I still think he goes 1 or 2, but I tend to agree with your point of view. We haven't seen him face good pitching all spring and he still swings and misses a bit. But he also hit a monster homer at the Greenville Drive's stadium over the batter's eye the other day, so if you want to roll the dice on big power he's your guy.

Nothing new on the top 3-4 teams. About the only really new thing is that it seems like Corey Ray is without a clear landing spot right now.

Bonus demands tend to be just rumors - they're almost impossible to verify - but I have heard his asking price will be quite high. He has the two-sport commitment to LMU, but you know what I'm going to say about any HS pitcher who is already in the mid-90s: Take the money.

People who've said that - and I got a few of those types on twitter - don't understand the draft system. An additional pick means more money in your pool and more flexibility to sign better players. Since the draft is already the best investment any team can make, getting more of these things is a no-brainer. There's no better place to put your money if you're trying to build.

The Fall are a little out there for me. Joy Division of course, PIL here and there, Gang of Four.

Puk has not locked up 1-1. Nobody has. I still think Atlanta would take Groome over anyone, and I think Ray is strongly in their mix too.

Perez could go 5 too. I wouldn't say "falling;" I have him ranked higher than that but that doesn't mean I'm right. I haven't heard them with Wentz at all.

I'd add Kevin Gowdy. Manning has hoops, Wentz is a UVA commit, Anderson and Garrett are Vanderbilt. Lawson is also falling but that's because his velocity was down, and I expect him to end up at ASU.

I started it and found the premise absurd.

Saturday. Which is tomorrow. HOLY SHIT I HAVE A MOCK DRAFT DUE TONIGHT

I would bet it's injury-related. He was shut down in the fall with forearm soreness and I believe he has a screw in his elbow from a prior injury.

I agree. I thought they'd try to clean him up a little and see if they could create enough value to trade him in two months.

Not really. Might slide the Rays up a little with the strong starts of some of the AA bats, especially Gillaspie, although Guerrieri's velo has been down and so have his results.

Craig would be a bit of a reach for me at 19 - he's got power, not sold on the hit tool against better pitching after a poor Cape, while Smith is a much better pure hitter and fielder and I think he's actually younger than Craig.

Yes, but perhaps they think he'll have a future with the club if he's a full-time left fielder. I think he has more value to them as a catcher either way.

I agree with you and think the emphasis on delaying callups, especially for arbitration, is silly. If you're contending, the difference between a division title and a wild-card spot, or between making and missing the playoffs, could easily be one game. Having the right guy up in the order, the right arm in the rotation, in a specific game may end up the margin of success. When the difference is slight, it's not a big deal, but Trea Turner is so much better than Danny Espinosa's balsa-wood bat that the Nats' decision to skimp on Turner makes no sense to me. And even for pushing off free agency, in many cases, you're relying on the assumption that everything goes well with the player - look at Carlos Gomez right now. Sometimes the player's best years are now, not years six and seven and beyond.

Dakota Hudson. I have an entire ranking of the top 100 prospects in the draft. http://klaw.me/23IqWT2

He needs to start making better quality contact.

I'm almost positive that the Phillies are going to make offers to multiple players at 1 and take the player who will accept the best deal - the numbers may be different for each player, but regardless of who they sign they'd be in position to grab a top talent (Manning?) who falls to their pick at 42.

Interesting that you omitted the part where he's 3 for 23. Don't think any of it means much. I didn't get good reports on him from extended.

I think your floor is an average player. Average or fringe-average defense at third, plus hit tool, maybe 8-10 homers a year. He shows huge raw in BP, doesn't bring it over to games. If that translates, then you're looking at a potential star.

Their fealty to Fielder befuddles me. Just release him. He's toast.

No. Also, he's repeating the level and still strikes out a lot.

It's not like the team has given in to any other media noise about PR feel good moves.

I think whatever fits. It will depend on which kids who want big bonuses slide to 40 and 44 - and that's tougher to determine now than it was under the old system. But I happen to think they'll get someone well over slot at 40.

No issues with Brown. LaRussa was totally out of line to barge in on a broadcast like that.

My guess is he'll either go to the Nats or to whatever team takes Senzel.

Probably, but I don't think he'll ever be good.

Yes. Second pick, no.

Other than "Burn the Witch" it was dull.

Jones, who I think will go higher than that unless he puts out a huge number, is my favorite by far. I'm not sure Benson or Mendoza are good bets to hit, period. Lowe could go anywhere from as high as 5 to the early 20s. Some guys are all in on the bat, others are not, two even used the word "fraud" to describe him as a prospect (I won't go that far).

You notice how rare it is - that's because it's really hard.

Blair no doubt. Folty and Wisler probably the next two most likely. Newcomb has starter stuff but not command or control. Jenkins has starter stuff but for some reason doesn't miss bats. Ellis is a fifth starter or long guy. Sims is a reliever.

Set aside more money than you think you'll need, and then do it down to the studs. You never know what nonsense is lurking in your walls. For us it was flying splices, narrow pipes, and some subfloor issues.

It's really bizarre. And I have yet to have any coach I've called out say, "yep, he's right, I pitched that kid too much." Even the pitchers themselves are saying they feel fine and I don't know how tough they are; one said he just had to "sack up" for the long outing, as if, say, Jarrod Parker just needed some more sack.

I'm skeptical. UVA pitchers haven't fared well in their transitions to pro ball and I don't see an out pitch from him that would make him successful even in AA.

He's a real breakout guy right now - as in, I think it's a real breakout. More likely to help this year than Zimmer, but I'd also like to see Frazier head up to AAA for a few months of facing pitchers who've been in the big leagues before.

Just another game. Delivery still is what it is, either a reliever or a patient.

I had him as the #2 prospect in baseball one year, so yes, I thought he'd be a star all around, a shortstop who got on base and hit for power. Superstar makeup too. 25 HR peak plus all the stuff he's already doing.

Yes, but I think they're focused on fewer players (3?) than the Phillies (5).

No and I don't think they're likely to take him.

I answered this, sort of, on Twitter: I know his velocity's down by a significant margin (not just random), and his mechanics look "off," but I can't give you more than that. I would need to see him live to even start to talk about the delivery in specific terms, and if he's actually hurt, we probably won't know until he hits the DL. It's real, though, not just a random blip. He's not 'right.' But to say more than that would be to pretend to knowledge I don't have.

Close your borders, stat.

Stronger won't speed up your bat. I don't know of any way to improve bat speed in a player who's already over 18.

Yes, I'm still all in.

I think they need to manage expectations as well as his innings. If he pitches really well, they can always reverse course.

I had a scout broach that possibility to me yesterday. It's an interesting one, because he was seen coming into the year as a potential top 5 guy and is almost certainly not going up there. I could also see the Phils cutting a deal with him at 1, then trying to pay someone $5 million at 42. There are a lot of possibilities right now with the lack of clarity up top and all these high school kids with upside but no price tags yet.

She was four when she started playing Carcassonne via the app. By the time she was 7-8 she could really play games like that or Splendor or Ticket to Ride with us.

I do. He has the stuff to do that, perhaps not the command. Would consider him in the 30s/40s, think he'll go higher.

Yes, I will, and will try to set aside some time pregame to meet with fans as usual. I thought Urias might start the game, but that's not happening.