The baseball draft's on Tuesday. it's obviously not as exciting as the NBA or NFL but still real important to the long-term health of the franchise, perhaps even moreso than basketball, as there aren't as many quick fixes as in the NBA.



Detroit Tigers
Scouting Director: David Chadd. Chadd was an All-America college player at Kansas State and spent the early 90s coaching both there and at Wichita State. He spent eight years with the Marlins (with current Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski) from 1994-2001, working his way from area scout to management. He spent 2002-2004 as the scouting director for the Red Sox before leaving to rejoin Dombrowski in the Motor City. Chadd was hampered in Boston by the front office's obsession with college players, and left for Detroit because he felt his philosophy fit in better there. His first draft with the Tigers earned high grades, as beyond stealing Cameron Maybin with the 10th overall pick, he found some pretty nice prospects in the middle rounds, including reliever Kevin Whelan (4th), sluggers Jeff Larrish (5th), and outfielder Clete Thomas (6th).
What The System Needs: Lefthanders and catchers ... and more lefthanders. What They'll Do On Tuesday: Maybe take a lefthander with the sixth overall pick, as the team loves Clayton Kershaw, the top high school pitcher in the draft. If Kershaw goes earlier, Chadd is a guy who believes in big tools, so look for a high velocity pitcher or a power bat who is more than just a one-dimensional slugger.

Drew Stubb is my top choice right now.

I wasn't very high on him to start but his potential is off-the-charts. Probably the most of any position player in the entire draft.

He is bit of a raw project compared to most other college hitters. But given his combination of tools (defense, power, baserunning) it's hard not be impressed.

I give you guys credit, you have to be hardcore to follow the MLB draft and know the players involved.

I'm glad you guys are on top of these things for us, it provides a nice quick read of what we really need to know.

BA's Tool rankings: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/features/261350.html

Stubbs looks even better, given where he is ranked on that list.

Evan Longoria, that's a rough name to have right now.

I give you guys credit, you have to be hardcore to follow the MLB draft and know the players involved.

I'm glad you guys are on top of these things for us, it provides a nice quick read of what we really need to know.

Took the words right off my keyboard. You guys are awesome.

I don't want Stubbs(as much) just due to the fact he plays CF.

We already have 2 high quality CF's in the system, and another good OF. Granderson, Whelen, and Maybin are all very talented. If possible I would like either a C or a 3b.

Tigers select Andrew Miller, junior from UNC with our first pick. Probably rated the #1 propect in the draft, but he's also looking for an 8 figure deal which is scary.

1. Andrew Miller, LHP, University of North Carolina

Year School ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO Opp. BA K %
2006 North Carolina 2.26 103.2 82 40 26 1 35 108 .217 26%
2006 Chatham 1.65 49.0 22 11 9 1 23 66 .133 34%
2005 North Carolina 2.98 96.2 78 45 32 4 52 104 .230 25%
The consensus No. 1 pick, Miller has been on prospect radar screens since he was a senior in high school in Florida, when he flashed a 94-95 mph fastball but fell out of the first round due to his seven-figure bonus demands. Tampa Bay selected him in the third round in 2003 but failed to sign him -- another parting gift from Chuck LaMar -- which has worked out well for Miller, who finds himself as the top left-handed starter in a draft thin on first-round talents. Miller's fastball sits in the low 90s, but he can run it up to 96-97 as needed, and he complements it with a plus breaking ball that he sweeps to left-handers but throws with more of a two-plane break to right-handers. Because he's 6-foot-6, Miller's delivery also causes trouble for left-handed hitters. And he was easily the best groundball pitcher among college starter prospects this year, with nearly 80 percent of his field outs coming on the ground.

Let's add him to the rotation. How fast do you think he can get to Chicago?

LMFAO Glenn.

10 Figures is very scary, especially considering the number of young pitchers who get hurt and flame out but ohhh maaannn....A Lefty who can run it up to 96-97 with great mechanics? Those just don't come around every day.

I think the Tigers have figured out something a lot of the small market teams haven't when it comes to the draft and prospects.
It's pretty well accepted that a successful MLB team has to be able to build from within. The free agents help but should be the finishing touches and not the core of the team.
To ensure franchise strength, you have to pour some money into your farm system. Yes, there's a lot of risk involved considering how many of these guys never work out, but you have to take everything in perspective.
Let's say we give this Miller kid $12 million. It's not like it's either $12 million or nothing. No matter who we drafted, we'd have to pay them something fairly substantial, so let's say the alternative is we give some other guy $7.5 million. That means the risk from Miller is really only $4.5 million. Still a lot of money in general terms, but then consider that we gave Troy Percival $6 Million last year plus whatever the insurance doesn't cover this year to do basically jack shit. That $4.5 million doesn't look like such a bad risk anymore considering the upside is a whole lot better than Percival's upside ever was.

This makes 3 years in a row we haven't cheaped out in the draft; Verlander, Maybin, and now Miller. Even if Verlander turns out to be the only one of the three to be successful, the strategy has already worked, in my opinion. We get Verlander dirt cheap for the next 4 years or so (you have to consider his original signing bonus a sunk cost), and if he can be a stud, the cost of originally signing all three players combined won't even approach what it would cost to get someone like that on the open market (see Burnett, AJ).

This is the type of spending that doesn't get noticed every day, but that the Tigers have been doing, and it seems to be subtly working.

Here's another profile:

Andrew Miller
Position: Left-Handed Pitcher Height: 6-6 Weight: 210
Born: 5/21/1985 Bats: Right Throws: Left

Background
The 2003 draft saw Miller go in the 3rd round to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In the end, he was the top unsigned pick in the draft. Miller has been a premium prospect since high school, and has only enhanced his stock since joining the Tar Heels. Miller was the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school senior, and was also a pre-season and post season high school All American. As a freshman at UNC, Andrew was named 2nd team All-ACC, as well as to the Freshman All-American Team, while posting a 6-3 record and 2.93 ERA in 89 innings. Miller’s sophomore campaign saw him become the UNC ace, while also garnering significant attention on post season watch lists. He was named to the watch lists for the Brooks Wallace, Roger Clemens (top pitcher), and Golden Spikes (top player) Awards. During the summer, Miller pitched for the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod League, ending the season as the league’s top prospect. He was granted the Robert A. McNeece Outstanding Prospect Award, while also bringing home the B.F.C. Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award. As a junior this season, Miller garnered numerous pre-season honors, and has thus far taken home end-of-season awards that include Louisville Slugger First Team All American, ACC Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-ACC, and is again a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top player. Thus far, Miller’s junior campaign has been electric, as he sports a 2.26 ERA in 15 starts, with at least a few games still to go in the Super Regionals.
Scouting Report
Miller brings exceptional size, poise, and intelligence to the mound. His four-seam fastball sits consistently in the 93-95 range, and can touch 97 when he reaches back for more. His two-seamer has a little less velocity, but adds significant movement. Andrew gets plenty of natural sinking action on his secondary fastball, and can command it to both sides of the plate, low in the zone. Miller’s breaking ball is a late-breaking slurve that he can place on both corners, or bury in the dirt as a swing-and-miss out pitch. The slurve is currently an above-average pitch, but has shown plus potential at times. He has flashed a change-up at times, but the pitch is little more than a show-me pitch at this time. Miller will have to become more consistent with the pitch for it to be truly reliable. Andrew is a very good athlete, who fields his position well and repeats his low-3/4s delivery very well. He projects as a top of the rotation starter who could see an additional bump in velocity as he continues to mature.
Performance

Level
Team
W-L
ERA
G
GS
SV
SO
BB
IP
WHIP
A
N. Carolina
12-2
2.26
15
15
0
108
35
103.2
1.13


Health Record
Miller has clean mechanics that he repeats very well, and has had no injury issues to this point in his career. The Future
The Tigers have not been afraid of tricky negotiations over the last several seasons, and that appears to be the case again this year. Miller’s bonus demands have reportedly crept upwards of $10 million, and he may not be under contract until sometime this fall. It’s unlikely the Tigers would have made this pick if they were unwilling to pay a steep price for his services, but that doesn’t mean there will a quick resolution. Once signed, Miller should move very quickly, with the potential to reach Detroit for a cup of coffee by the close of the 2007 season. Expect to see him get significant Major League time during the 2008 season, and barring any significant injuries, he should join Justin Verlander at the top of the Detroit rotation in very short order.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060606&content_id=1491131&vkey=draft2006&fext=.jsp

DETROIT -- For the second year in a row, the Tigers benefited from a highly-rated prospect who fell out of the top handful of spots. Unlike Cameron Maybin, however, Andrew Miller was expected to be the top overall pick.

With the sixth overall pick in Tuesday's First-Year Player Draft, the Tigers changed course and went with Miller, the University of North Carolina left-hander who as recently as Monday was predicted to go to the Royals at No. 1. In so doing, Detroit proved out scouting director David Chadd's prediction that what the Tigers would do with their selection depended on what happened with the five picks before theirs.
And as Chadd also said, what happened ahead of them couldn't be predicted.
Miller has been widely regarded as the best combination of ability and polish in what was regarded as a pitcher-heavy draft. Both MLB.com and Baseball America rated the 21-year-old left-hander as the top prospect available, a lofty status that had basically remained unchanged since the college season began. He's a power lefty in both stature -- he's listed at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds -- and stuff.
With a mid-90s fastball that occasionally tops out even higher, along with a quality slider, Miller began his junior season by going 10-0 before finally taking his first loss last month. He went 12-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 15 starts, striking out 108 batters over 103 2/3 innings and holding opponents to a .217 batting average.
That made him a likely selection for the Royals with the first overall selection. However, contract demands reportedly helped Kansas City turn its attention elsewhere. With the next four teams pretty much set with their wish lists, Miller went on a relative free fall.
The Tigers were expected to turn to the Lone Star State for their pick, deciding between Texas high school left-hander Clayton Kershaw and University of Texas center fielder Drew Stubbs. All the while, however, they paid attention to the players expected to go ahead of them in case one fell. Chadd, for instance, attended the ACC Tournament a couple weeks ago.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/images/events/draft/y2006/logo_100.gif (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/draft/y2006/index.jsp)
Complete coverage > (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/draft/y2006/index.jsp)


Ironically, the Royals went with another pitcher the Tigers were believed to be considering with their pick, taking former University of Tennessee right-hander Luke Hochevar. Detroit had turned its attention to Hochevar in recent days when it appeared he would fall to the sixth spot.
Whether the Tigers can quickly ink a deal with Miller remains to be seen. They had lengthy negotiations with their last two selections, Justin Verlander and Maybin. A repeat, however, would not ruin their timetable, since Detroit's recent history with first-round pitchers is to let them rest their arms until either fall instructional league or the following spring. Miller's selection marks the third time in the last four years that the Tigers have used their top pick on a pitcher. The last one, Justin Verlander, went No. 2 overall in 2004 and is now 7-3 this season as a member of the Detroit rotation. Kyle Sleeth, the third overall pick in 2003, returned to game action last week after missing all of last season while recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery.

2nd Round - 3B Ronald Bourquin

Kind of a reach IMO as he wasn't even in the BA Top 200 and was projected to go in Rounds 4-8. But I think that this pick was made based on need (LH Power Bat) rather than BPA.

3rd Round - OF Brennan Boesch

Don't know much about him other than the fact that he was on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award "Watch List".

4th Round - 1B Ryan Strieby

5th Round - 2B Scott Sizemore

6th Round - C Jordan Newton

7th Round - RHP Jonah Nickerson

BA's analysis:

Tigers Steal Another One
2:59 p.m.: The Tigers found a nice value when Andrew Miller dropped to them in the first round, and might have landed another gem in the second in Ohio State third baseman Ronnie Bourquin. He led the Big 10 with a .416 average, .612 slugging percentage, .492 on-base percentage and 66 RBIs. He's the highest-drafted Buckeye since the A's grabbed Nick Swisher in the first round (16th overall) in 2002.
-- Will Kimmey


Tigers Go For Power
4:20 p.m.: The Tigers popped one of the draft's most powerful hitters in the fourth round, Kentucky first baseman Ryan Strieby. Strieby has some holes in his swing, but when he squares up balls, he can really drive them deep to all parts of the park.
-- Alan Matthews

Wonder if the Yankees have offered something for Miller yet....

First base is where you put the guy who can't feild but isn't the DH right? (I mean, I know it takes ability to stretch for the throw from 3rd and pick the ball out of the dirt so you don't want a guy who can't catch the ball at all but its generally where you hide guys on the field, yes?)

If so, what does it say if the dude is already on 1st in college?

First base is where you put the guy who can't feild but isn't the DH right? (I mean, I know it takes ability to stretch for the throw from 3rd and pick the ball out of the dirt so you don't want a guy who can't catch the ball at all but its generally where you hide guys on the field, yes?)

If so, what does it say if the dude is already on 1st in college?

I can see your point, but it's not necessarily as bad as you might think. The worst defensive player usually ends up at first but it often has to do with size as much as anything. Big power hitters by the nature of their body type are usually not as flexible and mobile and thus they end up at first.
Also, while worse fielders are often "hidden" at first base, by the same token, worse hitters can be "hidden" at other positions. They're not going to stick a guy who can't hit at first (unless you're the anaheim angels and have Darin Erstad, but I digress...) because if that were all he could offer, why would he even make the team? The better fielders who may not have the best bats will end up playing short, second and center, leaving first third and the corners for the hitters.

Hope this made sense.

With pick 6, we use it on a 6'6" lefty pitcher. This kid is Satan.

Sorry for being superstitous. :p

Welcome to the team Andrew Miller. We've been waiting on you.

With pick 6, we use it on a 6'6" lefty pitcher. This kid is Satan.

Sorry for being superstitous. :p

Welcome to the team Andrew Miller. We've been waiting on you.

On 06/06/06 no less.

First base is where you put the guy who can't feild but isn't the DH right? (I mean, I know it takes ability to stretch for the throw from 3rd and pick the ball out of the dirt so you don't want a guy who can't catch the ball at all but its generally where you hide guys on the field, yes?)

If so, what does it say if the dude is already on 1st in college?
I can see your point, but it's not necessarily as bad as you might think. The worst defensive player usually ends up at first but it often has to do with size as much as anything. Big power hitters by the nature of their body type are usually not as flexible and mobile and thus they end up at first.
Also, while worse fielders are often "hidden" at first base, by the same token, worse hitters can be "hidden" at other positions. They're not going to stick a guy who can't hit at first (unless you're the anaheim angels and have Darin Erstad, but I digress...) because if that were all he could offer, why would he even make the team? The better fielders who may not have the best bats will end up playing short, second and center, leaving first third and the corners for the hitters.

Hope this made sense.

It did.
Thanks for the perspective Vin.

According Baseball America and the limited mainsteam breakdowns of Miller he is projected to be in the major next season. So perhaps the taking of him means Detroit is looking at a trade. What I mean by this is by drafting a ML ready prospect, there is room to trade away a guy like Minor or Sleeth and not have to worry about who will replace him.

7th Round - RHP Jonah Nickerson

Interesting. I'm curious to see if Nickerson is able to do some good in the organization.

[/homer]

According Baseball America and the limited mainsteam breakdowns of Miller he is projected to be in the major next season. So perhaps the taking of him means Detroit is looking at a trade. What I mean by this is by drafting a ML ready prospect, there is room to trade away a guy like Minor or Sleeth and not have to worry about who will replace him.

We'll have to replace Rodgers soon, but it wouldn't suprise me to see us trade a young arm for a bat.

According Baseball America and the limited mainsteam breakdowns of Miller he is projected to be in the major next season. So perhaps the taking of him means Detroit is looking at a trade. What I mean by this is by drafting a ML ready prospect, there is room to trade away a guy like Minor or Sleeth and not have to worry about who will replace him.

While I wouldn't be suprised to see that happen, I would think that the signibality concerns surrounding Miller would make the Tigers think twice before trading any of the pitching prospects.

Day 2 Recap

Detroit drafts seasoned players
Day 2 draft signees may head to Class A Oneonta

On Day 2 of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Detroit continued to look to the more seasoned players.

"Once you get to a certain round, most of the kids decide on school and pass up signing," Tigers assistant director of amateur scouting James Orr said. "It's just how the draft works out."

The Tigers began Day 2 by taking in-state product and its fourth left-handed pitcher, Duane Below. Projected anywhere from the 15th to 30th round by Baseball America, the 6-foot-2 hurler (Lake Michigan College) was ranked as one of the best prospects from the state of Michigan.

"Our scout saw him and said he's a good-sized kid with a breaking ball and [durability]," Orr said.

Joining Below in the Tigers organization is University of Michigan fifth-year southpaw Paul Hammond. Named the team's most valuable pitcher, Hammond led the team with eight wins and finished second with a 2.36 ERA. Below and Hammond join a list of Tiger legends that includes former All-Star catcher Bill Freehan and Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer. Freehan and Gehringer were two of Michigan's 71 alumni to have played in the Majors.

Detroit grabbed another left-hander from traditional powerhouse Notre Dame in the 21st round. Tom Thornton (7-3, 3.94 ERA in '05) formed the backbone of the Irish's rotation, along with Chicago Cubs 2006 fifth-round pick Jeff Samardzija and Minnesota Twins 14th-rounder selection Jeff Manship.

Whereas Michigan and Notre Dame are among the leading baseball schools in the country, New Mexico and Nicholls St. are relatively obscure on the diamond, with four Major League alumni produced from both programs' history. But that's where the Tigers' picks first baseman Christopher Carlson and right-hander Rudy Darrow are from, respectively.

Carlson, a Louisville Slugger All-American, hit .366 with 21 home runs and 79 RBIs for the Lobos. This spring he set a MWC Championship record for most RBIs (seven) in a conference tournament game.

Award-nominee Kodiak Quick (Kansas, right-hander) came to the Tigers in the 33rd round. In his collegiate career, the senior was named to the 2006 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for the nation's top player; he led Kansas in wins (10) as well as innings pitched (121.1) by a junior.

Four rounds later saw Quick's Big 12 rival, Baylor senior righty Ryan LaMotta, come to the Tigers. LaMotta, a 2006 Baseball America Top-50 senior prospect, lists in the top 10 in nine categories for Bear annals.

Right-hander Christopher Krawczyk (22nd round) joins Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard and Washington Nationals outfielder Matt Cepicky as Missouri State alums in professional baseball.

Orr said Krawcyk and most of the other Day 2 Detroit draftees would be headed for Class A Oneonta, which begins play on June 20.

"For the most part, most of the guys we draft and sign usually go to the short-season leagues and the Gulf Coast League. Some of them might go to Oneonta for a month and then get moved up. It kind of depends where our needs are and if some of these kids are advanced enough to play."
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060607&content_id=1494175&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

Starting And Finishing Well
5:08 p.m.: Tigers eighth-round pick Chris Cody boosted his stock by book-ending his season with a complete-game, 10-strikeout shutout against Tulane in Manhattan's season opener and a complete-game, seven-strikeout win against Nebraska in the regionals this weekend. Cody, a soft-tossing lefthander with a plus changeup and a very advanced feel for pitching, threw nine shutouts on the season.
-- Will Kimmey


• Several chat participants asked me for a pick that shocked me, but I didn't think I could provide a complete response in a chat session. My answer is Detroit's second-round pick, Ronald Bourquin, a third baseman from Ohio State. Bourquin was the Big Ten Player of the Year, but his stats were largely built on a big batting average (.416). His power isn't great for a third baseman, and there's at least an even chance he'll have to move off the position, which would relegate him to backup status. He was expected to go at least two rounds later than when the Tigers took him.


Winners

1. Tigers

Because of signability concerns, North Carolina lefty Andrew Miller, who was widely regarded as the top talent in the draft, fell to the Tigers at number six. The Tigers love power arms of late, so they didn't let him slide by. A great score for Detroit, provided they sign him. Ohio State third sacker Ronnie Bourquin was another nice choice. Also, Kentucky's Ryan Strieby (fourth round) is an intriguing power prospect, and finesse lefty Chris Cody (Manhattan, eighth round) has good potential.

From BA's draft day chat:


Q: Ron Burgandy? from DC asks:
I'm still thrilled the Tigers were able to draft Miller...what a steal. Any thoughts on when he might sign? Also, how highly do you rank him vis-a-vis the top 100 prospects? Thanks.

A: John Manuel: Ron, I'm gonna throw this out at you, if you don't like it, you can throw it right back at me . . . Detroit had an amazing first day of the draft. Miller at 6, once again a Top 25 type of Top 100 player fell to them,as happened last year with Cam Maybin. Kudos to David Chadd and ownership there for having the chutzpah to take Miller. Ron bourquin, Boesch, Ryan Strieby, Jordan Newton and Scott Sizemore are interesting college bats, and I'm a Jonah Nickerson fan. Another solid effort by Chadd, who turned in a great draft last year.


Q: Jason B. from Foggy Bottom--Wash DC asks:
Jim, Thank you for taking my question and great work on the draft. My question pertains to Andrew Miller and Drew Stubbs. How quickly does Miller sign? Where will he fit in the Tigers rotation, 2 or 3 type of guy? Can he make the bigs by mid 07? Do you agree with J. Manuel (yesterday's chat) that he could be top 25 BA prospect next year. Would Stubbs fit into BA Top 100 for 07 if you had to take a guess? My guess he will sign quick and progress quickly.

A: Jim Callis: Miller probably will get a Mike Pelfrey contract ($3.5 million bonus, $5.25 total value), and since that's over slot, MLB will make the Tigers wait for a while. He may not pitch this summer. Miller is a frontline starter, though may have to get in line behind Verlander in Detroit. Mid-2007 seems early to me because I don't think he'll pitch much this summer . . . I'd say 2008. He could be a Top 25 guy, because there's a lot of turnover. Stubbs, I'd say it depends on how he debuts. If he comes out and hits and ends the whispers about his bat, he could fit in the Top 50. Because everything else he does is way above average.


Q: Brad from Detroit asks:
Are you concerned about Andrew Miller's lack of a true off spead pitch. I can't think of many front line starters in the league who are successful without a real changeup.

A: Jim Callis: I think this is overblown, at least at the amateur level. Anyone with an arm like Miller's doesn't need much of a changeup at that level, and throwing one is often doing the hitter a favor. He has one, just needs to use it more and will. If we projected every amateur pitcher who doesn't use his changeup much as a reliever, there wouldn't be enough starters.


Q: Dave from Motor City asks:
Hey Jim, your the man as always. Tell me after last nights heart-breaker to Chicago that the Tigers had the best draft yesterday

A: Jim Callis: Best draft? I'm still digesting all that. But they had a great pick at No. 6 with Andrew Miller. The agents were trying to slide him down to the middle of the first round, but the Tigers stepped up and took the No. 1-rated prospect in the draft. Great move.


Q: Brad from Detroit asks:
What are your thoughts on Ronnie Borquin, the Tigers second pick?

A: Jim Callis: I was a little surprise the Ohio State 3B went in round two, but Bourquin has good all-around tools. Probably the best bat in the Big Ten this year.


Q: MikeF from MA asks:
Supposedly, Peter Gammons indicated on BBTN that Miller had an agreeement w the redsox and had tried driving other teams away from drafting him by indicating he needed large signing bonus. Have you heard this as well. thanks.

A: Jim Callis: My understanding was that if Miller could have gotten to the Yankees at 21, they would have broken Justin Upton's bonus record ($6.1 million) for him. They don't do major league contracts for draftees. If he could have gotten to the Red Sox at 27, I heard that an $8 million or $9 million big league deal could have been there for him. Not sure it was a done deal, but that rumor was flying around Monday night.

This OT, but two local guys (Joey Wong and Rocky Gale) who go to rival high schools from ours were drafted in the 46th and 49th rounds, respectively.

Rocky Gale went to the Royals, so expect them to pencil him in as the starter by next week.

Seriously though, that's pretty freaking cool.

BTW ESPN will be broadcasting tonight's game between Alabama and North Carolina at 6 PM. And Andrew Miller is scheduled to start for NC, so you guys can get an early glance at our first-round pick.

A: Jim Callis: Miller probably will get a Mike Pelfrey contract ($3.5 million bonus, $5.25 total value), and since that's over slot, MLB will make the Tigers wait for a while.

The MLB draft has a slotted salary structure? How far does it go (it can't possible cover all 12 billion rounds of the thing)? How does it work (if the kid is going to go "above slot" then it can't be a fixed amount like NBA rookie contracts)?

Also, the answer man there say MLB would make the Tiger's "wait for a while". Obviously this means the dude wouldn't pitch but can someone explain in a little more detail? What kind of restriction might they levy, does it happen often?

Lastly,
I read a bunch of the article on the Tigers' draft on the MLB.com the other day. I know everyone decries the value of "grading" a team's draft in the NFL but they still all do it. Does anything similar happen in MLB because I didn't see anything (maybe its too soon to expect something like that?).

A: Jim Callis: Miller probably will get a Mike Pelfrey contract ($3.5 million bonus, $5.25 total value), and since that's over slot, MLB will make the Tigers wait for a while.

The MLB draft has a slotted salary structure? How far does it go (it can't possible cover all 12 billion rounds of the thing)? How does it work (if the kid is going to go "above slot" then it can't be a fixed amount like NBA rookie contracts)?

I am actually not sure MLB has an official salary slot structure.

I think the the commissioner’s office sends every team a list of “recommended” signing bonus’ for each pick in advance of the draft. I don't think there is a pre-determined salary structure though.


Also, the answer man there say MLB would make the Tiger's "wait for a while". Obviously this means the dude wouldn't pitch but can someone explain in a little more detail? What kind of restriction might they levy, does it happen often?

Officialy, MLB can't tell you what to do. They have no authority to punish if a team exceeds the slot recommendations. But they can and will pressure you into certain decisions though.

The reason why the League makes teams wait before paying over the slot is two fold: Institute an (unofficial) salary cap on the draft and to not let the agents think they can get everything they want.

YOWZA! He just gave up a double for his second hit, but man oh man, Miller's slider is NASTY. The picture of a 2008 rotation with
Miller, Verlander and Bonderman up top is just plain scary. And then we could fill things out with some combo of Maroth, Robertson, Zumaya, Minor, Ledezma, Tata and Humberto Sanchez....that's just plain sick. We'll be able to trade a couple of those guys for big bats hopefully, too...

Here's a pretty good explanation of why teams have to "wait":
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/2005draft/050604bonus.html


“Major league baseball has put a tremendous amount of pressure on its clubs to conform,” a major league executive said. “They’ve been threatened with punitive action and most clubs haven’t been willing to challenge Major League Baseball on it. You’ll pay a price if you do—if not now then later.”
Several clubs have been taken behind the woodshed for not conforming to MLB’s new bonus guidelines—notably the Dodgers, before Frank McCourt assumed ownership of the club in 2004, and the Devil Rays.
As always, though, there are ways to circumvent the process. If a team waits to sign a draft pick until after most other players have signed—and makes clear its intention with Major League Baseball—it usually can pay a higher price. The Cubs did that last year when they signed their top pick, Notre Dame righthander Grant Johnson, late in the summer for $1.26 million—easily the largest bonus paid to a second-rounder in 2004.
“So long as you don’t impact another team’s pick,” an American League scouting director said, “the commissioner’s office usually won’t have as much of a problem.”

It feels nice to have Ilitch opening his wallet for this team. With Dombrowski at the reins and Chadd doing his thing, we'll have one of the top 5 farm systems in the league before too long. Soon, we'll have top prospects but no place for them to play. Trading those guys is one of the ways the "rich" teams have stolen All-Stars from small market clubs for years. Hopefully the fans continue to show up and support this winning team so Ilitch will have enough reason to keep writing checks.

I would watch the College World Series championship game if it were Miller or Gagnier facing Nickerson. That would be pretty cool, two Tiger draft picks pitching against each other for the championship.

I would have prefered drafting a bat in the 1st round, definitely a lefty. Were there any good lefties in the 1st round?

I would have prefered drafting a bat in the 1st round, definitely a lefty. Were there any good lefties in the 1st round?

Yes, there were some lefties in there, but most of them were high school kids. For better or for worse, the Tigers draft has concentrated a lot on 4 year college players. For starters, they are much more signable since they don't have the option of returning to school and enter into the draft again the following year.

The first lefty bat chosen was William Rowell, a 6'5", 215 lb. HS SS who will likely play 3B from now on. Supposedly has power in the bat as well. Let's see, could this team have possibly used a big 3B with power and a lefty bat? Geeze. Supposedly Jack Hannahan fits that bill, but his 0-9 stay at the major league level was less than impressive. Maybe he'll get it figured out and make it with the team coming out of spring training next year. At 26 he should be ready soon.

By the way, there is some relevent discussion in the NCAA forum, CWS thread.

By the way, there is some relevent discussion in the NCAA forum, CWS thread.

Hey, spam will not be tolerated. This is your first and last warning.

Kodiak Quick = best name in the draft.

Tigers appear stocked with pitching
Nickerson, Miller, Gagnier all taken in 2006 draft

f there were any doubts as to how the Tigers made out in this year's draft -- and there weren't many -- they were quieted this week during the College World Series. Sure, Detroit got one of the steals of this year's selection process when North Carolina's Andrew Miller slipped all the way to the sixth spot.

While it was a no-brainer that the Tigers snapped him up, some of the starting pitching they collected after Miller shapes up to be impressive in its own right. Just look at what took place this week at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Oregon State's Jonah Nickerson (seventh round) was outstanding, while Cal State-Fullerton's Lauren Gagnier (10th round) was solid, and at times, spectacular this week, giving the Tigers a nice group of secondary starters after Miller.

Nickerson made his second start of the World Series on Thursday night, going on two days' rest after starting Monday in the Beavers' 5-3 victory over Georgia. He allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings of that affair, and all he did for an encore was limit Rice to two hits over 7 2/3 innings, leaving after 109 pitches.

Detroit scouting director David Chadd likes that Nickerson has had the experience of pitching in the College World Series two consecutive seasons, not to mention playing on Team USA.

"He's a kid who throws strikes," Chadd said. "He's got that cut fastball and it goes 88-90. He really gets out there and goes after it."

When Nickerson was asked how the Tigers might feel about him coming back on short rest to throw 223 pitches in 72 hours, he just smiled.

"The Tigers trust me," he said. "I take care of my body and don't put too much strain on my arm when I pitch. So that's why I was able to come back on short rest."

Gagnier, meanwhile, made one start and one relief appearance in which he took the loss. He pitched nine innings, gave up 17 hits and eight runs but was hampered by a stomach virus for much of the week. He finished at 14-5 with a 2.80 ERA.

"He has an ability to throw strikes, he is durable and is very competitive," Chadd said. "Our area scout out there really wanted him."

As for Miller, Chadd said there is no real rush to get him signed while he's in Omaha and that the club hasn't set a timetable for when it wants to get him inked. Part of the reason Miller was believed to have dropped was because of perceived contract demands, but in talking to Chadd and Miller, the relationship already seems amicable and it doesn't appear as if the negotiations will drag out for long.

"Let the kid catch his breath a little," Chadd said. "That said, we still want to get him in the system. I think it's necessary that he take a little time off, but he can still be learning."

Miller, who is represented by Mark Rodgers and Darek Braunecker, wasn't tipping his hand after picking up the save in North Carolina's victory over Fullerton on Wednesday but seemed pleased with how the Tigers have handled the situation.

"They've let me focus on college baseball," Miller said. "They're going to be my employer and if anything, they're going to try and keep me off the field. Right now, though, I'm just focusing on one more start. All that other stuff is out of my control. Sometimes it (negotiations) take forever, sometimes they take a day. But the Tigers have treated me well."

Miller said he is not pitching as if he has something to prove to the five teams that passed on him. The Royals were believed to be looking hard at Miller but instead went with former Tennessee hurler and draft holdout Luke Hochevar. Miller said he's glad things worked out the way they did.

"The only thing I want to prove is that we (the Tar Heels) are the best team in the country," Miller said.

The Tigers also grabbed Clemson catcher Adrian Casanova (40th round), the son of Detroit scout Rolando Casanova.

"He's got a great arm and you can never have enough quality catching in the system," Chadd said.
http://minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060623&content_id=96900&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp