With the 2016 MLB first-year player draft just days away, we breakdown everything you need to know before the pen hits the paper on Thursday and the Pittsburgh Pirates potentially change the future course of the franchise.
Unlike in football or basketball, baseball teams can’t simply draft with the intention of filling their needs. Many prospects take years to develop, even with talent to spare in the right system. If a highly-rated player is rushed, as was the case with Jason Heyward or Stephen Strasburg, the player may never reach his potential, or only when the team is about to lose him to free agency. Instead, teams have to look at what their needs will be four to five years from now, so let’s start by looking at what the Pittsburgh Pirates needs will likely be in 2020.
The Needs:
With Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow, Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, Trevor Williams, and Wilfredo Boscan compiling an elite crop of starting pitchers that will likely still be under team control when the club heads north from Bradenton for Opening Day at the start of the next decade, it would seem irrational to want more starting pitching, but the Pirates would be wise to take at least a pair of solid starting pitching prospects with their first five to seven picks.
Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco form quite the outfield trio, but fans have been coming to grips with McCutchen’s decline and the succession of heir apparent Austin Meadows, possibly as soon as July of next year. The club also has Willy Garcia, Harold Ramirez, and Tito Polo waiting in the wings over the next few years.
In my first draft profiles set, I looked at a pair of five-tool outfield prospects. Since the time that article was written, Alex Kirilloff has apparently slipped from the Pirates’ grasp, but Taylor Trammell and William Benson could very well still be available at the top of the board when the Pirates pick. With a first-round pick, going with the best available talent is the wisest strategy, and with that in mind, no one should be surprised if the Pirates have Trammell patrolling center field at Monongalia County Ballpark for the Black Bears.
With Cole Tucker, Kevin Newman, Kevin Kramer, and Ke’Bryan Hayes preparing to replace Jordy Mercer, Josh Harrison, and Jung-Ho Kang, the Pirates should only consider infield prospects approaching the “can’t miss” level. Otherwise, this is hardly a pressing concern.
The bullpen has been a disaster so far, and the addition of Wilfredo Boscan can only do so much to save it. There are several college relievers that will likely be available to the Pirates in the first few rounds capable of racing through the minor leagues, but the Pirates should turn to the trade and free agency markets or look internally to solve their bullpen issues before trying to find a savior in the draft. To view some of the potential relievers available, check out the second and third draft profiles sets.
Next, we tell you everything you need to know about the Compensation and Bonus Pool Systems
Click here for a guide to draft slot bonus pools and compensation picks
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