Monday, June 13, 2011

Rays Sign 19 Draft Picks

The Rays have signed the following 19 players (all college guys, no surprises):

9/300 - Matt Rice (listed as an OF but he's a C)
11/360 - 1B Cameron Seitzer
17/540 - SS Taylor Motter
18/570 - RHP Andy Bass
20/630 - RHP Garret Smith
21/660 - 3B Ryan Terry
23/720 - OF Matthew Johnson
24/750 - RHP Charles Cononie
25/780 - RHP Brooks Belter
26/810 - 2B Raymond Church
27/840 - RHP Luke Irvine
29/900 - 2B Johnathan Koscso
34/1050 - RHP Zach Butler
36/1110 - RHP Dave Kubiak
38/1170 - C Brandon Choate
39/1200 - LHP T.J. Geith
42/1290 - C Michael Bourdon
43/1320 - RHP Slayton Thomas
50/1530 - C Ian Tomkins

41 comments:

  1. I am a little surprised that Matt Rice signed. He was named the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year...Also named WKU's 2011 Student-Athlete of the Year. His major was Mechanical Engineering and he had a 4.0 grade point. He must have gotten paid pretty good because he has a lot going for him outside of baseball.

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  2. Do you know anything about 2B Raymond Church from Florida Atlantic? He is the first 2B college guy picked up in the draft, at Round 26. I know he's assigned to Hudson Valley, but do you think he'll start at Hudson Valley, or do you think a SS will bump him out.

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  3. Taylor Motter will likely be the starting SS for Hudson Valley, so I'd expect Church to play 2B.

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  4. Some other middle infielders in XST w/ age and 2010 team(s):

    Ryan Brett, 19.6, GCL Rays, all but 1 game at 2B
    Felix Gonzalez, 21.1, Princeton/HV, mostly SS, some 2B/3B
    Julian Morillo, 19.5, GCL Rays, mostly 2B, lots of SS
    Juniel Querecuto, 18.7, GCL Rays, all SS
    Leonardo Reginatto, 21.1, Princeton, all SS

    I would guess Brett and Querecuto make up the DP combo in Princeton. They are the only two real prospects on this list too.

    One other note, heard the players arrive in Princeton on the 17th, so expect rosters then or a day after. HV's should be out in the next couple of days, 1st game is the 17th, so need to arrive and have 'meet the Renegades night'.

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  5. And don't forget, there will be NDFAs signed too. Mostly filler, but quite a few. Can't remember exact numbers from past years, but say 10 or so.

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  6. Querecuto is in HV

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  7. I'm pretty sure that both Querecuto-(very young) and Reginatto are in the Hudson Valley now. So are Holloway-catcher and Diogenes Luis-ss and newcomers Rice and Church. The hosts are being assigned/meeting their players Wednesday evening, so that should reveal most of the roster.

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  8. Really? If so, that's pretty exciting (to me, maybe not HVR locals). First bumping Guevara to BG and now this. Brett didn't go with him? That's too bad for him.

    I was kind of hoping for a Princeton IF of O'Conner, Flores, Brett, Querecuto and Perez. But I'll take what I can get, planning to see a few games in July.

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  9. Outfielders Right Now are without the guys who have signed are Winder, Bryles, Guillen, and Lyerly.

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  10. There prolly wont be but maybe one outfielder added to that list. Unless they bump one of those guys back down.

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  11. Thought Dorville and maybe Caminero would be at HV too, getting old for Princeton, even though both were at GCL in 2010.

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  12. I think both of them struggled in XST. Kind of surprised me too. I think those outfielders will be a good fit for HV though. I think they will be fine

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  13. Ray church is an amazing second base man with a great batting average! He will be a great addition to the Rays.

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  14. Yeah, they'll be fine, but HV fans had to have wanted Sale and Vettleson.

    Also, posted this in the big draft comments but I'll also post it here. Monday night news on 2/75 OF Granden Goetzman:

    The Rays' second-round pick, Palmetto High OF Granden Goetzman, said he's going to sign at Tropicana Field tonight and catch the Red Sox game. "I'm excited to get my pro career going," he said. "It's going to be a good day."

    Link: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-look-forward-to-testing-themselves-against-red-hot-boston/1175152

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  15. Yes, Doug, we do want Sale and Vettleson in Hudson Valley's outfield. But, Vettleson's in Princeton instead. :(

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  16. They sent flores home a month ago for some reason

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  17. Probably the reason was the one mentioned in a comment here, about a month ago I guess.

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  18. i think it was because he got in trouble with the police?

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  19. i was surprised that winder and bryles are back in hv. both were there last year and neither did that well hitting.

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  20. "Probably the reason was the one mentioned in a comment here, about a month ago I guess."

    What's that DAM?

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  21. I'm also surprised to see Lyerly, Bryles and Winder back in HV. Weak outfield, unless they've improved over the Xtended season. I actually think the lower level Princeton's outfield is stronger than HV's. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

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  22. From what I understand Bryles, Lyerly, and Winder did do well in XST. Heard lyerly lead the team in batting avg.

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  23. Can you post where the new people that signed will be sent??? True HV Renegades meet the hosts Wed night

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  24. Travis Flores? I hope he didn't get into trouble, I liked hispower potential.

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  25. This is going only off memory so I 100% guarantee I missed a player or four, but here would be my starting nines for HV + PRI:

    HV
    C: Matt Rice (Kyle Holloway)
    1B: Jeff Malm
    2B: Raymond Church (Juniel Querecuto)
    SS: Taylor Motter
    3B: Kyle Spraker
    OF: Craige Lyerly
    OF: Matthew Johnson
    OF: Chris Winder

    SP: Jake Partridge
    SP: Andrew Bellatti
    SP: Jason McEachern
    SP: ???
    SP: ???

    PRI
    C: Justin O'Conner
    1B: Cameron Seitzer
    2B: Ryan Brett
    SS: ??? (Reginatto if he's not in HV)
    3B: Cesar Perez
    OF: Josh Sale
    OF: Drew Vettleson
    OF: ???

    SP: Kevin James
    SP: Shawn Smith
    SP: Trevor Shull
    SP: ???
    SP: ???

    We'll see where the slot the college pitchers plus guys like Matt Swilley and Marcus Jensen.

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  26. Kevin, I don't think they'll have Shull repeat at Princeton, he's been there the last two years (although it was only 10 innings in '09), and was pretty solid last year.

    For the Princeton rotation, I would guess (based on the way they pitched last year and draft position) it would be Brandon Henderson, Kevin James, Ian Kendall, and Jeff Ames (once he signs). The last spot is kind of up in the air between Smith, Jensen, Reinaldo Lopez, Eduar Quinonez, and Shull, should he get pushed back from HV by Garvin and Carpenter signings.

    One guy who could be a surprise in Princeton is Stepan Havlicek, although I expect he'll be in the GCL.

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  27. Shull missed the entire 2010 season, that's really my rationale there. At this point it's still a lot of guessing.

    Good catch on Ian Kendall and Brandon Henderson, they should both be in Princeton along with Matt Spann.

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  28. Reginatto is in HV. Looks like a logjam at 2B and SS. Wilking Rodriguez and Rob Dickmann are in HV for a little while so they could possibly be the other 2 starters. Bryles is also coming back to HV- outfielder. Where is Matthew Johnson from?

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  29. Wow, I missed that on Shull, good call.

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  30. Wilmer Almonte might be at HV too, depending on health. No idea where Justin Woodall will go, probably the Princeton pen. Parker Markel and Reinaldo Lopez are other names I haven't seen mentioned.

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  31. Parker Markel and Justin Woodall are in HV. Have you figured out TB's rationale as to where they place players yet??? lol. It's mindboggling!

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  32. I like your prediction for hudson's valley's starting lineup.
    Drew Leary is also in HV

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  33. Anon @ 3:43
    Have you ever thought that maybe the guys that were sent up to HV were the ones that produce in XST. From what I understand Sale and Dixon struggled in XST. I think they got it right. Just because Sale, Brett, and Vettleson were picked in early rounds this year doesn't mean they are going to be able to jump right in at hudson valley or wherever. Its a learning process and it takes time to develop.

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  34. So only Sale and Dixon struggled in XST, that doesnt mean Vettleson and Brett should be kept down if they didnt struggle. And another thing, what is your source? Who told you they struggled or where did you read they struggled?

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  35. Anon @ 4:01

    We get it, they sucked in XST, you've told us 5 times already.

    I honestly doubt it's the main factor in where prospects are placed.

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  36. I don't have a source I was at the games and I watched. I am a big rays fan and I am a firm believer that just because a guy was drafted in a lower round doesn't mean he isn't a ballplayer. Vettleson and Brett didn't do horrible, but they were just avg. Sale and Dixon were well below avg on their hitting. It is just going to take more time for them to develop. Sale, Vettleson, and Brett are all going to be great ballplayers just not ready for HV.

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  37. And I never said they SUCKED in XST. They struggled that definately doesn't mean they sucked. Lots of guys struggle. Thats part of the game. I would never say a ballplayer SUCKED especially a top prospect. Just because a player struggles in this level it doesn't mean they suck.They are going to be fine. Thats without a doubt for sure. Also, Sale hurt his wirst while he was in XST which may have played a part in him struggling at the plate some. His defense was great. I think you misunderstood what I meant when I was saying they were struggling. I just meant that may have played a part in the decision to move them to princeton instead of HV. I apologize for the confusion.

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  38. I mean do you people not understand all this website is all a guess and speculation of how guys are. I mean the bloggers get their info from in depth stats, but the anon people who post comments are simply fans. They pick their favorite guys and root for them. Or the anon commenters are parents, girlfriends, brothers, sisters, or other various family members. These anon commenters aren't people that have some "TOP INSIDE INFORMATION" They get it from going to the games and observing for themselves.

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  39. When it's all said and done, the only thing that matters is where Mitch Lukevics thinks each prospect has the best chance of succeeding and he and the Rays have been known to be on the conservative side.

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  40. No need to apologize, Anon 6:15 (I like this way of referring to anons btw, very biblical and all). I also like how one anon can tell another anon who they are and what they know (so sayeth Anon 6:18).

    Back to the draft picks and short-season teams. After last season I looked at the 2010 draft picks, here is the post on the hitters, and here is the one on the pitchers.

    Also, Jim broke down each team 3 ways:

    Hudson Valley: Overall and Hitters and Pitchers
    Princeton: Overall and Hitters and Pitchers
    GCL: Overall and Hitters and Pitchers

    There is probably more that would be interesting, if I could just remember everything we've posted!

    Here is something else I just saw, Rays MVPs by team:

    Hudson Valley Renegades Most Valuable Player: Phil Wunderlich
    Princeton Rays Most Valuable Player: Enny Romero
    GCL Rays Most Valuable Player: Pedro Silvestre
    DSL Rays Most Valuable Player: Ariel Soriano
    VSL Rays Most Valuable Player: Nahum Hernandez

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  41. I suspect they want to keep Sale and Vettleson together, at least in the early years. They're both gym rats who have been working out together for years and seem to feed off each other. - Brick

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