Via Tyler Kepner (with a hat tip to WasWatching.com reader “Don”) -
When the Yankees drafted pitcher Gerrit Cole in the first round of the June draft, they believed that Cole would sign with them and forego a college scholarship. It turns out that Cole has changed his mind and will go to U.C.L.A. instead.
According to a person involved in the negotiations, the Yankees have learned that Cole intends to go to college, no matter what they offer. The person was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly before Friday’s deadline for teams to sign drafted players.
Cole is represented by the agent Scott Boras, who is known for asking for lucrative bonuses. But the Yankees have reached deals with first-round Boras clients the last two seasons, and the person said the failure to sign Cole had nothing to do with him.
Instead, Cole and his father had a change of heart and decided to go to college rather than negotiate with the Yankees.
Well, for the record, I would have picked Conor Gillaspie, Shooter Hunt or maybe Brett DeVall instead of Gerrit Cole.
According to Brian Cashman, “[The Yankees] drafted [Cole] for a reason. We didn’t draft [him] not to sign [him].”
So, what do you say Yankees fans? If Cole goes to college, based on Cashman’s comment, was this a bad first-round pick by the Yankees this season?
9 Responses to “Cole To College Instead Of Yanks?”
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August 15th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I am of the belief that any 1st round pick spent on a HS pitcher is a bad idea.
August 15th, 2008 at 6:50 am
I won’t accept this as final until midnight passes. But if the report is true, yes, it reflects very poorly on Cashman as head of the organization, and probably not very well on Damon Oppenheimer, too. Both should be held accountable.
That said, Boras does negotiate this way all the time. I’m guessing he wants both big money and a major league contract for Cole. The timing is too suspect to think otherwise.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Scouting reports on all three:
Gillaspie: After a strong Cape season, Gillaspie has followed up with an excellent junior campaign. He’s a terrific hitter and has been over .400 for most of the year. His lack of power makes it hard to profile him anywhere other than as a Bill Mueller-type third baseman. There are worse things to be, of course, and a team that values what Gillaspie can do will surely take him.
Hunt: With a strong junior season, Hunt has moved himself into serious first-round contention. While the right-hander doesn’t always command his pitches well — he’s walked a few too many this year — he’s got terrific stuff, most notably his fastball and curve, both of which are above average. He hasn’t needed a changeup much, but he has the feel for one. There might be one or two right-handers who rank ahead of Hunt heading into the Draft, but he’s not too far behind them in the pecking order.
DeVall: A sort of pitchability high schooler, which is rare, but should not be overlooked. He’s got the chance to have three outstanding pitches and knows how to command all three. A big, strong competitor, he goes right after hitters and shows the ability to repeat his mechanics consistently, something that’s always a plus for scouts, even if he doesn’t light up the radar gun.
Sounds to me like Cole was a better pick than all three, signability results notwithstanding. Why would you take a “Bill Mueller-type” in the first round or a pitcher that “doesn’t light up the radar gun”, especially since you’re always complaining about Phil Hughes’s inability to do the same.
It stinks that Cole won’t sign and it represents a seriously flawed strategy by Scott Boras (if he’s actually driving this). But the Yankees should always be taking the best available player based on talent and projectability, not signability. Signability is something that the Pirates and Royals need to worry about first and foremost.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:52 am
MJ – if you’re going to submit homework, please ensure that it’s complete.
Devall is a LHP. You don’t need LHP to throw in the high 90’s to succeed. Hunt is a college pitcher – he’s more advanced and proven than a HS arm. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but, on Gillaspie…did Don Mattingly have any power before turning pro? Sometimes, the power comes later for these guys.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Cole was regarded as a top 10, if not top 5, talent in the draft, and it was considered a steal when he fell to the Yankees.
you pick the best player available in the first round when you pick that late, and thats what they did.
not their fault he’s (well, Boras) asking for money money than the Rays gave the #1 pick, and a 40-man roster spot.
Cashman and the Yankees would be fools to give into that… and if they did, i’m sure you’d bash him for giving that much money to an unproven HS pitcher.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Who cares what kind of talent he is if he was never going to sign?
August 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
“Who cares what kind of talent he is if he was never going to sign?”
but that was never the case. he was going to sign, or willing to for the right price, and hired Boras to do the negotiating.
it seems like its only when the Yankees refused to give in to their demands that he “changed his mind.”
August 15th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
MJ – if you’re going to submit homework, please ensure that it’s complete.
Devall [is] more advanced and proven than a HS arm. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but, on Gillaspie…did Don Mattingly have any power before turning pro? Sometimes, the power comes later for these guys.
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You draft projectability. Plain and simple.
As far as Mattingly…so what? He was, what, a 30th rounder? You want to spend your 1st rounder on a guy that projects to Bill Mueller?
August 15th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
according to pete abraham:
he Yankees have given up on Gerrit Cole. Brian Cashman said the player and his family made a “lifestyle choice” and decided on college. It sounds like the Yankees were misled back in June by the kid’s family. They certainly would not have taken him in the first round without believing he wanted to play pro ball. He’s going to UCLA, after all, not Harvard.
Scott Boras is not behind this. It was all the kid and his family. But the Yankees can’t be too happy with Boras. They certainly consulted with him back in the spring. He has been the Cole’s family’s “advisor” (which is the NCAA’s way of saying agent) for a while now.
Don’t hurt your arm in college, Gerrit.