D-backs lose Drew

by Enoch on Apr 20, 2005 5:57 PM EDT Comment 10 comments

I found this via a diary at John Sickles' blog. It looks as though Stephen Drew is signing with an Atlantic League team and will re-enter the draft in June.

I haven't followed the whole saga close enough to know if this is a surprise. I do wonder why the D-backs would draft him knowing he would command a huge bonus and then not be willing to cough up the money?

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J.C's baby

We may or may not have lost him: according to Baseball America, "Arizona scouting director Mike Rizzo said the news shouldn't affect his organization's chances of signing Drew."

The above very interestingly suggests that Drew and Jerry Colangelo came to an agreement, but when JC was ousted, all bets were off, hence the painfully slow progress of negotiations since. We still have six weeks or so to sign Drew, so we'll see what happens.

by Jim McLennan on Apr 20, 2005 11:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sign him

I know he demands a ton of money but all signs point to him as being legit.

by Otacon on Apr 21, 2005 2:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

East Valley Tribune piece:

"Stephen Drew's time with the Diamondbacks may be over before it began. The D-Backs presented 2004 No. 1 draft choice Drew with what managing partner Ken Kendrick characterized as an "eminently fair'' final offer April 13, and Kendrick said Wednesday he believes it likely that Drew will walk the same path taken by brother J.D. Drew in 1997 and reenter the draft this June.

"If I were making a prediction, I think it is unlikely he will sign,'' Kendrick said Wednesday. "We haven't ended discussions, other than they have our final offer.'' Drew signed with the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League on Wednesday, although he remains the D-Backs' property until May 31, the week before the 2005 draft.

The D-Backs are believed to have offered Drew a $7.5 million deal, with $5.5 million guaranteed, which would make Drew the richest member of the 2004 draft class. Tampa Bay committed $5.2 million to Rice right-hander Jeff Niemann, the highest so far. Drew and Angels draftee Jared Weaver are the only 2004 picks unsigned. Both are represented by Scott Boras, who did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday.

by Jim McLennan on Apr 21, 2005 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Just a note on the wisdom of megabucks draft picks, here's a list of the top ten draft bonuses paid before the 2004 draft:

1. White Sox, 2000, Joe Borchard - OF, $5.3M 
2. Twins, 2001, Joe Mauer - C, $5.15M 
3. Devil Rays, 2002, B.J. Upton - SS, $4.6M 
4. Rangers, 2001, Mark Teixeira - 3B, $4.5M 
5. Devil Rays, 2001, Dewon Brazelton - RHP, $4.2M 
5. Phillies, 2001, Gavin Floyd - RHP, $4.2M 
7. Cubs, 2001, Mark Prior - RHP, $4.0M 
7. Pirates, 2002, Bryan Bullington - RHP, $4.0M 
9. Devil Rays, 1999, Josh Hamilton - OF, $3.96M 
10. Cubs, 1998, Corey Patterson - OF, $3.7M 
10. Devil Rays, 2003, Delmon Young - OF, $3.7M

Sure, I'd like to have Mauer, Teixeira or Prior on the D'backs, but for every one of those, there's somelike Borchard who, in 2004, hit a mediocre .266 at the Triple-A level. Okay, it's too early to say he's a bust, but he has now spent three seasons at AAA, and has yet to show he's worth $5.3m, that's for certain - after 95 major-league games, he is batting just .182 in the bigs.

Or Dewon Brazelton, with a 7-18 record, 5.45 ERA. As an aside, it's interesting how the D-Rays have paid four of the top ten bonuses in history. Perhaps if they'd spent a bit more on their actual team, rather than prospects, they might have managed more than 70 wins in a season during their history...

I'm all for building from within, but overpaying unproven youngsters is every bit as questionable as overpaying for declining veterans - and since we have a nasty tendency to do the latter, that's all the more reason we can't afford to burn our financial candle at both ends.

by Jim McLennan on Apr 21, 2005 7:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I feel the same way

I think it's nuts to give a multi-million dollar contract to a kid that hasn't proved anything yet. Much more often than not a prospect turns into a bust. There are far too many things that have to go right, even for a can't-miss guy.

by brian38 on Apr 26, 2005 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm reminded of ...

... Dick Mills The Baseball Pitching Rebel, whose website I reviewed briefly back in December. He got his son, Ryan Mills, a very nice little $2M signing bonus, but Ryan's subsequent collapse at AAA led to Baseball America labeling him the worst sixth pick in the history of the draft. He's a rebel, but he'll never ever be any good (ouch!).

by scareduck on Apr 30, 2005 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

From Peter Gammons

"The Diamondbacks made their final offer to Stephen Drew and agent Scott Boras last week, and while Drew signed on with the Atlantic League nearly a month ago, the feeling is that he will take the offer before the draft. Even if Drew signs, the D-Backs will take Justin Upton with the first pick in the draft, as scouting director Mike Rizzo said he believes Upton is a franchise player with character and the strong family roots. The D-Backs might have a top shortstop prospect in Sergio Santos, but Rizzo knows players like Upton come along thrice in 20 years - Junior Griffey and Alex Rodriguez the others - and the Pirates will never fully recover from drafting Bryan Bullington instead of B.J. Upton. One GM predicts that after Justin Upton, the next five picks will be Nebraska third baseman Alex Gordon to Kansas City, Tennessee right-hander Luke Hochevar to Seattle, Long Beach State shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to Washington, Virginia third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to Milwaukee and Fullerton State left-hander Ricky Romero to Toronto."

So, we may have Drew and Justin Upton come May 1st.

by Otacon on Apr 22, 2005 6:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

...er

Make that June 1st.

by Otacon on Apr 22, 2005 7:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Drew and Upton

I've read that Upton could be a 5-tool CF in the Andruw Jones mold and just a good SS.
If the D'Backs sign both, Drew would be at 2B and Upton at CF which are 2 positions the D'Backs are not strong within their system.
After the large bonuses given to Patterson, Bierbrodt and Penny, I'm a bit leery of unproven youngsters too but I'd rather see the organization use their money that way then signing veterans like Green and Ortiz to multi-year deals.

by William K on Apr 23, 2005 6:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

"Hope is sinking to sign Drew "

Today's Banana reports: "The Diamondbacks have virtually given up hope that shortstop Stephen Drew, their first-round pick from last year's draft, will agree to terms before they lose his rights May 31.

Said Ken Kendrick, "We've made what we believe is the best offer we know how to make," Kendrick said of a five-year deal, potentially worth $7.5 million, which was presented to Drew and his agent, Scott Boras, last month. "We're not in position to do anything more than we've done. We've gone as far as we think is reasonable in terms of our circumstances and the value of any drafted player."

by Jim McLennan on May 6, 2005 3:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs