2007 Reds #1 Pick--Devin Mesoraco (Official Thread)

[Eric_Davis]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

I am really hoping ChatterRed was kidding.

As for the whole draft seeming underwhelming, Marc Hulet from baseballanalysts.com has the Reds draft rated at #4 overall for best depth in the draft.

Well, add that to the REDS' #16 slot in the Baseball America preseason rankings of the minor league organizations, and as George Jefferson would say, "We're a movin' on up...."

[Eric_Davis]

Originally Posted by M2

Mesoraco, like any high school catcher, is an extremely long-term project. Catchers are almost always shaky draft picks. There aren't many good ones in the majors, so it's no surprise that catching prospects have pretty much the highest washout rate in the game. Mesoraco's obviously got some plusses, but he's not a Joe Mauer or Johnny Bench type of athlete (almost no one is). The Reds got him at #15 because his talent wasn't off the charts -- good, but not off the charts.

He played his high school ball in a baseball backwater. This is a big step up for him. He might not start settling in to professional ball until 2009 or 2010. Now, he might prove worthwhile in the end, but he's not going to pay any dividends until well into the next decade. Expect him to spend a few years off the prospect radar.

He's a high risk, long haul pick. There's the natural tendency to throw "high reward" in there, but:

1) You can say that about every player taken in the first few rounds of the draft.
2) "High reward" is a bit a of B.S. term. The younger and less defined a kid is, the easier it is to pretend the sky's the limit. Most of the time people use the term, it means nothing.
3) Anybody who can become a productive major league regular offers a high reward.

Spot on.

I wish we'd drafted a College Catcher sooner than the 23rd round.

I know Mitch Canham would have been the right pick over Morasco like I knew Steven Jackson was the right pick over Chris Perry.

[15fan]

Originally Posted by M2

Mesoraco, like any high school catcher, is an extremely long-term project. Catchers are almost always shaky draft picks. There aren't many good ones in the majors, so it's no surprise that catching prospects have pretty much the highest washout rate in the game. Mesoraco's obviously got some plusses, but he's not a Joe Mauer or Johnny Bench type of athlete (almost no one is). The Reds got him at #15 because his talent wasn't off the charts -- good, but not off the charts.

He played his high school ball in a baseball backwater. This is a big step up for him. He might not start settling in to professional ball until 2009 or 2010. Now, he might prove worthwhile in the end, but he's not going to pay any dividends until well into the next decade. Expect him to spend a few years off the prospect radar.

He's a high risk, long haul pick. There's the natural tendency to throw "high reward" in there, but:

1) You can say that about every player taken in the first few rounds of the draft.
2) "High reward" is a bit a of B.S. term. The younger and less defined a kid is, the easier it is to pretend the sky's the limit. Most of the time people use the term, it means nothing.
3) Anybody who can become a productive major league regular offers a high reward.

Sounds a lot like Joey Votto.

[Patrick Bateman]

Originally Posted by Eric_Davis

I know Mitch Canham would have been the right pick over Morasco like I knew Steven Jackson was the right pick over Chris Perry.

Well I think just about everyone thought Jackson was the better choice than Perry.

Canham vs. Meseroco? No contest.

Meserac may be raw, but there's a lot more talent there than Canham will ever have. The high school guy s obviously a riskier choice, but you don't take such a massive dwngrade in skill level like you are suggesting to get a little more certainty. Any catcher (even a college catcher) is a big risk, so it's generally best off to pick the most talented one assuming there is a big gap.

[11BarryLarkin11]

I really like Mitch Canham and I think he's going to be a very good one. Whether he's better than Mesoraco, well, only time will tell. Personally, I'd favor Canham, but I wouldn't have had a problem if the Reds drafted both. Canham should arrive well before Mesoraco and, regardless, having too many good prospects is never a problem. I don't think the Braves regret having both McCann and Salty.

[tbball10]

Originally Posted by Eric_Davis

Spot on.

I wish we'd drafted a College Catcher sooner than the 23rd round.

I know Mitch Canham would have been the right pick over Morasco like I knew Steven Jackson was the right pick over Chris Perry.

hey, when chris perry is healthy he is just another great weapon for carson's offense. watch out if he can stay on the field this year!!

[Eric_Davis]

Originally Posted by tbball10

hey, when chris perry is healthy he is just another great weapon for carson's offense. watch out if he can stay on the field this year!!

...and Steven Jackson is the best running back in the NFL.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Eric_Davis

...and Steven Jackson is the best running back in the NFL.

You arent serious are you?

Give me LT any day of the week and twice on Sundays or Mondays.

[camisadelgolf]

The Bengals essentially traded Steven Jackson for Chris Perry, Deltha O'Neal, and Robert Geathers. Seeing as how the Bengals have Rudi Johnson, I'm not complaining for one second about that trade.

[Patrick Bateman]

Neither would I. Deltha was one of the best crners in the league in '05 and Geathers is a useful pass rushing DE. PLus I think Perry s actually a great complimentary back to Rudi when healthy. I doubt anyone would have been able to predict so many injuries. That's more bad luck.

[Puffy]

Originally Posted by Eric_Davis

...and Steven Jackson is the best running back in the NFL.

LT, Larry Johnson and Shaun Alexander all say hi!

[Edd Roush]

Unfortunately, Larry Johnson will be saying hello from the sideline during mini-camp.

Back to the topic, I thought drafting Mesoraco startled me, considering Wayne's history. I would have expected Wayne to draft college players early and often to compete ASAP, rather than shooting for the moon with Mesoraco. Don't get me wrong, Mesoraco could be the next Johnny Bench, unfortunately there is also a solid chance, he won't ever appear in a major league uniform.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Edd Roush

Back to the topic, I thought drafting Mesoraco startled me, considering Wayne's history. I would have expected Wayne to draft college players early and often to compete ASAP, rather than shooting for the moon with Mesoraco. Don't get me wrong, Mesoraco could be the next Johnny Bench, unfortunately there is also a solid chance, he won't ever appear in a major league uniform.

Well now you are assuming the Reds would do a few things, like take someone that wasn't #1 on their board, and then promote a college player fast enough to actually help ASAP. The Reds highest 2006 Draft pick for a regular is Danny Dorn in Sarasota where he started the season and he was their 32nd round pick. This years college crop was said to be fairly weak with lots of solid HS talent, so take that for what its worth.

[M2]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Well now you are assuming the Reds would do a few things, like take someone that wasn't #1 on their board

Oh, I'll hazard a guess that Mesoraco wasn't #1 on their board when they picked. It should be interesting to see if Rick Porcello signs and what he gets if he does (I'd guess something in the $3M neighborhood).

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by M2

Oh, I'll hazard a guess that Mesoraco wasn't #1 on their board when they picked. It should be interesting to see if Rick Porcello signs and what he gets if he does (I'd guess something in the $3M neighborhood).

Porcello was said to want 8 million to sign or he was going to college. I will hazard a guess that Rick was not on their board at all for that reason.