Rockies Draft Report-1992

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The Colorado Rockies added another draft class to their organization over the last few days, and while coming in the focus seemed to be on bats,

the Rockies one again ended up adding less bats and more arms to their organization. The Rockies have been the victim of two less then stellar

draft classes when it comes to quality, but with no major league team yet to manage, the focus continues to be on scouting. Here's a look at the

newest additions:

1)Mike Cameron- Rockies GM Matt Andersen was once again wheeling and dealing on draft day, and the action got underway immediately. When the

8th pick came around, 2B Edgardo Alfonzo was on the board and the Rockies were dealing with a decision. Alfonso certainly profiled as a bat that

would thrive at Mile High while providing solid middle infield defense. However it was also fairly well known that the Mets highly coveted Alfonso.

By moving down 4 spots the Rockies were able to add the 39th and 67th selection to their cadre of picks, so the deal made sense. The Rockies front

office also felt there was a chance that with one of their second round picks that a 2B that they liked similarly to Alfonso, Tony Batista could be there.
Now, the only concern was would the Rockies actual first round target be available four picks later? That pick? CF Mike Cameron. The Rockies have

long coveted Cameron for his defensive prowess which should play well in the spacious outfield at Mile High Stadium.
Rockies scouts have followed Cameron for the last few years, stumbling on him when scouting his high school teammate Jimmy Haynes, who was
part of the Rockies initial draft class. At 19 years old, Cameron still has a lot of developing to do. Right now he profiles as a doubles hitter with plus
speed that will provide great defense. Batting average could be a risk unless he reigns in the strikeouts, but he'll have plenty of time to work on those
issues. Grade B- for a couple of reasons. Without development Cameron may end up being a defensive specialist more than an integral part of the
lineup and the fact that Batista did not last to the Rockies next pick.

2)Scott Karl-With their second selection the Rockies selected left handed starting pitcher out of the University of Hawaii. Karl struck out 146 in 133 1/3

innings pitched last year while winning 14 games for the Rainbow Warriors on his way to winning the WAC pitcher of the year award. A ground ball

pitcher who features four pitches, projects to be a middle of the rotation arm, and while not quite on the level of Brad Radke, he certainly has the maturity

to move quickly. Should keep the ball in the park and avoid walks, if Batista wasn't going to be available, this was a solid selection. Grade B

3)Trever Miller-With the first pick acquired from the Mets the Rockies selected high school flame throwing lefty Trever Miller out of Louisville, Kentucky.
I love this pick. Despite all of the pitchers the Rox took last year, Rick Krivda was the only lefty, so it was good to see them grab what profiles as a

dominant lefty that should be a mainstay out of the pen. Miller throws hard, is an extreme ground ball pticher with filthy stuff. If he can reign in the

control a bit he should be a dominant force in the pen. The only thing negative about this pick was that the Rockies really liked a young pitcher they

thought graded out as a potential rotation arm in Ramiro Mendoza, and he got selected one pick ahead of the Rockies by the Dodgers. Grade A-

4)Aaron Guiel-Guiel is a high school prospect out of Vancouver, CA that has solid pop and can provide good defense at all 3 OF positions. The Rockies
feel like with a little development he has the possibility of being a 4th OF at the very least that can provide good pop and late inning defensive help,

and with some luck, could develop in a starting OF that can fill a spot in the lower middle part of the lineup. Grade B

5)Julian Tavarez- With the second draft pick acquired in the Mets deal the Rockies took another high school arm out of the Dominican in Julian Tavarez.
There's some question if Tavarez profiles as a reliever or a starter, but the Rockies intend to start him in the rotation and see if they can stretch out his

arm a bit. Ground ball pitcher again, needs quite a bit of development, but at only 18 years old, has plenty of time. Grade C

6)Daniel Garibay-In the 4th round the Rox selected a 19 year old lefty out of Mexico in Daniel Garibay. Probably profiles as a swing type pitcher that

can make a start in a pinch, doesn't throw especially hard, keeps the ball on the ground. Again, has time to develop, could end up being more,

50/50 chance he sees a big league roster some day. The Rockies were hoping P Manny Aybar would be available here, but were happy to nab another
lefty. Grade C

7)Chris Brock-In the 5th round the Rox selected Chris Brock, a senior out of Florida St. The Rockies intend to make Brock a pitcher, although he mostly
played OF in college, he hit .321 with 20 doubles last year so he can handle the stick, but the Noles did use him occassionally in brief pitching roles.
Brock had a big arm in the OF and throws hard. Very much a dart throw. The Rockies plan on giving him a rotation spot in A ball to see what they've got.
Grade D

8)Jamie Brewington. In the 6th the Rox selected another college arm in Jamie Brewington, out of VCU. Brewington profiles as a ground ball pitcher, like
Garibay, probably more of a swing arm than a starting pitcher. Needs development. Grade C

9-Brian Barber. Does the knuckleball work at altitude? We may find out if Barber can find his way on to a major league roster. High school arm, keeps the
ball on the ground, kind of a dart throw. Will get a chance at some point in the A rotation to see what he's got. Grade C-

10-Brian Maxcey-College junior out of Ole Miss, only real positive here is like all of these arms the Rox seem to pick, he's a ground ball pitcher. Kind of a

noodle arm, not much to project here. Last pick of the Rockies draft, just looking for needles in haystacks at this point. Grade D

Overall Grade B-

Much like last year the Rockies again were handcuffed by the lack of talent and depth in this draft class. Both of these last two classes have had small amounts

of impact player depth at the top, which doesn't help expansion franchises like the Marlins and Rockies when they are picking 7/8. The only sure thing in this

class looks to be Miller, but it would be shocking if Cameron isn't roaming CF for the Rockies in a few years. Karl certainly looks the part of a rotation piece,

but after two classes the Rockies have no pitchers that look like an ace, and no real impact bats. A tough place to start for an expansion franchise. The next

draft for the Rockies will be the expansion draft where they'll build their initial team, followed by one more amateur draft before things start for real. The

excitement is building, but it's going to be a long road for Colorado fans, that much is certain.

[CSCommish]

14!