John Sickels on the Reds draft

[Blitz Dorsey]

I don't know how to say this nicely, but apparently Cline wasn't "college material" if you get my drift. Or so that was something I read on him. There was a lot going on with him his senior season where he apparently transferred schools during the season to pitch for his previous schools rival. Still the guy had a fastball that topped out at 94 MPH as a senior in high school. There were a bunch of scouting reports that were out there on him that didn't have him that high, but there were a few that did. It seems that the places who didn't see his 94 MPH game didn't think he was worthy of where he went.

Yeah, I remember reading some high school baseball message board last year after the draft (the link was probably posted to this board) and fans were really trashing him. That will happen when you transfer to the rival school. I also remember something about the, uh, er "not college material" part, but he was at least going to go to some small college. I think he was home schooled growing up if I'm not mistaken.

I could be 100 percent wrong here, but he just seemed like a kid they could have gotten a lot later. Or at least a couple rounds later. It was a Bengals-like pick (well, Bengals drafts pre '09, they actually did well this year getting value with their picks).

[Patrick Bateman]

It's a 4th round pick. Your basing your opinions on what other publications like BA or milb think of the guy. The Reds who have seen him and a bunch of other prospects play that neither of us have seen liked him enough to take him in the 4th round. Who knows whether they were right to do so, but from our end, there isn't any information available to suggest that they could have waited to get him earlier. The MLB draft is really really subjective, and most 4th rounders aren't going to make it. Ty Cline seems like a pretty typical raw high school type of talent, I don't see why there is so much focus on him when there were another handful of similar picks in similar rounds.

[Homer Bailey]

Where is Tyler Cline? I'm guessing there is a good reason why I haven't heard his name in quite some time.

[traderumor]

Wagner's slider was considered a plus plus pitch and his FB was slightly above, more for its movement than velocity. He had no real effective third pitch which is why he was a reliever. He had a violent delivery and when they smoothed it out his plus plus slider disappeared hence his lack of success.

Sowers was more of a polished pitchablity guy than an elite stuff guy. There was discussion at the time that he was a reach because he was firmly commited to Vanderbilt and the Reds purposely punted the pick because they had budget issues from the draft the year before after signing Espinosa and Dane Sardinah to major league contracts.

I have not understood the Sowers draft love since watching him pitch at the major league level. It is hard to understand how his stuff was that successful at any level.

[dougdirt]

Where is Tyler Cline? I'm guessing there is a good reason why I haven't heard his name in quite some time.

Probably waiting for the GCL to start in 5 days.