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06-09-2005, 10:21 PM
<b><font size=4>Availability, need key for Brewers</font>
Both could be filled when they pick at No. 5</b>
Under the guidance of scouting director Jack Zduriencik, the Milwaukee Brewers customarily have used the "best available player" approach to making first-round selections in the June amateur draft.
If that player also fills a pressing need, all the better.
Those factors appeared to be converging Monday night as the Brewers made final preparations for the draft today. As a result, there's a good chance they will tab University of Miami third baseman Ryan Braun with the fifth pick of the first round.
"He's a guy we like," general manager Doug Melvin said. "There's a couple of guys we're looking at, and there's a difference of opinion on each one.
"Jack will make the final call. He'll run it by me to make sure I'm OK with it, but it's his call in the end."
The Brewers also have interest in Long Beach State shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who was expected to go third in the first round to Seattle. But the Brewers heard Monday that the Mariners had switched off to Southern California catcher Jeff Clement, which makes a lot of sense considering their No. 1 catcher now is 42-year-old Pat Borders, who began the season with the Brewers' Class AAA Nashville club.
Tulowitzki, a solid all-around player, could be tempting to the Brewers, who might consider moving him to third base. But Braun projects to have more power, and though some scouts question his defense at third, the Brewers are thought to have no serious reservations.
"I'm not positive what the first two clubs are going to do," Zduriencik said. "Our focus has been on our own house.
"We've done our homework. We've lined our board up. We're going to have a good choice when our time comes."
Braun is ranked by Baseball America magazine as the third-best collegiate third baseman in the draft, behind Nebraska's Alex Gordon and Virginia's Ryan Zimmerman. But Kansas City is expected to take Gordon with the second pick and Washington, with the fourth pick, has focused exclusively on Zimmerman.
The Brewers, who have no bona fide major-league prospects at third base in their system, have Gordon, Zimmerman and Braun all ranked high on their board in terms of overall talent. Thus, they could pick any of the three under the "best available player" approach and still fill a pressing need.
"It is a year when the talent at the top is at a position where we have a need," Melvin said. "That makes it even better."
Owner Mark Attanasio, who sat in on the team's draft meetings Monday, said he was impressed with the preparation of Zduriencik and his staff. As for a possible choice between Tulowitzki and Braun, Attanasio said: "I think any team would like to have either of those guys. There are differences between the two and I'm sure we'll make the right choice."
The Arizona Diamondbacks, who have focused on college players in past drafts, are thought to be prepared to select high school shortstop-third baseman Justin Upton of Chesapeake, Va., with the first pick. He is the brother of B.J. Upton, the second pick overall in 2002 by Tampa Bay.
The Brewers also heavily scouted outfielder Cameron Maybin of Asheville, N.C., generally considered the second-best high school player after Upton. Maybin is considered a five-tool player with tremendous potential and is very tempting to Zduriencik, who has selected prep players in four of the five drafts he has supervised for Milwaukee.
The one college player the Brewers did pick first under Zduriencik, second baseman Rickie Weeks in 2003, was a no-brainer who is considered the top prospect in their farm system.
The Brewers have had mixed luck with the four prep players selected first under Zduriencik. Outfielder Dave Krynzel (2000) recently was called up to the majors to serve in a reserve role; right-hander Mike Jones (2001) is out for the year after two shoulder surgeries; first baseman Prince Fielder (2003) has been on a power binge at Class AAA Nashville; and right-hander Mark Rogers (2004) has been hampered by blister problems at Class A West Virginia.
It is also a good year for college pitching, which the Brewers have given some consideration. The top pitchers in the draft - Wichita State's Mike Pelfrey, Tennessee's Luke Hochevar and St. John's Craig Hansen - are represented by hard-line agent Scott Boras, however, which probably will prompt the Brewers to shy away.
Both could be filled when they pick at No. 5</b>
Under the guidance of scouting director Jack Zduriencik, the Milwaukee Brewers customarily have used the "best available player" approach to making first-round selections in the June amateur draft.
If that player also fills a pressing need, all the better.
Those factors appeared to be converging Monday night as the Brewers made final preparations for the draft today. As a result, there's a good chance they will tab University of Miami third baseman Ryan Braun with the fifth pick of the first round.
"He's a guy we like," general manager Doug Melvin said. "There's a couple of guys we're looking at, and there's a difference of opinion on each one.
"Jack will make the final call. He'll run it by me to make sure I'm OK with it, but it's his call in the end."
The Brewers also have interest in Long Beach State shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who was expected to go third in the first round to Seattle. But the Brewers heard Monday that the Mariners had switched off to Southern California catcher Jeff Clement, which makes a lot of sense considering their No. 1 catcher now is 42-year-old Pat Borders, who began the season with the Brewers' Class AAA Nashville club.
Tulowitzki, a solid all-around player, could be tempting to the Brewers, who might consider moving him to third base. But Braun projects to have more power, and though some scouts question his defense at third, the Brewers are thought to have no serious reservations.
"I'm not positive what the first two clubs are going to do," Zduriencik said. "Our focus has been on our own house.
"We've done our homework. We've lined our board up. We're going to have a good choice when our time comes."
Braun is ranked by Baseball America magazine as the third-best collegiate third baseman in the draft, behind Nebraska's Alex Gordon and Virginia's Ryan Zimmerman. But Kansas City is expected to take Gordon with the second pick and Washington, with the fourth pick, has focused exclusively on Zimmerman.
The Brewers, who have no bona fide major-league prospects at third base in their system, have Gordon, Zimmerman and Braun all ranked high on their board in terms of overall talent. Thus, they could pick any of the three under the "best available player" approach and still fill a pressing need.
"It is a year when the talent at the top is at a position where we have a need," Melvin said. "That makes it even better."
Owner Mark Attanasio, who sat in on the team's draft meetings Monday, said he was impressed with the preparation of Zduriencik and his staff. As for a possible choice between Tulowitzki and Braun, Attanasio said: "I think any team would like to have either of those guys. There are differences between the two and I'm sure we'll make the right choice."
The Arizona Diamondbacks, who have focused on college players in past drafts, are thought to be prepared to select high school shortstop-third baseman Justin Upton of Chesapeake, Va., with the first pick. He is the brother of B.J. Upton, the second pick overall in 2002 by Tampa Bay.
The Brewers also heavily scouted outfielder Cameron Maybin of Asheville, N.C., generally considered the second-best high school player after Upton. Maybin is considered a five-tool player with tremendous potential and is very tempting to Zduriencik, who has selected prep players in four of the five drafts he has supervised for Milwaukee.
The one college player the Brewers did pick first under Zduriencik, second baseman Rickie Weeks in 2003, was a no-brainer who is considered the top prospect in their farm system.
The Brewers have had mixed luck with the four prep players selected first under Zduriencik. Outfielder Dave Krynzel (2000) recently was called up to the majors to serve in a reserve role; right-hander Mike Jones (2001) is out for the year after two shoulder surgeries; first baseman Prince Fielder (2003) has been on a power binge at Class AAA Nashville; and right-hander Mark Rogers (2004) has been hampered by blister problems at Class A West Virginia.
It is also a good year for college pitching, which the Brewers have given some consideration. The top pitchers in the draft - Wichita State's Mike Pelfrey, Tennessee's Luke Hochevar and St. John's Craig Hansen - are represented by hard-line agent Scott Boras, however, which probably will prompt the Brewers to shy away.