BigEd76 wrote:Kentucky commit

FTN wrote:im a fan of the drafting pitching and buying bats philosophy

Starwalt emerged as one of Southern California's top prep arms last summer, when he ran his fastball up to 94-95 mph and consistently pitched with an above-average spike curveball in the 78-80 range. He got off to a slow start after suffering a stress fracture in his back this spring, and he has since worked in the 86-90 range while losing power on his curveball, which still rates as average when he stays on top of it. He's also had a tendency to scatter his fastball. He has some feel for a changeup, which has a chance to become an average offering. Starwalt, who doesn't turn 18 until February, could sink in the draft because of his strong commitment to Stanford and his lackluster spring, but his upside is very intriguing if he can return to form.

HobyMilner
That moment where you have to write who your employer is on a rental form for the first time. #phillies

Going into the Draft, Wolever said he wanted to pick some more offensive players. But as the rounds wore on, he said the club felt it had enough offensive personnel in extended spring training who would play in short-season Class A Williamsport or with the Phillies' Gulf Coast League team when those seasons start in the coming weeks. The Phillies decided to address more of their pitching needs instead.

After starring at Tunstall High School, Mantiply was a 48th round selection of the New York Mets in 2009.

“I would love to sign, but I’m asking for money,” Mantiply said. “I’m not just going to give up my senior year and my degree. If we can agree on a deal that outweighs the outcome of coming back to school, I’ll definitely sign. If we don’t, I’ll come back to school and play my senior year. It’s kind of a win win.”

Mantiply said he’s uncertain whether he’ll sign or return to Virginia Tech for his senior year.

Chippewa Falls McDonell pitcher Kyle Cody, who's fastball has been clocked at 94-miles per hour was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball draft. Kyle now has a decision to make, sign with the Phillies or pitch for the University of Kentucky next year. "I knew that if it wasn't in the second day like in the third or second round, I knew I'd fall a lot because that's where we told them that we would go to the MLB. So yeah, I knew I was going to fall a lot after that. But I'm just happy and very honored to be able to be part of the draft too. They're gonna send us an offer in the next couple of days and we're gonna talk about it as a family, and we're gonna see what the best possible situations for me is."

we're gonna see what the best possible situations for me is."

Squire wrote:To the extent that they generate those kind of savings from the first 10 rounds, I would think they would use it to sign the guys in the Rounds 11-20 range. Do we think Golden and Bielski are taking the 100k straight? Even if they do I could see David Hill and Tony Blanford as more likely recipients than Starwalt.

stevemc wrote:don't you think other teams would follow suit and it would catch up with the Nationals in short order? I would think Detroit of all teams would start to do this as well if that was the pattern.

FTN wrote:

stevemc wrote:don't you think other teams would follow suit and it would catch up with the Nationals in short order? I would think Detroit of all teams would start to do this as well if that was the pattern.

possibly. but the first team to do it, when everyone else plays by the rules, has a big advantage. at the same time, like 15 of 30 teams contained to largely play by the unwritten slot rules, allowing a few teams (tampa, washington, pittsburgh, toronto, boston) to exploit the system. everyone had a chance to spend unlimited amounts the last 30 years, but only a few teams really hammered the system.

andyb wrote:It is certainly a pretty wide loophole, though I wonder if MLB would prevent it with interim rules they make up along the way.