Will the Padres draft a player that will stick at SS or take the best available? Who is gunna go #7 to the Pads? Jock washers, start your engines...

I'm really hoping Correa is there.......or Fried

Base player available. SS as a position has gotten very weak in MLB.
To have a .670 OPS from a SS is considered average this season.

They need to draft someone that can become a franchise player and get some fans in seats.
Enough wasting draft picks on players like Tate(hasnt hit a HR since 2010), Bush and Everett Williams.
Spangenberg like Tate has Zero HRs this season.
Hitting .284 but his OBP is only .318 and a OPS of .676.

There is a chance that they could get a player that stays at SS AND is the best player available....HS SS Carlos Correa.  After Correa, the only other SS that gets mentioned in the top 10 is college SS Deven Marrero....projected as a gold glove type but some significant concerns about his hitting....would be a conservative pick if they think he will make it on defense alone...and then take more risk with the sandwich picks.  Since it will take 3-4 years to get him to the ML...I would hope they do not go that route using a #7 pick on a no-hit type would just be a wasted pick.

I guess that would imply that if not Correa....then the best player available.  Comments by Byrnes (and others in the FO) suggest the better players are HS....HS pitchers tend to get over valued (drafted higher than they should)....good pitchers with upside can be had with later picks (think Ross)....you can never get enough catchers, SS, or CF.

So assuming Buxton, OF and Zunino, C are both gone.....it is Correa if he is there, then Almora, HS CF would fit the FO comments. Now that is all logical given the comments I have heard......which probably means they go a different direction and take a college pitcher with a #3 ceiling (Wacha) or closer type (Stroman)....and I will be ticked off.

One wild card, is Zunino falling to #7...some think that may happen especially if one of the upper teams goes for Giolito and Correa goes before #7.......my guess is the Padres would take Zunino as the best player available even though he is a catcher....and that should cause some discussion given they have Grandal and Hedges lurking in the MiL.  However, a power hitting catcher is of mega value and could set up some interesting trade chips down the road.

So, I guess that based on the highest player still on the board (Buxton is a slam dunk to be gone):

1. Zunino, college C
2. Correa, HS SS
3. Almora, HS CF

FENN68 wrote:

One wild card, is Zunino falling to #7...some think that may happen especially if one of the upper teams goes for Giolito and Correa goes before #7.......my guess is the Padres would take Zunino as the best player available even though he is a catcher....and that should cause some discussion given they have Grandal and Hedges lurking in the MiL.  However, a power hitting catcher is of mega value and could set up some interesting trade chips down the road.

But FENN, Byrnes doesn't like "quarterback controversies".

That reasoning was such a crock of you know what. I agree if the BPA is a power hitting catcher, you nab him. Let the players compete for their spot in MLB and trade the loser for quality MLB vets if they are coveted.

But I would like Correa if he's there.

Honestly, this draft doesn't seem too exciting so I'm not going to go nuts one way or the other (unless its a safe arm of course).

FENN68 wrote:

my guess is the Padres would take Zunino as the best player available even though he is a catcher....

I'm not sure he's the guy the Padres love the most, but read Jaron's quote in the interview on the front page. I was going to ask the specific question of whether "BPA" extends to taking Zunino if he fell that far and the Padres liked him that much, even with Hundley/Grandal/Hedges/Daal/Ruiz in the system, but he gave his answer before I ever got to it.

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--- AnaheimRules wrote:

Base player available. SS as a position has gotten very weak in MLB.
To have a .670 OPS from a SS is considered average this season.

They need to draft someone that can become a franchise player and get some fans in seats.
Enough wasting draft picks on players like Tate(hasnt hit a HR since 2010), Bush and Everett Williams.
Spangenberg like Tate has Zero HRs this season.
Hitting .284 but his OBP is only .318 and a OPS of .676.

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Tate and Williams are exactly the kind of guys we need to continue drafting.
You can't stop drafting 4-5 tool athletes because you miss on some.

MrPadre19 wrote:

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--- AnaheimRules wrote:

Base player available. SS as a position has gotten very weak in MLB.
To have a .670 OPS from a SS is considered average this season.

They need to draft someone that can become a franchise player and get some fans in seats.
Enough wasting draft picks on players like Tate(hasnt hit a HR since 2010), Bush and Everett Williams.
Spangenberg like Tate has Zero HRs this season.
Hitting .284 but his OBP is only .318 and a OPS of .676.

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Tate and Williams are exactly the kind of guys we need to continue drafting.
You can't stop drafting 4-5 tool athletes because you miss on some.

So very true MrP.

I don't have a problem though trying to get a legit power hitter with our early picks.
We aren't going to sign guys in free agency so drafting/developing them is the best way.
Also,I don't normally agree with "need" drafting,but targeting SS's wouldn't hurt my feelings either.
Get as many as you can........if they hit but struggle defensively you can move them.
I wouldn't mind being in the Rangers position of having TWO great young SS's!
Heck.......we haven't had ONE in forever(other than one year from Greene)

I liked Jaron's comment about drafting up the middle from the interview with David Jay...

"You try to take as many up-the-middle guys as you can, because those guys if they can’t stick, they can move to the corners."

Of course there has to be balance with that approach, but as long as they basically follow that strategy with 4 or 5 of their bounty of picks this year, I'm probably going to be ok with whatever names come up at the draft. Both Correa and Almora look like they would be great starts to implementing that strategy if they are available.

I didn't read the article did he say anything about them having power.  Who wants a singles hitting corner infielder?

Best player available, but they need pitching.  They have not been drafting enough good pitchers and they missed on signing their no. 1  pitcher from a couple of years ago.  They have very few no. 1 type pitchers in their minor leagues and they traded away Latos.  In the playoffs, you need some dominating pitchers.

So is next years draft the year Whitsun comes out? Wouldn't that be crazy if we drafted him again!? Anyone know if he is still dominating?

BrewinAU wrote: Best player available, but they need pitching.  They have not been drafting enough good pitchers and they missed on signing their no. 1  pitcher from a couple of years ago.  They have very few no. 1 type pitchers in their minor leagues and they traded away Latos.  In the playoffs, you need some dominating pitchers.

True. Did read somewhere that this draft has alot of pitching depth or something but that was a while back.
If the best player available is a SS take him, if its a Pitcher take him.

It's sounding more and more like Carlos Correa will be a top 5 pick, so I'm not expecting to land him. Also hate that the Cubs pick before us in every round. Ugh.

thrownoutatsecond wrote: Who wants a singles hitting corner infielder?

Wasn't Tony Gwynn a singles hitting corner outfielder? 


IIRC, the Tate pick from a few years ago was applauded by most of the people here.  Five tool player with a high ceiling.  To bad he was hurt so much early on.

When the time comes for us to pick, I say get the best player available.  Our team is so full of holes right now, we need all the help we can get and it will be several years before the player we draft today can help us anyway.

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--- dustymills wrote:

So is next years draft the year Whitsun comes out? Wouldn't that be crazy if we drafted him again!? Anyone know if he is still dominating?

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Yes he's still dominating.
Gators are #1 seed for their Region in College World Series bracket.

Correa is a big time impact bat if we get him.  Very very smart kid, hard worker, takes baseball seriously.  Has plus speed though that could slow down over time as he fills out.  Already big so he might have to move off SS but has the bat to easily play third though he says he will prove everyone wrong that things he cannot stay at SS(I like that attitude).  He has a cannon for an arm, good hands and range for now(again as he fills out his range could decrease which would mean a move to third).  For awhile it looked for sure he would fall to us as Cubs really like Almora and other teams weren't looking as hard at him but now it is starting to look like he won't last.  If he lasts he will be the best player available, a true potential impact bat and a SS for now at least.  Well here is to hoping, we  could use a break!

MrPadre19 wrote:

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--- dustymills wrote:

So is next years draft the year Whitsun comes out? Wouldn't that be crazy if we drafted him again!? Anyone know if he is still dominating?

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Yes he's still dominating.
Gators are #1 seed for their Region in College World Series bracket.

While he does come out next year, he's not only NOT dominating, but he may have lost his rotation spot for the CWS. He's struggled with a few injuries, but although he now claims to be fully healthy, he's been something of a trainwreck over the last two months. He's completely lost his command, walking almost 5 hitters per 9 innings and posting a 1:1 K:BB ratio. He didn't make it through the third inning in the SEC semifinal. Some reports are that Johnny Crawford might take the ball instead of Karsten if the occasion presents itself.

davidjay wrote:

MrPadre19 wrote:

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--- dustymills wrote:

So is next years draft the year Whitsun comes out? Wouldn't that be crazy if we drafted him again!? Anyone know if he is still dominating?

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Yes he's still dominating.
Gators are #1 seed for their Region in College World Series bracket.

While he does come out next year, he's not only NOT dominating, but he may have lost his rotation spot for the CWS. He's struggled with a few injuries, but although he now claims to be fully healthy, he's been something of a trainwreck over the last two months. He's completely lost his command, walking almost 5 hitters per 9 innings and posting a 1:1 K:BB ratio. He didn't make it through the third inning in the SEC semifinal. Some reports are that Johnny Crawford might take the ball instead of Karsten if the occasion presents itself.

Maybe the Padres should hope the Giolito does not sign this year....goes to JC....proves he is fully healthy....and signs with the Padres as the #1 pick in 2013.