• Google+

2011 MLB Draft: Top Talents Still Available On Day 2

Stay connected for news and updates

Day 2 of the 2011 MLB Draft begins at Noon Eastern on Tuesday.

Top talents still on the board include Texas high school  left-hander Daniel Norris, Texas high school outfielder Josh Bell, California high school catcher Austin Hedges, Arkansas high school right-hander Dillon Howard, TCU lefty Matt Purke, and Oregon State catcher Andrew Susac.

All of these players had a complicating factor that prevented selection on the first day.

Norris has robust bonus demands as well as a Clemson scholarship to back them up. He is the best high school lefty available on talent, but apparently convinced teams he was more than willing to go to college if his asking price was not met. Teams picking near the top of the second round no doubt spent much of the overnight hours assessing how firm his negotiating stance is.

Bell has an extremely strong commitment to baseball at the University of Texas. His family is academically-oriented, and it is possible that no amount of money will change his mind about becoming a Longhorn. Hedges is similar: he has a firm commitment to UCLA, and given some lingering doubts about his bat, no one is sure he is worth the money it would take to buy him away.

Howard is another guy dropping due to his college commitment, to the University of Arkansas, and a big price tag, though he may be easier to sign than Bell and Hedges. Purke fell due to doubts about his shoulder, loss of velocity this spring, and sophomore negotiating leverage. Susac's healing hamate bone and sophomore leverage are factors, though they seem less of an issue than Purke's.

There are 0 Comments. Add Yours. Loading

Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely.

C - Next Comment
X - Mark as Read

R - Reply
Z - Mark Read & Next

Shift + C - Previous
Shift + A - Mark All Read

Comment Settings

Live comment alert: Hide it!

Comments for this post are closed.