On Overvaluing Prospects and Staying the Course: The #FreeCordPhelps Edition
June 7, 2011Da Clip Show: Keeping an Eye on the Tribe’s AAA Squad – 6/7/11
June 7, 2011With the eighth-overall selection in the 2011 MLB Draft, the Cleveland Indians flipped script and selected a high-upside, highly talented high school shortstop by the name of Francisco Lindor.
Taking collegiate players in the first round of every season’s draft since 2001 (pitchers Daniel Denham and Alan Horne), not taking a prep position player since selecting shortstop Corey Smith26th overall. Alas, despite many pundits claiming the contrary, the Tribe front office – led by GM Chris Antonetti – opted for the 17-year-old switch-hitting shortstop who hails from Montverde Academy in Florida.
Despite not presently boasting much power, Lindor is projected to be an electric middle infielder with a heavy aresnal of high-contact, gap-reaching line drive swings. And while his .528 senior season batting average will catch some eyes, it is his glovework that has many MLB front offices’ heads turning. Scouting reports vary, but one item remains fairly consistent: “Gold Glove fielding skills, the type of player who can form the cornerstone of a franchise.”
With Brad Grant at the helm, the Indians have managed to use these recent drafts to turn names like Smith, Denham and Horne into Alex White, Lonnie Chisenhall and Drew Pomeranz. The team claims to have been watching Lindor for over two seasons, stating that he has the ” intangibles and instincts” that cannot be taught. As Tony Lastoria points out at IPI, the Indians presently have a sizable gap at shortstop between Lake County and Columbus making the position of greater need than if judged based purely on the present day Indians.
Reportedly looking for one of the top pitchers in the draft, the Indians opted to go with who they felt was the best player available at the eighth slot.
Naturally, there will be questions raised as to why the team would take a first-round shortstop when they currently have one of the best in the league in Asdrubal Cabrera*. Speculation can range, but with Cabrera entering his second year of potential arbitration coupled with the fact that Lindor is still several seasons away from being ready to play and make an impact in the bigs – assuming he gets signed – and the Indians seem to comfortable drafting a kid with as high of upside as the 17-year-old shortstop who could realistically be Cabrera’s successor at a point in the future.
—
*We would be remiss if we did not mention that, despite his excellent work at the plate and occassional behind-the-back highlight, Cabrera is currently ranked 21st in range factor and dead last among qualified shortstops in MLB with a -6.8 UZR.
12 Comments
Brad Grant must believe he has amassed some legit starting pitching depth the last few years. You can successfully slide shortstops to other positions, but you can’t make a good defensive shortstop out of another position. If this kid’s defense is really electric, even if he ends up hitting just .250 -.260, like this pick an awful lot. Much better than drafting a Mark Lewis who you hope will hit enough to neutralize mediocre range.
worst case, we sign Asdrubel long-term and Lindor is pushing him and we move Asdrubel to 2B or 3B (if Chis, Kipnis, or Phelps don’t work out)? ok, not really worst case, but still. you always take the BPA and worry about the MLB fit later.
also, let’s not forget that many have Lindor tagged as one of the hardest signs (read most expensive) of the top10 picks. IPI was saying $4-6mil. good to see we just went after BPA and are apparently willing to throw good money at the draft.
@Harv 21 — Mark Lewis! That guy’s really stuck in my head for some reason. I remember watching his first major league AB. A hit against Nolan Ryan.
Mark Lewis was also the last out at Municipal Stadium. Kd.
I really shouldn’t know that.
PACO!!! <3 I'm so proud of you!
@Scott, I thought the same thing. Mark Lewis and Tim Costo were the two major draft busts of that era. At least we didn’t draft Tod van Poppel (baseball card legend) or Brian Taylor, who were high profile busts
so, a high ceiling HS-SS and a Boras-HS RHP. And, almost got Purke in the 3rd (missed by one pick).
don’t know much about Mark Lowery (C-James Madison) or Jake Merced (RHP – Merced Color), but hopefully our FO is prepared to put $10mil+ into this draft (it seems like it).
oh, and Will Roberts, RHP, UVa apparently was picked shortly ago as well.
here’s a funny note: indians.com has him listed as Mark lowery which I referred to above. too bad his name is Jake Lowery according to everywhere else.
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2011/drafttracker.jsp?p=0&s=30&sc=pick_number&so=ascending&st=number&ft=TM&fv=cle
this is worse than calling Cam Jordan when the Browns wanted Jordan Cameron.
Hey, Mark Lewis stayed on a major league roster for a while. By tribe standards, that’s hardly a draft bust. Now Corey Smith, on the other hand … Or that “speedy” high school centerfielder they took in the first round like 20 years ago (name escapes me) who promised he wouldn’t sign, and didn’t. A busty bust.
Dillon Peters in the 20th round. Now that just sounds like a MLB name.
And Baseball America has him as the 104th rated prospect, so obviously there are signability issues in play here. But, when he gets drafted in the 1st round in 3yrs and eventually dominates in MLB, Indians fans will still complain that we drafted him first and we missed out.
/Tim Lincecum’d
@Harv 21
wasn’t his last name Powell or Murray? he ended playing a bit for SF Giants i think.