All of the following reports come from Twitter and are from today unless otherwise noted:
13th round 1B Casey "Ory" Kalenkosky:
When asked what Texas State players had signed/would sign, Tyler Manforth of the San Marcos Daily Record said: "@BryDanElsn Smith hadn't signed last I talked to him, neither has Kalenkosky. I doubt Sibley would either. #TXST should be good." @smdrtyler
Tyler was kind enough to reply to my further questioning, saying "From what I've heard, Ory had a certain amount of money he wanted and if he's not getting it, he's coming back. #TXST."
14th round OF Cody Stubbs:
The Asheville Citizen-Times' twitter account came out with this today: "Tuscola baseball alum Cody Stubbs looks to be headed to UNC rather than signing with Washington Nationals #mlb... fb.me/14oDJc3PW." @acthshuddle
31st round OF Josh Tobias:
Cody Jones of FightinGators.com and Scout.com wrote the following about Tobias on Wednesday, August 10: "#Gators utility player signee Josh Tobias said he isnt talking to the Nationals anymore after they took him in the 31st round. He'll b at UF."
46th round OF Tyler Thompson:
Cody Jones also provided the following updates on Thompson today:
"Might sound weird, but the #Gators player/signee Im most interested in following is 46th round OF Tyler Thompson. He could definitely sign." (from ~2 pm).
"Hearing #Gators OF Tyler Thompson cut off talks with the Nationals and will return for his senior year." (from ~5 pm).
Obviously these four won't be the only to not sign, but they were all potential over-slot guys who draftniks like myself figured might sign if guys like Purke fell through. Hawtin Buchanan, Josh Laxer, Derrick Bleeker and Brett Mooneyham are some names to watch in that situation.
UPDATE 9:35 PM
According to Jim Callis of Baseball America, 4th round pick LHP Kylin Turnbull of Santa Barbara CC has signed for $325,000, about $100,000 above the slot recommendation for the pick. Here is my profile of Turnbull, a lefty with a nice fastball (94 mph now, and at 6'5" and 195 lbs, has room to add more velocity).
UPDATE 9:45 PM
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus just tweeted: "Rumors that Purke will sign with the #Nationals . . . stronger than ever." Rumors are just rumors, but it's still exciting!
UPDATE 10 PM
@FungoFrogTCU on Twitter reportedly has sources that say Purke will sign a ML deal with the Nats. "Things I'm sure on: Deal is close/done, being held, more than $3M w/ a multi year pro contract." Until I hear it from a national baseball writer or local beat writer, I'll remain skeptical, but it's good news for now, especially at the price of $4 mil or below.
UPDATE 11:53 PM
Jon Heyman of SI reports the Nats have signed Brian Goodwin to a deal with a $3 million SB.
UPDATE 12:00 AM
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that the Nats have agreed to sign Rendon, Meyer and Purke, with dollar amounts yet to be disclosed.
UPDATE 12:15 AM
John Manuel says Meyer's SB is $2 mil.
UPDATE 12:20 AM
John Heyman of SI reports that Rendon signed a $7.2 million guaranteed ML deal with the Nats.
UPDATE 12:25 AM
Jim Callis of Baseball America says Purke's deal is worth around $4.4 mil and is an ML deal.
Showing posts with label Meyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meyer. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Nats "expected to sign" top 4 picks?
Per Adam Kilgore of the Post: "Rizzo has spoken with the representatives for the players but hasn’t made significant headway. Again, though, it would be more surprising if the Nationals were nearing agreements. The Nationals are still expected to sign all four players by the deadline." I'm not surprised at all about Rendon, Goodwin and Meyer, but Purke is expected to sign? Yipee!
Signing all 4 of these guys (plus Kylin Turnbull, the Nats' 4th rounder) would be HUGE. If all of them do sign, I would put my Nats top prospects list as follows:
(note - I edited these on 8/8/11 at 5 pm EST. Original list can be found in the comments)
1 - Bryce Harper
2 - Anthony Rendon
3 - Matt Purke
4 - Brad Peacock
5 - A.J. Cole
6 - Derek Norris
7 - Alex Meyer
8 - Brian Goodwin
9 - Destin Hood
10 - Chris Marrero
11 - Robbie Ray
12 - Sammy Solis
13 - Stephen Lombardozzi
14 - Tom Milone
15 - Brad Meyers
16 - Eury Perez
17 - Zach Walters
18 - Erik Komatsu
19 - David Freitas
20 - Kylin Turnbull
21 - Danny Rosenbaum
22 - Matt Skole
23 - Rick Hague
24 - Jack McGeary
25 - Josh Smoker
26 - Tyler Moore
27 - J.P. Ramirez
28 - Randolph Oduber
29 - Jason Martinson
30 - Corey Brown
What do you guys think about a list like this?
Also, head on over to 2011 Nationals Draft Info and check out each player's profile: Rendon, Meyer, Goodwin and Purke.
Signing all 4 of these guys (plus Kylin Turnbull, the Nats' 4th rounder) would be HUGE. If all of them do sign, I would put my Nats top prospects list as follows:
(note - I edited these on 8/8/11 at 5 pm EST. Original list can be found in the comments)
1 - Bryce Harper
2 - Anthony Rendon
3 - Matt Purke
4 - Brad Peacock
5 - A.J. Cole
6 - Derek Norris
7 - Alex Meyer
8 - Brian Goodwin
9 - Destin Hood
10 - Chris Marrero
11 - Robbie Ray
12 - Sammy Solis
13 - Stephen Lombardozzi
14 - Tom Milone
15 - Brad Meyers
16 - Eury Perez
17 - Zach Walters
18 - Erik Komatsu
19 - David Freitas
20 - Kylin Turnbull
21 - Danny Rosenbaum
22 - Matt Skole
23 - Rick Hague
24 - Jack McGeary
25 - Josh Smoker
26 - Tyler Moore
27 - J.P. Ramirez
28 - Randolph Oduber
29 - Jason Martinson
30 - Corey Brown
What do you guys think about a list like this?
Also, head on over to 2011 Nationals Draft Info and check out each player's profile: Rendon, Meyer, Goodwin and Purke.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Nationals Draft History: Alex Meyer
Don't worry, my lovefest with the Anthony Rendon pick is over...for the night...ok, maybe for the hour. With the 23rd overall pick the Nationals selected RHP Alex Meyer out of the University of Kentucky. The 6'9" righty is a bit of a project, but has as much of an upside as pretty much any player in this draft. Whether he ends up in the starting rotation or the bullpen is yet to be seen; he has a great arm but poor control thus far in his career. I'm a fan of this pick by the Nats, as Meyer has the upside to be a stud starter, or if that fails, he still has the stuff to become a stud closer. He's far from a sure thing, but could become something special.
Meyer's stats:
2009: 1-4, 5.73 ERA, 59 and 2/3 IP, 53 H, 45 BB, 80 K, .239 avg against
2010: 5-3, 7.06 ERA, 51 IP, 59 H, 36 BB, 63 K, .285 avg against
2011: 7-5, 2.94 ERA, 101 IP, 78 H, 46 BB, 110 K, .222 avg against
Here are some notes on Meyer (in order of the most recent post/article):
From John Sickels, Minor League Ball, 6/14/2011:
"6-9 monster with 95+ fastball and impressive slider made strides with his command this year, and his changeup is good enough for him to remain a starter. Could be a number one type if it all comes together"
From John Sickels, Minor League Ball/Baseball Nation, 6/6/2011:
"He touches 100 MPH on his best days and works consistently in the mid-90s, mixing in a good slider and workable changeup. Meyer still has command issues at times and doesn't always repeat his mechanics consistently, but his ceiling is one of the best in the draft. He's matured emotionally and how has a strong mound presence. Ideally he would develop into a number two starter, although if command is a long-term problem he could end up in a bullpen role. It is unusual to find an arm with this kind of upside with the 23rd pick in the draft, testimony to how deep this class truly is."
From Satchel Price, Beyond the Box Score, 6/6/2011:
"Armed with the kind of raw stuff that only Gerrit Cole can match at the college level, Meyer struggled in his first two years with the Wildcats before his command and control finally began to improve during his junior season. Meyer brings two ridiculously good pitches in his fastball and slider, and has a pretty clean delivery for someone that stands 6-foot-9. There's very legitimate No. 1 upside here, although Meyer may take a couple years to reach the majors."
From Robbie Knopf, I Sports Web, 6/5/2011:
"As you would expect from his big frame, Meyers throws in the mid-90′s with his four-seam fastball with some nice late movement, but his fastball is not even his best pitch. He also features a nearly unhittable slider in the mid- to high-80′s that looks like a strike before suddenly breaking out of the zone and making hitters look bad as they flail and miss by a couple of feet with their swings. His third pitch is a changeup in the high-70′s that is a straight pitch and it needs work, but it still has a nice speed variation with his fastball and if a hitter is looking slider, they could take the change for a strike."
"Meyer’s weaknesses are pretty much the same as his strengths. His big figure makes him a scary pitcher to face, but it has also has made his mechanics inconsistent, leading to control struggles. His fastball’s late movement sometimes hinders him from throwing it for a strike. His slider forces tons of swings-and-misses, but he doesn’t often throw it in the zone for a strike looking. His changeup may provide a good change of speeds, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to hit than his other two pitches. A hitter could be overwhelmed by his fastball and easily hit his changeup."
From Reed MacPhail, Fangraphs, 5/27/2011:
"As expected, the biggest problem with Meyer was his command. Even though the results were good, his performance could aptly be qualified as “effectively wild”...Surprisingly, Meyer showed much better command of his slider than he did with his fastball. He was able to consistently break his slider off the outside corner of the strike zone, generating a lot of swings-and-misses. While Meyer struggled with his fastball command, he appeared much more comfortable throwing away from right-handers than he did coming inside."
"While Meyer has made strides in refining his command since high school, it will be hard for him to ever have even average command. His arms are simply so long that it’s difficult for him to keep everything in sync. His arm action is long in the back, and I think the somewhat unorthodox delivery will makes it especially difficult for Meyer to command the ball. Meyer will also have to make strides to control the running game, as the length in the back of his delivery causes him to be slow to the plate."
"When it comes right down to it, I don’t envy the scouting directors picking in the 6-12 range who will have to make the call on Meyer. He has the size and stuff to be an absolute force in a big-league rotation, and he’s made encouraging strides over the last three years, but he’s still raw. While he could be great, you can see him as the type of pitcher who’s lack of command forces a move to the pen. While his fastball-slider combination could make him a shutdown closer, in this highly regarded a draft class, you’re probably looking for more value out of a top-10 pick."
From Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, 5/27/2011:
Quotes from Meyer: "I finally quit growing this year and started putting on weight, but it started with being confident out there and attacking the strike zone and not giving the hitters too much credit. You have to attack them as much as they want to attack me. You learn from your past. It can be the best teacher for you. And I think it was. I knew guys would take pitches and try to get my pitch counts up. The main thing is location and keeping the ball down. I truly believe that. When you try and pitch instead of just throw, it really makes it easier for you. I think it's a big reason why I was successful this year."
"Baseball has so much failure in it. It's how you come back from it," Meyer said. "I'm not saying I had a perfect season, but it was definitely better than the last two seasons. I think that's been huge for me. When you go through failure, you're going to know how to deal with it, how to respond to it. I feel I went through quite a bit of failure, more than I wanted to, I grew from it, I got stronger, I'm a more mature baseball player because of it."
From Charlie Fliegel, The Nationals Review, 5/18/2011:
"He has a complex delivery that has lead to serious control issues. He has issued plenty of walks, and may never be able to bring down the walk total enough to be a great pitcher. Keith Law mentions, though, that his command and control have improved, and there are positives in his delivery. To me, this means he may be a work in progress, but there is room for the right pitching coach to make him better. Still, many fear that he will be a walk machine."
"Keith Law’s summary was a good combo of the hopes and fears about Meyer: Meyer’s lack of track record hurts him, and even with the improved control he was walking a guy every other inning until his last few outings, but it’s top-10 or top-5 stuff with No. 1 starter upside."
"But if the Nats are looking for a starter, even if he’s great they may not get it. According to Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus: One scout summed him up best by saying, 'He’s either a number one, a shutdown closer, or doesn’t get out of Double-A.'"
From Matt Garrioch, MLB Bonus Baby, 5/13/2011:
"Alex Meyer is an impressive pitcher on the mound. His fastball pops and his slider is just nasty but so is his delivery. He is so tall that if his mechanics just get off by a little bit, he could be a mess, but when he is on, his stuff is phenomenal. I don't think I could pull the trigger on him in the top 15 picks though."
From John Sickels, Minor League Ball, 3/30/2011:
"Composite ERA in Kentucky games is about 4.75 so he is pitching quite well for context, although the walk rate is rather high. Mid-90s fastball and above-average curve stand out, but command and mechanical issues keep him from Gerrit Cole/Sonny Gray status. A certain first-round pick in most drafts, might drop to supplemental in this one but upside is impressive."
From Stephen Goff, Houston Examiner, 3/7/2011:
"Despite his struggles, Meyer has tremendous growth potential and could be on the road to a successful major league career once he gains more confidence in his fastball location, slider, changeup and two-seam fastball, thus leading to greater consistency. He's a big, imposing right-handed pitcher who combines a 94-96 mph fastball with an above-average curveball, making him a classic, raw-power arm that utilizes a repetitive, low-effort tall delivery."
"I like to attack with the fastball," Meyer said. "I feel like it’s an out pitch. I feel like I have enough velocity on it to get by some guys. I throw a knuckle curveball. I try to stay on top of it to get more of a 12-6 action. There are some I hook a little bit and end up getting a slider action. It’s something I need to get more consistent at doing. I'm also starting to throw a better two-seam fastball and changeup. It has helped to change my game."
Meyer's stats:
2009: 1-4, 5.73 ERA, 59 and 2/3 IP, 53 H, 45 BB, 80 K, .239 avg against
2010: 5-3, 7.06 ERA, 51 IP, 59 H, 36 BB, 63 K, .285 avg against
2011: 7-5, 2.94 ERA, 101 IP, 78 H, 46 BB, 110 K, .222 avg against
Here are some notes on Meyer (in order of the most recent post/article):
From John Sickels, Minor League Ball, 6/14/2011:
"6-9 monster with 95+ fastball and impressive slider made strides with his command this year, and his changeup is good enough for him to remain a starter. Could be a number one type if it all comes together"
From John Sickels, Minor League Ball/Baseball Nation, 6/6/2011:
"He touches 100 MPH on his best days and works consistently in the mid-90s, mixing in a good slider and workable changeup. Meyer still has command issues at times and doesn't always repeat his mechanics consistently, but his ceiling is one of the best in the draft. He's matured emotionally and how has a strong mound presence. Ideally he would develop into a number two starter, although if command is a long-term problem he could end up in a bullpen role. It is unusual to find an arm with this kind of upside with the 23rd pick in the draft, testimony to how deep this class truly is."
From Satchel Price, Beyond the Box Score, 6/6/2011:
"Armed with the kind of raw stuff that only Gerrit Cole can match at the college level, Meyer struggled in his first two years with the Wildcats before his command and control finally began to improve during his junior season. Meyer brings two ridiculously good pitches in his fastball and slider, and has a pretty clean delivery for someone that stands 6-foot-9. There's very legitimate No. 1 upside here, although Meyer may take a couple years to reach the majors."
From Robbie Knopf, I Sports Web, 6/5/2011:
"As you would expect from his big frame, Meyers throws in the mid-90′s with his four-seam fastball with some nice late movement, but his fastball is not even his best pitch. He also features a nearly unhittable slider in the mid- to high-80′s that looks like a strike before suddenly breaking out of the zone and making hitters look bad as they flail and miss by a couple of feet with their swings. His third pitch is a changeup in the high-70′s that is a straight pitch and it needs work, but it still has a nice speed variation with his fastball and if a hitter is looking slider, they could take the change for a strike."
"Meyer’s weaknesses are pretty much the same as his strengths. His big figure makes him a scary pitcher to face, but it has also has made his mechanics inconsistent, leading to control struggles. His fastball’s late movement sometimes hinders him from throwing it for a strike. His slider forces tons of swings-and-misses, but he doesn’t often throw it in the zone for a strike looking. His changeup may provide a good change of speeds, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to hit than his other two pitches. A hitter could be overwhelmed by his fastball and easily hit his changeup."
From Reed MacPhail, Fangraphs, 5/27/2011:
"As expected, the biggest problem with Meyer was his command. Even though the results were good, his performance could aptly be qualified as “effectively wild”...Surprisingly, Meyer showed much better command of his slider than he did with his fastball. He was able to consistently break his slider off the outside corner of the strike zone, generating a lot of swings-and-misses. While Meyer struggled with his fastball command, he appeared much more comfortable throwing away from right-handers than he did coming inside."
"While Meyer has made strides in refining his command since high school, it will be hard for him to ever have even average command. His arms are simply so long that it’s difficult for him to keep everything in sync. His arm action is long in the back, and I think the somewhat unorthodox delivery will makes it especially difficult for Meyer to command the ball. Meyer will also have to make strides to control the running game, as the length in the back of his delivery causes him to be slow to the plate."
"When it comes right down to it, I don’t envy the scouting directors picking in the 6-12 range who will have to make the call on Meyer. He has the size and stuff to be an absolute force in a big-league rotation, and he’s made encouraging strides over the last three years, but he’s still raw. While he could be great, you can see him as the type of pitcher who’s lack of command forces a move to the pen. While his fastball-slider combination could make him a shutdown closer, in this highly regarded a draft class, you’re probably looking for more value out of a top-10 pick."
From Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, 5/27/2011:
Quotes from Meyer: "I finally quit growing this year and started putting on weight, but it started with being confident out there and attacking the strike zone and not giving the hitters too much credit. You have to attack them as much as they want to attack me. You learn from your past. It can be the best teacher for you. And I think it was. I knew guys would take pitches and try to get my pitch counts up. The main thing is location and keeping the ball down. I truly believe that. When you try and pitch instead of just throw, it really makes it easier for you. I think it's a big reason why I was successful this year."
"Baseball has so much failure in it. It's how you come back from it," Meyer said. "I'm not saying I had a perfect season, but it was definitely better than the last two seasons. I think that's been huge for me. When you go through failure, you're going to know how to deal with it, how to respond to it. I feel I went through quite a bit of failure, more than I wanted to, I grew from it, I got stronger, I'm a more mature baseball player because of it."
From Charlie Fliegel, The Nationals Review, 5/18/2011:
"He has a complex delivery that has lead to serious control issues. He has issued plenty of walks, and may never be able to bring down the walk total enough to be a great pitcher. Keith Law mentions, though, that his command and control have improved, and there are positives in his delivery. To me, this means he may be a work in progress, but there is room for the right pitching coach to make him better. Still, many fear that he will be a walk machine."
"Keith Law’s summary was a good combo of the hopes and fears about Meyer: Meyer’s lack of track record hurts him, and even with the improved control he was walking a guy every other inning until his last few outings, but it’s top-10 or top-5 stuff with No. 1 starter upside."
"But if the Nats are looking for a starter, even if he’s great they may not get it. According to Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus: One scout summed him up best by saying, 'He’s either a number one, a shutdown closer, or doesn’t get out of Double-A.'"
From Matt Garrioch, MLB Bonus Baby, 5/13/2011:
"Alex Meyer is an impressive pitcher on the mound. His fastball pops and his slider is just nasty but so is his delivery. He is so tall that if his mechanics just get off by a little bit, he could be a mess, but when he is on, his stuff is phenomenal. I don't think I could pull the trigger on him in the top 15 picks though."
From John Sickels, Minor League Ball, 3/30/2011:
"Composite ERA in Kentucky games is about 4.75 so he is pitching quite well for context, although the walk rate is rather high. Mid-90s fastball and above-average curve stand out, but command and mechanical issues keep him from Gerrit Cole/Sonny Gray status. A certain first-round pick in most drafts, might drop to supplemental in this one but upside is impressive."
From Stephen Goff, Houston Examiner, 3/7/2011:
"Despite his struggles, Meyer has tremendous growth potential and could be on the road to a successful major league career once he gains more confidence in his fastball location, slider, changeup and two-seam fastball, thus leading to greater consistency. He's a big, imposing right-handed pitcher who combines a 94-96 mph fastball with an above-average curveball, making him a classic, raw-power arm that utilizes a repetitive, low-effort tall delivery."
"I like to attack with the fastball," Meyer said. "I feel like it’s an out pitch. I feel like I have enough velocity on it to get by some guys. I throw a knuckle curveball. I try to stay on top of it to get more of a 12-6 action. There are some I hook a little bit and end up getting a slider action. It’s something I need to get more consistent at doing. I'm also starting to throw a better two-seam fastball and changeup. It has helped to change my game."
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