I’d be seriously jazzed about having these guys in my park next year.

Doesn’t seem possible that this could happen to a Bucco minor league club, but I do vaguely remember a few years back the farm system played very well. Don’t know what happened as they grew up. I do believe that a few more qaulity pitchers are needed for the 2012 run at the big level.

Begs the question, who do the Pirates draft.. pitching or hitter and if hitter, do they take the best available one regardless of agent or cost or do they take another Sanchez?

I think this past year’s draft was thin except for the top tier guys like Strasburg and Crow. so the PBC brass looked at it as getting someone like a Sanchez and then spreading the wealth around and paying above slot to get some of the lower level kids that might have gone to college to skip college and go play minor league ball. By signing those possibly higher upside kids we help turn the minor league system around quicker.

will this need to be done every year? i don’t know. I think it will depend on how the 2008/2009 and possibly 2010 drafts turn out as they start to get promoted. I think it’s much better to sign approx. 50% of your draft rather than 10% thus hoping to get lucky on several players than just one or 2 which is what small market clubs like Pittsburgh/Cleveland/Milwaukee need.

Thanks Vlad, that explains our current team and the new management’s successful philosopy thus far with the lower level minors.

Thanks lfhlaw for your input. So what if the Nats don’t take Harper, do you think the Bucs take him and is he overhyped???? And do we need another catcher as a #1 pick who has Boras as his agent?
(Baseball’s Lebron. His name is Bryce Harper, hits the ball a desert mile, clocks 96 on the gun, and he’s only 16 -TOM VERDUCCI )
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156215/2/index.htm