Looking Ahead: 2016 Draft

[Benihana]

Keeping with tradition, one year in advance here are some way-too-early names to keep an eye on that I'd be interested in. Will be fun to revisit this list 12 months from now. The 2015 year-in-advance list featured five of what ended up being the top players in the Draft (A.Bregman, B.Rodgers, I.Happ, D.Cameron, and K.Funkhouser). Here are ten names to keep an early eye on:

Blake Rutherford OF HS - Sounds like the precise player I'd love the Reds to target. Profiles as a high upside five tool OF who has been on scouts radars for a while.
Willie Abreu OF Miami - Reds 2013 14th round draft pick we all wanted to sign
Alec Hansen RHP Oklahoma - Hansen and Pint seem to be the early top two consensus arms
Riley Pint RHP HS - Ditto
AJ Puk LHP Florida - While Buckley doesn't tend to draft lefties, he's a UF guy (Lively, Crawford) who plays two-ways, which we know he likes. Might be my top choice for a pitcher at this early stage.
Robert Tyler RHP Georgia - Had some arm soreness earlier in the spring which is scary, but his fastball is plus-plus and looks to have recovered.
Matt Krook LHP Oregon - Former top pick went unsigned
Braxton Garrett LHP HS - Good looking HS lefty
Dane Dunning RHP Florida - Another UF starter
Jordan Sheffield RHP Vanderbilt - Justus' brother draws comparisons to Carson Fulmer; missed Freshman year to TJ surgery

Very early and some of these names will change a lot, but right now Rutherford and Puk are the two that interest me the most. Will be fun to revisit the list next year.

[nemesis]

I would imagine with the way the season is progressing the Reds should find themselves in a top 8 to 12 pick. Abreu is absolutely at the top of my want list.

[lollipopcurve]

How about the Collins kid who went to Miami with Abreu, also a Reds draftee in 2013? I believe he's outhit Abreu (though he did move from C to 1B, I think). Potentially a big LH bat.

[Gallen5862]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft...op-picks-sign/


Funkhouser announced his decision on Twitter in the early afternoon, resolving one of the day’s biggest dramas.

“Wanted to be the first to announce that I will not be signing, and will return to the University of Louisville for my senior season,” he tweeted.

As compensation for not signing Funkhouser, the Dodgers will receive the 36th overall pick in next year’s draft.

Funkhouser went 8-5, 3.20 with 104 strikeouts and 45 walks in 112 1/3 innings this spring. He was the highest-drafted player in Louisville history, but was projected to be a top-10 pick entering the season. He remained on that track until a late-season drop in the quality of his stuff saw him slide on draft boards.

Funkhouser was one of six players drafted in the top 10 rounds not to sign. The Blue Jays and second-rounder Brian Singer, a Florida prep righthander, were unable to work out a deal. Singer will now go on to Florida, where he joins what was already one of the best pitching staffs in the country. It was the fifth time since 2009 that Toronto didn’t sign a first- or second-round pick.

Georgia prep righthander Jonathan Hughes (Orioles, second round), Kentucky righthander Kyle Cody (Twins, supplemental second round), Colorado prep shortstop Nick Shumpert (Tigers, seventh round) and South Carolina outfielder Kep Brown (Cardinals, 10th round) all went unsigned as well. Hughes will now go on to Georgia Tech, Shumpert to San Jacinto JC and Brown to Miami.

[RedlegJake]

Getting a pick the next year takes some of the sting out of not signing the first 2 picks but every guy after that in your top ten that doesn't sign is just lost opportunity. The Reds have been really good about getting their guys signed. Long ways from the days of punting picks to save cash

[OnBaseMachine]

Right now the Reds would have the #6 pick in the draft if the season ended today. They are two games back of the Rockies for the #3 pick. If the Reds do indeed have a fire sale, they could end up with a top 3 pick.

[RedlegJake]

I never hope to lose just for a draft position but if they are going youth movement and rebuild, it salves the sting a bit. Getting a pick in the top 5 in a strong draft year would help the future - especially since I don't think they are that far away from contending if they handle this right.

[RED VAN HOT]

I never hope to lose just for a draft position but if they are going youth movement and rebuild, it salves the sting a bit. Getting a pick in the top 5 in a strong draft year would help the future - especially since I don't think they are that far away from contending if they handle this right.

My heart always roots for the Reds. My head, however, says that if you are going to be bad, it is better to be very, very bad.

[Ladeda]

My heart always roots for the Reds. My head, however, says that if you are going to be bad, it is better to be very, very bad.

Correct. The Current system is skewed heavily to favor teams that finish with one of the two worst records in baseball. If you look back @ previous drafts, if you finish with a top 2 pick, odds are you are going to be able to sign that player on avg of at least $1mm under slot. That's $1mm more to spend on drafting players. It is a huge advantage! This year, the top 2 picks signed for $2.1mm and $1.5mm under slot. Now there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, if your picking in the top 2, your going to get your guy under slot in a big way, or if you have to pay slot, your going to get an absolute stud. I think Bryant signed for slot money @ #2 overall.

To me, there is no difference between finishing with 65 wins and picking #2 overall, and winning 69 games and picking #6 overall. I'd rather lose the 4 games, get the higher pick. The goal is to win the World Series, those 4 extra wins mean nothing to me. However there isn't much of a difference between picking 10th and 6th, but there is a huge difference picking 6th and 2nd.

In addition, Arizona got $5.4mm in International Bonus Pool funds. The Reds get $2.8mm with the 10th worst record. That extra $2.6mm is a huge deal, especially since you can acquire up to 50% of your slot money in trades from other teams. So Arizona could acquire another $2.7mm in trades, to the Reds $1.4mm.

I'm not rooting for the Reds to lose, but honestly, the best thing that could happen to them is if they end up with the 2nd overall pick. (Philly cannot be caught for the #1 pick.) More $$'s to spend on drafting players and International Free Agents. More Money = Increased chance of getting better ballplayers. It's a lost season, take advantage of the system by sucking.

[RedlegJake]

The money is what skews it so much. 2016 the talent level between picks 2 and 6 or 7 won't be that great, imo. The slot money is the difference maker.

[Bourgeois Zee]

The money is what skews it so much. 2016 the talent level between picks 2 and 6 or 7 won't be that great, imo. The slot money is the difference maker.

Eh, the talent level between two and seven can be pretty extreme, IMO. In this draft, there are (as of today) two high-profile super-prospects on their own tier and then a whole lot of really good players. I'd much rather have AJ Pak or Riley Pint than have to hope my guy makes it down to me. (And that becomes just as important as you move into the supplemental and second rounds. There's a reason why the money's more-- it's because, all things being relatively equal, the guy drafted higher is the better player.

[RedlegJake]

Eh, the talent level between two and seven can be pretty extreme, IMO. In this draft, there are (as of today) two high-profile super-prospects on their own tier and then a whole lot of really good players. I'd much rather have AJ Pak or Riley Pint than have to hope my guy makes it down to me. (And that becomes just as important as you move into the supplemental and second rounds. There's a reason why the money's more-- it's because, all things being relatively equal, the guy drafted higher is the better player.

Just my opinion that you're wrong on that (as concerns 2016 anyway - most years you are exactly right) - there are several players that can easily jump up equal to or ahead of Pak and Pint. Blake Rutherford, Alec Hanson, Nick Banks, Austin Bergner, Robert Tyler - all have the tools and ceiling to end up #1 overall along with the wonderfully alliteral Puk n Pint, depending on performance and health, of course. Be in the top 6, certainly the top 5, and you are going to get a terrific ballplayer.

[Plus Plus]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft...lance-lottery/

The Reds won this year’s lottery and will receive the first pick of Competitive Balance Round A, which immediately follows the first round. Cincinnati will be followed by the A’s, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Marlins and Pirates.

The Padres won the first pick of Competitive Balance Round B, which follows the second round. Following San Diego in Competitive Balance Round B will be the Indians, Twins, Brewers, Orioles and Rays.

[Gallen5862]

This will add a big signing bonus pool slot for the Reds. They now may be able to pool some of their signing pool money to draft a player that slipped out of the first round because of bonus demands or injury etc.

[RedlegJake]

wow! That's great news!