Angels Draft Analysis

by Rev Halofan on Jun 7, 2007 7:10 PM PDT in Angels News

Pick # 58 - RHP Jonathan Bachanov - January 30, 1989
A power pitcher born the day before Nolan Ryan turned 42. From Florida, which means he wrassles alligators.

Pick # 118 - RHP Matthew Harvey - March 27, 1989
Assumed to go in the First Round, this Boras client fell far. He was born three days after the Exxon Valdez disaster, so you know he can make big headlines.

Pick # 148 - Lefty CF Trevor Pippin - December 3, 1986
Sounds like he is ready for high tea with the queen with that name, but he is from Middle Georgia Junior College, which means he may know most of his ABCs, a step up from the rest of the local populace.

Pick # 178 - Switch-Hitting SS Andrew Romine - December 24, 1985
A top college defender, he was born the day we got a VCR and a microwave at our house for the first time - biggest Christmas ever. Hopefully he is a present for the Angels a few seasons from now!

P R E D I C T I O N S: Matt Harvey signs in August for First Round Money. The others report to minicamp by July 15.

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I am ecstatic that we got Harvey

I don't know how the hell we did, but wow. He was seen as a top 20 pick for sure - some mock drafts even had him going in the top 10.

by NPCody on Jun 7, 2007 7:44 PM PDT reply actions

Just to follow up on this...

...it's basically the same situation we had with Jered Weaver. This kid definitely has top 10 talent, the only reason he fell so far is because Bora$ is his agent.

by NPCody on Jun 7, 2007 7:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Actually

he slipped because he was very inconsistent and still wanted top dollar to bypass his commitment to UNC. He has a very good breaking ball but his command and FB velocity were hot and cold and that caused him to fall to the third round.

by riktermiller on Jun 8, 2007 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions

More on the Draft

from Matt Hurst's blog:

Eighteen-year-old Jon Bachanov from University High in Orlando, Fla. He went 9-2 with a 0.37 ERA this season, walking 19 and striking out 103 in 65 innings. Bachanov (pronounced Buh-CHAWN-of) is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander.

Scouting director Eddie Bane said the youngster hits 95-96 mph on the gun and "pitches aggressively."

"I knew the Angels were in the mix and when my name popped up I was ecstatic," Bachanov said.

Represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Bachanov intends to sign with the team soon. That cannot be said about the team's third-round pick, pitcher Matt Harvey out of Groton, Conn.

Originally projected to be a mid-first round choice, Harvey dropped down to the third round because his agent is Scott Boras, who always demands top dollar. So, many teams passed on him for signability issues.

Harvey also has a scholarship to North Carolina and it's likely he'll wind up there.

"He'll have to get over some bruised egos and bruised feelings," Bane said. "Our track record with some of these other guys is pretty good. We'll work on it."

Remember how they signed Jered Weaver in the 11th hour? Also a pitcher and also a Boras client. We'll have to wait and see.

The team also chose outfielder Trevor Pippin from Middle Georgia CC in the fourth round and shortstop Andrew Romine out of Arizona State in the fifth round.

http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/baseball/angels/2007/06/do_you_feel_a_draft.html

by G Abbes on Jun 7, 2007 8:34 PM PDT reply actions

The difference with Weaver

was that he was a So-Cal kid whose brother also pitched in So-Cal and really liked the fit with the club. We may not be able to get off so easily with this kid, seeing how there might be places he'd rather pitch.

by Neo8234 on Jun 7, 2007 8:58 PM PDT up reply actions

And...

Weaver graduated from college - his only option was the Pioneer League. Harvey can go to a top-notch college program for three years and be well on his way to a degree - which sounds important to him.

by Ty Webb on Jun 8, 2007 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Just out of curiosity

Why did we go after a shortstop? That's a position the organization is pretty stacked in. I would have thought they would have gone for more outfielders.

Light Up That Halo! ...and tell Clutch to chill!

by cardinalwraith on Jun 7, 2007 9:04 PM PDT reply actions

Shortsops often migrate

It's where your best athletes & skill-types often play at the time they're draftable. Where they end up in the Major Leagues is a whole different story.

by mattwelch on Jun 7, 2007 11:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Tru Dat

Always take the best talent available, (but only take HS talent if you have good teachers).

It seems like half of the position players in the minors played SS in high school. This guy could easily end up in the OF for example.

by elricsi on Jun 8, 2007 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions

This guy

will stay at SS, according to the MLB.com scouting report (which is 100% of my knowledge about him).

Also, this guy didn't hit a HR this year. In the Pac 10. At ASU. I doubt he has the bat to play anywhere else, or even to be a regular SS.

I wonder what our scouts saw that the MLB scouts didn't.

The worst thing is the day you realize you want to win more than the players do. -Gene Mauch

by Chronicles on Jun 8, 2007 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Comments from BP's draft blog

BSmith (4:39:18 PM PST): Mentioned a few posts ago that the Angels would be one of the few teams who could keep Matt Harvey from UNC, and it appears they will try. The Angels didn't pick until 58, and now at 118, they make their splash. You can bet coach Mike Fox isn't a fan of Eddie Bane, first Nick Adenhart, now Harvey.

Kevin Goldstein (4:40:16 PM PST): Seriously, how perfect is this? The Angels take Matt Harvey in the third. Eddie Bane has found a lot of guys later on in the draft who other teams have passed on, getting guys like Nick Adenhart, Jordan Walden, and technically Jered Weaver, who 13 teams passed on in the first round three years ago. Just a great pick here, and he's pretty signable, relative to other Boras guys like Porcello and Brackman.

Let's keep our fingers crossed...

"When you don't know that you don't know, it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know" - Bill Parcells

by johnnyangel101 on Jun 7, 2007 10:41 PM PDT reply actions

Question for this esteemed gallery

If we lose Harvey -- say he opts to enter college instead -- do we receive a compensation pick in a future draft of some sorts?

by PieceOfAase on Jun 8, 2007 7:28 AM PDT reply actions

Yes, thanks to a rule change

From Baseball Analysts:

"Unsigned third-round picks will merit a supplemental pick between the third and fourth rounds next year. The hope from MLB's perspective is that teams will be more willing to walk away from a draft pick (and exorbitant bonus) if they know they will get an equivalent pick the next year."

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2007/06/live_blogging_t_2.php

by G Abbes on Jun 8, 2007 7:59 AM PDT up reply actions