Today's Probables Include:

AAA - Carlos Carrasco, Andy Sonnanstine, Chris Tillman and Hector Rondon

AA - Junichi Tazawa,  Tim Alderson v Brad Holt, Trevor Reckling and Kasey Kiker

A - Tim Hudson (second rehab start, could be an impact for the Braves down the stretch?), Chris Carpenter, and Tim Melville

SS - Matt Hobgood

and there are also many others, of whom I know nothing about. There was also some early action today, but I didn't see much of note in there.

Brett Myers is seeking out a second opinion on his hip, which forced him to exit his last start, and will, more than likely, force him to miss at least one surgery. The initial diagnosis seemed to indicate that surgery would be required to repair his labrum, which would obviously cost him a bulk of the remainder of the season, if not all of it. With the Phillies most currently hyped (maybe?) pitching prospects, Drabek and Knapp, both in A ball, how do you think they would replace Myers in the rotation? Feel free to discuss trade possibilities as well.

This is the 5 Round Amateur Draft my 30-team sim league just completed. I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on it, both in general and on anything specific (who went where or whatever).

Only players who made their debut in affiliated ball in the states in 2007 were eligible, hence, no Price, Wieters, or Porcello. We follow Rule V guidelines, as far as keeping these guys is concerned.

Round 1
1   Paris Texas - Daisuke Matsuzaka,P,BOS
2   Sacramento - Joba Chamberlain,P,NYY
3   Las Vegas - Hidecki Okajima,P,BOS
4   Stark County - Mike Moustakas,SS,KC
5   Detroit - Angel Villalona,3B,SF
6   Kennesaw - Josh Vitters,3B,CHC
7   Chicago - Matt LaPorta,OF,MIL
8   Kentucky - Akinori Iwamura,2B,TB
9   Horton City - Ross Detwiler,P,WAS
10   Indianapolis - Jason Heyward,OF, ATL
11   El Monte - Carlos Triunfel,SS,SEA
12   Houston - Lars Anderson,1B, BOS
13   Gilroy - Fautino De Los Santos, P, CHW
14   Pennsylvania - Max Scherzer,P,AZ
15   Longfellow - Beau Mills,3B,CLE
16   Eastern Illinois - Michael Burgess,OF,WAS
17   Cypress - Jordan Walden,P,LAA
18   Whigville - Matt Latos,P,SD
19   Keyesport - Josh Donaldson,C,CHC
20   Utah - Michael Main,P,TEX
21   Vero Beach - Cole Rohrbough,P,ATL
22   Latrobe - Brett Cecil,P,TOR
23   Leinenkugel - Julio Borbon,OF,TEX
24   Norridge - Brett Anderson,P,OAK
25   Santurce - Tim Alderson,P,SF
26   Silvio - Ben Revere,OF,MIN
27   South Beach - Chris Withrow,P,LAD
28   Oceanside - Kevin Ahrens,3B,TOR
29   Louisville - Todd Frazier,SS,CIN
30   Dog River - Daniel Moskos,P,PIT

Round 1 (supplemental)    
31   Stark County - Aaron Poreda,LHP,
32   Detroit - Joe Savery,P,PHI
33   Chicago - Casey Weathers,P,COL
34   Kentucky - James Simmons,
35   Horton City - Devin Mesoraco,C,CIN
36   El Monte - Pedro Baez,3B,LAD
37   Houston - Wes Hodges,3B,CLE
38   Gilroy - Jhoulys Chacin,P,COL
39   Pennsylvania - Tony Thomas,2B,CHC
40   Longfellow - J.P. Arencibia,C,TOR
41   Cypress - Matt Dominguez,3B,FLA
42   Utah - Oscar Tejeda,SS,BOS
43   Norridge - Jesus Montero,C,NYY
44   Oceanside - Nick Noonan, 2B/SS, SF
45   Louisville - Danny Worth, SS, DET
46   Dog River - Josh Smoker,P,WAS

Draft: Round 2    
47   Paris Texas - Corey Brown,OF,OAK
48   Sacramento - Pete Kozma,SS,STL
49   Las Vegas - Nick Schmidt,P,SD
50   Stark County - Nick Hagadone,P BOS
51   Detroit - Jordan Zimmerman,P,WAS
52   Kennesaw - Eddie Kunz,P,NYM
53   Chicago - Brandon Hicks,SS,ATL
54   Kentucky - Wes Roemer,P,ARI  
55   Horton City - Engel Beltre,OF,TEX
56   Indianapolis - Ronny Morla,P,OAK
57   El Monte - Kyle Orr,1B,LAD
58   Houston - Neftali Soto,3B,CIN
59   Gilroy - Charlie Culberson,SS,SF
60   Pennsylvania - Austin Romine,C,NYY    
61   Longfellow - Jack McGeary,P,WAS
62   Eastern Illinois - Danny Duffy,P,KC
63   Cypress - Tommy Hunter,P,TEX
64   Whigville - Daniel Bard,P,BOS
65   Keyesport - Kelvin Kulbacki,OF,SD
66   Utah - Jose Martinez,OF,CWS
67   Vero Beach - Brian Rike,OF,COL
68   Latrobe - Clayton Mortensen,SP,STL
69   Leinenkugel - John Ely,P,CHW
70   Norridge - Nicholas Barnese,P,TB
71   Santurce - Cale Iorg,SS,DET
72   Silvio - Justin Jackson,SS,TOR
73   South Beach - James Adkins,P,LAD
74   Oceanside - Josh Reddick,OF,BOS
75   Louisville - John Tolisano,2B,TOR
76   Dog River - Jon Gilmore,3B,ATL

Draft: Round 2 (supplemental)
77   Sacramento - Travis d'Arnaud,C,PHI
78   Stark County - Barry Enright,P,AZ
79   Chicago - Jonathan Lucroy,C,MIL
80   Kentucky - Kyle Lotzkar,P,CIN
81   Houston - Juan Ramirez,P,SEA
82   Pennsylvania - Carmen Angelini,SS,NYY
83   Longfellow - Andrew Lambo,OF,LAD
84   Vero Beach - Jess Todd,P,STL
85   Latrobe - Reynaldo Navarro,SS,AZ
86   Norridge - Jake Smolinski, OF/3B, WAS
87   Santurce - Young Il-Jung,P,LAA
88   Silvio - Brandon Hamilton, SP, Det
89   Oceanside - Travis Mattair,3B,PHI
90   Louisville - Sean Doolittle,1B, OAK
91   Dog River - Jackson Williams,C,SF

Round 3    
92   Paris Texas - Carlos Pimentel,P,TEX
93   Sacramento - Nathan Vineyard,P,NYM
94   Las Vegas - David Kopp,P,STL
95   Stark County - Zack Cozart,SS,CIN
96   Detroit - Brant Rustich,P,NYM
97   Kennesaw - Andrew Walker,C,PIT
98   Chicago - Tim Bascom,P,BAL
99   Kentucky - Brad Suttle, 3B, NYY
100   Horton City - Wilmer Font,P,TEX
101   Indianapolis - Eric Barrett, P, ATL
102   El Monte - Freddie Freeman,1B,ATL
103   Houston - Ed Easly,C,AZ
104   Gilroy - Yamaico Navarro,SS-3B,BOS
105   Pennsylvania - Corey Kluber,P,SD
106   Longfellow - Caleb Gindl,OF,MIL  
107   Eastern Illinois - Duke Welker,P,PIT
108   Cypress - Esmailyn Gonzalez,SS,WAS
109   Whigville - Simon Castro,P,SD
110   Keyesport - Grant Desme,OF,OAK
111   Utah - Scott Moviel,P,NYM
112   Vero Beach - Mike McCardell,P,MIN
113   Latrobe - Brock Huntzinger,P,BOS
114   Leinenkugel - Sam Runion,P KC
115   Norridge - Drew Cumberland,SS,SD
116   Santurce - Collin Delome,OF,HOU
117   Silvio - Danny Carroll, OF, SEA
118   South Beach - Mike Stanton, OF, FLA
119   Oceanside - Stephen King, SS, WAS
120   Louisville - Matt Mangini, 3B, SEA  
121   Dog River - Ryan Dent,2B,BOS

Draft: Round 4    
122   Paris Texas - Yohannis Perez, ss, MIL
123   Sacramento - Cory Luebke,P,SD
124   Las Vegas - Josh Horton, SS, OAK
125   Stark County - Rob Bryson, RHP, MIL
126   Detroit - Nick Hill,P,SEA
127   Kennesaw - Stephen Clyne,P,NYM
128   Chicago - Matt Mitchell,P,KC
129   Kentucky - Julian Sampson, P, PHI
130   Horton City - Anthony Rizzo, 1B, BOS
131   Indianapolis - Travis Jones, 2B, ATL
132   El Monte - Mike Watt,P,LAD
133   Houston - Juan Miranda, 1B, NYY
134   Gilroy - Charlie Furbush,P,DET
135   Pennsylvania - Darin Holcomb,3B,COL
136   Longfellow - RJ Seidel, P, MIL  
137   Eastern Illinois - Brian Friday, SS, PIT
138   Cypress - Tyrell Worthington, OF, AZ
139   Whigville - Ruben Tejada,SS,NYM
140   Keyesport - Brandon Waring, 3B , CIN
141   Utah - Jairo Heredia, P, NYY
142   Vero Beach - Damion Sublett,2B,NYY
143   Latrobe - Matt West, 2B, TEX
144   Leinenkugel - Dallas Buck, P, AZ
145   Norridge - Nevin Griffith, P, CHW
146   Santurce - Kei Igawa,P,NYY
147   Silvio - Mitch Canham C, SD
148   South Beach - Will Kline, P, TB
149   Oceanside - Matt Angle,OF,BAL
150   Louisville - Eric Eiland, OF, TOR
151   Dog River - Danny Payne,OF,SD

Draft: Round 5    
152    Paris Texas - Darwin Barney, SS, Cubs
153   Sacramento - Denny Almonte,OF,SEA
154   Las Vegas - Brad Chalk, OF, SD
155   Stark County - Marc Rzepcynski, LHP, TOR
156   Detroit - Wilber Burcado,P,SF
157   Kennesaw - Matt Spencer,OF,PHI
158   Chicago - Pedro Viola,P,CIN
159   Kentucky - David Robertson, P, NYY
160   Horton City - Cristian Santana, C, TEX
161   Indianapolis PASS
162   El Monte - Danny Rams,C,MIN
163   Houston - Mario Martinez, SS, SEA
164   Gilroy - Jeremy Hefner,P,SD
165   Pennsylvania - Scott Carrol,P,CIN
166   Longfellow - David Lough, OF, KC  
167   Eastern Illinois - Sam Demel,P, OAK
168   Cypress - Luis de la Cruz, C, STL
169   Whigville - Mason Tobin,P,LAA
170   Keyesport PASS
171   Utah Trevor - Reckling,P,LAA
172   Vero Beach - Adrian Alaniz,P,WAS
173   Latrobe - Steve Souza,SS,WAS
174   Leinenkugel - Balbino Fuenmayor, 3B, TOR
175   Norridge - Tyler Kolodny, 3B, BAL
176   Santurce - Francisco Pena, C, NYM
177   Silvio PASS
178   South Beach - Emilio Ontiveros,SS,FLA
179   Oceanside - Kyle Kaminska, P, FLA
180   Louisville - Adrian Ortiz, OF, KC
181   Dog River - Eric Niesen,P,NYM

Round 5 (supplemental)    
182   Stark County - Paulo Espino, P, CLE
183   Horton City - Jeudy Valdex,SS,SD
184   Latrobe - Fernando Cruz,3B,KC

head over to baseballamerica and check out Dirk Hayhurst's non-prospect diary. It's insightful and good for a laugh. He's been doing it for about the last year, but I don't know how much longer he'll keep it up. Here's a link to his latest: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-diary/2008/265480.html

oh, and it's free content

With my sim league's draft a few weeks away I have began a huge undertaking I have never bothered to attempt before: a big board for the entire draft. This is a full 30-team league with complete minor league systems, so the draft is a pretty big deal. It involves only players who made their American affiliated professional debuts the previous season (so it includes guys like LaPorta, L.Anderson and Matsuzaka this year, for example).

The difficulty I am having is sorting out the top of the draft.  I find that as you dig deeper the talent becomes less distinguishable, and, therefore, less relevant to judge correctly.

What I'm wondering is who would be your top 10 picks in such a format.

Here's my list, as it stands now:

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka
   
2. Joba Chamberlain
   
3. Hideki Okajima
   
4. Mike Moustakas
   
5. Matt LaPorta
   
6. Lars Anderson
   
7. Jarrod Parker
   
8. Ross Detwiler
   
9. Max Scherzer
   
10. Jason Heyward