MLB Draft 2012: Was Lucas Sims the Best Pick for Atlanta Braves?

Now that the 2012 MLB Draft has concluded, teams are in the process of trying to get their drafted players signed before the July 13 deadline.

For the Atlanta Braves, signability isn't an issue considering that most of their early picks have signed or are set to sign, according to Teddy Cahill of mlb.com.

So, with that out of the way, I think it's time to take a look back at the Braves' first-round pick, Lucas Sims, and wonder if that's the route they really needed to go.

Sims is a powerful right-handed pitcher who I've seen pitch about five or six times the last two years.

He has the stuff, and I'm not questioning whether he deserved to be picked where he was. In fact, I predicted that he would be selected by the Cleveland Indians with the 15th pick.

I can't argue with the fact that if they felt that Sims was the best player on the board, they took him because of that. He is also a hometown kid from Brookwood High School in Snellville.

But, with all the pitching currently in the Braves' minor leagues, I thought the team would have been smarter to go after a position of real need with their first pick.

When they came up to pick, I thought they would go with James Ramsey, Victor Roache, Joey Gallo or Stephen Piscotty.

Ramsey was a hometown kid (he went to Wesleyan School) and played a position that was needed in the organization.

Roache would've been another good outfielder in the Braves' system, although Ramsey has a higher ceiling.

After seeing the struggles that Joe Terdoslavich has had all year, going after Piscotty would've been a great pick.

Yet they went with Sims.

Sims will most definitely add to the Braves, but it's going to be a long time before he's going to get his shot in Atlanta.

Sure, he has a few years that he's going to have to develop in the minor leagues, but with all the pitching that is already in the Braves' organization, I feel they would've been better served going somewhere else with their first-round pick.

So, we'll see what happens over the next few years.