Draft 2021: The final day(s)

 Well, we-ve reached the final day of the 2021 draft.   The last day is usually a yawner.  Unless they are flush with cash saved in the top 10 rounds teams have a budget of about $125,000 a player in these rounds.  With a modicum of cash savings they might be able to sign a couple of guys for $200,000 or one guy for $300,000.   It used to be that this day was for players who would sign cheap because they had no option (college seniors) or they just wanted to turn pro and not mess with college (JUCO guys or some HS guys).  The lure of having your college paid for later on was also a bonus.

In the past the strategy used to be to find guys with maybe one tool who you thought you could develop.   If you guessed wrong you had an organizational player, someone to fill out a roster so your star prospects had a team to play on.  Well, with the elimination of the short season A ball teams (Mahoning Valley for the Indians) the need for organizational players has disappeared.

So, looking at the Indians drafts in 2017, 2018 and 2019 one thing becomes clear: You will be lucky to get one or two players from this day who even make it to AAA and, if you get a guy making it to the majors, you will need to take some chances.

So let's take a look at what the Indians could/should do today:

• Look for college players, especially pitchers, who were injured and missed the year but yet were real prospects coming into this season.   Zach Plesac comes to mind.
• Take a much harder look at JUCO players than ever before.   The Indians have not even been close to being productive at drafting and signing JUCO players who have even made it to AA.  They need to be better.
• Realize that this year there WILL be college pitchers who they can turn into relief pitchers in the majors.   As I said earlier, in this daft James Karinchak would have been picked on the 3rd day.  
• Look, somehow, for a couple of high school bats who will sign and have SOME chance to make it to the majors.  Korey Holland comes to mind here.
• Find at least one college catching prospect like Bryan Lavistida.

So, let the fun begin.   If the Indians can mine the remaining prospects and do even incrementally better than they have in the past, this could be a great draft.  

Plus, there is always the college non-drafted free agent path to add a few guys if you want.