The draft is tomorrow night, and the big question revolves around Stephen Strasburg. Are they really going to take him? All signs point to “yes” but we really won’t know until Tuesday evening. Of course, there is that #10 pick that the Nats get as well. An historical draft in that nobody has ever had two picks that early in the draft. Hopefully Mike Rizzo and the rest of management will take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity and help to turn this franchise around.
Last week, I took a look at 8 potential draftees for the #10 spot. Here is the list:
Kyle Gibson – 6/1
Chad Jenkins – 6/2
Alex White – 6/2
Brett Jackson – 6/3
Rich Poythress – 6/3
Wil Myers – 6/4
Mike Trout – 6/4
Matthew Purke -6/5
Whether they end up taking any of these guys, or someone else entirely, there will be plenty of time to analyze the pick after it’s done. For now, let’s call this enough of a preview. If I’ve missed someone that ends up getting picked, well, that’s just more new stuff you’ll get to read!
Status of the Trading Partners
Talk has been heating up that Nick Johnson is going to get traded. It’s not just the desparation of the other teams that are adding to this. For the season, Nick is batting .336/.427/.460. Over his last 30 games, he’s done even better, batting .336/.452/.500. This is pretty impressive from a potential DH/1B, but especially if you are the Mets or the Red Sox.
The Red Sox keep on sending David Ortiz to the plate, and he keeps delivering very little. Rumors of his decline are not exaggerated – he’s batting .197/.288/.308 this year. Over his last 30 games, it’s been just about the same, slightly worse – he’s hitting .168/.288/.283 over those latest 132 PA. That’s right, he’s got a higher OBP than SLG. It’s not the same Ortiz.
The Mets, meanwhile, are dealing with the loss of Carlos Delgado. He had hip surgery on May 18, and the timetable is approximately 10 weeks. That would put him back the last week in July. But he’s not young, there’s no telling if he’s in game shape then, and if he’ll be able to play on a regular basis. So projecting a timetable is irresponsible, but if he’s back and fully Delgodo-y before August, I’d be surprised. In his place is youngster Daniel Murphy, who started out strong but is now down to hitting .247/.330/.370. But they have holes in both corners of the outfield. As Murphy shifts back and forth from first to left, they’ve had to fill in wherever he’s not playing. Ryan Church was on the DL but he wasn’t really hitting when he was there. Gary Sheffield has played well, but they still need some help somewhere. Nick could come in and shore up first base, and the Mets would hope that a rotation of Sheffield, Church, Murphy, Pagan, and Tatis would be enough in the corner outfield spots.
Kyle Gibson – 6/1
Chad Jenkins – 6/2
Alex White – 6/2
Brett Jackson – 6/3
Rich Poythress – 6/3
Wil Myers – 6/4
Mike Trout – 6/4
Matthew Purke- 6/5