Re-Drafting Urías, Puig and 2012 MLB Draft Including International Prospects
What if Major League Baseball were like the National Basketball Association and international players were part of the annual draft process rather than the current free-for-all system where players go to the highest bidder within the confines of a club's predetermined bonus pool?
That's the hypothetical scenario we set out to explore with this new redraft series.
This time around the focus is 2012, which had an international class headlined by Los Angeles Dodgers starter Julio Urías, and Cuban defectors Yoenis Céspedes and Yasiel Puig who both had short but impactful stays in the big leagues.
They join a draft pool originally headlined by Carlos Correa (HOU), Byron Buxton (MIN), Mike Zunino (SEA), Kevin Gausman (BAL) and Kyle Zimmer (KC) as the top five picks.
1. Houston Astros: SS Carlos Correa
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Actual Pick: SS Carlos Correa
Correa's Actual Draft Position: No. 1 overall (Houston Astros)
The Houston Astros signed Carlos Correa to a $4.8 million bonus as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, which was significantly less than consensus top overall draft prospect Byron Buxton received when he inked a $6 million bonus as the No. 2 pick.
That savings helped the Astros sign Lance McCullers Jr. to an above-slot deal at No. 41 overall, and it's a strategy that helped shape their rise from rebuilding afterthoughts to World Series winners.
Correa racked up 34.1 WAR in seven seasons in Houston, and he had an .849 OPS with 18 home runs and 59 RBI in 79 playoff games with the team. It's extremely difficult to see them choosing to go in a different direction with this pick.
2. Minnesota Twins: LHP Julio Urías
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Actual Pick: CF Byron Buxton
Urías' Actual Draft Position: International signing (LAD, over $1 million bonus)
The Minnesota Twins have had a tough time developing their own in-house pitching talent over the past decade, and Urías would give them a golden opportunity to buck that trend and have a homegrown ace.
Signed out of Mexico, he made his MLB debut as a 19-year-old in 2016, going 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 77 innings at an age when most pitching prospects are still in rookie ball.
The Dodgers monitored his innings closely over his first few seasons, using him as a swingman of sorts, but they finally cut him loose in 2021 and he finished 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 185.2 innings. He was even better last year, with an NL-best 2.16 ERA in 175 innings to finish third in NL Cy Young voting.
Free agency awaits for the first time this winter.
3. Seattle Mariners: SS Corey Seager
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Actual Pick: C Mike Zunino
Seager's Actual Draft Position: No. 18 overall (Los Angeles Dodgers)
The Seattle Mariners original selection of Mike Zunino looked like a slam dunk, as he was one of the most hyped catching prospects in recent memory after hitting .322/.394/.669 with 28 doubles, 19 home runs and 67 RBI that spring at the University of Florida.
Alas, he did not develop into the franchise cornerstone he was expected to be, but Corey Seager would have provided that level of impact.
With all due respect to J.P. Crawford who is a solid defender and average offensive player, the M's have not had a difference-maker at the shortstop position since a young Alex Rodriguez lined up there. With a 129 OPS+ and 26.4 WAR in nine seasons, Seager is one of the best of his generation.
It also would have given him an opportunity to share the left side of the Seattle infield with his brother Kyle Seager.
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4. Baltimore Orioles: LHP Max Fried
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Actual Pick: RHP Kevin Gausman
Fried's Actual Draft Position: No. 7 overall (San Diego Padres)
Max Fried was not even the most hyped pitcher on his own high school team heading into his senior season, as he shared the spotlight at Harvard-Westlake High School with Lucas Giolito and junior Jack Flaherty.
In the end, an injury to Giolito and a strong spring vaulted the left-hander to the top spot among high school pitchers, and he was the first prep arm off the board at No. 7 overall.
There are some quality college arms available in this spot with arguably a better career resume, but Fried is still only 29 years old and his rise to ace status lines up better with Baltimore's current window of contention.
5. Kansas City Royals: 1B Matt Olson
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Actual Pick: RHP Kyle Zimmer
Olson's Actual Draft Position: No. 47 overall (Oakland Athletics)
Longtime first baseman Eric Hosmer played his final game for the Kansas City Royals at the conclusion of the 2017 season.
After launching 24 home runs in 59 games as a rookie that same year while splitting his time between first base and right field, Matt Olson took over as the Oakland Athletics everyday first baseman in 2018.
How much easier would that transition have been if the Royals could have simply turned the page from one All-Star and Gold Glove winner to the next?
6. Chicago Cubs: LHP Josh Hader
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Actual Pick: OF Albert Almora Jr.
Hader's Actual Draft Position: No. 582 overall (Baltimore Orioles)
Josh Hader did not make his MLB debut until 2017, so drafting him would not alter the course of Chicago Cubs history by having him as a stand-in for trade pick-up Aroldis Chapman during the 2016 World Series run.
However, he would have helped solidify the ninth-inning role the following year when Chapman ran back to the New York Yankees in free agency, leaving the Cubs to settle for trading slugger Jorge Soler to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Wade Davis.
In the years since breaking into the majors, Hader has established himself as one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball history. In 313 career appearances, he has nailed down 146 of 169 save chances while pitching to a 2.62 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with an eye-popping 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
7. San Diego Padres: RHP Kevin Gausman
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Actual Pick: LHP Max Fried
Gausman's Actual Draft Position: No. 4 overall (Baltimore Orioles)
Kevin Gausman has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the shortened 2020 season when he took his game to another level with the San Francisco Giants, but it took some time for him to emerge as the frontline starter he was expected to be after going No. 4 overall.
In 925.2 innings prior to that breakout performance, he had a 4.30 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, and he spent a good chunk of the 2019 season pitching out of the bullpen after losing his spot in the rotation.
His status as a late-bloomer knocks him down a few spots relative to where he might otherwise slot in this redraft, but he would completely transform the San Diego Padres rotation.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates: RHP Marcus Stroman
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Actual Pick: RHP Mark Appel (did not sign)
Stroman's Actual Draft Position: No. 22 overall (Toronto Blue Jays)
With an undersized 5'7" frame and success in the closer's role for the Collegiate National Team prior to his junior season at Duke, many expected Marcus Stroman to land in a big league bullpen.
Instead, he has made at least 30 starts four different times and topped 200 innings twice over a successful nine-year career, and the last time he pitched out of the bullpen was six appearances as a rookie in 2014.
The 32-year-old has a 2.42 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 85.2 innings so far this season, and with an opt-out in his contract, he is headed for a significant pay day this winter.
9. Miami Marlins: CF Byron Buxton
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Actual Pick: LHP Andrew Heaney
Buxton's Actual Draft Position: No. 2 overall (Minnesota Twins)
A healthy Byron Buxton is arguably a top 10 player in baseball, but he has rarely been at full strength over the course of his professional career.
Despite playing more than 100 games in a season just once since making his MLB debut in 2015, he has still piled up 21.1 WAR in the big leagues, including back-to-back 4-WAR seasons in 2021 and 2022 when he played just 153 total games.
The Marlins have been searching for consistency in center field since speedy Juan Pierre was patrolling the position and wreaking havoc on the bases in the mid-2000s, making Buxton worth a roll of the dice at No. 9 overall.
10. Colorado Rockies: SS Willy Adames
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Actual Pick: OF David Dahl
Adames' Actual Draft Position: International signing (DET, $420,000 bonus)
The Colorado Rockies have developed a pair of homegrown All-Star shortstops in Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story, and the opportunity to add Willy Adames to that list with the No. 10 overall pick is enough for them to ignore the long-standing need for pitching help.
It's easy to forget that Adames began his pro career in the Detroit Tigers organization, spending two years there before he was included alongside Drew Smyly in the blockbuster deal to acquire David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2014 trade deadline.
After some ups and downs with the Rays, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers early in the 2021 season, and since the start of that year he ranks among the leaders at the shortstop position in home runs (66, second) and WAR (9.4, ninth).
11. Oakland Athletics: IF Max Muncy
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Actual Pick: SS Addison Russell
Muncy's Actual Draft Position: No. 169 overall (Oakland Athletics)
Max Muncy began his career with the Oakland Athletics as a fifth-round pick out of Baylor University, but after hitting just .195/.290/.321 in 245 plate appearances in the majors in 2015 and 2016, he was released on March 31, 2017.
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal a month later and he spent 2017 playing at the Triple-A level before returning to the big leagues the following year a changed player with a 161 OPS+ and 35 home runs in 137 games to finish 15th in NL MVP voting.
In the years since, he has been a staple in the middle of some terrific Dodgers lineups, and with Matt Olson going elsewhere in this redraft there is even more motivation for the Athletics to hold onto him this time around.
12. New York Mets: RHP Lucas Giolito
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Actual Pick: SS Gavin Cecchini
Giolito's Actual Draft Position: No. 16 overall (Washington Nationals)
"Giolito established himself as the nation's premier prep prospect long ago, and by the fall and winter of his senior year many scouts were clamoring that he could be the best high school right-hander in draft history," wrote Baseball America in his pre-draft profile.
When a sprained UCL sent him to the bench that spring, it made him the biggest question mark in the draft class, and he ended up slipping to No. 16 overall, ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2012.
He quickly regained his top prospect status upon returning to the mound, and while he took some lumps early in his MLB career, he has been a frontline starter since putting together a breakout 2019 season.
13. Chicago White Sox: RHP Edwin Díaz
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Actual Pick: OF Courtney Hawkins
Díaz's Actual Draft Position: No. 98 overall (Seattle Mariners)
Edwin Díaz does not have the same consistent track record of late-inning dominance as Josh Hader who is slotted seven pick higher in this redraft, but when things are clicking he has been every bit as overpowering.
His 2018 (57/61 SV, 1.96 ERA, 15.2 K/9) and 2022 (32/35 SV, 1.31 ERA, 17.1 K/9) are two of the best single-season performances in MLB history by a relief pitcher, and last year's standout performance earned him a record-setting five-year, $102 million deal.
The 29-year-old suffered a knee injury celebrating a win in the World Baseball Classic, and he is expected to be sidelined for the bulk of the 2023 season while he recovers from surgery. With him in the mix, the White Sox probably don't spend big to sign Liam Hendriks or trade for Craig Kimbrel at the 2021 deadline.
14. Cincinnati Reds: OF Yoenis Céspedes
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Actual Pick: RHP Nick Travieso
Céspedes' Actual Draft Position: International signing (OAK, four-year, $36 million deal)
After eight seasons playing professionally in Cuba, slugger Yoenis Céspedes defected and signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the Oakland Athletics. He immediately claimed a starting spot in the team's outfield and hit .292/.356/.505 with 23 home runs and 82 RBI in 2012 to finish 10th in AL MVP voting and runner-up in Rookie of the Year balloting.
His rookie season is also the last time the Cincinnati Reds won the NL Central title, and they did it with an underperforming Drew Stubbs (136 G, 63 OPS+, .213 BA, 0.1 WAR) manning a spot in the outfield.
Could the addition of Cespedes to their lineup have helped them avoid an NLDS loss to the San Francisco Giants?
15. Cleveland Guardians: RHP Pablo López
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Actual Pick: OF Tyler Naquin
López's Actual Draft Position: International signing (SEA, $280,000 bonus)
The Seattle Mariners traded a young Pablo López and three other prospects to the Miami Marlins in exchange for reliever David Phelps at the 2017 trade deadline, and the following year he joined the MLB rotation.
With a 3.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 581 strikeouts in 588.1 innings in the majors, López has been a solidly above-average starter over six seasons, and the Minnesota Twins acquired him along with two prospects in exchange for Luis Arraez during the offseason.
What would his career trajectory look like in the hands of a Cleveland organization that has done as good a job as any organization when it comes to developing pitching talent?
16. Washington Nationals: OF Jorge Soler
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Actual Pick: RHP Lucas Giolito
Soler's Actual Draft Position: International signing (CHC, nine-year, $30 million deal)
In the same year Yoenis Céspedes signed with the Oakland Athletics and a young Yasiel Puig joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs also signed a slugger out of Cuba when they gave 20-year-old Jorge Soler a nine-year, $30 million deal.
He made his MLB debut in 2014 and was a solid contributor for the 2016 World Series squad, but he didn't break through until he was traded to the Kansas City Royals, launching an AL-leading 48 home runs in 2019.
It's fun to wonder what his role might have been on the 2019 Washington Nationals team that won the title. Perhaps they don't make the deal to acquire Adam Eaton in exchange for three top pitching prospects if he's an option in the outfield.
17. Toronto Blue Jays: 1B/OF Joey Gallo
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Actual Pick: OF D.J. Davis
Gallo's Actual Draft Position: No. 39 overall (Texas Rangers)
At his best, Joey Gallo is one of baseball's most dangerous sluggers, and a player who provides significant value with his on-base ability and defense to help offset an epic strikeout rate.
At his worst, he has been a complete non-factor.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been lacking in left-handed hitting production the last several seasons, and in the second-half of this redraft Gallo provides more than enough upside and value even with his shortcomings.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers: OF Yasiel Puig
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Actual Pick: SS Corey Seager
Puig's Actual Draft Position: International signing (LAD, seven-year, $42 million deal)
With the benefit of hindsight, would the Dodgers sign up for "Puigmania" a second time?
The Cuban defector took the baseball world by storm when he burst onto the scene as a 22-year-old rookie in 2013, hitting .319/.391/.534 with 21 doubles, 19 home runs, 11 steals and 4.7 WAR in 104 games.
His electric skill set and equally frustrating mental lapses made him must-see TV every time he took the field that season, and he ultimately provided 17.7 WAR in six seasons with the Dodgers before he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds as part of the Matt Kemp salary dump.
19. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha
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Actual Pick: RHP Michael Wacha
Wacha's Actual Draft Position: No. 19 overall (St. Louis Cardinals)
It looked like the St. Louis Cardinals had a future Cy Young winner on their hands when a 21-year-old Michael Wacha outdueled Clayton Kershaw twice in the 2013 NLCS, tossing 13.2 scoreless innings to win NLCS MVP honors.
The 6'6" right-hander never quite took that next step forward, as injuries and inconsistency marked his time in St. Louis, but he still finished 59-39 with a 3.91 ERA in 867.2 innings over seven seasons with the team.
He is now playing for his fifth team in five years after signing a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the San Diego Padres, and he's been terrific, going 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 68 innings.
20. San Francisco Giants: RHP José Berríos
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Actual Pick: RHP Chris Stratton
Berríos' Actual Draft Position: No. 32 overall (Minnesota Twins)
José Berríos became the highest-drafted pitcher ever out of Puerto Rico when the Minnesota Twins selected him with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2012 draft, and he developed into a two-time All-Star before he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 29-year-old struggled through a brutal 2022 campaign, posting a 5.23 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while leading the AL in hits allowed (199) and earned runs allowed (100), but he is starting to look more like himself this year.
Slotting him alongside workhorse Madison Bumgarner in the San Francisco Giants rotation in the late 2010s and early 2020s would have given those pitching staffs a decidedly different outlook.
21. Atlanta Braves: RHP Félix Bautista
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Actual Pick: RHP Lucas Sims
Bautista's Actual Draft Position: International signing (MIA, signing bonus unknown)
It took Félix Bautista nine years in the minors before he finally broke through as a 27-year-old rookie in 2022, posting a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 12.1 K/9 with 15 saves and 13 holds in 65 appearances.
This season, he has struck out 64 of the 126 batters he has faced en route to a 1.16 ERA and 17 saves closing out games for a contending Baltimore Orioles team, and that type of late-inning production would be worth the wait for the Atlanta Braves.
22. Toronto Blue Jays: IF/OF Chris Taylor
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Actual Pick: RHP Marcus Stroman
Taylor's Actual Draft Position: No. 161 overall (Seattle Mariners)
Chris Taylor is the type of player who would make any team better thanks to his defensive versatility and solid track record of production at the plate. The 32-year-old has quietly compiled 16.2 WAR in the big leagues, and he also has strong postseason numbers.
For the Toronto Blue Jays, he would essentially be a better offensive version of Santiago Espinal or Cavan Biggio filling a super-utility role while serving as a veteran presence in the clubhouse.
23. St. Louis Cardinals: OF Mitch Haniger
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Actual Pick: OF James Ramsey
Haniger's Actual Draft Position: No. 38 overall (Milwaukee Brewers)
Florida State outfielder James Ramsey hit .378/.513/.652 with 13 doubles, 13 home runs and 58 RBI in 2012 as one of the most productive college hitters in the country, but that production did not translate to pro ball and he never reached the majors.
Fellow outfielder Mitch Haniger went 15 picks later after hitting .346/.438/.626 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 64 RBI at Cal Poly. He has put together a solid, albeit injury-plagued, MLB career that includes a 39-homer, 100-RBI season in 2021.
24. Boston Red Sox: IF Thairo Estrada
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Actual Pick: SS Deven Marrero
Estrada's Actual Draft Position: International signing (NYY, $49,000 bonus)
Infielder Thairo Estrada was a nice under-the-radar find by the New York Yankees scouting department when he was signed out of Venezuela for just $49,000 in 2012.
The San Francisco Giants acquired him in exchange for cash considerations prior to the 2021 season, and he took over as their everyday second baseman last year, posting a 104 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 14 home runs and 62 RBI.
The 27-year-old is making a strong case for an All-Star selection this year, hitting .299/.345/.489 for a 124 OPS+ with 23 extra-base hits, 14 steals and 2.2 WAR in 51 games.
25. Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Paul Sewald
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Actual Pick: 3B Richie Shaffer
Sewald's Actual Draft Position: No. 320 overall (New York Mets)
The emphasis the Tampa Bay Rays have placed on building a well-rounded bullpen makes Seattle Mariners closer Paul Sewald the pick here over a handful of starting pitching options and slugger Christian Walker.
Since joining the Mariners in 2021, Sewald has a 2.86 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 12.3 K/9 with 43 saves and 24 holds in 153 appearances. His 3.7 WAR during that stretch ranks 21st among all relievers, and he is making a strong case for an All-Star selection this year.
26. Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Lance McCullers Jr.
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Actual Pick: C Stryker Trahan
McCullers' Actual Draft Position: No. 41 overall (Houston Astros)
When healthy, Lance McCullers Jr. has undoubtedly been one of the best pitchers from the 2012 draft class, but he has made more than 22 starts just once in his career and he has yet to throw his first pitch of the 2023 season.
The 29-year-old has a 3.48 ERA, 1.25 ERA and 800 strikeouts in 718.2 career innings, and he also has a 3.47 ERA in 72.2 postseason innings, which would make him a great option to slot alongside Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly in the Arizona rotation once he returns to the mound this year.
27. Milwaukee Brewers: 1B Christian Walker
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Actual Pick: C Clint Coulter
Walker's Actual Draft Position: No. 132 overall (Baltimore Orioles)
What had long been a revolving door at first base for the Milwaukee Brewers has seemingly been slowed by Rowdy Tellez, but the team might have been able to bring stability to the position even sooner with Christian Walker.
With a 29-homer season in 2019, and a 126 OPS+ with 36 home runs and 5.1 WAR to go along with Gold Glove honors last year, he has gone from late-bloomer to one of the better first basemen in the National League.
28. Milwaukee Brewers: LHP Alex Wood
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Actual Pick: OF Victor Roache
Wood's Actual Draft Position: No. 85 overall (Atlanta Braves)
After a solid college career at the University of Georgia, left-hander Alex Wood breezed through the Atlanta Braves minor league system to make his MLB debut on May 30, 2013, and he went on to post a 3.13 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 77.2 innings over 11 starts and 20 relief appearances as a rookie.
He has never been an ace-caliber starter, but he has been a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm throughout his career, going 72-61 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 1,151 innings. He peaked in 2017 when he was an All-Star and finished ninth in NL Cy Young voting with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
29. Texas Rangers: RHP Zach Eflin
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Actual Pick: OF Lewis Brinson
Eflin's Actual Draft Position: No. 33 overall (San Diego Padres)
An underrated starter during his time with the Philadelphia Phillies, Zach Eflin signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays during the offseason to fill the void left by the departure of Corey Kluber.
Through 11 starts with his new team, he has gone 8-1 with a 2.97 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a terrific 66-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 66.2 innings, and he would be a valuable addition to a contending Texas Rangers team.
30. New York Yankees: SS Amed Rosario
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Actual Pick: RHP Ty Hensley
Rosario's Actual Draft Position: International signing (NYM, $1.75 million bonus)
The New York Yankees could have avoided the Isiah Kiner-Falefa trade if they had Amed Rosario in the organization to help bridge the gap to Anthony Volpe, as he is coming off a 4.2-WAR season with the Cleveland Guardians last year.
Once the top prospect in the New York Mets farm system after signing for a hefty bonus out of the Dominican Republic, Rosario will be a free agent for the first time this coming offseason, and he'll need to rebound from a slow start to fully maximize his value.
31. Boston Red Sox: LHP Ranger Suárez
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Actual Pick: LHP Brian Johnson
Suárez's Actual Draft Position: International signing (PHI, $25,000)
Few organizations are in greater need of controllable pitching talent than the Boston Red Sox, and the upside that Ranger Suarez provides makes him a great potential value selection with the final pick of the first round.
The 27-year-old has a breakout season in 2021 when he logged a 1.36 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 107 strikeouts in 106 innings filling a variety of roles on the Philadelphia Phillies staff, and he has since settled in as a regular member of the starting rotation with club control through the 2025 season.
Supplemental Round
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32. Minnesota Twins: LHP José Alvarado
33. San Diego Padres: LHP Andrew Heaney
34. Oakland Athletics: 3B Patrick Wisdom
35. New York Mets: LHP Gregory Soto
36. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Ross Stripling
37. Boston Red Sox: LHP Matt Strahm
38. Milwaukee Brewers: C Mike Zunino
39. Texas Rangers: OF José Siri
40. Philadelphia Phillies: LHP Taylor Rogers
41. Houston Astros: RHP Adbert Alzolay
42. Minnesota Twins: OF Jesse Winker
43. Chicago Cubs: IF Joey Wendle
44. San Diego Padres: SS Jorge Mateo
45. Pittsburgh Pirates: C Jacob Stallings
46. Colorado Rockies: RHP Jonathan Loaisiga
47. Oakland Athletics: IF Matt Duffy
48. Chicago White Sox: RHP Alex Reyes
49. Cincinnati Reds: RHP Paul Blackburn
50. Toronto Blue Jays: OF Stephen Piscotty
51. Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Dylan Floro
52. St. Louis Cardinals: LHP Brent Suter
53. Texas Rangers: 3B Jake Lamb
54. Philadelphia Phillies: OF Tyler Naquin
55. San Diego Padres: C Austin Nola
56. Chicago Cubs: RHP Reynaldo López
57. Cincinnati Reds: RHP Chris Flexen
58. Toronto Blue Jays: OF Tyrone Taylor
59. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Yonny Chirinos
60. Toronto Blue Jays: OF David Dahl
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