2013 MLB Draft - Tonight at 7

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Bambi

Could have had this guy in the second round. Typical Royals pick.

You mean Dozier? I wouldn't be so sure.

He possibly is not available even at the Royals comp pick. The A's and Rays were linked to him some, apparently, at Nos. 24 and 29 (at least that's what I was able to find when digging a bit last night... also saw it referenced on another Royals board).

I think if Ball or Frazier were available, that's the pick at No. 8 for KC. There are SOME questions about Meadows' power potential... maybe that scared KC off.

As it is, I think the way to look at Dozier not as the Royals' key pick in terms of his individual talent, but as a draftee that unlocks some flexibility at the comp pick, 2nd round pick, and even the 3rd round pick.

If Manaea had NOT fallen to KC at No. 34, this would have been an epic fail. But since the plan worked, I'll give a smidge of credit to Moore for correctly reading the tea leaves on this one.

As it is, the Royals got a LHP with star upside who was considered the potential No. 1 pick at the start of the college season (and who dominated the Cape League last summer as much as anyone in the past half-dozen years or so), an athletic RH power bat (hardest thing to find is RH power) who likely plays 2B or 3B but can also project to RF, and a second budding, upside-heavy LHP in Cody Reed who also was projected as a late first-round guy (they got him at least 15-20 picks after a lot of projections).

If they had drafted Manaea at No. 8 and Dozier at No. 34, I don't think anyone would be complaining.

Will be interesting to see what they do with their 3rd rounder in about an hour or so.

If Dozier is signing for $2 million, as many have speculated, that gives them about $1-1.2 million extra to sign other guys.

Would be pretty cool if they have half of that slotted for Manaea and are planning to use the other half on a guy who has fallen into Round 3. It's also possible some of that money is earmarked for Reed.