Is there a legitimate 1st overall pick?

by Rays Rule on May 1, 2008 10:30 PM EDT

Is there even a player worthy of the #1 pick in the draft? I see no David Price or anyone who dominates at their position. God willing, this is the last 1st overall pick for awhile and I wanted to make the most of it. IMO, Pedro Alvarez or Tim Becham are my picks for #1.

I was hoping for a player a la David Price or Evan Longoria who can come in soon and contribute right away. I know Price was injured, but before he went down he was expected to be part of the rotation by June. As for Longoria, what else can you say? The guys presence alone changes the face of the team. Forget the numbers, this guy changes the atmosphere of the clubhouse and gives the Rays reasons to be excited.

Tim Beckham appears to be the pick around blogs and websites that I have seen lately. If we drafted him, we wouldn't see the fruits of our labor until 2011 or even 2012. If we choose Pedro Alvarez, maybe we can convert him to a SS or 2B and give him a little time in the minors. A late September call up would probably happen. Surely he would make next years big league squad.

I was just hoping for a lights out player in this draft, but I have yet to see him. Lots of good, solid players but certainly no Longoria in this one. As for Buster Posey? No way! If we blew our #1 pick on a to 10 guy I would be pissed. I know catcher is a need for overall depth and some see Posey as a replacement for Navi, but all I see is already written in his savvy first name-BUST! Now if Matt Weiters was going to be coming out this year, that would have been sweet.

Who would you pick as our #1?

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Comments

There’s almost no way Alvarez can play SS/2B, he’s growing, not getting smaller.

"I've seen many, many blue skies turn gray, but the sun will eventually return, and so will I. So will I." - Carlos Pena

by R.J. Anderson on May 1, 2008 10:39 PM EDT 0 recs

OK, maybe your right.......

But he can’t play 3B either. Trouble is we got a guy who won’t be leaving 3B for at least a decade, I guess they pick for need. I would get over them picking Buster Posey.

by Rays Rule on May 1, 2008 11:42 PM EDT 0 recs

He can't play 3B anyway

Alvarez is a butcher at 3B. He’s slow, has little range, and has about an 8% error rate. He’s a 1B in the majors anyway.

As of the beginning of this year, Alvarez was a true #1, but this season changed that. Is there someone who laps the field? No, but I’d take the top 10 from this year over the top 10 from 2006 (when Andrew Miller was the obvious #1) and some other years where there was an obvious #1.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on May 7, 2008 5:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

Draft for skill not position!

These things have a way of working themselves out. Besides it sounds like Alvarez defensive skillset would be OK in RF.

by ttnorm on May 2, 2008 12:13 AM EDT 0 recs

What about Jennings and Perez and Royster

My Blog. Check it out if you wish.

by Cory Alexander on May 2, 2008 6:27 AM EDT up 0 recs

Jennings and Perez both profile best at CF, Royster at LF

And none are close to Longo in terms of value to franchise

by ttnorm on May 2, 2008 8:13 AM EDT up 0 recs

Agree 100%

See: LaPorta, Matt last year

by Kevin Gengler on May 2, 2008 9:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

I assume Alvarez would be less of a defensive liability than LaPorts as well...

This was one thing I was thinking about. Doesn’t a strong armed 3B profile well as a potential RF? Assuming he has the footspeed, a move to RF would sure up a position of need. It really is too bad CC can’t play CF because Upton would make a great RF, and then the easiest defensive position would be available for whomever (Adam Dunn?).

by rglass44 on May 2, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm with tthorn and rglass44

Put Alvarez in RF and solve our Gomes/Hinske/Haynes/Ruggiano/Gross platoon in RF. I think the Rays have to find a place for Hinske in the everyday lineup, but where?

by Rays Rule on May 2, 2008 9:37 PM EDT 0 recs

Keith Law chat from thursday...

Mike Brookline, MA: Hi Keith…love your chats…pure enjoyment and makes the miserable T ride fly by…I continue to read the Rays have zeroed in on Buster Posey and several media outlets have applauded the Rays for this because “they are drafting to for need?. If this is true, doesn?t this go against the draft philosophy of drafting the top talent vs. drafting for need? I hope you can address this because it?s been driving me crazy. Thanks!

SportsNation Keith Law: That’s not a need draft. He’s one of the top two players in the draft, with Tim Beckham. If a writer is saying the Rays are drafting for need by taking Posey, then that writer shouldn’t be writing about the draft.

by rglass44 on May 3, 2008 1:46 PM EDT 0 recs

thought this was interesting...

If this is the case, and Buster really is as good as the rest of the guys at the top, I’d love for the Rays to take him. He’s more polished than Beckhem and plays a position that is not only a huge organizational weakness but is also a league-wide weakness.

by rglass44 on May 3, 2008 1:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

Positional scarcity

League-wide weakness, AKA positional scarcity, is already accounted for when determining the draft boards, and is key to drafting. An invidual team’s needs in the draft should not be accounted for. It just leads to bad picks.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on May 7, 2008 5:38 PM EDT up 0 recs