The Official 2017 MLB Amateur Draft Thread

[Chuck]

10. Angels: Jordon Adell, OF, Ballard HS (Louisville, Ky.)

There's a lot of buzz that Los Angeles won't pass on Adell, who comes with Byron Buxton-type tools but also with swing-and-miss concerns. If the Angels opt for a college hitter (Smith, Haseley, Vanderbilt outfielder Jeren Kendall, Missouri State third baseman Jake Burger, or UC Irvine outfielder/second baseman Keston Hiura), Adell could slide all the way into the 20s.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/229743034/jim-callis-mock-projection-2017-mlb-draft/

The Angels have been linked to Jordan Adell who has completely raked and some have him going one after us at #11 to the White Sox. 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/jordon-adell-smashes-three-home-runs/#cCe38KHtktgdOzgA.97

[Broad Street]

Jake Burger has a good ring to it.

[Jig Stew]

Angels need to draft this guy again.. we can't have another Buster Posey / Matt Harvey / Chris Davis / Kyle Hendricks situation 

http://www.ucsdtritons.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5800&ATCLID=210510716

 

[Angel Oracle]

1 minute ago, Jig Stew said:

Angels need to draft this guy again.. we can't have another Buster Posey / Matt Harvey / Chris Davis / Kyle Hendricks situation 

http://www.ucsdtritons.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5800&ATCLID=210510716

 

I LOL'd.

[Second Base]

I know the mock drafts say Adell isfalling to us, but every video I've watched (and I've watched more than I care to admit) on this kid, tells me he's going to be a superstar in short order. I don't see a talent like that making it outside the first few picks. 

If Jo Adell falls to us, one of two things will happen. This will go down as the greatest draft ever because a guy that talented and that young went 10th when he's normally a #1. Or, there will be some national cross checkers and minor league coordinators that'll get the boot for passing on him.

i really want this kid to be an Angel, but I just don't see it happening. He's the best hitter in the draft right now as an 18 year old behind Pavin Smith.

This kid is going to be a monster.

[Inside Pitch]

46 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

I know the mock drafts say Adell isfalling to us, but every video I've watched (and I've watched more than I care to admit) on this kid, tells me he's going to be a superstar in short order. I don't see a talent like that making it outside the first few picks. 

 The tear he's on right now -- even teams that weren't considering him are going to look his way.   I dont think anyone in the draft gets to the ball or through the zone as well as Adell does.

[greginpsca]

Seems like most of the other mock drafts say the Angels will choose that pitcher from Florida. Those drafts are showin Adele gone in the top 5 picks.

[John Smith]

MLB MOCK DRAFT 3.0

May 18, 2017 By John Manuel 

 

10. Angels

GM Billy Eppler’s scouting rounds have led to the Angels being tied to several players, but with Mike Trout’s clock ticking, the Angels don’t have time to wait on a toolsy prep outfielder like Beck or Jordon Adell.

Pick: J.B. Bukauskas, rhp, North Carolina | 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/mock-mlb-draft-3-0-major-league-baseball-draft/#GRdfVQJUX60OZubJ.97

[Chuck]

True... the one thing about Adell is he could need 4-5 years in the minors before he hits the big leagues. 

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

True... the one thing about Adell is he could need 4-5 years in the minors before he hits the big leagues. 

It would be disappointing if they pass on a better player to try to get someone who "might" contribute sooner.   The flip side is whoever they end up drafting stands a good chance of becoming a useful player.

TY for starting and pinning this thread BTW...    

[Dave Saltzer]

Always take TBPA. Don't worry about drafting for a need or anything like that. The window on Trout for now is 2020, but I have a strong feeling that he wants to stay and we will want him to stay. A college pitcher taken in this year's draft might not even make a difference until the 2020 season, just as a rookie, at which point we will either have Trout locked up or know that he is leaving. Let's say that Hunter Green falls to us at 10 (he won't). Would we really pass on signing him because he doesn't fit into Trout's window? If Bukauskis projects as the better player, then we should take him. If Adell projects as the better player, then we should take him. Looking at player windows only makes sense for trades and FA signings, not drafts.

[Angel Oracle]

6 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

True... the one thing about Adell is he could need 4-5 years in the minors before he hits the big leagues. 

True, although it took Trout just two years to arrive in MLB, and just 2 2/3 years to stick for good.

I know, once in a generation talent.   

[Angel Oracle]

6 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

It would be disappointing if they pass on a better player to try to get someone who "might" contribute sooner.   The flip side is whoever they end up drafting stands a good chance of becoming a useful player.

TY for starting and pinning this thread BTW...    

Isn't that how Dipeutered got the Halos in a mess, drafting mainly college players with high floors?

[totdprods]

What intrigues me most is whether or not they will replicate the Ward/Thaiss draft strategy and use their 1st round pick once again to go with someone way before they would have been projected to go, so they could throw more money around in later picks.

[arch stanton]

1 hour ago, totdprods said:

What intrigues me most is whether or not they will replicate the Ward/Thaiss draft strategy and use their 1st round pick once again to go with someone way before they would have been projected to go, so they could throw more money around in later picks.

I think at 10 you have to go after a guy you think is an impact player

[Angel Oracle]

Exactly, 10th overall pick is a lot different from an overall pick in the 20s. 

[Dave Saltzer]

1 hour ago, totdprods said:

What intrigues me most is whether or not they will replicate the Ward/Thaiss draft strategy and use their 1st round pick once again to go with someone way before they would have been projected to go, so they could throw more money around in later picks.

As others have said, not at 10, unless you have 2-3 more first round picks. We have a chance to get an impact player here, so we should definitely go for that. Adell appears to be a future impact player, as do several others with whom we've been linked. I am looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds.

[Angelsfan1984]

16 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Isn't that how Dipeutered got the Halos in a mess, drafting mainly college players with high floors?

those pitchers got us Simmons and we are locked in at SS for at least 3 more years...

[hangin n wangin]

Not saying I disapprove of the Newcomb for Simmons deal, because I like the deal for us, but Newcomb gets a ton of shit in here like he's been a complete bust. I understand he has a high walk rate and that is concerning, but he's still only 23 years old and has been solid at every minor league stop. Right now he's in triple A putting up an under 3 ERA and 3.02 FIP in 42 innings with a strike out rate of over 10 per 9 innings. Again, the walks are concerning and the jury is still out, but he looks like he might be pretty close to the majors. 

[Angelsfan1984]

12 minutes ago, hangin n wangin said:

Not saying I disapprove of the Newcomb for Simmons deal, because I like the deal for us, but Newcomb gets a ton of shit in here like he's been a complete bust. I understand he has a high walk rate and that is concerning, but he's still only 23 years old and has been solid at every minor league stop. Right now he's in triple A putting up an under 3 ERA and 3.02 FIP in 42 innings with a strike out rate of over 10 per 9 innings. Again, the walks are concerning and the jury is still out, but he looks like he might be pretty close to the majors. 

I agree. I pitcher who will be at least a solid 2/3 in the Majors for 10 years would be nice, but waiting for him to develop while we have Trout tearing up the league wasn't ideal. Simmons is a rock at the position for as long as we hold on to him. I didn't like the move when it happened because I thought Chris Ellis was the diamond we were giving up there but I have been really happy with not only the defense gems we get from Simmons but his bat has been solid.

[Blarg]

Local Asian kid that plays 2nd base. Adam just got a pre draft boner.

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

those pitchers got us Simmons and we are locked in at SS for at least 3 more years...

Part of it is the Braves gifting us with that trade, given that Newcomb is still in AAA 1.3 seasons later (with solid stuff but questionable command limiting innings pitched), and Ellis (moved to AAA pen in early May) looking like anything but a future MLB starter. 

[Dick B Back]

34 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Local Asian kid that plays 2nd base. Adam just got a pre draft boner.

We know how that worked out last time they drafted a local Asian kid.

[Brent Maguire]

MLB.com has the Angels taking outfielder Adam Haseley from Virginia in the latest mock draft. He's about the 10th name I've seen slotted there so I don't think we have any idea who they will take.

I think this is the best year to go best available just because it's the highest they've drafted in a long time. If one of the big names falls(Lewis, Wright, Gore, Adell) to 10, you have an opportunity to grab a potential star. On the flip side, I wouldn't mind an approach similar to last year. I was pretty upset when Thaiss was taken, just because he's a lower ceiling player, but the players they grabbed in the rounds after(Marsh, Williams, Rodriguez, Duensing) are all high upside guys who were signed because they saved money. I believe the CBA adjusted slot values this year so this approach might not be as necessary this year but it's not the worst approach. If the player they want isn't there and they can save money on a pick(Haseley, Baz, Beck), it wouldn't surprise me. 

[Dave Saltzer]

My attitude is to take TBPA in the first 5-7 rounds. If we need to save some money, because we project needing to spend over slot value in the first 7 rounds, then we can draft under slot value to store up money in rounds 8-10. As long as we sign people in those rounds, the money counts towards our total spent. I don't get the point of drafting "under" slot value early on, when you have the best chance of getting the premier talent. 

 

We know that under Eppler, they will spend right up until the penalties kick in for going over their bonus pool. So, why not spend it as much as possible early on and get the best talent available?