<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/Zac_Person">@Zac_Person</a> congrats man!!!! Dream come true!!!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/astros">@astros</a> <a href="http://t.co/tNoV42xu44">pic.twitter.com/tNoV42xu44</a></p>— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABREG_1/status/608385977380446209">June 9, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Seniors are not subject to the July signing deadline. Teams can negotiate with them up to the week before next year's MLB draft.
Round 10, Pick 289: Scott Weathersby, RHP, Ole Miss Astros close Day 2 with 4 straight seniors. 17 appearances (4 starts), 4-2, 3 saves, 2.62 ERA, 55 IP, 45 H (4 homers allowed), 17 R (16 earned), 14 BB, 51 K, 1.07 WHIP, .216 opponent average
So there it is, quite a top heavy draft. The top 5 guys should take a boat load of the pool slot money. Nice strategy going seniors near the end. 1 2 Bregman, Alex LSU (LA) SS R/R JR 5'11" 185lbs DOB: 03/30/94 1 5 Tucker, Kyle H.B. Plant HS (FL) OF L/R HS 6'4" 190lbs DOB: 01/17/97 CB A 37 Cameron, Daz Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (GA) OF R/R HS 6'2" 185lbs DOB: 01/15/97 2 46 Eshelman, Thomas Cal State - Fullerton (CA) RHP R/R JR 6'3" 210lbs DOB: 06/20/94 3 79 Ferrell, Riley TCU (TX) RHP R/R JR 6'2" 200lbs DOB: 10/18/93 4 109 Hermelyn, Anthony U Oklahoma (OK) C R/R JR -- 6'1" 200lbs DOB: 11/18/93 5 139 Thornton, Trent North Carolina (NC) RHP R/R JR 6'0" 175lbs DOB: 09/30/93 6 169 Muriel, Nestor Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico) CF R/R HS 6'2" 170lbs DOB: 06/11/98 7 199 Freeman, Michael Oklahoma State (OK) LHP R/L 5S -- 6'8" 235lbs DOB: 10/07/91 8 229 Stubbs, Garrett USC (CA) C L/R SR -- 5'10" 175lbs DOB: 05/26/93 9 259 Person, Zac LSU (LA) LHP L/L SR -- 6'1" 185lbs DOB: 10/13/92 10 289 Weathersby, Scott U Mississippi (MS) RHP R/R 5S -- 6'2" 180lbs DOB: 12/23/91
Really like the Ferrell pick, seems like he can be a dominant reliever fairly quickly. Nestor is also an interesting pick. Otherwise, mostly safe, signable guys, but given the monster talent at the top it's a good combo.
I understand the want for catchers galore but man it seems like we take two early catchers every year. I feel like our C depth in the minors is already outstanding (Stassi, Heineman, Holberton, Pena, Nottingham, etc.).
This is what Matt Garrioch from Minorleagueball said about him a week ago: I wonder if they do consider bringing him up quickly
Astros know what they are looking for in a catcher. They have not found their guy just yet. But they are working with the guys they have. I keep hearing that Castro has vastly improved his framing and work behind the plate. But Castro has been pretty bad offensively.
There's a reason for that. Single most valuable and difficult position to fill is catcher, then shortstop. Of the guys you mentioned, I'd venture to bet that only Pena will ever see significant time at catcher in the bigs. Nottingham has a shot because of his bat, not his glove.
Is there some reason Pena is viewed as a better catcher than Heineman? Heineman has thown out 43% of base runners, and he he gets on base at a good clip. Pena is a complete zero offensively
Catchers have a huge responsibility. When i was younger I thought all it took was a guy that could throw out base runners. But that is only one aspect. they need to frame pitches effectively. They need to work with pitchers to stay focused. They conference with pitches all the time. An ineffective catcher will have a severly negative impact on a game. So when you get a competent catcher, a plus from average catchers offensive production is all gravy.....
You know what? You're absolutely right, I completely blanked out on Heineman. Pena is a ridiculously good defensive catcher, I'd think he'll be at least a quality backup for many years. Could be a starter if his bat picks up at some point. Catchers, especially HS catchers, take a long time to develop, so who knows.
Gotta say, the Astros nailed the draft, at least on paper. Got 3 guys ranked in the top 10 on a lot of big boards. My favorite pick might be Daz Cameron. He's a guy I wanted the Cubs to get, but to get him in the 2nd round is a complete steal if he pans out. I think he's a future top 10 prospect if he reaches his potential. The other two picks were basically BPA and pretty good picks. You can always trade Bregman or maybe move him to another position. Either way, the Astros have a really bright future. I'd say they have the best future of anyone in baseball right now with the combination of the talent already up in the majors and the talent in the farm currently.
Think we might have room for a "tough sign' today. We went straight senior sign the last four rounds.