Mock top 5 picks

[kyace]

Night before predictions:
1 Ethan Holiday
2 Cade Anderson
3.JoJo Parker
4. Liam Doyle
5. Eli Willits

Nats are the wild card. Heard recently they may take Willits number one due to Holiday’s money needed to sign. They like Willits and if they can save $2 million they may make this move. Holiday will not get pass Rockies. Parker is a fast mover and Mariners looking to save money for later picks and like his power potential.
If Willits , Holiday and Parker are gone do Cards take Arnold? Personally I would go with Witherspoon. Arnold ceiling is a mid rotation starter while Witherspoon could be a top rotation pitcher.

[craviduce]

Nats ~ Kade Anderson
Angels ~ Liam Doyle
Mariners ~ Ike Irish
Rockies ~ Ethan Holliday
Cards ~ Eli Willits

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this should be a fun read once the draft begins!!

thanks, kyace for the thread

[Jobafish]

1. Nats- Cade Anderson
2. LAA- Liam Doyle
3. Sea- Aiva arquette
4. Col- Eli Willets
5. Stl- Holiday
But, after finding out willets hit .600 with 10hr this spring, I’m cool with holiday, willets, and Jo jo. Trying to prepare myself for the Jamie Arnold selection though.

[Colotiger]

I don’t see any way the Rockies don’t take Holliday if he’s available.

[kyace]

1. Nats- Cade Anderson
2. LAA- Liam Doyle
3. Sea- Aiva arquette
4. Col- Eli Willets
5. Stl- Holiday
But, after finding out willets hit .600 with 10hr this spring, I’m cool with holiday, willets, and Jo jo. Trying to prepare myself for the Jamie Arnold selection though.

You think the Cards would have learned their lesson with the failures with the last few first round left handed college pitchers they drafted. I still think they take Willits if available and possibly Parker otherwise.

[Karmaloop3]

Night before:

1.) Washington Nationals - LHP Kade Anderson
2.) Los Angeles Angels - LHP Liam Doyle
3.) Seattle Mariners - SS Aiva Arquette
4.) Colorado Rockies - 3B Ethan Holliday
5.) St. Louis Cardinals - SS Eli Willits

[kyace]

Night before:

1.) Washington Nationals - LHP Kade Anderson
2.) Los Angeles Angels - LHP Liam Doyle
3.) Seattle Mariners - SS Aiva Arquette
4.) Colorado Rockies - 3B Ethan Holliday
5.) St. Louis Cardinals - SS Eli Willits

This is the one most likely to happen and I would be thrilled to get Willits

[Karmaloop3]

This is the one most likely to happen and I would be thrilled to get Willits

There seems to be some late momentum for Willits to the Nationals presumably with some substantial savings attached to it. Think Kade Anderson likely comes in above what Chase Burns got from the Reds last year, somewhere around $9.5M which would still give the more than $1.5M saved. Ethan Holliday likely is going to ask for closer to the full slot. IF the Nationals want serious money saved, Willits probably could be had for around $8.5M giving $2.5M extra to play with. I've got them with Anderson for a few while now, and I don't think they'll go savings.

Angels prefer their fast movers, and they'll save money in the process. Liam Doyle and to a lesser extent Ike Irish seem to be the most likely scenarios. I'd be floored if Liam Doyle isn't their pick and probably with something in the neighborhood of $2.5M savings.

Mariners seem to be the biggest wild card for me. They're armed with the 2nd most bonus pool money so I could see them going with someone like Ike Irish for ~$2.5M savings and spread the money around their 3 other top 100 picks. Jaime Arnold seemed to be their guy earlier in the process, but seems like things have slowed down for him. Saw some Seth Hernandez links but that doesn't fit their profile. They seem to like their high school shortstops, so it wouldn't surprise me if Willits, Carlson, or Parker went off the board here. Think they go stick with their college pitcher preferences.

Matt Holliday seems to be steering his son to the Rockies, and I think the Rockies are happy to oblige. The last 3 drafts have been exclusively college players in the first round, but Ethan probably breaks that trend. If they do pass on Holliday (and I'd say there is less than a 1% chance they do), I'd look at Aiva Arquette or Jamie Arnold here.

[Melville]

This is the one most likely to happen and I would be thrilled to get Willits

There seems to be some late momentum for Willits to the Nationals presumably with some substantial savings attached to it. Think Kade Anderson likely comes in above what Chase Burns got from the Reds last year, somewhere around $9.5M which would still give the more than $1.5M saved. Ethan Holliday likely is going to ask for closer to the full slot. IF the Nationals want serious money saved, Willits probably could be had for around $8.5M giving $2.5M extra to play with. I've got them with Anderson for a few while now, and I don't think they'll go savings.

Angels prefer their fast movers, and they'll save money in the process. Liam Doyle and to a lesser extent Ike Irish seem to be the most likely scenarios. I'd be floored if Liam Doyle isn't their pick and probably with something in the neighborhood of $2.5M savings.

Mariners seem to be the biggest wild card for me. They're armed with the 2nd most bonus pool money so I could see them going with someone like Ike Irish for ~$2.5M savings and spread the money around their 3 other top 100 picks. Jaime Arnold seemed to be their guy earlier in the process, but seems like things have slowed down for him. Saw some Seth Hernandez links but that doesn't fit their profile. They seem to like their high school shortstops, so it wouldn't surprise me if Willits, Carlson, or Parker went off the board here. Think they go stick with their college pitcher preferences.

Matt Holliday seems to be steering his son to the Rockies, and I think the Rockies are happy to oblige. The last 3 drafts have been exclusively college players in the first round, but Ethan probably breaks that trend. If they do pass on Holliday (and I'd say there is less than a 1% chance they do), I'd look at Aiva Arquette or Jamie Arnold here.

No one knows how the top rated draft prospects will work out - but I agree it is a win if the Cardinals can walk away Arnold, Doyle, or Arquette.
This is not the year for them to look at HS picks who will be available at 5.

[Karmaloop3]

No one knows how the top rated draft prospects will work out - but I agree it is a win if the Cardinals can walk away Arnold, Doyle, or Arquette.
This is not the year for them to look at HS picks who will be available at 5.

I'm out on Doyle. A college pitcher who throws his FB like 75% of the time doesn't really hold a whole lot of value for me. I don't hate Arnold, but it's hard to get excited about him. I think you either grab one of the prep shortstops (Willits or Parker assuming Holliday isn't available) or see if you can strike an underslot deal with someone like Ike Irish or Kyson Witherspoon at this point.

[Melville]

No one knows how the top rated draft prospects will work out - but I agree it is a win if the Cardinals can walk away Arnold, Doyle, or Arquette.
This is not the year for them to look at HS picks who will be available at 5.

I'm out on Doyle. A college pitcher who throws his FB like 75% of the time doesn't really hold a whole lot of value for me. I don't hate Arnold, but it's hard to get excited about him. I think you either grab one of the prep shortstops (Willits or Parker assuming Holliday isn't available) or see if you can strike an underslot deal with someone like Ike Irish or Kyson Witherspoon at this point.

The Cardinals pitchers are in the bottom 3 of MLB in recording K's - and Arnold's FB (60 grade) /slider (65 grade) mix produces a lot of swing and miss.
He is also expected to move through the minors in just a couple of years - which the teams needs.
Again, no draft pick is safe and secure.
But I think he is closer to what the org needs right now than most other options.
No one knows for sure.