Your New York Sports Blog

• The Knicks will be working out the following players today:

Antoine Agudio (senior G, 6-3, 190, Hofstra)
Gary Ervin (senior G, 6-0, 182, Arkansas)
Dante Milligan (senior F, 6-9, 215, Massachusetts)
DeAndre Jordan (freshman C, 7-0, 260, Texas A&M)
Mike Taylor (junior G, 6-2, 165, Iowa State/NBA D-League)
Vladimir Golubovic (C, 7-0, 225, Serbia)

- Jordan should be available at #6 overall but has been projected more in the early teens which further strengthens the rumor of Donnie Walsh's desire to trade down. Other than Jordan, I haven't heard much about any of these players indicating they could be looked at as undrafted free agents.

• Draftexpress.com is also reporting the Knicks desire to move the 6th overall pick but states that they may move up or down in the draft.
  
• Marc Berman of the New York Post says that the Knicks are looking to come out of this draft with the point guard of the future. Whether it be through trade or the draft remains to be seen.
  
• Will the Nets select Robin Lopez of Stanford, Brooke Lopez's twin brother at #10 overall? Robin, who is projected to be drafted after his brother in the late teens, worked out for the Nets recently and following the workout canceled all other workouts. This may indicate the Nets have zeroed in on the big man from Stanford.

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All of this according to John Heyman of SI.com:

The Mets have agreed to terms with first-round draft choice Reese Havens, a shortstop from the University of South Carolina, SI.com has learned. The Mets will pay Havens, the 22nd overall pick in last week's amateur draft, a signing bonus of about $1.4 million.

Goes on t say they are close to signing Brad Holt their third pick and haven't began negotiations with Ike Davis their first pick in the draft. If I believe correctly that is right around the same amount Havens wanted all the way back in 2005 when coming out of high school.

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At #18 the Mets took a player many people thought they wanted to take in the draft and that is of course ASU 1st/OF Ike Davis. Davis is hitting .394 with 16 homers and 73 RBI in 49 games. With the 22nd pick the Mets took shortstop Reese Havens out of South Carolina. Havens is hitting 315 in the wood-bat Cape Cod League. Havens hit .359 with 18 homers and 57 RBI in 63 games this season for the Gamecocks.

Davis should moved through the system very quickly and start in Citi Field sooner rather than later unless the Mets decide they need to sign Mark Teixeira this off-season. He is very athletic and has good blood lines so hopefully he can fill out his potential as a slugging player in the middle of the lineup. Reese Havens reminds me of a bigger version of Dustin Pedroia. That is not a bad thing. He knows how to play ball and could possibly move to catcher where he would instantly become the best catcher in the system. If anyone can make the switch to catcher it is him.

Little disappointed they passed on Cole twice, Melville, Meyer, Galloway, Odorizzi, and Collier but only time will tell on this draft.

Picks to watch:
Eric Beaulac, rhp
Kyle Allen, rhp (hs)
Javier Rodriguez, of (hs)
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The Yankees first round draft pick made the whole draft worth while. They got one of the top talents in the entire draft and the best prep pitcher available. The took the Californiaphenom Gerrit Cole out of Orange Lutheran High School. Some people say he is the best California prep pitcher since Phil Hughes in 2008. If he watch his delivery on the left an his stuff he seems like a replica of Max Scherzer of the Diamondbacks. This kid throws a legit 93-96 mph fastball with movement and can hit 98 if he gets everything behind it. He uses a curve and change that will be plus pitches and make him one of the top prospects in a few years.

Jeremy Bleich might have been a stretch in the 2nd round, but the Yankees do have a need for a lefty in the system and for the 2nd straight year the Yankees took Scott Bittle (3rd round) a guy who just knows how to get outs.

Picks to watch:
Brett Marshall, rhp
Kyle Higashioka, c
David Adams, 2nd
Pat Venditte, lhp/rhp

Thats right Venditte is a reliever who can throw with both his right and left hand earning himself the nickname "The One Man Bullpen". A video of him can be seen here.

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1. Tampa Bay Rays- Buster Posey, c (last time Tim Beckham)
I've switched my mind on this pick even though I like Tim Beckham better as a prospect. If the Rays weren't having such a good season I would have gone with Beckham, but Posey can reach the majors quicker and help this amazing team.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates- Pedro Alvarez, 3rd (Pedro Alvarez)
PIRATES MUST MAKE THIS PICK. PIRATES MUST MAKE THIS PICK. PIRATES MUST MAKE THIS PICK. PIRATES MUST MAKE THIS PICK.


3. Kansas City Royals- Tim Beckham, ss (hs) (Buster Posey)
I still think he is the top high school player in the draft and has one of the highest ceilings of anyone college or high school. The Royals drafted a SS 1st last season, but he should soon see a move to 3rd base opening up short for Beckham.

4. Baltimore Orioles- Brian Matusz, lhp (Brian Matusz)
I would assume they do not want to spend a ridiculous amount again this year and it is not like they would be getting ripped of by taking this years best pitcher.

5. San Francisco Giants- Gordon Beckham, ss (Gordon Beckham)
Same reasoning as last time you have Angel Villanoca in the wings with no shortstop and Gordon Beckham is one of the better players in the draft who can reach the majors quickly.

6. Flordia Marlins- Yonder Alonso, 1st (Kyle Skipworth)

7. Cincinnati Reds- Aaron Crow, rhp (Aaron Crow)

8. Chicago White Sox- Justin Smoak, 1st (Justin Smoak)

9. Washington Nationals- Kyle Skipworth, c (hs) (Aaron Hicks)

10. Houston Astros- Shooter Hunt, rhp (Tim Melville)

11. Texas Ragers- Eric Hosmer, 1st (Shooter Hunt)

12. Oakland Athletics- Brett Wallace, 3rd (Brett Wallace)

13. St. Louis Cardinals- Christian Friedrich, lhp (Christian Friedrich)

14. Minnesota Twins- Zach Collier, of (hs) (Zach Collier)

15. Los Angeles Dodgers- Aaron Hicks, rhp/of (hs) (Gerrit Cole)

16. Milwaukee Brewers- Joshua Fields, rhp (Joshua Fields)

17. Toronto Blue Jays- Brett Lawrie, c/2nd (hs) (Connor Gillaspie)

18. New York Mets- Gerrit Cole, rhp (hs) (Eric Hosmer)
I say they go for the home run swing and take a chance on this kid. I could also she them trying to go for Tanner Scheppers if they are okay with his injury.

19. Chicago Cubs- Casey Kelly, rhp/ss (hs) (Jemile Weeks)

20. Seattle Mariners- Tim Melville, rhp (hs) (Andrew Cashner)

21. Detroit Tigers- Andrew Cashner, rhp (Alex Meyer)

22. New York Mets- Jason Castro, c (Ethan Martin)
They could get such better value here by taking Ethan Martin, Tanner Scheppers, Anthony Hewitt, and many others or trying to wait till their 3rd pick and take Nieto, but it seems the Mets are determined to take Castro here or at 18.

23. San Diego Padres- Lance Lynn, rhp (Lance Lynn)

24. Philadelphia Phillies- Brett DeVall, lhp (hs) (Brett DeVall)

25. Colorado Rockies- Anthony Hewitt, ss (hs) (Brent Hunter)

26. Arizona Diamondbacks- Jake Odorizzi, rhp (hs) (Kyle Lobestein)

27. Minnesota Twins- Jemile Weeks, 2nd (Dennis Raben)

28. New York Yankees- David Cooper, 1st (Tanner Scheppers)
The kid is built like a Yankee big, strong, has good power, an advanced approach at the plate, and works the count. Should be able to fill in soon for Giambi, unless Big Tex signs in which case he becomes a great trading chip.

29. Cleveland Indians- Dennis Raben, of (Tyson Ross)

30. Boston Red Sox- Reese Havens, ss (Reese Havens)

Were Listed in the DCPSR NBA Mock Draft

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So I have been looking around on Mock drafts for every sports (except football because the draft is already over) and some of the drafts are nice and make sense and some are just complete crap and look like the guy pulled names out of a hat. In terms of recent professional mock drafts here is Keith Law of ESPN:

18. New York Mets -- Jason Castro, C, Stanford
Interesting rumor of the week had a few top Mets people in to see Georgia at Vanderbilt before the SEC tournament, then spending the whole day up the third-base line, where you would stand to scout left-handed hitters … like Alvarez. The Mets covet Castro but probably could play the board here and try to grab him at No. 22 instead.

22. New York Mets -- Brett Lawrie, C/2B, Brookswood SS (Canada)
The Mets are looking for position-player depth, and Lawrie would be one of the better bats in their system, although his lack of a position is a long-term concern. He's not a catcher, so taking him behind Castro wouldn't be an issue -- Lawrie could at least return to second base to see whether he could handle that position with pro instruction.

28. New York Yankees -- Gerrit Cole, RHP, Lutheran H.S. (Orange, Calif.)
Cole is a top-half-of-the-round talent, but his bonus demands are expected to be large, and whispers about his makeup started when he signed with Boras. The Yankees aren't afraid of any of those things.

...#18 still seems way too early to pick Jason Castro for me. I am not sold on him and maybe at #22 I could handle it, but not #18. What is Keith Law smoking that he has the Mets taking Brett Lawrie(?) over young prep pitchers like Tim Melville and Gerrit Cole? and even young rising star Anthony Hewitt. As for the Yankees taking the best talent available is usually their philosophy, but it seems they want to take a LHP or a 1st baseman, none of those are filled with Gerrit Cole.
Here are consensus picks from over the internet on New York picks.
MLB:

Mets: Jason Castro,c, Standford and Joshua Fields, rhp, Georgia
Neither are flashy picks, but both are solid college players, Castro being a catcher and Fields a reliever. I don't really see them taking Fields after taking a lot of relievers the last couple of years, but you never know with 'good citizens'

Yankees: David Cooper, 1st, California
Cooper would fit in with every player on the New York Yankees right now. He is a slugging player, with a good eye at the plate, and great plate discipline.

NBA:
Knicks: Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy
Despite reports that D'Antoni was not in love with him almost everyone seems to think the Knicks will still take him. The best(realistic) options for the Knicks would be (a)O.J. Mayo drops down to them at 6 (b) They trade Jamal Crawford for T.J. Ford and draft Eric Gordon to place SG.

NHL:
Islanders: Zach Bogosian, D, OHL
Competes, physical, strong, great skater, plays well on special teams, total package. Likes going end to end. Brings new meaning to the word 'poise'. Reverses direction well. Very athletic. Great positioning, understands angles. Led entire Petes team in scoring which is unheard of for a 17 year old Dman. One of the youngest in the draft class, future franchise D. Undisputed #2 in my opinion.
Style: Chris Chelios A- (sandbox)

Rangers: Mattias Tedenby, LW, SEL
Kid can flat out fly, but his game may be more suitable for international play. The "new rules" in the NHL give Tedenby a fighting chance. Good stick handeler, loves to deke. Owns enough offensive upside to be a top 20 pick. Needs to work on his awareness in non-transition situations. Lacks defensive play to be anything but at top 6 player. Will be a hit or miss. If I had to guess, I'd guess miss but his skillset still lands him at 15 because of potential.
Style: Yvan Cournoyer C -(sandbox)

Update: 2:22 Looking at this Lawrie kid he is not all that bad and seems to have some pop, but I don't see him able to shift and play 2nd as Keith Law suggests. It could be too much for him to handle.

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Well we had the 5th best chance to get the #1 pick, but with our luck we actually dropped one spot to the 6th overall pick. We can now only get Derrick Rose by trading up at least 4 spots.

The Chicago Bulls who had the 9th best chance of acquiring the 1st overall pick managed to do so.

I would like to send out my prayers and wishes to the young Timberwolves fan who's teddy bear was their good luck charm and has had over 100 surgeries.

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I am going to guaranteethat the majority of these picks will be incorrect, but so will 80% of every one's picks.

1. Tampa Bay Rays- Tim Beckham, ss (hs)
...It's between Beckham and Posey in my eyes and the Rays are an organization who likes the high schoolers and Beckham is the best one in the draft and seeing as B.J. Upton has paid off they could be even more prompted to pick him.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates- Pedro Alvarez, 3rd
...Top player in the draft Pittsburgh NEEDS to make this pick no two ways about it. If they do not their fans will go ballistic after they passed on Matt Weiters last year.


3. Kansas City Royals- Buster Posey, c
...Royals need a catcher pretty bad and Posey is a great guy to have in the organization. He is new to the position, but has played well behind the plate and has still hit.


4. Baltimore Orioles- Brian Matusz, lhp
...Top pitcher in the draft, will help with the rebuilding process and a fair price.>




5. San Francisco Giants- Gordon Beckham, ss
...Smoke or Alonso might be better value, but the Giants wont want to create a logjam with Angel Villanova at 1st and the Giants will need a shortstop with Omar Vizquel almost done.

6. Florida Marlins- Kyle Skipworth, c (hs)
...The only other catcher worthy of a 1st round selection fills the need in the Marlins organization.

7. Cincinnati Reds- Aaron Crow, rhp
... If Florida changes its philosophy and takes Crow the Reds will take Skipworth otherwise they take the best pitcher available.

8. Chicago White Sox- Justin Smoak, 1st
...Powerful 1st baseman who should help a really weak system and should be able to make an impact quickly.

9. Washington Nationals-Aaron Hicks, of (hs)
...Has a nice fastball, but with there being relatively no toolsy outfielders in this draft that is where his value is and the Nationals are a team who likes players like him.

10. Houston Astros- Tim Melville, rhp (hs)
...Top high school arm is just what the 'Stros need, other than a Beckham, but I don't see them falling.

11. Texas Rangrs- Shooter Hunt, rhp
...This is a possible destination for Hosmer, but the Rangers appear more focused on getting pitching and it helps Hunt is close to the majors.

12. Oakland A's- Brett Wallace, 1st/3rd
...Don't really know what they will do, but it is most likely going to be a college player and Wallace is one of the best available.

13. St. Louis Cardinals- Christian Friedrich, lhp
...Cardinals have OF depth and are lacking with the starting pitching and although Friedrich has some questions he could serve well in this system.

14. Minnesota Twins- Zach Collier, of (hs)
...Kinda like the A's I have no idea what they will be do, but Collier shouldn't be too expensive and the Twins are crazy so who knows.

15. Los Angeles Dodgers- Gerrit Cole, rhp (hs)
...Even though Cole may have the best STUFF of any pitcher in the draft his mechanics and Scott Boras may make the Dodgers shy away and take another high school pitcher like Alex Meyer or Ethan Martin.

16. Milwaukee Brewers- Josh Fields, rhp

17. Toronto Blue Jays- Conor Gillaspie, 3rd

18. New York Mets- Eric Hosmer, 1st(hs)
...Call be biased, but I have a gut feeling if he is there the Mets will take him despite other reports. There are only 3 other places I can see him going before here and that is Kansas City, Texas, and Chicago. This kid is a stud drawing comps to Kotchman, Adrian Gonzalez, and sometimes Teixeira this is a Scott Boras client with top 5 talent who is going to fall because if sign ability issues, but if he does New York should rejoice.

19. Chicago Cubs- Jemile Weeks, 2nd

2o. Seattle Mariners- Andrew Cashner, rhp

21. Detroit Tigers- Alex Meyer, rhp (hs)

22. New York Mets- Ethan Martin, rhp (hs)
...Meyer and Martin could switch positions if the Tigers feel like it, but right now we will go with this. Martin is a two-way player at 3rd and pitcher. Unlike Hicks his value is at his pitching, although his hitting is worthy of a 1st round selection. He has a big time fastball around 95 with projection to add more. He also features a curve and splitter <--- great pitch to have.

23. San Diego Padres- Lance Lynn, rhp

24. Philadelphia Phillies- Brett DeVall, lhp (hs)

25. Colorado Rockies, Brett Hunter, rhp

26. Arizona Diamondbacks- Kyle Lobstein, lhp (hs)

27. Minnesota Twins- Dennis Raben, of

28. New York Yankees-Tanner Scheppers, rhp
...Pretty Much the same pick as last year. Top 10 pick talent wise, but gets hurt and falls to the later portion of the 1st round. The Yankees have the ability to to pick knowing he is hurt because of their stacked minor leagues. He features a good sinker/slider combination.

29. Cleveland Indians- Tyson Ross, rhp

30. Boston Red Sox- Reese Havens, ss

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