The Jays take Adam Kloffenstein in the third round. The RHP is from the same high school as Groshans and is listed at 6'5".

It makes me wonder if there is a pre-draft arrangement between the Jays and Gorshans ad Kloffenstein.

Tristan Pompey goes the pick after the Jays to Miami.

that's a really, really good prospect....if they can sign him.

Looks like the Jays really trusted the scout that covers Magnolia Texas and it likely we've the money they've saved on Groshman went to his HS teammate Kloffenstien.

The Jays would definitely know what it would take to get him signed... the third round picks almost always sign because teams have had 24 hours to line up desired candidates and gauge how much it would cost to get them... I'm sure they're saving money on Groshans, which will in turn go to Kloffenstein... with Conine likely to sign at (or slightly over) slot. Look for the Jays to sign some modest college picks and college seniors in rounds 4-10 to save some budget to make runs at a couple raw-but-promising guys later in the draft.

On the drafted teammates:


http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/mlb/news/2018-mlb-draft-mock-news-rumors-order-jordan-groshans-adam-kloffenstein-exclusive-two-first-round-picks-magnolia-texas/1iuusrlrz8bx21w8ttozc8gugn

things I like:

- one of the youngest players in the draft
- already touching 96
- 3-4 potential plus pitches
- plus command
- in my Buck Voice: "He just...LOOKS like a starting pitcher".

Kloffenstein was #43 on MLB.com so looks like some good value at this spot.

Here's a story on Kloffenstein indicating he'll be a tough sign.

Plus the Jays should already have his MRI.

Looks like AA is up to his old tricks again.  ATL just took Tristan Beck at pick #112

Round 4 - Sean Wymer, 21 y.o. RHP:

Wymer served as a troubleshooting reliever on Texas Christian's College World Series club in 2017, the fourth straight year the Horned Frogs reached Omaha. Though he was extremely valuable in that role, retiring 35 of the 39 batters he faced while recording two wins and a save during the NCAA postseason, TCU shifted him into its rotation this spring. Though his stuff hasn't been as crisp as it has in the past and he missed time with back issues early in the season, he has still shown enough to factor in the first three rounds of the Draft. Wymer has four quality pitches and there's little consensus as to which is his best. He'll flash a well-above-average curveball at times, though there are other times when his hard slider is his superior breaking ball. He doesn't worry about radar guns, working at 89-92 mph with a quality sinker, though he can reach back for 95-96-mph heat when he needs to. As if that's not enough, Wymer can also unveil a solid changeup and

The Jays are really big on players from Texas this year. 

Local paper says Kloff is signing:

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/big-12/texas-christian-university/article212580294.html

"Two sources confirmed the Blue Jays are offering Kloffenstein a first-round level signing bonus of about $2.5 million and he will forgo his commitment to TCU.

The slotted amount for the No. 88 spot is just over $650,000. The Blue Jays are offering almost $2 million more than that."

So we can expect some College Senior $10k signs in the next few rounds.

Probably saved a good chunk of that on 1st rounder as well and may have been package deal

5th Rounder: Chris Beck, Catcher.
The MLB analyst spent the whole time slot talking about the other Blue Jays picks, so yeah, I'd say a money-saving pick. Nothing wrong with that if it gets the big guys signed.

MLB.com had nothing to say about Bec. Just talked about Vladdy to fill the time until the next pick. That sound you hear - PUNT!

The 3rd slot value is $652,900.    Meaning we have to look for savings of $1,847,100

The 4th round pick seems to be a decent prospect, so likely he would sign for slot.

Rounds 5 to 10 have value of  $1,298,700
5th - 357,5006th - 271,1007th - 211,9008th - 168,6009th - 149,40010th - 140,200
Assuming a bunch of senior drafts @ 10,000 each, means a savings of  $1,238,700
So, it looks like Goshans likely agreed to an underslot by at least $608,400

Chris Beck three yr stats total: .348 .420 .502

Baseball Cube "Active Talent Rating": Durability: 100, Contact: 98, Hitting: 94, Speed: 90, XBH: 65, Power: 58,

So the top-3 picks were all in the Top-50 conversation. I think they all made mlb's top-50.

And while he was our last pick, I think I like Kloff better than all of them. Heck, I think I like Kloff as much as some of the bigger name high school pitchers who went early on in the first.

It's a classic Shapiro/Atkins draft so far- spreading out risk among three players.  The package deal part of it is both different and amusing. 

MLB don't have a write up on Bec and he is a 4th year player so he has no leverage.

Barger Addison Round 6
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

King High School has had its fair share of high Draft picks, dating back to former big leaguer Derek Bell, a second-rounder in 1987 and up to 2012 supplemental first-round pick Keon Barnum. Barger doesn't look like a top-two-round guy at this point, but his skills on both sides of the ball could land him in the top five.

Barger is a left-handed hitting middle infielder who has shown some plus bat speed at times this spring. It's more of a line-drive approach at present, but there is raw power for him to tap into as he progresses in the game. Defensively, Barger has a strong arm and good hands, though with fringy speed, at best, the question remains whether he can stick at shortstop long-term. Scouts think Barger can begin his career at the premium position and let him play his way off, with second or third a more likely landing place.

Seeing Barger end up as an offensive-minded second baseman from the left side of the plate might be the best scenario, and he could profile best as a super-utility type who can hit. There is some offensive upside, and that could be enough to entice a team to sign him away from his Florida commitment.

MLB Network analysts' loved the 6th Round pick in regards to the spot he was taken.

Barger pick kinda surprising. Wasn't expecting any HS kids till 11.

Don't forget the value picks (seniors for $10k) can sometimes work out - Kendall Graveman was a bargain pick and has 5.5 WAR so far.  6th round bargain pick was Matt Boyd who has 3.2 WAR so far.  Both were parts of big trades (Donaldson & Price).  Those are the top 2 in WAR so far from that draft.  They were drafted and signed cheap to create space for later picks like Tellez.  To see how we all reacted check here.

TampaBay.com has a story on Barger who can also pitch.

Ian Parmley was another $5k sign.

Yeah, Boyd and Graveman Were pretty well best case scenarios.
Boyd's velocity jumped not once but twice after signing, which would have been excellent outcome for a HS draft pick, but almost unheard of for a guy signed as a college senior.

And Graveman learned a cutter by accident in a middle of a game while pitching for Dunedin and took off from there.

I've not been the biggest fan of the Atkins'/Sanders' drafts, but I think there is a lot to like in this draft and a strong(er) commitment to premium tools and upside.

Round 7 206 overall

Podkul, Nick Notre Dame (IN), Junior, Infield 6'1" 198

2018 Batting .321 .442 .515
2017 batting .285 .386 .439

sam, Atkins/Sanders have only had one draft. They fired the 2016 draft scouting director (Parker?).

7th Round, Nick Podkul, Notre Dame, 3B:

The Notre Dame second baseman hit .312 with a .433 on-base percentage and .525 slugging percentage this year -- leading the Fighting Irish in all three slash line categories -- while adding eight home runs and nine stolen bases in 11 tries. Podkul doesn't wow you with his tools, but he's hit in the ACC, he has a good feel for the game, and he's a solid defende

Podkul's a junior and just turned 21.  I like players with his profile, a good balance of skills including control of the strike zone.

Pillar was a $1K sign

Mike,  it looks like your theory is a good one.  So far the Jays have punted only the 5th round pick.  So between the 1,3 & 5th picks, that is about $5.2 million.  So it looks like the 2 teammates will get $2.5 million each.

A Chicago Tribune story on Nick Podkul (March 23rd 2018)

Andrean graduate Nick Podkul producing breakout season as Notre Dame's second baseman

Notre Dame vs Miami
Former Andrean shortstop Nick Podkul has been a mainstay as a junior this season for Notre Dame as a second baseman and No. 3 hitter. (Eric Espada/Fighting Irish Media photo)
Michael Osipoff
Post-Tribune

Depending on his position in the field, and depending on his spot in the batting order, Nick Podkul will make minor adjustments accordingly.

But in general, the Andrean graduate and Notre Dame junior takes the same approach.

"It doesn't matter to me — as long as I'm out there, I'm happy," Podkul said. "Stick me anywhere, I'll have a smile on my face."

Podkul, who starred at shortstop as the 59ers won back-to-back Class 3A state titles in 2014 and 2015, likely has been smiling especially broadly this spring, enjoying his best season yet with the Irish.

He's become established as their second baseman and No. 3 hitter, having started all 19 games entering this weekend's series against Wake Forest . He was batting a team-high .343 with three home runs and a team-high 18 RBIs.

He also was leading the team in slugging percentage (.612), on-base percentage (.483), walks (15) and triples (two), ranking second in runs (16), doubles (five) and stolen bases (five). He's reduced his errors to two after committing nine last season.

"I've tried to shorten up my swing a little bit, cut down on strikeouts, get on base more," Podkul said. "But for the most part, I just try to keep things simple — see the ball, hit the ball.

"I'm just going out there and having fun. That's the biggest key for me. We have a close team on and off the field, and it helps to perform with all of your buddies."

Podkul has been a significant contributor since he began his Notre Dame career.

As a freshman, he appeared in 40 games, starting 36 among third base, first base and designated hitter. He hit .288 with 11 RBIs.

He was one of two Irish players last season to start all 58 games. He opened playing third base and batting sixth, before shifting to second base in the sixth game. Before the midway point of the season, he settled into the leadoff role after also having occupied the fifth, third and second spots.

He hit .285 with five homers and 20 RBIs as a sophomore — including making the ACC all-tournament team by going 6-for-10 with two homers, a double and three RBIs in two games — and has continued to progress this season.

Podkul's performance has caught the attention of former Andrean teammate and middle infield partner Chase Dawson, now Valparaiso University 's junior second baseman.

"He did really well the last two years, and I've seen what he's been doing this year and it was, like, 'Wow,'" Dawson said of Podkul. "It's great, I'm really happy for him. At the same time, it motivates me because I want to do what he's doing.

"I like to challenge myself with him. We're best friends at heart, but we're the most competitive guys I know."

Podkul's competitive spirit hasn't waned since his time at Andrean. After having grown up as a shortstop, playing second base simply has provided a slightly different outlet.

"I was bouncing around for a little while there, but I've found a home at second," Podkul said. "I like it there.

"At the end of the day, it's pretty much the same thing — try to help the team win, have fun, respect the game and give your best effort."

mosipoff@post-trib.com

Twitter @MichaelOsipoff

8th round, Joey Murray, Kent State, RHP, Jr,:

Murray’s fastball typically runs from 87-88 mph and can touch 91, and the right-hander features a good curveball and decent slider and changeup. All of those pitches are made much better by a deceptive delivery that confounds opposing hitters, particularly the fastball, which seems like it’s coming in much hotter than the upper-80s.

Round 8 pick # 236

Murray, Joey Kent State (OH) RHP R/R 4YR JR 6'2" 195

Kent State junior right-hander Joey Murray has been named Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season, while Jeff Duncan was selected Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Flashes to the 2018 MAC regular season title.

Murray is the first back-to-back MAC Pitcher of the Year since 2000-01, when Ball State’s Bryan Bullington accomplished the feat. Murray set the single-season KSU record with 132 strikeouts while walking just 31 in 88 1/3 innings of work. He finished the regular season 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA, holding opponents to a .146 batting average.

Joey Murray, 8th Round Kent State

2018 stats:

G:14 GS:14 IP:88 H:44 R:17 ER:16 HR:0 BB:31 SO:132

WHIP:0.85 H9:4.48 BB9:3.16

Nice BB to SO ratio.

Murray was teammates with 2016 Jays draft pick and current Dunedin Blue Jay Andy Ravel at Kent State.

Kent State means something other than baseball to people of my age.

Dirk Hayhurst?

Kent State still means this to me.

The Podkul pick is my favourite past round 5. He seems versatile and can control the stick zone with ok power. He actually hit pretty similar to Cavan Biggio did at Notre Dame in his junior year.

Mike, and always will.

Round 9 Pick 266

Jake Brodt 1st Base, Santa Clara U , 4 YR SR, 6'4" 220

When the Cardinals' Fernando Tatis smashed two grand slams in one inning off the Dodgers' Chan Ho Park, he made Major League history. No one in big league history has ever pulled off the feat. (Also, how weird is it that Park was the pitcher for both of them?)

On college baseball's opening weekend, Santa Clara's Jake Brodt pulled off the rare feat -- though this time it was against two different pitchers. With Santa Clara trailing, 9-7, in the seventh inning, Brodt gave the Broncos the lead with a homer off Boston College's John Witkowski. When he stepped to the plate later in the inning, his smash against Mitch Bigras gave Santa Clara a 20-7 lead.

Yeah, that'll work:

"How often do you come up with that type of situation twice in an inning?" Brodt asked after the game. "I just tried to stay comfortable in the box and not try to do too much with it. I knew right off the bat when I hit it."

While two grand slams in an inning isn't an NCAA record, it's still incredibly rare. Brodt's two-salamis-in-a-single-inning game was only the seventh time it's been accomplished in Division I since the NCAA began keeping records in 1957. Louisiana Tech's T.J. Soto last did it in 2000.

Of course, Brodt didn't just hit two grand slams in a single inning: He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and homered in the sixth to give him a three-dinger, 10-RBI day.

and this
https://youtu.be/68g76j9VBvM?t=22

Me too Mike, and I'm not old enough to remember it.  A defining, tragic moment in US history. 

John Northey, that link to Graveman's draft isn't working?
JB#2 (and the rest of the Box crew), thanks for the draft updates.  In a year that went off the rails fast (I'm pretty sure it's my fault for having said there are no clear candidates for regression back in April) the draft coverage is a lot of fun. 

Mike and Gerry

Kent State to Trump. Good Grief.

My thoughts on America Today:

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=23935664#editor/target=post;postID=4645901009535986717;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname

Round 10 296

Cal Stevenson U Arizona OF L/L SR 5'10" 175

Arizona Wildcats senior Cal Stevenson strives for happier, healthier ending to 2018

By Michael Lev Arizona Daily Star May 23, 2018 Updated May 31, 2018

Cal Stevenson was playing for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League when the Arizona Wildcats made their run to the College World Series finals in June 2016.

Stevenson knew he’d be coming to Arizona at that point, and he envisioned making a trip to Omaha as a Wildcat. It hasn’t happened yet, but there’s still a sliver of time and a glimmer of hope.

“Fortunately, we’re still in a position to do that,” said Stevenson, Arizona’s senior center fielder. “Some of that vision is still playing in my head. I think about it when I’m in the outfield. All those hopes and dreams are still there.”

The 2018 season hasn’t gone exactly the way Arizona or Stevenson had hoped.

Coming off a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, which ended in the regional round, the Wildcats are sitting on the bubble entering their final regular-season series at Oregon. Arizona might need a sweep to make the tournament.

Coming off a season in which he earned All-Pac-12 honorable-mention status, Stevenson has been slowed by illness and injury. He hasn’t been quite right since getting hit in the right hand by a pitch at USC on April 15. He missed most of the next two weeks.

Stevenson’s batting average stood at .331 at the time of the injury. It has fallen to .296.

“I felt like I could have controlled some things better and helped this team a little bit more. I’m kind of disappointed in myself for that,” Stevenson said. “But we’re still in this thing. I can control what I do this weekend, and I’m going to do what I can to get us into the tournament.”

Stevenson said his hand still isn’t 100 percent. He said it isn’t affecting his hitting, even though he feels it on certain swings.

The injury happened on the second pitch thrown by USC’s Quentin Longrie in the series finale in Los Angeles. Stevenson didn’t think much of it at first. But while he was standing on second base after a single by Alfonso Rivas III, Stevenson began sweating.

“My hand got huge,” he recalled. “I could feel it blow up in my batting glove. That’s when I knew something was wrong. I tried to go out and play center field, but I couldn’t even catch the ball.”

Stevenson, who throws left-handed, had to leave the game. He returned six days later against Stanford, but the comeback was short-lived. Stevenson sat out the next five games.

He came back for the May 3 game against UCLA and has been in the lineup ever since. With the hand still not fully healed — and the MLB draft fast approaching — Stevenson could have elected to sit out. But he felt an obligation to his teammates. He would fight through it.

“It tells you everything you need to know,” said UA coach Jay Johnson, who first coached Stevenson at Nevada in 2015. “The guy’s a competitor. He’s a warrior.

“Some guys know how to play through injuries or pain, and some guys don’t. I think he’s just exhibiting his toughness and how badly he wants to win and continue playing baseball. It just speaks to his commitment to his team.”

Unfortunately, the hand injury isn’t the first time Stevenson has had to play through something. He came down with a stomach ailment earlier in the season that lasted about two weeks. He missed the Feb. 27 game against New Mexico State and was limited during the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge the following weekend.

Stevenson had to watch what he ate, and he had to curtail his workout regimen. It wasn’t an ideal situation for the 5-9, 170-pounder.

“I felt like I had cramps all the time, and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Stevenson said. “It was a hard two weeks.”

After the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge, Stevenson found his form. He went on a 12-game hitting streak that raised his average from .226 to .329.

Despite the stomach bug and the hand injury, Stevenson leads the team with six triples and eight stolen bases. He has a 32-15 walk-to-strikeout ratio and a .417 on-base percentage.

Stevenson should get drafted next month and plans to pursue a career in baseball. He’d like to be a coach someday.

In the meantime, Stevenson said, “I want to be a kid as long as I can.” In other words, he doesn’t want his college career to end Saturday in Eugene.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Stevenson said. “Enjoy the last few moments I have with these guys. I just want to do what I can to help (us) get into the postseason.”

Stevenson is bunting from the right side in the picture. Is he a switch-hitter or he does have the Rickey thing-bats R,  throws L- going on?

I will be very impressed if we sign all the picks.

Yeah, it looks like a really solid draft if they can sign them all.

Why not? It's usually known what it's going to take to sign
a player before drafting him. As Groshans is signing for 1.8 mil under slot and Kloffenstein for 2 mil over, that's pretty much a wash. The college seniors should save sufficient funds to handle other over slot signings.

PeterG the optimist. Cheers my friend.

But if we cannot sign them all ... this is a disaster.

Cheers to all.

Tomorrow round 11-40.

The FO knows more or less what is left in the budget. I wish they would tell us. So that I know.

They now must draft accordingly. Be careful of the over spending penalties.

Is it fair to say that the Jays aren't really going for the best player available under Steve Sanders, but rather are targeting position players, particularly up the middle guys?  3 pitchers in the top ten last year, 3 again this year.  They actually drafted 22 pitchers last year out of 41, but 8 of those were in the last 10 picks of the draft. 

Out of the top ten in two drafts, one 1st rounder, one 3rd, one 4th, one 7th, one 8th, one 9th spent on pitchers.  If you go by bonuses, last year the Jays spent $3,343,200 on pitchers total, most of that on Pearson, out of a bonus pool of $9,779,500.  A bunch of late round pitchers got $1,000. 

Blue Jays from away is calling the same pattern:
https://bluejaysfromaway.com/chicago-cubs-copycats-are-the-blue-jays-following-the-cubs-draft-strategy/
I certainly don't know enough about non-professionals to have a strong opinion, but I do like that the team seems to have a clear strategy.  Sanders has the Red Sox pedigree and a pretty good draft in 2017, so I have a favorable impression of him and I'm optimistic thus far about the 2018 class.  Here's an interview with him from TSN a few days ago, but TBH, he has clearly studied at the 'Mark Shapiro's how not to say anything to the media' school. 

https://www.tsn.ca/the-man-in-charge-of-stocking-blue-jays-pipeline-talks-2018-mlb-draft-1.1100060

On the subject of signing bonuses, in 2010, the 2 High School pitchers the Jays took as 1st Round comp picks, Sanchez and Syndergaard, signed for $1.35 Million COMBINED.

This allowed the Jays to toss $1.5 Million at Dickie Joe Thon.

That, of course, was before the bloodlines thing started to work.

Hypobole,

Appreciate the clarification. Atkins has now had three drafts with the Blue Jays. I'm also generally including his and Shapiro's drafts with Cleveland.

We talk about AA's drafts and now Atkins drafts, but how much influence did/do they have? How many picks were made by the GM himself and how many by the scouting director?

This is 7 years old, but its hard to find anything on this subject:

Chris Antonetti -- Cleveland Indians: The scouting director makes the final call on the draft with input from the GM and assistant general manager. Antonetti does not personally scout any players. He tries to approach the draft the same way he approaches trades. He takes all of the information from his evaluators, challenges them by asking the right questions and lets them do their job. The Indians will take the best player available in the first round, after that, draft strategy factors into the scouting director's decisions. These draft strategies could include but are not limited to: positional needs, signability, makeup, physical attributes and the possibilities of a certain player not being available in the next round based on club intelligence.

Theo Epstein -- Boston Red Sox: In some years, he will scout as few as five to 10 players. Other years, when they have multiple picks, he might see as many as 20. He has input on the first couple of rounds, but he doesn’t overrule the picks the scouts feel strongly about. Epstein will participate in the meeting and is part of the process and that is where his influence is heard. He has always viewed it as the scouting director's call, but the Red Sox usually somehow get consensus, and as GM he maintains veto power that he rarely uses. The Sox will take the best player available unless that player is simply not going to sign.

John Mozeliak -- St. Louis Cardinals: Mozeliak tries to have the scouting director make all of the selections, although he will weigh in, but allows him to manage his department. Mozeliak does read reports and studies video but does not spend much time seeing potential draft picks in person. The Cardinals' philosophy is to take the best player available.

Doug Melvin -- Milwaukee Brewers: Melvin will only see the players that are brought to Miller Park for pre-draft workouts. If the Brewers were picking in the top 5, he would normally see the short list. The scouting director makes the final decision for the Brew Crew, but Melvin has input on one or two players he will say they are NOT taking due to character. The Brewers will select the best player at their turn, as well.

Kevin Towers -- Arizona Diamondbacks: Towers scouted roughly 10 prospects this year, only prospects that he would consider taking for their No. 3 and No. 7 picks in the first round. The picks will be determined by their scouting director, Ray Montgomery, and vice president of scouting and player development, Jerry Dipoto. Towers does gives his opinion on how he sees the players if asked. Montgomery and Dipoto are held accountable for the draft, so he doesn’t think they should be influenced by his opinion, unless they choose to be. The scouting director will make the decisions in all the rounds and will carry out Towers' philosophy of taking the players with the highest ceiling for potential, with probability of reaching those projections.

I doubt GM’s have much impact on draft picks aside from maybe the first round. Scouting directors are put in place precisely to do that job (along with individual scouts). I’m sure Shapiro and Atkins have a specific idea of the type of players they want to target and it trickles down from there, but my guess is Sanders and the scouting team did most of the work. Certainly in the mid to late rounds.

Jim Callis says that of all MLB teams, the Jays had the second-best Day 2 of the draft:

"2. Blue Jays
Texas high school right-hander Adam Kloffenstein (third round, No. 43) has an athletic 6-foot-5 frame and a wide variety of promising pitches: a heavy low-90s two-seam fastball, a four-seamer that reaches 96 mph, a sharp slider that he can turn into a bigger-breaking curveball or a harder cutter, and a tumbling changeup. Righty Sean Wymer (fourth round, No. 85) also has a deep repertoire and succeeded in multiple roles at Texas Christian. Florida prep shortstop Addison Barger (sixth round, No. 143) may wind up at second base, but he has a strong arm and the potential for at least average tools across the board."

https://www.mlb.com/news/best-hauls-on-mlb-draft-day-2/c-280001366

Imo gms have a huge impact on who is selected.

The scouts do all the grading, but the decisions as to what kind of prospects are deemed the best investment - I.e. risk v reward, upside v readiness, pitcher v hitter - are all gm decisions.

The GM also hires the scouts. If you're displeased with a draft, you cannot just say "It's not the general manager's fault, they don't actually make any picks! Blame the scouting director!" -- I'd easily retort that it's the general manager's fault that the scouting director has their job.

"but the decisions as to what kind of prospects are deemed the best investment - I.e. risk v reward, upside v readiness, pitcher v hitter - are all gm decisions."

Once again, you're stating opinion as fact, with nothing to back it up. I posted facts earlier. GM's are not cookie-cut, as you make it appear Some are more involved, some minimally, some have philosophies i.e. Epstein not drafting pitchers early. So no - they are not all GM decisions.

James W is right though- the GM's main area of control is hiring and firing scouts and especially the scouting director.

I tend to agree that GM's have a fair bit to say on who gets selected. I think to say otherwise would be a bit of a fallacy. In speaking to scouts in times past, GM's will often see these players or at least video. GM's also set general policy with respect to the "type" of player the team should be selecting and investing scouting resources in following. Memory serves me correctly, this was a major plank of J.P. Ricciardi's tenure. Also, most GM's were scouts or involved in player development. They have biases and bring those to bear in their scouting and amateur drafting. Finally, on a more practical level.
Drafting costs money and any executive presumptively needs to show value for that cost. I find it hard to believe that any executive of an organization would simply not review that costing.

Hypobole,

Thanks for providing those resources. They are certainly helpful. I appreciate your input.

Hypo - you provided many facts...but many agree with me:

- "The Indians will take the best player available in the first round, after that, draft strategy factors into the scouting director's decisions. These draft strategies could include but are not limited to: positional needs, signability, makeup, physical attributes and the possibilities of a certain player not being available in the next round based on club intelligence."

- "The scouting director will make the decisions in all the rounds and will carry out Towers' philosophy of taking the players with the highest ceiling for potential, with probability of reaching those projections."

- and all the other ones say "we take the best player available", which a) is a strategy given by the GM, not the scouts b) is actually a loaded phrase, as "best player available" can mean many different things, depending on the club's analysis of various risk v reward factors, which are, again, GM decisions, not scouting decisions.

Jim Callis says that of all MLB teams, the Jays had the second-best Day 2 of the draft:

"2. Blue Jays
Texas high school right-hander Adam Kloffenstein (third round, No. 43) has an athletic 6-foot-5 frame and a wide variety of promising pitches: a heavy low-90s two-seam fastball, a four-seamer that reaches 96 mph, a sharp slider that he can turn into a bigger-breaking curveball or a harder cutter, and a tumbling changeup. Righty Sean Wymer (fourth round, No. 85) also has a deep repertoire and succeeded in multiple roles at Texas Christian. Florida prep shortstop Addison Barger (sixth round, No. 143) may wind up at second base, but he has a strong arm and the potential for at least average tools across the board."

https://www.mlb.com/news/best-hauls-on-mlb-draft-day-2/c-280001366

We have a very involved president. Shapiro. He added Atkins, B Cherington and S Sanders from Boston I believe. LaCarver and Tinnish. So a solid staff.

Boston has produced good position players for many years. My opinion was superstitious J Rice, D Evans all the way to the present. It seems like that is their drafting philosophy. They don't seem to produce good/great pitchers.

For the Jays, my superstitious opinion is that we produce good/great pitchers and OFs. We cannot produce many catchers.

But maybe it is drafting philosophy that was the major factor.

Here is an article by Keegan Matheson on Jordan Groshans and the Jays new draft strategy:

https://www.thescore.com/news/1515547

Yeah, they partially agree with you, I do also.

GM's do have macro level philosophies that are adhered to - I agree. Beane, Riccardi with their moneyball are examples.

Some GM's are more hands on with the high picks, some less so - J. P. seemed very hands on, overruling his scouts on Tulo and Russ Adams, but that type of GM seems to be the exception rather than the rule (and also seemingly for good reason).

In Towers case, the type of player is what mattered, but from what he said, the actual player taken was the scouting director - Towers wasn't saying hitter vs pitcher.

#BlueJays 6th-rounder, SS Addison Barger, will sign with Toronto and forgo his commitment to Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Wasn't a sure thing when he was selected.