2014 MLB Draft

[Section214]

RHP Robbie Dickey from Blinn College (TX)

Undrafted after his freshman year at Blinn, Dickey made scouts sit up and take notice in the fall. Working in short stints, he displayed a 95-97 mph fastball, plus a solid slider and changeup. He looked like the best junior college prospect in the nation and a potential top-three-rounds selection. Dickey hasn't shown the same stuff this spring and missed a start with biceps tendinitis. Still, he helped pitch the Buccaneers to their first Junior College World Series since 1992 and won their tournament opener there. Dickey has worked mostly with an 89-94 mph fastball with less consistent bite on his slider and fade on his changeup. Scouts don't care for his short-arm, drop-and-drive delivery, which hampers the effectiveness of his secondary pitches. If he doesn't turn pro this summer, he'll transfer to Texas State for 2015

[Mr Clean]

4th round--Nats pick Robert Dickey, RHP Blinn Tex JC.

[HalfSmokes]

Because they won't sign for 4th round money? Guys like Bukauskas were late first, second rounders. It's going to take a mill to sign him. Unless we save a good deal of money on Fedde and Suarez and punt the rest of the top 10, I don't see where that cash comes from.

what are the odds of a fourth rounder succeeding anyway? Might as well take a shot at the more talented player

[Salamander Man]

what are the odds of a fourth rounder succeeding anyway? Might as well take a shot at the more talented player

But what if you can get the same guy in the 15th round?

[DPMOmaha]

But what if you can get the same guy in the 15th round?

What if you wait a round or two and he's gone?

[natasaurus]

This draft is paralleling last year's pretty well so far, plus the presence of a first round pick.

Round 2: college arm expected to go later
Round 3: high school position player
Round 4: JuCo arm

Let's see if round 5 is an undervalued college arm.

[Salamander Man]

What if you wait a round or two and he's gone?

Chances are if he's not going to sign, he's gonna still be on the board.

[DPMOmaha]

Chances are if he's not going to sign, he's gonna still be on the board.

Maybe, but if he's that talented, there's a strong chance a team with more budget room could take a swing too. You take the best guy for your situation and plan.

[RD]

Jake Nix just went to Houston in the 5th. This kid has some serious growing up to do. Spoiled, entitled, and immature. Full of excuses, doesnt listen to coaches, then blames them for his down season. Being suspended from school for saying you want to kill your head coach also doesnt sit well. Thank god we weren't the ones to grab him. He may end up at UCLA if the price isnt right though.

[HalfSmokes]

Jake Nix just went to Houston in the 5th. This kid has some serious growing up to do. Spoiled, entitled, and immature. Full of excuses, doesnt listen to coaches, then blames them for his down season. Being suspended from school for saying you want to kill your head coach also doesnt sit well. Thank god we weren't the ones to grab him. He may end up at UCLA if the price isnt right though.

I'm sure a small quiet community like LA will be just what he needs to shape up (actually, at a school like UCLA, he may find out that no one gives a crap that he plays a marginal college sport and that he does have to shape up)

[sportsfan882]

college senior RHP from Duke with their 5th round pick. meh

[sportsfan882]

Van Orden was projected to be a 8th-10th round guy. meh, middle reliever at best. money saver.

[Salamander Man]

Van Orden was projected to be a 8th-10th round guy. meh, middle reliever at best. money saver.

Yeah, I think him and the guy from Miami were drafted to have money to throw at Reetz and maybe someone later.

[Slateman]

Dickey smells of a reliever to me. Kind of like Stammenn.

[zimm_da_kid]

Dickey smells of a reliever to me. Kind of like Stammenn.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

UNC belongs in the class with UVA, Michigan, Berkley, MIT... as a premiere public university, certainly not cal state. If he's going for the degree, it's probably a mistake to turn down $1 million whether it's Harvard or Montgomery College, but UNC certainly is a good school 

MIT is private.

[Terpfan76]

Draft over for the day? I'm at work.

[RD]

I get the sense that Dickey is a reliever too. But I thought the same of Paul Demny, who also went to Blinn.

Rounds 5,6,7,8, and 10 look like cost savers. So I dont think were getting any discount on Suarez. These savings will go to get Reetz in the fold imo.

Kind of intrigued by Austin Byler in the 9th. I wonder why he slid. He was ranked by most of the places I saw, in the top 200. In the mid 100's, with one having him in the early 100's, like 110. Hes got pop, good size, is a leader, and works hard. He was overlooked out of high school and proved people wrong. Lets hope he does it again.

[RD]

I'm sure a small quiet community like LA will be just what he needs to shape up (actually, at a school like UCLA, he may find out that no one gives a crap that he plays a marginal college sport and that he does have to shape up)

Yeah I think going to UCLA could be trouble. Signing and getting away from home may be a good thing. Kid shoukd get away from the parents to get a chance to grow on his own. Having a parent coddle you and act like your crap dont stink isnt the best way to mature. Staying pretty local will still allow his parents to keep pumping him up in his and their minds and keep him from putting in the work needed. He is a kid and could mature ... but man, the things hes done and said go beyond simple immaturity for an 18 year old.

[Slateman]

http://curlyw.mlblogs.com/2014/06/06/nationals-wrap-up-day-2-of-2014-mlb-first-year-player-draft/

[zoom]

Not much of a BleacherReport fan, but this was encouraging.

Grade: B+

The Washington Nationals went about Day 1 of the draft as everyone expected, grabbing injured RHP Erick Fedde (No. 18) before adding Miami LHP Andrew Suarez (No. 57) in the second round.

Few teams, if any, had a better Day 2 than Washington, which landed a variety of promising players from both the prep and college ranks. The Nats began the day by selecting catcher Jakson Reetz, one of the more impressive high school players in the class, in the third round and then grabbed one of this year's top junior college arms, flame-throwing RHP Robert Dickey, in the fourth.

The Nationals landed one of college baseball's premier athletes in the seventh round in Miami CF D.K. Carey, who finally put things together this spring to bat .305 with a career-high seven home runs. They also added a pair of college sluggers before the day was done in Louisville outfielder Jeff Gardner (eighth round) and Nevada first baseman Austin Byler (ninth), who batted .326 with 14 doubles this spring.

[Slateman]

They gotta sign Reetz for this draft to be a success.

[natasaurus]

They gotta sign Reetz for this draft to be a success.

Those college seniors could help.

Also, today is the day when the Nats will pick the unsignable high schoolers because if a player in the top 10 rounds doesn't sign, the team loses the allotted signing bonus.  Today, each pick is worth $100,000 and the team doesn't lose that from their bonus pool if they are unable to sign a player.

[natasaurus]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/amateur-hour-when-talks-break-down-and-why-mlb-draft-is-broken-060714

This was enlightening in regard to the Bowden era drafts.

[DCsOwn]

From the Law chat yesterday:


BD (DC)
Nats just drafted Jakson Reetz... is he a firm Nebraska commit, or are we still safely in "HE WILL SIGN" time?
Klaw
He'll sign. Good pick.