The 2007 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft Discussion Thread (Day 1)

[Mario-Rijo]

Cozart pick is underwhelming - Reminds me of Buckley's Russ Adams pick. Average at all things but above average at none.

I think you might be able to say that about all his picks, and not just this year.

[UKFlounder]

The Reds realistically may not have drafted one starting pitcher with the first 4 picks WOW!!!

either they are going to move Dunn and others for prospects and they really like the righties in the system now.

I thought they had indicated they wouldn't just draft for need

[jmcclain19]

I read it more like: great hands, little else.

Great hands get you little if you don't have the wheels or the range to get to the ball at SS.

His bat won't play as a 3B, and might not at 2B - so that's quite a cop out pick there for Buckley.

[Kc61]

The Reds realistically may not have drafted one starting pitcher with the first 4 picks WOW!!!

either they are going to move Dunn and others for prospects and they really like the righties in the system now.

Funny, I see this as drafting for need. They took catching, middle infield, pitching, and right handed hitting. Different age groups to be sure, but areas of organizational need.

The 17 year old from Canada is probably a starting pitcher, but not this decade.

[OnBaseMachine]

Cozart picks absolutely sucks. Don't blow this big opportunity Reds. Terrible pick.

[Doc. Scott]

Great hands get you little if you don't have the wheels or the range to get to the ball at SS.

His bat won't play as a 3B, and might not at 2B - so that's quite a cop out pick there for Buckley.

Well, I try not to condemn anyone until they get a chance to prove themselves on the field, but I can't shake this feeling that Paul Janish had a much better scouting report- and Paul was a fifth-round pick.

[Cyclone792]

I read it more like: great hands, little else.

Sort of like a young version of Juan Castro.

Put me in the camp disappointed with this pick quite a bit. Unless Cozart heads to the minors and starts hitting like Valaika, I'm not sure what the Reds see in him. It sounds like his bat may carry as a SS or 2B at best, and definitely not 3B. But with average or worse range, where's his value as a middle infielder?

[Mario-Rijo]

Great hands get you little if you don't have the wheels or the range to get to the ball at SS.

His bat won't play as a 3B, and might not at 2B - so that's quite a cop out pick there for Buckley.

I think we all had a very similiar impression of Valaika last year as well. Perhaps Buckley has found yet another gem.

[Kc61]

Well, I try not to condemn anyone until they get a chance to prove themselves on the field, but I can't shake this feeling that Paul Janish had a much better scouting report- and Paul was a fifth-round pick.

Cozart is number 59 on BA's list of top 200. I doubt Janish was that high.

Reds need middle infielders who can play shortstop. I think this was a good pick. We'll see if his bat handles the transition.

[Cyclone792]

Well, I try not to condemn anyone until they get a chance to prove themselves on the field, but I can't shake this feeling that Paul Janish had a much better scouting report- and Paul was a fifth-round pick.

And from what I've seen and heard about Janish, it seems like he's got much better range defensively than Cozart ... if Cozart's scouting report is correct.

[Steve4192]

Frazier's definitely a numbers guy, but the one thing that worried Law was his swing. Evidently (and his brother had the same mechanics issue) at the beginning of his swing, he drops his hands straight down so his swing ends up being a little herky-jerky as he has to bring them back up to fully swing through.

Sounds like Eric Davis' hitch.

ED did the same thing where he would drop his hands as he began to stride into the pitch and then bring them back up before the pitch arrived. Of course, ED also had ungodly bat speed, which might explain why he was so successful even with that hitch in his swing.

[jmcclain19]

Well, I try not to condemn anyone until they get a chance to prove themselves on the field, but I can't shake this feeling that Paul Janish had a much better scouting report- and Paul was a fifth-round pick.

Exactly. I don't hate Janish, and I think he has the OBP to possibly make it to the bigs and contribute, but with some big power arms still on the board, you can get guys like Cozart in a few rounds.

[OnBaseMachine]

With Jess Todd, Eric Sogard, and John Tolisano still on the board, the Reds draft a player who can't hit and is slow? Wow.

[Doc. Scott]

I think we all had a very similiar impression of Valaika last year as well. Perhaps Buckley has found yet another gem.

About his glove, yes. Chris was considered to have a good bat, though. He only slid to the third round because he was injured and missed a good portion of his last season.

[Doc. Scott]

Now the guy Oakland took at #90- Josh Horton- is being compared to the Pirates' Jack Wilson. Who was a fifth-round pick.