Draft Report Card: Detroit, Durham, El Paso

Detroit Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 11th, J.R. Gray A difficult player to project, very fast but a poor baserunner, great range and glove but a weak and erratic arm, a great eye but little power. Not sure how he will be used in the long run, could end up be a very good jack of all trades as his weaknesses will be less apparent if he doesn’t spend to much time in one position.

1st Rnd, 46th, Vin Hudson Looks to be a serviceable role player. Has ability to play the corner infield and outfield spots but will never hit well enough to start at any of those positions.

4th Rnd, 121st, Timo Sanders Another potential bench player that can play up the middle real enough to spell a 2nd baseman. Isn’t great with the bat but is smart player that runs well and can be of some value.

Grade: C+, While two of the picks look like bench material, Gray does have enough potential that I can’t really count him out. Ask me again in 5 years and I will give you a different answer.

Durham Report Card:
1st Rnd, 1st , Craig Velandia Not to many people were surprised when he was taken 1st overall. Has all the offensive tools needed to succeed in the major leagues. His defense is nothing special but will hold his own in LF. At AA is batting over .400 with 7 homers in about 90 at bats.

2nd Rnd, 47th, Hod Boudreau A bit of a surprise pick here, Hod does project to be major league quality pitcher. Just not sure what his spot on the staff will be. Not really good enough to close but could be a very solid SuA or B if he reaches his projections.

3rd Rnd, 79th, Dernell Spivey Another set up man here who has the type of arm that will have him pitching about 60-70 games a year. Probably a SuB, but will be a welcome addition to the Bears staff.

Grade: B-, no doubt the best player in the draft goes to the Bears, beyond that though it is bullpen pitchers at best. Extra draft preparation would have helped in the later rounds of this draft.

El Paso Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 6th, Claude Seaton He will never be a star, but with the lack of quality major league SS in the league anytime you can get a solid fielding, above average hitter you take him.

2nd Rnd, 52nd, Fernando Romero A very nice pick for the 2nd round. Romero looks like a very nice mid-rotation pitcher who will be able to eat up a lot of innings and post a winning record with even modest offensive support behind him.

3rd Rnd, 84th, Russ Mills A work horse out of the bullpen, wont post great numbers…but will be the type of guy that can eat 2 even 3 innings almost every game out of the pen.

5th Rnd, 148th, Matty Cedeno A bit of a risk because of his dodgy durability and health which are both around 40 right now. His power is undeniable though. Will very easily hit 40 homers a year even if he only gets about 400 ab’s. A great pick up for the 5th round.

Grade: B+, A very solid draft for The Alamo from top to bottom. They addressed offense, defense and both the starting rotation and the Bullpen. No super-stars were had, but in what was considered a relatively weak pool they did very well.