The draft is mercifully over

Analysis of Day 3 - The Indians took 20 guys I have never heard of with none of them anywhere near being considered even a middling prospect based on pre-draft rankings.  This is where the scouts come in.  If the Indians can find even one guy from this group to make impact of a Tony Sipp down the road then we have something.

Overall analysis - Last year the Indians took and signed 11 of 12 Baseball America top 200 prospects guys.  Nine of those were in the first 10 rounds.  They had prospect rankings, in order of selection, of:
4, 66, 75, 84, 160, 89, 58, 80, 105, 124,  112, respectively.  Thats 7 in the top 100 with the additional 4 being before 160.  Of these, 7 were college guys and 4 were HS kids.

This year the Indians took 6 BA prospect guys.  Their prospect rankings were 7 (8th overall selection), 31 (67th),  176 (97th), 143 (188th), 104 (608th), 131 (728th).   Four of the six were HS kids.

Last year I was ecstatic with their picks.  This year I am angry. 

As has been stated already the Indians essentially quit drafting after the 2nd round.  Yeah, they selected middling prospects in the 3rd and 6th round and a couple of flyers on guys in the 20th and 24th rounds, but I would venture to say (research later) that the Indians took close to the fewest top 200 guys.  For a franchise that admittedly has to live by the draft that is a joke and the joke is on the fans of Cleveland.

Last year showed that good prospects could be drafted and signed and, with better prospects in the draft this year, the Indians didn't follow the draft they had last year. 

It's a shame.  But its a fact.  If Lindor or Howard doesn't sign this draft is in trouble.  If Lindor AND Howard don't sign, this draft is dead.  Remember 2007?  If those two guys don't both sign we are looking at 2007 all over again, and in that draft BA gave us an "F".  Teams that have to live by the draft can't ever afford to get an F, and especially 2 in a 5 year period. 

Sorry if that bothers all you diehard Cleveland fans out there but I have been following the draft for over 20 years and you can be sure that if I say this one sucks, it sucks. 

More tomorrow night where I do my post-draft mock draft and show you a couple of mock drafts I did in past years.