Yasmani Grandal
With less than a month to go before the June 7-9 draft the Padres, have several options regarding their draft picks. This draft is generally considered strong in pitching, especially strong college arms, and weak in power hitting college players. There are a few good catchers available this year, but not many good middle infielders. There are many changes regarding the latest rankings among the draft experts but that situation is very fluid and will continue to change up to and including the days of the draft. We will not attempt to guess who the Padres will pick with their first choice but will provide information on the most likely players being evaluated.                        

The Padres pick 9^th in the first round then are at 59 (2^nd round), 91 (3^rd round), 124 (4^th round) and each 9^th pick in subsequent rounds. They have no supplemental picks this year, as they lost no Type A or B free agents after last season.

The major decision makers within the organization have changed since last year’s draft. Much has been said about the change in organizational philosophy that will be reflected in this year’s draft and in future drafts. Building a team to fit Petco Park is now the goal of the organization on all levels, so look for the Padres to go with athleticism, speed, good contact hitting, and overwhelming power hitters. They will need hitters who possess good pitch recognition and are disciplined at the plate.

I will start with a list of the people responsible for the Padres draft decisions then move on to some of the players to watach:

General Manager Jed Hoyer- With the Boston Red Sox 2002-2009 and the assistant GM the last 4 years of that time. Ultimately responsible for the decisions made; his first draft with the Padres.

Jason McLeod – Assistant General Manager.  Hired by Hoyer away from the Red Sox, Jason spent 5 drafts with the Sox and is a former scout with the Padres.

Fred Uhlman Jr – Assistant GM. Long time Padre assistant who was retained by Jeff Moorad when he assumed control of the team from Sandy Alderson. Provides consistency and prior knowledge of the system.

Jaron Madison – Director of Scouting – Was assistant Dr. of scouting with the Padres 2006-2007 and in the same position with the St Louis Cardinals from 2008-2009. This will be his first draft as the Director for the Padres.

Anyone who follows the draft knows that last season Stephen Strasburg was the definitive choice for #1 by all analysts and was chosen by the Nationals as the top pick. They have the first choice again this year and the choice seems just as clear to everyone. So we will start with the player the Padres are assured of not obtaining.

#1 Bryce Harper Catcher, Southern Nevada Com. College (Las Vegas HS, Nev.) 6-3, 205lbs  Bats-L  Throws- R. A potential 5-tool catcher, his weakest tool is his speed, yet it is better than average.

At the #9 pick the Padres have many quality players and pitchers to choose from. The following is a list of the probables to watch. Everyone please feel free to comment with differing opinions, input from all sources and discussion. We will be posting a forum on the draft soon, as well.

Christian Colon- profiled by Brian Koke in his previous posting, his stock has risen since that post. He projects to be a potential major league 2B and was drafted by the Padres in 2007 in the 10^th round as a HS player.

Zack Cox- also profiled by Brian in his previous post, he has maintained a strong spring and looks to go in the top 10 or so.

Josh Sale- 3B/OF Bishop Blanchett HS (WA), 6-0, 205. Committed to Gonzaga. Sale (pronounced sally) has tremendous bat speed and good power. Many rate him as the best HS bat in the draft. Projects as a corner outfielder, his defense and glove are average but he won’t embarrass himself.

Nick Castellanos SS/3B Archbishop McCarthy HS (FL), 6-4, 210. Committed to Miami (FL). Most likely a future 3B or corner OF, he is athletic, with good bat speed and power potential and has foot speed.

Yasmani Grandal Catcher, Miami (FL) 6-2, 210. Switch hitter. Has good plate discipline, developing power but not great bat speed. Strong-armed, he needs to work on his defensive skills and has below average foot speed. Considered the next skilled catcher to Harper.

AJ Cole- profiled by Brian, his stock has not fallen and may go before the Padres select.

Deck McGuire- profiled by Brian, his stock has gone up while Ranaudo’s has dropped. His command has improved without losing his stuff.

Drew Pomeranz- profiled by Brian, his stock has definitely risen and is now likely to go in the top 5 or so.

Chris Sale- LHP, FL Gulf Coast  6-6, 175. A strike out artist, he walks few. FB 90-92 with tops at 94, great sinker, slurvey curve, plus change up and throws from a low 3/4 slot, which generates some concern about future arm health for a starter.

Dylan Covey- RHP Maranatha HS (CA).  6-2, 200. Committed to the University of San Diego. FB 93-95 and a plus power curve. He is developing a change up and has good sink to his FB. Scouts have drawn comparisons to Chad Billingsley.

There are other options, but there are too many to keep listing them all. This is an exciting time for Padres staffers and fans as the future members of the team are added next month and the new direction of the franchise is bolstered. This will be a fluid subject over the next 3 weeks, so check back for updates.

Update:  5/23/10

The latest draft info gives us a couple new names to add to the list. Castellans, Colon, cox and McGuire continue to be mentioned often in association with the Padres 9th pick but Michael Choice and Anthony Renaudo are recent additions. Renaudo was previously viewed as a higher pick but has had his struggles and an injury this season and many think he will drop to 9 or even lower. Michael Choice has risen appreciably in the last couple of weeks in the estimation of some draft watchers.

Here is a quick profile of each.

Michael Choice:  6-1, 215  U of Texas/Arlington  OF-  strong arm, plus power with above average speed and a good baserunner, swing mechanics are the biggest question for him going forward. He shows good defense in the outfield buy his arm shows best as a corner OF.

Anthony Renaudo: 6-7, 230  LSU (Jr) RHSP- Mid 90's FB, average curve, avg change, with decent command in the past. Had an early season elbow injury that seems to have affected the rest of his season. He has struggled since returning from that injury with command issues. With Scott Boras as his adviser there are also possible signability issues.

Another possibility to consider- Brandon Workman  RHSP  Texas  (Jr)  6-5,  220:   Possesses a nasty 12-6 type of curve at 80-82 and a consistent low 90's FB that has touched 95-98. He has a plus cutter and good command of his change. The biggest drawback is a question of his mechanics, which seem more suited to a reliever. His recent performances have improved his stock.