone for Maryland is always dicey given the weather and competition.

Sounds as though his bat to ball skills and being athletic enough to be a SS (for now) is what appeals to the Padres. If they evaluated him correctly ... fits the Padres profile for prospects.

Just guessing but a couple of the HS types that I had on the radar (Solometo, Taylor) and who were highly ranked but still not selected may just be signing issues for all teams IF the demand slot money at #15 level or go to college and once they slid past #15 other teams would not risk the over slot pay. However, (as the Padres did over the past few drafts) take some under slot signees' money and bulk up to the #15 level with a 3 round pick. Works more for one of the teams with an early first round pick with high slot value ... not so much for picking at #27.

Quote from BoosterSD on July 11, 2021, 8:26 pm

I was really hoping that we would draft Mike McGreevy from UC Santa Barbara. Not that I know anything about him or his ability, just really like Little Big League and that this would be cool.

Quote from fenn68 on July 11, 2021, 8:51 pm

On the draft show (MLB network) ... O'Dowd said that when he was a GM the never paid any attention to mock drafts (or others' player rankings). Basically he said they took the "best player" on THEIR board based on THEIR scouting and THEIR criteria. Added that teams / scouts see players differently so they have to be true to their process.

Also, said he did not like the gaming of slot money (my paraphrase). Did not address the simple ability to sign being a factor ... maybe part of the criteria in setting "best player available that can be signed for slot".

======

Would be surprised (make that shocked) if Merrill was the highest on the Padres board when they made the pick ... so not likely take the O'Dowd approach. However, maybe the separation between Merrill and the others was not so great that the upside gamble was worth it. Keeping in mind that all the higher ranked options were also bypassed by 26 teams before the Padres ... and some are still on the board.

I guess we will know more when the Padres make their 2nd round pick and the Comp B pick tomorrow. Do they pick a sliding ranked prospect?

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 12, 2021, 3:33 am

Quote from LynchMob on July 11, 2021, 8:09 pm

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 11, 2021, 7:33 pm

We could have drafted a top 30 player and still got this kid with our next pick.

But because of the slot $ rules it becomes a game of  “who can you sign” instead of just selecting the best players.

Super frustrating….because we are missing out on a top 30 player to add to a depleted farm system.

 

Who would you have taken?  What's your definition of "a top 30 player"?

The analysts said that the Yankees had their eye on Merrill and so would NOT have been available with next pick ...

I was hoping for McGreevy or Chandler.

Then again I also wanted pitching…..

Quote from fenn68 on July 12, 2021, 7:06 am

Observation on round 1 … of the top 30 ranked prospects by MLB.com … 7 were not drafted and 6 of those not drafted were HS players.

Leverage leading to sign-ability has to be the case. Basically the player wants “X” or threatens to go to college and once the slot values fall below that demand, teams just pass even if they also ranked these kids high.

The one College kid … an OF at #23 … was a bit of a gamble given his swing and miss profile pushing against his power. Looks more like a 2nd round gamble by some team but not likely the Padres.

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 12, 2021, 9:37 am

What was the lowest ranked prospect drafted besides our guy and what was his ranking?

I'm sure it's nowhere close to 100

Quote from LynchMob on July 12, 2021, 10:01 am

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 12, 2021, 9:37 am

What was the lowest ranked prospect drafted besides our guy and what was his ranking?

I'm sure it's nowhere close to 100

The answer to your question is here: https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker/2021/all/round/1

Yankees took #55 with pick #20 ... Dodgers took #49 with pick #29 ... KC took #39 with pick #7 ... these are the mlb.com rankings, which are different from the Baseball America rankings, which are different from the Keith Law at The Athletic rankings, which are different from the rankings at each of the MLB clubs ...

Edit: with the 34th pick, Tampa Bay took the guy ranked 84th ...

Seems like we've been happy with the recent picks (Gore and Abrams and Hassel) ... so we gotta let this one play out ...

Quote from fenn68 on July 12, 2021, 10:07 am

Quote from MrPadre19 on July 12, 2021, 9:37 am

What was the lowest ranked prospect drafted besides our guy and what was his ranking?

I'm sure it's nowhere close to 100

TB picked the #84 prospect at pick #34 ... so a 50 slot differential. Padres took Merrill ranked #79 with the 27th pick ... so a 52 slot differential. So Padres were not on an island with their pick.

Note that the NYY went with a 35 slot differential and MILW, MINN, and LAD has 20 slot differentials.