BERARDINO: Sunday baseball column

Signability plays major role in draft

Published June 12, 2005

 

The stars were falling last week, as they often do this time of year.

 

Signability questions mainly caused this draft-day phenomenon, in most cases due to the looming presence of Scott Boras as an "adviser."

 

Why else would Tennessee right-hander Luke Hochevar, perhaps the top arm in the draft, slide all the way to the Dodgers at No. 40? Why else would St. John's closer Craig Hansen drop to the Red Sox at No. 26 or Texas catcher Taylor Teagarden all the way to the Rangers at No. 99?

 

Of course, Boras guys weren't the only ones plummeting. David Adams, a top-flight third baseman at Grandview Prep in Boca Raton who had signed with Virginia, fell to the Tigers in the 21st round. And Cuban shortstop Yuniel Escobar, still shrouded in mystery after defecting last fall, dropped to the Braves late in Round 2.

 

With seven picks before the third round, how tempting was it for the Marlins to burn a pick on a guy like Hochevar or Teagarden, someone perceived as a tough sign? Even if Boras held his client out until next spring, as he did with late signees Jered Weaver and Stephen Drew, it would actually ease the budgetary strain on the Marlins' top-heavy draft.

 

"Obviously we addressed it," said Marlins Assistant General Manager Jim Fleming, who oversees the scouting and farm departments. "With some guys falling, we said, `Do we want to do that?' We talked about it, but I don't think we ever got very serious about doing it."

 

Three years ago, picking 11th overall, the Marlins passed on Houston high school lefty Scott Kazmir to take Atlanta-area prep outfielder Jeremy Hermida. Kazmir, considered a likely holdout, signed with the Mets for $2.15 million, or $137,500 more than the Marlins gave Hermida.

 

Kazmir made it to the majors last summer after getting traded to the Devil Rays and remains in their rotation. Hermida remains in Double-A, but after nagging hamstring problems the past two seasons his power has shown up; he could be the Marlins' Opening Day right fielder in 2006.

 

What Fleming and the other three Marlins officials who have run drafts -- Stan Meek, Orrin Freeman and Dan Jennings -- understand so well is that fine line of when to take the big risk and when to leave the driver in the bag.

 

"We wanted to utilize this draft to make ourselves better, to improve our system," Fleming said. "We've always believed with the kind of club we are and the budget we work on, we've got to create from within. Even one pick, you don't want to lose it, and we just didn't feel comfortable there'd be significant movement [in asking price] to where we could do something like that."

 

Not that there was anything wrong with the way it worked out. Baseball America's one-word review of the Marlins' first five picks, all pitchers: "Wow."

 

Just one of the five was a college arm: Right-hander Jacob Marceaux from McNeese State. But the Marlins were pleased with the blend of power and polish among their high school arms.

 

In 6-foot-7 first-rounder Chris Volstad (Palm Beach Gardens) and 6-8 supplemental first-rounder Sean West (Shreveport, La.), the Marlins also put their faith in the mechanics of a couple of power forwards. Perhaps in a few years they will be in the same big-league rotation with 6-7 Josh Johnson, another high school pick dominating at Double-A Carolina.

 

"Height is a big plus to a pitcher," Fleming said. "But when you look at it traditionally, there are some problems that come along with it, too. Both these guys have very, very good body control for their size and their arms are very efficient and mechanically very sound.

 

"Good arms that work efficiently have an easier time of staying healthy. And in both these cases, we felt, sure, there is risk to size, but neither of these guys have major mechanical changes to be made. So we hope we'll be good."

 

And that's really all you can do when doling out seven-figure bonuses to high school kids. Hope.

 

Berardino column

Nice read. Very encouraging for the future.

Our pitching has to be among the best in the minors.

 

With all our AA studs and Vargas, Tankersley, and maybe Allison- we are just stockpiling prospects for future trades.

 

I like the strategy.

Anyone know if we have signed any of our top picks yet?

nada yet

Volstad, other top picks close to signing

 

By Mike Berardino

Staff writer

Posted June 10 2005

 

MIAMI GARDENS ? Chris Volstad, the Marlins' top pick in this week's amateur draft, said Thursday he has reached a tentative agreement on a $1.6 million signing bonus.

 

Volstad, a right-hander from Palm Beach Gardens High School, would receive the same bonus as the 16th overall pick last year, per the commissioner's office guidelines. He said he hoped to sign a contract by this weekend and possibly attend a game at Dolphins Stadium as part of a formal announcement. He was on hand Wednesday night and sat with owner Jeffrey Loria.

 

"I'm just ready to go play," said Volstad, who will start out in the Gulf Coast League with Jupiter. Roger Dean Stadium is a five-minute drive from his parents' home.

 

A University of Miami signee, Volstad and his advisers still must negotiate the Marlins' contribution to the standard college plan. Because UM is a private school, the annual cost can run into the $35,000 range, significantly more than a public university.

 

The Marlins also were believed to be nearing deals with their other first-rounders, Houston prep left-hander Aaron Thompson and McNeese State right-hander Jacob Marceaux.

 

Thompson, picked 22nd overall, is looking for the slot bonus of $1.425 million, same as last year. Utah high school pitcher Mark Pawelek, taken two spots higher, signed this week with the Cubs for $1.75 million.

 

Marceaux, taken 29th, is expected to receive the slot bonus of $1.1 million.

 

California prep pitcher Ryan Tucker and Louisiana prep lefty Sean West, the Marlins' supplemental first-rounders, also were nearing agreement. Tucker's No. 34 slot paid $975,000 last year, while West's No. 44 slot brought $800,000.

 

Second-rounders Kris Harvey, a Clemson outfielder, and Nevada catcher Brett Hayes weren't expected to hold out either.

 

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