Los Diablos Rojos del México (2012 Expansion)

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Thanks to OFG for your support, and thanks for 200tang for your analysis!

The Johnson/Penny thing was really weird. I originally picked Johnny Cueto; he was protected but misread the sheet. But I had 2 picks in a row: did it really matter which order I was picking who?

As for Salty, I like a good-hitting catcher, and Ruiz didn't do it for me. I may bring him in as a backup () but we'll have to see how the draft plays out...

For the record, I AM drafting with peaks on.

[filihok]

For the record, I AM drafting with peaks on.

No wonder he's beating me to all the good players

[OldFatGuy]

No wonder he's beating me to all the good players

Umm, how do you know he's beating you to all the good players?

BTW, on the 9th round pick by the Luck, you either left out a "t" or the "n" should be a "b" in the word next to Chicago.

[filihok]

Umm, how do you know he's beating you to all the good players?

BTW, on the 9th round pick by the Luck, you either left out a "t" or the "n" should be a "b" in the word next to Chicago.

Well...three times he got the player I was going to draft one pick before me. One of those times was D'Antonia, formerly of the Cubs. So I might have had some choice names picked out for Mr. Potato while I was spelling that, leading to a Freudian slip

[200tang]

Diablos projected roster according to 200tang

C - Devin Mesoraco (CIN)
1B -
2B -
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (COL)
3B -
RF -
CF - Trevor Crowe (CLE)
LF - Chris Petit (TOR)

Bench
-
-
-
-
-

Rotation
1 - Ian Snell (PIT)
2 - Anthony Swarzak (DET)
3 - Nick Adenhart (LOS)
4 - Jeff Marquez (NYY)
5 - Fabio Castillo (TEX)

Bullpen
CL -
ST -
SR - Josh Fields (TAM)
SR -
MR -
LR - Cory Luebke (SDP)


Thoughts on updates - Well it looks like their rotation has filled out nicely with the addition of Marquez. Adenhart and Marquez are both similar pitchers in my eyes and could be switched. Scouts have raved about Mesoraco as well so at this point he's looking like a steal this late in to the draft considering how polished he is for his age and how close he is to the majors. Whether he starts next year will be decided in the next picks, but for now he's their starter.
----
Cory Luebke is a solid pitcher who could be a back end starter on some teams, but unfortunately for him the Diablos already have quite the rotation and Luebke will be very nice insurance in case one of them succumbs to injury. Their other choice was center fielder Trevor Crowe who had the unfortunate luck to get stuck behind Grady Sizemore. Now that he will be starting in the majors we will finally be able to see what this kid can do with. Crowe is a switch hitter who also reminds me of a lite 5 tool player with an emphasis on speed.

Vegas projected roster according to 200tang

C - Jarrod Saltalamaccia (ARI)
1B -
2B -
SS - Will Middlebrooks (BOS)
3B - Jamie D'Antona (CHI)
RF - Xavier Paul (WAS)
CF -
LF -

Bench
-
-
-
-
-

Rotation
1 - Joe Blanton (OAK)
2 - Jair Jurrjens (ATL)
3 - Brad Penny (LOS)
4 - Josh Johnson (FLA)
5 -

Bullpen
CL - Chad Cordero (KCR)
ST - Logan Kensing (NYM)
SR -
SR -
MR -
LR -

Thoughts on updates - Middlebrooks scouting report, age and vitals all make him look like a great pickup especially considering he went in the 8th round. Xavier Paul was deemed unnecessary by the Nationals who have quite the talent in OF all throughout their system. Paul looks to be a lite 5 tool player and will be patrolling right field for quite some time.
----
D'Antona(3B) was deemed unnecessary by the Cubs most likely due to Josh Vitters, but he does make a fine starter. Although I think he over performed last year, I wouldn't put him too far off from that performance and his defense should be around league average. Third base looks like a pretty empty area in terms of players unprotected, but I think I would have gotten Encarnacion from the Atlanta Braves. He does cost 6 million so I assume POC has other ideas on where to use that money or something else, but given how many good third basemen (sorry I protected Beltre ) are out their D'Antona is still a fine pick. The other player chosen in the 9/10 round was Logan Kensing(RP). Him and Cordero should mesh well to provide some nice innings late in the game.

And again, these are just my opinions and you shouldn't feel like I'm picking on either of you if I disagree with a pick

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Thoughts on updates - Middlebrooks scouting report, age and vitals all make him look like a great pickup especially considering he went in the 8th round. Xavier Paul was deemed unnecessary by the Nationals who have quite the talent in OF all throughout their system. Paul looks to be a lite 5 tool player and will be patrolling right field for quite some time.
----
D'Antona(3B) was deemed unnecessary by the Cubs most likely due to Josh Vitters, but he does make a fine starter. Although I think he over performed last year, I wouldn't put him too far off from that performance and his defense should be around league average. Third base looks like a pretty empty area in terms of players unprotected, but I think I would have gotten Encarnacion from the Atlanta Braves. He does cost 6 million so I assume POC has other ideas on where to use that money or something else, but given how many good third basemen (sorry I protected Beltre ) are out their D'Antona is still a fine pick. The other player chosen in the 9/10 round was Logan Kensing(RP). Him and Cordero should mesh well to provide some nice innings late in the game.

And again, these are just my opinions and you shouldn't feel like I'm picking on either of you if I disagree with a pick

I originally wanted Ryan Dent, but he was protected, so I guess I got lucky. Will he turn into a superstar? We'll have to wait and see.

Paul: I liked him from fili's Nation's Capital dynasty. When I saw I needed someone from Washington, he was one of the first guys I looked at (I really wanted Marrero, but he was protected).

As for 3Bmen, there's a lot of talented ones (85-80 OVR) available. I keep looking at their overall ratings and seeing these mid-80 numbers and all the players are 3Bmen! Don't worry though, I have some ideas about spending that money...I am in Vegas, after all!

[200tang]

Actually there isn't a ton of depth at third base compared to the other positions.

Currently I'm looking at 4 third basemen (2 in the AL / 2 in the NL) that have good talent coupled with contracts under 4 million and one making a league minimum 420k and only one of them in a contract year

[filihok]

I
Paul: I liked him from fili's Nation's Capital dynasty. When I saw I needed someone from Washington, he was one of the first guys I looked at (I really wanted Marrero, but he was protected).

Using my OWN dynasty against me!!! That's low.

Don't worry though, I have some ideas about spending that money...I am in Vegas, after all!

Sure, throw all your money in my face. No. Really. Throw your money in my face. I could use some of it to pay some of the good players left in the draft that i don't think I can afford.

[filihok]

[B][SIZE="4"]Scouts have raved about Mesoraco as well so at this point he's looking like a steal this late in to the draft considering how polished he is for his age and how close he is to the majors.

Woo-Hoo!!! I finally got one

[200tang]

Diablos projected roster according to 200tang

C - Devin Mesoraco (CIN)
1B -
2B - Tommy Manzella (HOU)
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (COL)
3B -
RF -
CF - Trevor Crowe (CLE)
LF - Chris Petit (TOR)

Bench
- Rob Johnson(C) (SEA)
-
-
-
-

Rotation
1 - Ian Snell (PIT)
2 - Anthony Swarzak (DET)
3 - Nick Adenhart (LOS)
4 - Jeff Marquez (NYY)
5 - Fabio Castillo (TEX)

Bullpen
CL - Mike Zagurski (PHI)
ST -
SR - Josh Fields (TAM)
SR - Ryan Perry (BAL)
MR -
LR - Cory Luebke (SDP)


Thoughts on updates - Rob Johnson(C) was selected to become their backup catcher and he is exactly what you look for when selecting a backup catcher. He knows how to handle a pitching staff and he isn't that bad offensively projecting a .250 AVG and ~.310 OBP given enough playing time. The other player chosen with Rob, Mike Zagurski(RP), is a power pitcher who should throw lots of quality innings closing games out for the Diablos
----
Manzella(2B) is a slick fielder and will provide great defense to support the pitching staff that fili has put together. Manzella will likely end up hitting 8th due to a terrible bat and shows some nice base running, but nothing that will blow your socks off, I'm thinking ~25 SB's depending on the teams strategy. Manzella can pretty much play any position (except C) so I'm thinking fili will draft another second basemen and use Manzella as a fine utility player. Either way, starter or utility, he's a nice pickup. Ryan Perry(RP) is another power reliever who has a higher ceiling than any of the other pitchers currently in his bullpen. At the moment he lacks control and will likely end up being used in short relief until he fixes his delivery. Look for Perry in the very near future to make the conversion to closer.


Vegas projected roster according to 200tang

C - Jarrod Saltalamaccia (ARI)
1B -
2B - Matt Antonelli (SFG)
SS - Will Middlebrooks (BOS)
3B - Jamie D'Antona (CHI)
RF - Xavier Paul (WAS)
CF - Jon Jay (STL)
LF - Michael Cuddyer (MIN)

Bench
- Tony Gwynn Jr. (MIL)
-
-
-
-

Rotation
1 - Joe Blanton (OAK)
2 - Jair Jurrjens (ATL)
3 - Brad Penny (LOS)
4 - Josh Johnson (FLA)
5 -

Bullpen
CL - Chad Cordero (KCR)
ST - Logan Kensing (NYM)
SR -
SR -
MR -
LR -

Thoughts on updates - Jon Jay is a great center fielder for his price and age and shows excellent range and speed with decent offensive capabilities. Matt Antonelli(2B) was the Luck's other choice in the 11/12 round and he figures to be an average at best second basemen earning close to $4 million. His best assets are his speed, plate vision and ability to stay off the DL for whatever that is worth. The guy can definitely hit FB's which should help him against the majority of pitchers as well. San Fransisco has him as their lead off hitter due to his speed and OBP, but depending on who else the Luck acquire I see him as either a #2, 6, or 9 hitter.
----
Utility player extraordinaire Michael Cuddyer was chosen and looks to be starting in left field or sitting on the bench if they decide Gwynn Jr. is better. Cuddyer is a fine selection and even if he does lose his starting job in the future, which is very likely, he'll have value as a utility player. The other player chosen with him is Tony Gwynn Jr.(CF). If Gwynn does end up on the bench like I suspect, he will provide nice depth in the OF and can be used as a great pinch runner.


There may be a mistake or two since I had to fix it once and then messed it up again during my editing and had to edit it again xD Hopefully everything is correct though and the reason for the shortened thoughts section is I didn't want to type a ton again lol.

[PotatoOfCouch13]

tang, I think you might've misread something. Antonelli, Jay, Cuddyer and Gwynn are on Las Vegas, while Perry Johnson and Manzella are on Mexico City

[200tang]

WRYYY

yeah I just woke up >.>

ok I'll switch them and fix it in a minute /sigh

[200tang]

Diablos projected roster according to 200tang

C - Devin Mesoraco (CIN)
1B -
2B - Travis Denker (SFG)
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (COL)
3B - James Darnell (ATL)
RF - Scott Cousins (FLA)
CF - Trevor Crowe (CLE)
LF - Chris Petit (TOR)

Bench
- Rob Johnson(C) (SEA)
- Tommy Manzella(2B) (HOU)
- Reynaldo Navarro(SS) (ARI)
-
-
-

Rotation
1 - Ian Snell (PIT)
2 - Anthony Swarzak (DET)
3 - Nick Adenhart (LOS)
4 - Jeff Marquez (NYY)
5 - Fabio Castillo (TEX)

Bullpen
CL - Mike Zagurski (PHI)
ST -
SR - Josh Fields (TAM)
SR - Ryan Perry (BAL)
MR -
LR - Cory Luebke (SDP)


Thoughts on updates - Well it looks like San Fransisco just got all of their second basemen poached . Denker is much better with the bat which in my eyes pushes Manzella down to the bench as a great MI utility player. Defensively Denker is quite the downgrade, but he still does have the glovework of an average second basemen. Reynaldo Navarro is an interesting case. He's only 22 and still has room to grow as a switch hitting shortstop, but with Tulo in front of him it's hard to see a place for him at shortstop anytime soon. I believe he'll make the conversion to third or second base either this year. If Fili decides to pluck a third basemen then I will be stumped on where Navarro fits in to this team and would have to assume he's a minor/bench player.
----
Figures after the last thing I said about Navarro a third basemen with potential gets picked. Darnell is an all-around balanced player who does everything, but nothing amazing. He's VERY comparable to Adrian Beltre without the amazing defense. The other taken with Darnell is right fielder Scott Cousins. He is probably the best example of a 5 tool player taken in this draft so far. The defense and pitching are that much better with this guy in the lineup and he should be one of the Diablos' best players.


Vegas projected roster according to 200tang

C - Jarrod Saltalamaccia (ARI)
1B - Yonder Alonso (PIT)
2B - Matt Antonelli (SFG)
SS - Will Middlebrooks (BOS)
3B - Jamie D'Antona (CHI)
RF - Xavier Paul (WAS)
CF - Jon Jay (STL)
LF - Fred Lewis (CIN)
DH -

Bench
- Tony Gwynn Jr.(CF) (MIL)
- Michael Cuddyer(RF) (MIN)
- Robinzon Diaz(C) (TOR)
-
-

Rotation
1 - Joe Blanton (OAK)
2 - Jair Jurrjens (ATL)
3 - Brad Penny (LOS)
4 - Josh Johnson (FLA)
5 - Blake Beaven (TEX)

Bullpen
CL - Chad Cordero (KCR)
ST - Logan Kensing (NYM)
SR -
SR -
MR -
LR -

Thoughts on updates - Yonder Alonso will definitely need to be upgraded eventually either during the year via trade or in the off season. Alonso is a candidate of receiving a miracle boost to his overall due to playing time and recapturing some of the potential he had, but if he doesn't he can expect to see himself put up poor numbers for a first basemen and relegated to bench duty next season. Ah Blake Beaven(SP) was picked up. I helped make the Texas protection list and, despite high ratings, I never really thought this guy would amount to much. Beaven is still a solid pickup and deserves the shot to break in to the rotation or convert to a reliever. Personally I would slide him in to my short relief role and let him figure things out and once his endurance decreases to about 70 I would stick him back in the rotation. He does have the upside of a #2 pitcher if he gets some miracle boost, but as a #5/4 pitcher he's great.
----
Well it looks like Michael Cuddyer's starting job was short lived. Cuddyer and Lewis are both offensively equal with Lewis getting the slight advantage due to his speed, but defensively Lewis is the better left fielder. The only thing Cuddyer can brag about would be his arm which is of little use in left field. Lewis will be one of the harder players to place in the lineup for POC but there are a few options that work best for him. The other chosen with Lewis, Robinzon Diaz(C), is a fine defensive sub making a league minimum 420k till 2014. Besides being known for his defense he does make good contact and can definitely help move a guy over in the few AB's he figures to get.

[200tang]

Diablos projected roster according to 200tang

C - Devin Mesoraco (CIN)
1B -
2B - Travis Denker (SFG)
SS - Troy Tulowitzki (COL)
3B - Allen Craig (STL)
RF - Scott Cousins (FLA)
CF - Trevor Crowe (CLE)
LF - Chris Petit (TOR)

Bench
- Rob Johnson(C) (SEA)
- Tommy Manzella(2B) (HOU)
- Brandon Moss(RF) (BOS)
- Ben Revere(CF) (MIN)
-
-

Rotation
1 - Ian Snell (PIT)
2 - Anthony Swarzak (DET)
3 - Nick Adenhart (LOS)
4 - Jeff Marquez (NYY)
5 - Fabio Castillo (TEX)

Bullpen
CL - Mike Zagurski (PHI)
ST - Josh Fields (TAM)
SR - Fernando Hernandez (OAK)
SR - Ryan Perry (BAL)
MR -
LR - Cory Luebke (SDP)

Minors
AAA - Reynaldo Navarro(SS) (ARI)
AAA - James Darnell(3B) (ATL)


Thoughts on updates - With another third basemen being chosen I feel pretty confident that Fili will send Navarro and Darnell down to the minors to continue to improve with the possibility of being called up at some point in the year. Allen Craig is a great third basemen offensively and defensively should figure to be average. Another thought could be Darnell at third and Craig at first, but we'll have to wait and see what else Fili chooses to draw that conclusion. Picked up with him was reliever Fernando Hernandez from the Oakland Athletics. I feel confident that he'll end up in short relief and this should bump Josh Fields up to setup man. Fernando comes with a 4 pitch repertoire which is nice to see from a reliever and mixes in a fine balance of CON/POW/MOV.
-----
Both Moss and Revere figure to be bench outfielders, but with 2 different roles. Moss has the bigger role as he can hit and field pretty much league average with an emphasis on his range and power. Moss looks to be their bench power lefty and with the added bonus of great defense he's one of the better picks in my book. Revere is pretty much a pinch runner and nothing more with the upside of a defensive sub in the future. Seriously, this kid will leave charred earth in his tracks, that's how fast he is; he could steal 60+ bases if he played a full seasons worth. Revere looks to become a fan favorite for those who enjoy base stealers.

Vegas projected roster according to 200tang

C - Jarrod Saltalamaccia (ARI)
1B - Paul Konerko (HOU)
2B - Matt Antonelli (SFG)
SS - Edgar Renteria (BAL)
3B - Jamie D'Antona (CHI)
RF - Xavier Paul (WAS)
CF - Jon Jay (STL)
LF - Fred Lewis (CIN)
DH -

Bench
- Tony Gwynn Jr.(CF) (MIL)
- Michael Cuddyer(RF) (MIN)
- Robinzon Diaz(C) (TOR)
- Yonder Alonso(1B) (PIT)
-

Rotation
1 - Joe Blanton (OAK)
2 - Jair Jurrjens (ATL)
3 - Brad Penny (LOS)
4 - Josh Johnson (FLA)
5 - Blake Beaven (TEX)

Bullpen
CL - Brandon Lyon (LAA)
ST - Logan Kensing (NYM)
SR - Chad Cordero (KCR)
SR -
MR - Juan Morillo (SEA)
LR -

Minors
AAA - Will Middlebrooks(SS) (BOS)

Thoughts on updates - Konerko adds great defense and offense in one nice package to a team was in need of a serious home run threat. Not much to say about Konerko, everyone knows him. The one question I do have is why was Alonder Alonso chosen first or even chosen at all? The only thing I can see him as, besides a backup, is a DH but you can definitely find something better. Edgar Renteria looks to be the starter this season over Will Middlebrooks. Just like Konerko, we're all very familiar with his skills. This move should push Middlebrooks down to the minors since the Vegas being an AL team would mean very little at bats for him on the bench.
-----
Brandyon Lyon was taken from LA and he seems like a better fit closing than Chad Cordero does which now makes the Cordero pick seem odd unless POC does use Cordero as his closer. His bullpen is shaping up great though and besides the high price of the relievers so far they're all solid. Well....all except Juan Morillo anyways. If you like a pitcher who walks a ton of guys and give up a fair share of hits with the possibility to strike out the side then Morillo is your kind of pitcher. I expect him to be their MR since he really isn't suited to pitch that many innings. He's really a head scratcher for me.

[filihok]

FIRST ROUND OF THE DRAFT IS COMPLETE

There will now be a 6 round 2nd Phase of the draft.

In this round once a team has a player drafted its players are no longer eligible for the draft.