Brewers Sign Gatewood, Harrison To Above-Slot Deals

[PepperJack]

Maybe. But there's a good chance...if only judging by the fact that they were there, at the draft....that there will be reason to follow their progress through the minors.

I can't remember the last time I eagerly checked in on the progress of either Ryan LaMarre or Brodie Greene.

As for handedness not mattering, you can't be serious. Or are you actually saying that this team doesn't need LHP and LHH? When the rotation is entirely RH (after Latos returns)? And when Price is starting Skip Schumaker in LF?

I have no problem with Gallen starting the thread, I will be interested in Gatewood and Harrison's development, as well as whether or not Mederios can remain a starter.

As far as handedness not mattering among who the Reds drafted this past weekend, I am serious. The makeup of the Reds will be very different by the time any of them are ready, so what hand they pitch or hit with won't matter right now.

Versatility in the lineup, and balance between RH/LH matters in free agency or trades, not in the draft for the most part.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Personally, I find it kind of amusing that people are praising the Brewers draft. 1 halfway decent draft (possibly...as we have ZERO clue if these guys will work out or not) in the past 5-10 years?!? The Brewers farm system is quite possibly the worst in the majors. And this years....over slot for those two guys might mean that they won't be able to sign several of the other picks. Sure, they need top end talent...but they also need depth and quantity. Putting most of their apples in a few bushels is a recipe for disaster IMO.

[Benihana]

Personally, I find it kind of amusing that people are praising the Brewers draft. 1 halfway decent draft (possibly...as we have ZERO clue if these guys will work out or not) in the past 5-10 years?!? The Brewers farm system is quite possibly the worst in the majors. And this years....over slot for those two guys might mean that they won't be able to sign several of the other picks. Sure, they need top end talent...but they also need depth and quantity. Putting most of their apples in a few bushels is a recipe for disaster IMO.

Agree that it's premature to completely fall in love with a team's draft, but I think "depth and quantity" in a minor league system are highly overrated.

Give me three A prospects over six C prospects and a few other roster fillers all day long. You can always fill out a minor league roster.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Agree that it's premature to completely fall in love with a team's draft, but I think "depth and quantity" in a minor league system are highly overrated.

Give me three A prospects over six C prospects and a few other roster fillers all day long. You can always fill out a minor league roster.

I don't look at it like it's one extreme or the other. Give me 2 A's, 2 B's and 2 C's. Injuries happen all the time, if they top load it and reduce quantity....injuries just hurt that much more.

[Benihana]

BTW and just for the record, I have no idea if Harrison and Gatewood will ever amount to anything. I like Harrison quite a bit more than Gatewood, and there are several others that the Reds passed on that irk me more than passing on Gatewood (ie Forbes, Wall, Sheffield, etc.). Still though, this could be a fun thread to revisit in 3-5 years.

[malcontent]

He took a chance with converting Cingrani and Lorenzen from relievers to starters and that has worked out well.

Actually, as we've seen the Cingrani conversion is still a work in progress (and I like Cingrani).

Lorenzen is still in AA, so the data is incomplete in his case.

[dougdirt]

He took a chance with converting Cingrani and Lorenzen from relievers to starters and that has worked out well.

Cingrani was not a conversion. He relieved one season out of four in college. Lorenzen is a true conversion. Howard isn't a true conversion, he has time in college as a starter.

[napalextus]

I went through Buckley's eight previous drafts, all the way back to his first (2006), with the selection of Drew Stubbs (despite the fears of scouts on the bat).

In that time, I believe he has acquired ONE decent LHP (Cingrani), and ONE potentially decent LHH currently in high-A (Winker). You can probably throw 2014 into the mix as I believe he didn't draft anything LH until the 10th round. With that, we're talking NINE years of drafting.

Obviously, Hamilton was a great pick. Grandal, now with San Diego, is still a question mark. Alonso looks like a total bust that Jocketty was able to stuff into the Latos package.

But outside Cingrani, Winker, Hamilton, Leake, Mesoraco and Frazier (and potentially a couple RHP in the minors), who exactly has Buckley drafted IN NINE YEARS NOW to instill even the remotest shred of confidence in the man?

I guess it depends on your point of view. His first four drafts produced the current starting C, 3B, SS, CF and a SP as well as a bench OF. His drafts also produced pieces to acquire Ramon Hernandez (Justin Turner and Brandon Waring), Scott Rolen (Zach Stewart and Josh Roenicke), Jonathan Broxton (Donnie Joseph and JC Sulbaran) and Matt Latos (Yonder Alonso, Yasmani, Grandal and Brad Boxberger). His drafts have produced talent, 10 different players in the BA top 100. There has yet to be a star let alone a superstar from his drafts but given that only Heisey and Leake have 4 years experience from his drafts that is to be expected.

[Tony Cloninger]

I know this may venture into pure conjecture, but it's hard to know where drafting talent and developing talent pick up and leave off. It's hard to say if there's something on the minor league track that stifles hitters, beyond a misjudgement of ability

I do know that since Price has become pitching coach, we've seen a healthy uptick in ML arms coming through our own system. I think this was one of the primary reasons he had to be hired as manager, rather than risk losing the coach who seemingly turned the organization's pitching around.

Then again, maybe it's not him, it's the players.

Good points.

I think that something has to change in who is developing some of these hitters, not just Buckley's philosophy on who he drafts.

[Drugs Delaney]

Good points.

I think that something has to change in who is developing some of these hitters, not just Buckley's philosophy on who he drafts.

Has it really been that bad? Seems like we are doing just fine developing hitters.

Frazier is looking great at 3B and should lock down that spot for many years.

Mesoraco looks like a long term answer at C and is hitting like crazy so far.

Billy Hamilton looks like the long term answer in CF and has exceeded almost all expectations at the plate (and seems to be getting better and better each day).

Votto and Bruce came through the minor league system not too long ago as well.

That's 5 of your 8 starting spots filled through relatively recent drafts and minor league development with what could end up being very good players/hitters. (Cozart is a 6th, though he's not hitting.) That seems like an above average job by the scouting and development team...

[REDREAD]

I went through Buckley's eight previous drafts, all the way back to his first (2006), with the selection of Drew Stubbs (despite the fears of scouts on the bat).

In that time, I believe he has acquired ONE decent LHP (Cingrani), and ONE potentially decent LHH currently in high-A (Winker). You can probably throw 2014 into the mix as I believe he didn't draft anything LH until the 10th round. With that, we're talking NINE years of drafting.

Obviously, Hamilton was a great pick. Grandal, now with San Diego, is still a question mark. Alonso looks like a total bust that Jocketty was able to stuff into the Latos package.

But outside Cingrani, Winker, Hamilton, Leake, Mesoraco and Frazier (and potentially a couple RHP in the minors), who exactly has Buckley drafted IN NINE YEARS NOW to instill even the remotest shred of confidence in the man?

Leake is also a success.. I looked through the list too.
Seems like all the first round picks from 2006-2010 have made the majors.
Stephenson was 2011, he's our number one pick.
Ervin is still a good prospect.
Too early to tell with Traveiso, but I think he's shown signs of improvement lately. (He's more of a long term project)

Getting guys like Cingrani and Hamilton in the 2nd round is incredible. Mez, Frazier and Cozart were good picks too.

I might be forgetting a few other guys, but if a team can consistently produce 1-2 useful players per year out of the farm (which the Reds have done). That's pretty darn good.