Draft Review 2004

Draft Review 2004

Picks are rated Good, OK or Bad. What point in the draft has no relevance on the rating. The BA prospect rankings are from their 2004 Prospect Handbook, in which they rank the top 30 prospects in every organization.

1st Round:
#1 ALEX Ryan Wagner RP CIN
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for CIN by BA. Wagner could be a top ten RP this year in a set up role, racking up holds and Ks. Barring injury he will be a big time closer within a couple of years. Alex gave up a lot for this pick; Kendall and Renteria. But he did get Sosa in return in that deal and I had Wagner rated as the #1 player available in this draft as well.

#2 MARK Brandon Webb SP ARI
Good pick. D'Backs 2nd SP. Webb was only the D'Backs 5th ranked prospect entering the '03 season, before putting up a shocking 294 points. He has good stuff and didn't have a 2nd half rookie fade similar to Dontrelle Willis, which bodes well for his '04 outlook.

#3 KEN Josh Barfield 2B SD
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for SD by BA. Barfield is a very good offensive prospect. I thought this was a bit early for Barfield with Edwin Jackson and some closers still on the board. Ken included Barfield with 5 other prospects in a surprising deal with Paul, in which Ken acquired Mike Piazza, Orlando Cabrera and Wade Miller. Could be a regrettable deal as the 3 veterans acquired by Ken have shaky long term value for different reasons.

#4 MIKE Edwin Jackson SP LA
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for LA by BA. Jackson has incredible potential with a big time fastball. He could be a top 10 SP pitcher this year and has long term Cy Young potential. I rated Jackson the 2nd best player available behind Wagner.

#5 JEFF Jayson Nix 2B COL
Good pick. 5th ranked prospect for COL by BA. Nix is another good offensive 2B prospect. He's not as good as Barfield but has his value boosted with Coors Field on his side. I thought this was a bit early for Nix, as Jeff probably could have gotten him with a later 1st round pick.

#6 JOHN Danny Kolb CL MIL
Good pick. Brewers' closer. Kolb was terrific last year taking hold of the Brewers closer job. He has the big time fastball, but I do hold reservations on Kolb since he has zero track record of success prior to '03. He was released by the pitching starved Rangers earlier in the '03 season.

#7 JEFF Hector Gimenez C HOU
Bad pick. 6th ranked prospect for HOU by BA. Way, way, way, way too early for Gimenez in this spot. Jeff probably could have easily drafted him with his last pick in the 2nd round. Gimenez isn't a great offensive prospect, and even the very good offensive catching prospects have a low level of success rate.

#8 ALEX Shawn Chacon CL COL
Good pick. Rockies' closer. The comparisons to Eric Gagne are just silly, as Gagne has put up the 2 best relief pitching years in the history of baseball. However Chacon could be a decent closer, as he does have a good fastball and curveball. He made the all-star team as a SP last year before being shut down in the 2nd half with an elbow injury. It's that injury that makes me a bit concerned about Chacon's value. He needs to prove he's healthy this year before I get too excited about him. I was surprised to see Alex take Chacon over Borowski.

#9 JEFF Franklin Gutierrez OF LA
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for LA by BA. Gutierrez really took off as a prospect in '03. He has very good tools and 3 hole hitter potential. As good as any prospect available in the draft.

#10 JEFF Merkin Valdez SP SF
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for SF by BA. Valdez emerged in '03 as a prospect with a very good fastball. A bit early for Valdez in this slot, but he is receiving some good hype.

#11 DIORIO Scott Podsednik OF MIL
Good pick. Podsednik was released from the Seattle organization following the '02 season. He then emerged from a reserve role with the Brewers to win the NL ROY with 407 points. It's tought to ignore the fact that he hit LHP and RHP last year, hit in the 1st half and hit in the 2nd half. However he has zero track record prior to '03, and thus some concerns are raised.

#12 DIORIO D'Angelo Jimenez 2B CIN
Good pick. Reds' 2B. The 2nd shocker of the draft behind Jeff taking Hector Gimenez. I like D'Angelo Jimenez as a hitter. His D and attitude are questionable as the W'Sox and Padres both bailed quickly on him. However he can hit and put up 321 points last year. The shock of this pick was that DiOrio passed on Joe Borowski. Rumor has it that DiOrio made this blunder in the disorientation involved with drafting via a cell phone on a ski slope.

#13 DAN Joe Borowski CL CHI
Good pick. Cubs' closer. Unbelievable that Borowski slid to the 13th pick. He had 405 points last year as the Cubs' closer, however the LaTroy Hawkins signing dropped his value. Borowski has put together back to back solid seasons and has decent stuff. The only way Hawkins closes is if Borowski crashes. And based on Borowski's recent track record, that isn't happening. This pick changed the direction of Dan's team, as he was reluctant to bail on top prospects to make a run at Alex, until Borowski surprisingly fell in his lap.

#14 ALEX Chad Cordero RP MON
Good pick. Expos' setup man. 5th ranked prospect for MON by BA. The Expos are going back to Rocky Biddle to close this year, but if he pitches anything like he did in the 2nd half last year Cordero should take his job. He has very good long term closer potential if he doesn't get the job this year. Not sure why Cordero slid this much, a steal in this slot.

#15 KEN Adam LaRoche 1B ATL
Good pick. 5th ranked prospect for ATL by BA. The Braves' 1B job is LaRoche's to lose this Spring. I don't love him as a prospect, but do like the opportunity he is getting.

#16 ALEX Ian Stewart 3B COL
Good pick. 2nd ranked prospect for COL by BA. Stewart is a terrific hitting prospect who has his value boosted with the possibility of hitting in Coors Field. This was the player I thought I would be drafting at #13, before Borowski and Cordero were both available.

#17 MARK Cole Hamels SP PHI
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for PHI by BA. Hamels is a solid starting pitcher prospect. He was dominant in low A last year, but not nearly as impressive after a promotion to high A.

#18 JEFF Blake Hawksworth SP STL
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for STL by BA. Hawksworth is a solid SP prospect in an organization that quickly promotes SPs. It seems there are 10 guys available in every draft with similar profiles to Hawksworth.

#19 JOHN Jason Bay OF PIT
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for PIT by BA. I love Bay. He has hit well in the minors and was very impressive in a brief stint in the majors at the end of the season. John dealt Bay to Paul for Jeff Kent, who John then dealt to Alex for Chad Cordero. However John also gave up Jeff Francoeur to Alex. So John dealt Bay and Francoeur for Cordero. Which isn't bad since Cordero could evolve in to a closer.

2nd Round:
#20 MIKE LaTroy Hawkins RP CHI
Good pick. Cubs' primary set up man. With a big time fastball, Hawkins is among the best setup men in baseball posting 289 points last year with the Twins. He's received a lot of closer hype this Winter, and would close if Borowski did falter.

#21 DIORIO Carl Everett OF MON
OK pick. Expos' CF. Crazy Carl had his value skyrocket last year with a 422 point season. I'm skeptical based on Everett's 2 prior seasons in which he had 221 and 220 points respectively. However Montreal is a nice situation for him, as he will be playing under zero scrutiny. I just question his durability.

#22 MARK Greg Miller SP LA
Good pick. 2nd ranked prospect for LA by BA. I love Miller and think he will be a dominant SP. However there is a concern here, and that is Miller's elbow. He's had some elbow problems the past 2 years, thus holding down some of his hype.

#23 KEN Jeff Allison SP FLO
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for FLO by BA. Allison has great stuff and could come quickly. Should move to top prospect status with a strong showing in the minors this year.

#24 MIKE Mike Cameron OF NY
Good pick. Cameron is a solid, yet unspectacular hitter. He's scored in the low 300's that past 2 years with the Mariners, and should do more of the same with the Mets this year.

#25 JEFF Justin Jones SP CHI
Good pick. 2nd ranked prospect for CHI by BA. Jones hasn't received as much hype as he probably has deserved. Probably a result of the Cubs being loaded at the major league level in pitching. Has very good stuff from the left side.

#26 ALEX David Aardsma RP SF
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for SF by BA. Aardsma has a big time fastball and is the Giants' future closer. With a strong showing in the minors this year, Aardsma could assume the Giants' closer gig in '05. Could possibly see time in the majors this year depending how he pitches in the minors.

#27 MARK Edwin Encarnacion 3B CIN
Good pick. 2nd ranked prospect for CIN by BA. Encarnacion is a very good hitting prospect. Has 3 hole hitter potential. John proabably doesn't realize this, but he waived Encarnacion after receiving him in a AL trade along with Ruben Mateo for Rob Bell 3 years ago.

#28 MARK J.J. Davis OF PIT
OK pick. 13th ranked prospect for PIT by BA. Davis' star has set as far as I'm concerned, he's now 25. Any value he might have had was squashed with the Raul Mondesi signing.

#29 MARK Freddy Guzman OF SD
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for SD by BA. I'm not usually a fan of small, lead off hitter type prospects. But I think Guzman could be a bit better of a hitter than that.

#30 KEN Andy Pettitte SP HOU
Good pick. Pettitte put up 361 points last year and 247 the year before. He could get hit a little harder in the NL and in Minute Maid Park. However he still has a chance to be a top 10 SP. Pettitte has skated around some elbow problems in recent years, but still has a great value at the 30th pick in the draft.

#31 MIKE Robbie Hammock C ARI
Good pick. One of only 2 starting catchers available in the draft, Johnny Estrada the other. I like Hammock's offensive potential. Could be slowed a bit this year as he's coming off knee surgery.

#32 MARK Larry Broadway 1B MON
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for MON by BA. I really like Broadway as a hitting prospect. However he's blocked in Montreal by Nick Johnson. Not sure either can move to the OF, so Broadway could be dealt in a year or two.

#33 BILL Johnny Estrada C ATL
Good pick. Braves' C. 2 picks after Hammock goes, here comes Estrada. I like Estrada's hitting potential as well and he could be a top 5 catcher in the NL this year.

#34 PAUL Tike Redman OF PIT
Good pick. Pirates' CF. I'm really intrigued with Redman. In 56 games last year with the Pirates he had very impressive percentages of .374 OBP & .483 SLG, after a solid year in AAA. Redman has a similar game to Scott Podsednik and he could suprise like Pods did last year.

#35 ALEX Ryan Harvey OF CHI
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for CHI by BA. Harvey is very young and has a high ceiling. This year will show if Harvey has a chance to be a top prospect. Alex dealt Harvey to Paul along with Jeff Francoeur and Sal Palmisano for Ken Griffey.

#36 MARK Taylor Buchholz SP HOU
Good pick. 1st ranked prospect for HOU by BA. The Astros' lead payment for Billy Wagner. I'm not convinced Buchholz will be a front line SP, but his value has taken off this Winter. His calling card is a killer curveball.

#37 KEN Dustin Nippert SP ARI
Good pick. 3rd ranked prospect for ARI by BA. Nippert hasn't received a lot of hype, but he has very good stuff. As with all SP prospects, it's just a matter of which one can stay healthy.

3rd Round:
#38 PAUL Tony Batista 3B MON
OK pick. This was before Paul reversed his team philosophy and when he was going with proven veterans. Batista did put up over 300 points last year, but his OBP is just horrible and this could be his last year starting in the majors. Paul dealt Batista to Bill in a multi player deal with Paul's lead return being Horacio Ramirez.

#39 DAVIS Roger Clemens SP HOU
Good pick. Davis drafted Clemens with the sole purpose of dealing him. Dan chased Davis hard for Clemens and ended up surrendering Kip Wells. Davis then dealt Kip Wells back to Dan in a multi player payment for Kaz Matsui. Clemens is 41 and in his last season, (we think), but did put up 360 points last year.

#40 MARK Victor Diaz 2B/3B NY
OK pick. 9th ranked prospect for NY by BA. Diaz is not a top prospect and I dont' see a productive major league hitter here.

#41 KEN Michael Tucker OF SF
OK pick. Giants' RF. Tucker is a fringe starting OF in the majors. He had 242 points last year. Not sure how much he will help Ken, as his long term value is very questionable.

#42 MIKE Brian Fuentes RP COL
Good pick. Rockies' primary set up man. Had 226 points last year and could close for the Rockies if Shawn "Gagne" Chacon breaks down.

#43 MIKE Todd Walker 2B CHI
OK pick. Utility man for the Cubs. Pretty amazing that Walker didn't sign for a starting job. He's a pretty good hitter vs. RHP as he had 391 points last year. However his D is suspect and he can't hit lefties, thus the back up job I guess. Should start at 2B if Grudz goes down or struggles.

#44 BILL Jeff Conine OF FLO
Good pick. Marlins' LF. Conine had 415 points last year. However he is 37 and I'm not sure how much he'll help Bill with his career winding down.

#45 DIORIO Rob Mackowiak 3B PIT
OK pick. Platoon 3B for the Pirates. Mackowiak is a bench player, but could get a lot of ABs at 3B for a weak Pitt team. He has questionable long term value.

#46 DAN Roberto Alomar 2B ARI
Good pick. D'Backs' 2B. Dan was surprised to see Alomar still around at his slot. Alomar is no longer a stud hitter, as he had only 271 points last year. However he could be in line for somewhat of a comeback year as he did have 553 points 3 years ago.

#47 MARK Ryan Howard 1B PHI
OK pick. 3rd ranked prospect for PHI by BA. Howard is a decent power prospect, but has no where to go in the Philly organization with Thome at 1B. Should be dealt in a year or so.

#48 JOHN Luis Ayala RP MON
Good pick. Expos' set up man. Ayala has received some closer hype this off season. I don't see it, as he doesn't have a big time fastball and was hammered by left hand hitters. However he is a solid setup/holds guy.

#49 BILL Horacio Ramirez SP ATL
OK pick. Braves' 3rd SP. Ramirez put up a surprising 215 points last year. However he's a soft tossing, little lefty. So unless this is the next coming of Tom Glavine, I see Ramirez crashing down in '04.

#50 KEN Conor Jackson OF ARI
Good pick. 6th ranked prospect for ARI by BA. I like Jackson a lot, and think he could take off as a prospect this year. Excellent value for a prospect at this point in the draft.

#51 DAN Chris Reitsma RP CIN
Good pick. Reds' set up man. Reitsma has a big time fastball and ended the '03 season as the Reds' closer. However Danny Graves is getting his gig back and Ryan Wagner is coming fast, so Reitsma shouldn't see many save opportunities in '03. However I still like his long term closer value as Reitsma is only 26.

#52 JOHN Steve Cox 1B STL
Bad pick. Potential bench player for the Cardinals. The Cardinals are going with Albert Pujols at 1B, killing any potential value for Cox.

#53 KEN Koyie Hill C LA
OK pick. 9th ranked prospect for LA by BA. Hill is a decent catching prospect, not sure he's going to be a very good hitter though.

#54 DAVIS Chad Fox RP FLO
OK pick. Marlins' primary set up man. Another pick to deal for Davis. He turned this one in to the Pirates' 2nd ranked prospect in Sean Burnett from DiOrio. Fox was awful with the Red Sox, then great with the Marlins last year. He has a very good fastball and is next in line to close if Benitez blows up.

4th Round:
#55 PAUL Matt Cain SP SF
Good pick. 2nd ranked prospect for SF by BA. Another solid SP prospect with good stuff. Very good value for this point in the draft. Paul sent Cain with other SP prospects Ubaldo Jimenez and Jeff Francis to Mark for Jeff Kent.

#56 DIORIO Terrmel Sledge OF MON
Good pick. 9th ranked prospect for MON by BA. Sledge will be a 27 year old rookie this year, but has a legitimate shot at the Expos' LF job. He mashed in the minors, but remains on let's see status due to the age.

#57 DIORIO Ben Hendrickson SP MIL
OK pick. 8th ranked prospect for MIL by BA. Hendrickson is a decent SP prospect, but I don't think he has ace potential.

#58 DIORIO Mike Jones SP MIL
OK pick. 6th ranked prospect for MIL by BA. Jones has good stuff and could be a top prospect. However he ended '03 with a sore elbow and thus has a cloudy future.

#59 MARK Kevin Correia SP SF
OK pick. Giants' 5th SP. 6th ranked prospect for SF by BA. Correia has decent stuff and pitched well in a cameo for the SF last year. He doesn't have ace potential.

#60 MIKE Raul Mondesi OF PIT
Good pick. Pirates' RF. Mondesi was a FA at the time of the draft, but still had 1st round comp value, making this a steal pick. Mondesi is not a star, but did put up 376 points last year. Mike dealt Mondesi to Bill for Sean Casey who is coming off a 370 point season.

5th Round:
#61 PAUL Ian Snell (formerly Oquendo) SP PIT
OK pick. 6th ranked prospect for PIT by BA. I don't like Oquendo's chances as a SP, but do see some potential as a RP. Maybe not a closer, but a decent setup guy.

#62 DAVIS Julian Tavarez RP STL
OK pick. Cardinals' set up man. Another vet to deal for Davis. However this one he threw to Dan as a cut throw in. Tavarez resurrected his career last year ending it as the Pirates' closer. He could be solid setup/holds guy this year with St. Louis. Dan dealt Tavarez with Brad Penny to Bill for Adam Everett.

#63 MIKE John Thomson SP ATL
Good pick. Braves' 4th SP. Thomson had 185 points with the Rangers last year. He should improve with the Braves, making this a nice pick in this slot. Mike dealt Thomson to Dan for Jesse Foppert.

#64 MARK Marlon Anderson 2B STL
OK pick. Potential Cardinals' 2B. Will battle Bo Hart for the job. Anderson isn't that good and has little long term value. Anderson went to Dan in the Lance Berkman blockbuster, then to Alex in a deal for Barry Larkin.

#65 MIKE Delwyn Young 2B LA
OK pick. 21st ranked prospect for LA by BA. Not a top prospect here. Mike stole Matt Herges from Davis for Young and Ryan Doumit.

#66 DAN Daric Barton C STL
OK pick. 10th ranked prospect for STL by BA. Barton has very good offensive ootential. Very young and a lot to prove. Dan dealt Barton to Mark in a deal for Mike Matheny.

#67 MARK Steve Smitherman OF CIN
OK pick. 7th ranked prospect for CIN by BA. I don't see a every day player here. Smitherman doesn't have much time as he's 25.

#68 MARK John Gall 1B STL
OK pick. 7th ranked prospect for STL by BA. Gall is 26, so this is another prospect with little time to make it. If he was any good, you would think the Cardinals' would stick him at 1B with Pujols in LF.

#69 ALEX Lou Palmisano C MIL
OK pick. 11th ranked prospect for MIL by BA. Despite what Alex believes, Palmisano is not quite yet a top prospect. He's a decent prospect who has a lot to prove. Went to Paul in the Ken Griffey deal.

#70 MARK Scott Olsen SP FLO
Good pick. 4th ranked prospect for FLO by BA. Olsen breaks up the streak of mediocre prospects drafted in this round. Olsen is underrated and could take off with a solid '04 showing.

6th Round:
#71 PAUL Carlos Quentin OF ARI
Good pick. 7th ranked prospect for ARI by BA. Quentin has yet to make his pro debut, but has good hitting potential.

#72 DAN Rod Beck RP SD
Good pick. Padres' set up man. Beck was a shocking 20-20 in save opportunities and put up 274 points last year. Hoffman is the closer again, but Beck should have a solid point year racking up holds.

#73 DAN Dave Ross C LA
OK pick. Dodgers' back up catcher. This pick only has value if Paul LoDuca moves to LF or 1B; or is traded. Ross hit 10 HRs in 40 games last year, but has never been a prospect and didn't show as much power in the minors.

#74 JOHN Karim Garcia OF NY
OK pick. Mets' RF vs. RHP. Garcia isn't a full time player, however the left hand side of platoons get the majority of playing time. Despite the opportunity to play by the Mets, Garcia is probably a bench player and doesn't have good long term value.

#75 BILL Jon Knott 1B/OF SD
OK pick. 7th ranked prospect for SD by BA. Knott looks like a decent offensive prospect, but he'll turn 26 this year and doesn't have much time to make it.

#76 DAN Justin Upton SS high school
Good pick. Upton is only a Junior in high school. He's considered a better prospect at this stage of his baseball career than his brother B.J., who is a big time prospect with the D'Rays. Upton is a candidate to be the #1 pick in the '05 MLB draft. Dan surrended Upton to Mark in one of their several deals as a throw in, after Dan bailed on his prospects.

#77 DAN Ben Grieve OF MIL
OK pick. Brewers' RF. Grieve's once promising career came crashing down with the D'Rays last year. The Brewers will give him a chance to make a come back. I like the decent OBPs Grieve has posted even in his down years, but where has the power gone? If he gets the power back this could be a nice sleeper pick. Dan traded Grieve along with Steve Trachsel to Bill for Vinny "welcome back to Coors Field" Castilla.

#78 MIKE Clint Barmes COL SS
Bad pick. 21st ranked prospect for COL by BA. Barmes had some value as the Rockies' potential SS, until they signed Royce Clayton. Barmes isn't much of a prospect.

#79 BILL Andy LaRoche LA 2B
OK pick. 8th ranked prospect for LA by BA. LaRoche is a decent hitting prospect, but has a lot to prove. Bill sent LaRoche to Paul in a multi player deal with the key return being Jeff Weaver.

#80 DAN Oscar Villarreal RP ARI
Good pick. D'Backs RP. Villarreal is very young and throws hard. He put up very impressive rookie numbers last year en route to a 162 point season. Dan traded Villarreal in a multi player payment for Chad Moeller.

#81 MIKE Ryan Doumit C PIT
OK pick. 10th ranked prospect for PIT by BA. Not a big Doumit fan as most catching prospects don't make it. This is the other half of that steal payment by Mike from Davis for Matt Herges.

#82 DAN Jae Seo SP NY
OK pick. Mets' 4th SP. Seo had an OK rookie season with 137 points last year. He was a decent prospect prior to Tommy John surgery earlier in his career. '04 should tell us if Seo is a decent SP or just a pud. Dan threw Seo in the Kaz Matsui deal with Davis.

#83 MARK Josh Willingham C FLO
OK pick. 6th ranked prospect for FLO by BA. Willingham is not a defensive catcher and is already 25. He'll have to hit his way in to a position real fast to have any value.

#84 DAN Akinori Otsuka RP SD
Good pick. 5th ranked prospect for SD by BA. Otsuka is a 32 year old, 7 year closer veteran from Japan. He's got good stuff and has some long term closer value. These were his numbers last year in Japan; 17 SV, 2.09 ERA, 43 IP, 31 H, 5 BB, 56 K. Otsuka was part of that Moeller ransom from Paul paid by Dan.

#85 MARK Lincoln Holdzkom RP FLO
OK pick. 11th ranked prospect for FLO by BA. Holdzkom throws big time cheese. He's known as a punk, but bears watching with that arm.

7th Round:
#86 PAUL Ubaldo Jimenez SP COL
Good pick. 4th ranked prospect for COL by BA. Jimenez has an electric arm and has value despite being a Coors Field guy. Part of Paul's payment for the temporary ownership of Jeff Kent.

#87 KEN Brian McCann C ATL
OK pick. 7th ranked prospect for ATL by BA. McCann is a decent all around catching prospect, but is very young and has a ways to go. Part of the prospect payment by Ken to Paul for the 3 big vets; Piazza/Cabrera/Miller.

#88 PAUL Joey Votto 1B CIN
Good pick. 5th ranked prospect for CIN by BA. I like Votto a lot. He looks to be like a very good hitting prospect. '04 should tell us how good he could be. This is one of several Reds' prospect Jeff took in last years' draft, but cut him after a draft day deal.

#89 BILL Dan Meyer SP ATL
OK pick. 4th ranked prospect for ATL by BA. Meyer is a decent, underrated SP prospect. Could move up the prospect charts with a strong '04. Part of that payment by Bill for Jeff Weaver.

#90 PAUL Jason Hirsh SP HOU
OK pick. 8th ranked prospect for HOU by BA. Hirsh is 6' 8" and has very good stuff. He's just one year out of college and has a lot to prove.

#91 PAUL Jeff Francis SP COL
Bad pick. 3rd ranked prospect for COL by BA. Francis would be a decent prospect in another organization, but doesn't have the velocity to survive in Coors Field. Went to Mark in that Jeff Kent deal.

#92 BILL Juan Richardson 3B PHI
Bad pick. 9th ranked prospect for PHI by BA. Richardson is 25 and hasn't seen AAA yet. Not good odds here.

#93 JOHN Xavier Paul OF LA
OK pick. 7th ranked prospect for LA by BA. Paul is very young and could develop in to more than a lead off type hitter.

8th Round:
#94 ALEX David Wells SP SD
Good pick. Padres' ace. Can't find better value late in the draft for '04 help than this. Wells is almost 41, but put up 277 points last year. As long as his recent back surgery isn't a problem, he should have a decent year.

#95 DAVIS Jai Miller OF FLO
OK pick. 9th ranked prospect for FLO by BA. Miller is a toolsy, teenage prospect that has a long way to go.

#96 KEN Chad Billingsley SP LA
Good pick. 6th ranked prospect for LA by BA. I like Billingsley. He gets over looked in a loaded Dodgers' pitching prospect list. He's very young and has good stuff.

#97 JOHN Eric Reed OF FLO
Bad pick. 8th ranked prospect for FLO by BA. Reed is a small, lead off hitter type prospect. That usually means 4th OF in the majors. John threw Reed in to a deal with Paul for Jeff Kent, with the main payment being Jason Bay.

#98 ALEX Adriano Rosario SP ARI
Good pick. 5th ranked prospect for ARI by BA. Rosario is very young and has a big time arm. Alex sent Rosario along with fellow SP prospects Joel Hanrahan and Manny Parra for Jeromy "Welcome to Coors Field" Burnitz.

#99 ALEX Manny Parra SP MIL
OK pick. 4th ranked prospect for MIL by BA. Parra is a decent LH SP prospect. Went to Mark in the Burnitz deal.

#100 JOHN Matt Peterson SP NY
OK pick. 4th ranked prospect for NY by BA. Peterson is an OK SP prospect. He doesn't have a high ceiling.

9th Round:
#101 ALEX Jaret Wright RP ATL
OK pick. Braves' set up man. Wright had a good 11 games with the Braves last year, but he has been a mess for quite some time now. I'll keep my skepticism for now. Wright was a throw in to John in the Jeff Kent acquisition, with Chad Cordero as the main payment.

#102 DAVIS J.R. House C PIT
Bad pick. 25th ranked prospect for PIT by BA. 4 years ago House was a top prospect on the move, now he projects as a bench guy.

#103 JOHN Ryan Madson SP PHI
OK pick. 4th ranked prospect for PHI by BA. Madson is similar to Matt Peterson, OK prospect with a limited ceiling.

#104 ALEX Joel Hanrahan SP LA
Good pick. 5th ranked prospect for LA by BA. Hanrahan is a very good SP prospect. Value held down behind Edwin Jackson and Greg Miller. Part of Alex' payment to Mark for Jeromy Burnitz.

#105 DAN Steve Trachsel SP NY
OK pick. Mets' 2nd SP. Trachsel put up a surprising 256 points last year, but doesn't have much of a track record. He doesn't have many believers for '04. Dan sent Trachsel to Bill along with Ben Grieve for Vinny Castilla.

10th Round:
#106 PAUL Alfredo Simon SP PHI
OK pick. 6th ranked prospect for PHI by BA. Simon has a big time fastball, who could end up as a closer due to poor command. As with almost all of these prospects, '04 will be a telling year.

#107 DAVIS Jeremy Giambi OF LA
Bad pick. Dodgers' bench player. Davis continues his trend here of picking veterans to deal. He threw Giambi in to the Clemens to Dan deal, with Kip Wells as the main return.

#108 DAN Wilson Alvarez SP LA
OK pick. Dodgers' swing man. Alvarez put up a shocking 207 points last year. His value is hurt by the lack of an available rotation spot in LA.

11th Round:
#109 PAUL Paul Maholm SP PIT
Bad pick. 8th ranked prospect for PIT by BA. Maholm doesn't throw very hard and isn't much of a prospect.

#110 DIORIO Craig Brazell 1B NY
OK pick. 10th ranked prospect for NY by BA. Alex made this pick for DiOrio as he had gone skiing. Brazell is a mediocre prospect, but I don't think anyone has told DiOrio that yet. I predict DiOrio waives Brazell following the '04 season.

12th to 17th rounds:
#111 PAUL Jeremy Griffiths P NY
Bad pick. 8th ranked prospect for NY by BA. Griffiths projects as a middle reliever, not sure where Paul was going with this one.

#112 PAUL Jamie D'Antona 3B ARI
Bad pick. 14th ranked prospect for ARI by BA. Not much of a prospect here. You have to explain this pick Paul.

#113 PAUL Nyjer Morgan OF PIT
Bad pick. 16th ranked prospect for PIT by BA. Morgan is a small, speed, lead off hitter prospect. I know it's real late in a very long draft, but what's going on here Paul?

#114 PAUL Jeff Larish 1B arizona state u.
OK pick. Larish is a Junior at ASU and is the #1 ranked college hitter for the '04 draft by BA. He's no Mark Teixeira and could still go AL, but I like this pick.

#115 PAUL J.D. Closser C COL
Bad pick. 19th ranked prospect for COL by BA. Another questionable pick by the rookie.

#116 PAUL Jeremy Sowers SP vanderbilt
Bad pick. 5th ranked college SP prospect for the '04 draft. Since Paul passed on the 1st through 4th ranked college SP prospects, this has to be a bad pick then.

Summary: Overall a very good draft by all owners. The league has evolved from having only several owners knowing and drafting quality prospects. Most importantly to note is that, I don't believe, anyone attempted to draft a player on someone else's rosters. Now that is amazing.