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2007 Draft - Day 1 Results

Day One of the Draft is over, and here is who the Reds ended up with and any videos that MiLB.com has on file

1st - Devin Mesoraco, C, HS - Scouting Video
SuppA - Todd Frazier, SS, Rutgers - Scouting Video
SuppB - Kyle Lotzkar, RHP, HS - Scouting Video
2nd - Zack Cozart, SS, Ole Miss - Scouting Video
3rdA - Scott Carroll, RHP, Missouri St
3rdB - Neftali Soto, SS, HS - Scouting Video
4th - Blake Stouffer, 1B, Texas A&M
5th - Andrew Bowman, LHP, Nebraska

And here's what Baseball America has to say about each

Mesoraco

As strong as this year's high school class was considered at the outset of the season, it got even better when high school righthanders Jarrod Parker and Nevin Griffith and Mesoraco came out of the gate showing better tools and ability than they had last summer and fall. Griffith and Mesoraco appeared in showcases, but they didn't show impact potential until this spring, and Mesoraco has been the biggest riser of them all. An arm injury led to Tommy John surgery when he was a sophomore, and he was relegated to DH duties as a junior. His arm strength has slowly returned, and this spring he has shown a 70 arm with quick, efficient releases. Defensively, Mesoraco compares favorably to 2001 Angels first-rounder Jeff Mathis, with athleticism serving as the foundation of an agile, quick-twitch player who receives and blocks exceptionally well. He shows above-average bat speed and 50-55 power at the plate. He's a solid-average runner, too, rounding out a legitimate five-tool package that probably won't make it out of the first round.

Frazier

Todd is the third Frazier brother who will be drafted, following Jeff (Mariners) and Charlie (Marlins) in the legacy of the famed Tom's River, N.J., Little League teams of the late 1990s. He has been a three-year starter at Rutgers and carved a reputation as a solid all-around player with a long track record of performance despite a modest tool set. He raised his profile by showing plus power with wood last summer with the college national team, but scouts are apprehensive about his long-term ability to hit for average because of unorthodox swing mechanics. He's a solid-average runner with adequate hands and an average arm, tools that might play at third base or second, but not at shortstop. His instincts and makeup are outstanding, and if he gets to his power as a pro, he'll play his way into a big league lineup. He should be drafted no later than the second round.

Lotzkar

It's an unprecedented year for talent in Canada, and Lotzkar has established himself as the consensus second-best Canadian prospect behind Phillippe Aumont. He played on a club team coached by Doug Mathieson, the father of Phillies righthander Scott. Lotzkar, 17, developed physically at the perfect time, adding 15 pounds of muscle and two inches between last summer and this spring. His fastball sits near 91 mph, touching 94. His arm action is loose and clean, though he doesn't repeat his delivery and remains unrefined as a pitcher. His command is erratic. His breaking ball has improved, while his changeup is below-average. Lotzkar turned in an impressive showing in Florida in front of a throng of scouts in April, and because he's projectable and has shown feel for two potentially plus pitches, he's a candidate to be taken in the supplemental round.

Cozart

In this year's draft class, Cozart is a commodity as a college position player with passable skills in the field and at the plate. One scout described him as a "manager's dream" for his hustle and steadiness. He swung the bat best down the stretch this year and may have played his way into the supplemental round. A player in the mold of Adam Everett, his glove is ahead of his bat and he's an above-average defender with solid-average range, supple hands and enough arm to make the play in the hole. He is a solid-average runner. Cozart is a dead-pull hitter with solid-average bat speed and gap power. He cheats on fastballs on the inner half and can be susceptible to balls on the outer half of the plate. How well he handles the wood bat will determine his ultimate value, but he's a backup big league shortstop at worst.

Carroll

Signability concerns have caused Carroll to slide in two previous drafts, but he should go in the first five rounds this June. He ranked as Missouri's top high school pitching prospect in 2003 (ahead of eventual 2006 first-rounders Max Scherzer and Kris Johnson), when a scholarship to play quarterback at Purdue scared teams off. Carroll didn't play much in football and wasn't allowed to play baseball in two years with the Boilermakers, so he transferred to Missouri State. He started for the Bears at quarterback in the fall of 2005 and showed a live arm as a pitcher last spring, but his demands for top-three-round money as a draft-eligible sophomore knocked him down to the Angels in the 16th round. Los Angeles wanted to follow his progress in the Cape Cod League, but he came down with biceps tendinitis and returned to Missouri State, giving up football. Carroll has shown progress in his second year back on the mound, and has added 15 pounds of muscle and now carries 220 on his 6-foot-5 frame. His fastball sits at 91-92 mph and touches 94, and he has done a better job of maintaining his velocity through games and the season as a whole. He has replaced a flat changeup with a low-80s splitter and added a low-80s slider to go with a slow curveball that he uses as a change of pace. Carroll trusts his secondary stuff and locates his pitches more now than he did a year ago. He projects more as a reliever in pro ball, a role in which he could air out his fastball and wouldn't have to rely on his breaking pitches as much.

Soto

Of Puerto Rico's three most established prospects, Soto has the best present hitting ability, showing more power than Reynoldo Navarro and making better contact than Angel Morales. Unlike those two, Soto isn't expected to stay in the middle of the diamond. He's an adequate defender with solid-average arm strength who has improved his lateral quickness and running since last fall, but ultimately Soto's bat is going to have to carry him. He has a rudimentary feel for the strike zone, with a willingness to work counts. He has a whippy swing with plus bat speed, though his swing gets long at times. Balls jump off his barrel, and if he can continue to make adjustments he might develop into a heart-of-the-order slugger with lots of doubles and 25 home runs a year.

Stouffer

First baseman/third baseman Blake Stouffer also has improved significantly for the Aggies. He barely played as a freshman and hit .259 as a sophomore, but he hinted at his breakout with a strong performance in the Alaska League last summer. Stouffer has jumped his average to .391 this spring and stole 20 bases in Texas A&M's run-happy attack. He's a switch-hitter who can hit for average and gap power, and he's a good athlete and runner, but his future defensive position has scouts perplexed. He doesn't have enough power to play on an infield corner as a pro, and he may not have the hands to handle second base, which would give him the best chance to make the majors. He could wind up as a center fielder or as a utilityman.

Bowman

Drew Bowman entered 2004 as one of the top high school lefties in the nation, but his velocity dropped and a commitment to Arizona State clouded his signability, so he fell to the Brewers in the 21st round. He redshirted in 2005 and pitched sparingly in 2006, prompting his transfer to Nebraska. Scouts have seen him touch 93 with his lively fastball this spring, but they'd like to see more of him to know if he's legitimate. In the last seven weeks before the NCAA regionals, he made two appearances and retired just one of the seven batters he faced. Bowman's secondary pitches are inconsistent, and there are questions about his mental toughness.

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Soto
I really like the sound of him. I'm not really enamoured with any of the other picks, but he sounds pretty nifty.

by Geki on Jun 7, 2007 8:48 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Yes and No
Bowman interests me a lot. I've never heard of him, but a big lefty with mid 90's heat is always an excellent commodity to have.

Soto sounds interesting as well.

Mesoraco - well I would have rather had Ahrens but I don't totally hate that pick.

The Cozart pick, essentially another version of Juan Castro, a can't hit no range IF in the 2nd round really upsets me.

by jmcclain19 on Jun 7, 2007 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

cozart
"One scout described him as a 'manager's dream' for his hustle and steadiness." <---makes sense

Hey, he has "supple hands", so he's got that going for him.

He also has "enough arm to make the play in the hole", so I could see him working well in a Coutlangus diary.

by greg456 on Jun 7, 2007 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

im pumped about frazier
dude's mashing in a pretty strong big east. first-team all-american with 22 homers and a shit ton of walks. he could be my favorite pickup.

by boobs on Jun 7, 2007 8:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

These draft diaries
Have been supremely awesome and have gotten me excited about a draft for the first time ever. Kudos to you jmcclain19!
"I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball" - Pete Rose

by Officer Dibble on Jun 7, 2007 9:28 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Supplemental picks
Were those awarded for Aurilia and . . . Schoenweis?  Seems like more than a fair return.

by ken on Jun 7, 2007 9:42 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

yeah
schoeneweis looks like a brilliant move from a gm's standpoint. forget that he pitched great with the reds (lucky), krivsky managed a supp. pick just by trading cash (and presumably not much) for a reliever in his walk year who was needed anyway. i guess the blue jays didnt need a sandwich pick. i would encourage pants to do this more often.

by boobs on Jun 8, 2007 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Supp picks
Agreed, Schoenweis was a good move for us for those reasons.  But what makes you think his success here was luck?  The 6.51 ERA with Toronto before, or the 7.17 ERA with the Mets this year?  

The list and explanations for the first few rounds is here, if anyone is curious.  Aurilia, a Type A free agent, netted us the first supplemental pick (34 overall, Todd Frazier) and San Fran's third round pick (104, Scott Carroll).  Toronto didn't have to give up a pick for Schoenweis bc he's a Type B free agent, so we only got the supplemental pick (53, Lotzkar).  Him and Chan Ho Park have to be the worst guys on that list.

The Giants ultimately gave up three picks for the signings (Zito, Aurilia and Dave Roberts), though they did gain a couple for Schmidt and Alou.  Stanton and Sea Bass were both Type Bs, so we didn't sacrifice any picks for them.  

by ken on Jun 8, 2007 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Stanton
Shouldn't we have gotten an extra pick as compensation for signing Stanton?  

2007 Reds Threat Level is Green

by Slyde on Jun 8, 2007 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

No picks,
but I think we got a Denny's coupon and a thank you note from the AARP.  

BTW, it should read above that New York didn't have to give up a pick for signing Schoenweis, not Toronto.  

by ken on Jun 8, 2007 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Griffey
Anyone see the article that Griffey said he's going to play shortstop for one inning before he hangs it up?  Maybe that's our answer . . .

by Brian B on Jun 8, 2007 3:07 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Kevin Goldstein & Bryan Smith's comments
During BP's live draft analysis yesterday:

Mesoraco
BS:  Two years ago, the Reds took Jay Bruce in the first round, a high school outfielder who had flown up draft boards in workouts weeks before the draft. This season, they take Devin Mesoraco, who had flown up draft boards in weeks before the draft. A semi-local kid, this is a good pick by the Reds, as this catcher could have gone in the top five if things went a little differently.  

KG:  Nice pick there. Blue Jays in a pickle here, they were hoping for Weathers, they were hoping for Mesaraco, and they were hoping for one of the big high school bats.

Frazier:
KG:  Most interesting picks [of the early 2nd rd] are Todd Frazier #34 to the Reds (borderline first round talent) . . . .

Cozart:
KG:  At 79, the Reds took shortstop Zach Cozart from U.Miss, which is interesting, as they already have his doppleganger in the system with Paul Janish. Outstanding defender, bat is a question mark.

by ken on Jun 8, 2007 8:27 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

it's a little strange
they took 500 shortstops when janish and valaika are in the system, but oh well.  i feel good about this draft.

unlike last year.

by Daedalus on Jun 8, 2007 11:55 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

what i assume
and i hope i'm not giving wayne too much credit, is drafting middle infielders can be more productive than drafting corner guys becasue when it comes down to it the middle infilder guys can move to differnt positions alot easier than say a 3b or 1b. still suprising seeing SS after so many picks names

by OURob on Jun 8, 2007 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

well...
drafting middle infielders who can rake has value.  drafting middle infielders who cant outhit Laruecifer has no value.

by obc on Jun 8, 2007 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Maybe its the equivalent
.. to college football teams recruiting quarterbacks with no intention of playing them at QB.  Often times, the kids play QB on their high school team because they were the best athlete.  I could imagine that is true for shortstops as well.  These kids can hit and field and play just about anywhere on the diamond.  

Though this strategy relies on the Reds being able to develop these kids in their system and the jury is still out on that one.

Hey Jerry.... maybe Todd Coffey and Mike Stanton are the reason YOU hate EdE right now too.

by TheC on Jun 8, 2007 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

BA really likes the Reds draft
In the draft chat today John Manuel seems to imply that the first day for the Reds was the best when he was asked which team had the best draft. He said "Good early returns in Cincinnati."

by pw on Jun 8, 2007 1:47 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Nuts!
I had sooo many opritunities to see Carroll Pitch this year, if I had a clue he could be a red I would have done it. (MO St. is only 2 hours away)

Here is what i robbed from the MSU baseball site:

Missouri State junior right-handed pitcher Scott Carroll became the second Bear chosen in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Draft Thursday, going to the Cincinnati Reds in the third round as the 104th overall pick.

This is the second time Carroll has been drafted from Missouri State. The Liberty, Mo., native was taken in the 16th round by the Angels as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2006 before opting to return to MSU.

As the No. 2 starter in MSU's rotation this year, Carroll made 13 starts and tied Ross Detwiler, the sixth overall pick in the draft earlier today, for the team lead with 89 innings. He threw two complete games and had a 2.93 ERA and 81 strikeouts against just 25 walks. Carroll ranks 10th in Missouri State history with a career ERA of 3.32 in 171 innings pitched.

Professional clubs must sign drafted players by August 15 or the rights to that player are lost and they can reenter the draft in 2008. Rounds 6-50 of the draft will take place Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Seems to be a big strong kid, I like this pick, I hope it works out for him, and us.

GO REDS!

by ewquinn on Jun 8, 2007 3:11 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

draft
Professional clubs must sign drafted players by August 15 or the rights to that player are lost and they can reenter the draft in 2008.

Is that new this year?  I thought they had until next year's draft to sign their picks.

by Brian B on Jun 10, 2007 2:32 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yes
No more "draft and follow" signings.  But I think teams that don't sign their draftees receive a pick next year that's right behind their failed pick from this year year.  E.g., a team that fails to sign the # 8 pick gets to draft right behind the 8th spot the following year ("8A").

by ken on Jun 10, 2007 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Blake Stouffer,
will be playing today against Rice at 6pm cst, is no one can find a more intresting game to watch.
GO REDS!

by ewquinn on Jun 8, 2007 3:39 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Stouffer
seems to be good at the plate. I think defence from the 1b can still be taught from here. find his college stats here: http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/games/boxscores/2007/MBA/teamcume.htm
GO REDS!

by ewquinn on Jun 8, 2007 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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