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Does Buster Posey Go No. 1? Re-Drafting the 2008 MLB Draft
May 14, 2020Does Buster Posey Go No. 1? Re-Drafting the 2008 MLB Draft
The 2008 MLB draft was headlined by Georgia prep shortstop Tim Beckham, whom the Tampa Bay Rays selected with the No. 1 overall pick.
The decision to pass on Florida State catcher Buster Posey is one that still haunts that franchise as the revolving door at the catcher position continues to spin.
So how would the 2008 MLB draft play out if teams had the benefit of hindsight? That's what we set out to answer.
Any player who signed as part of the 2008 class was eligible to be included in the re-draft, which includes a revised selection and breakdown for each of the 30 first-round picks. To round things out, we've added a list of supplemental-round choices from Nos. 31-46 at the end.
1. Tampa Bay Rays: C Buster Posey
Buster Posey hit an absurd .463/.566/.879 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI in 68 games during his junior season at Florida State, and he entered the 2008 draft as arguably the best collegiate catching prospect ever.
Baseball America called him "one of the safest picks" in the class.
However, teams selecting at the top of the draft are not always looking for safe and are often willing to take a risk if the payoff could be a future superstar.
In 2008, that risk was prep shortstop Tim Beckham, who had all the tools to be a perennial All-Star, but a wide range between floor and ceiling.
He flopped, and Posey ended up becoming the superstar the Rays hoped they were getting in Beckham.
The catcher position has been a black hole since the franchise's inception, which makes missing out on arguably the best catcher of this generation sting that much more.
Actual Pick: SS Tim Beckham
Posey's Actual Draft Position: No. 5 overall (San Francisco Giants)
2. Pittsburgh Pirates: OF Charlie Blackmon
- Home: 2,239 PA, .349/.407/.590, 252 XBH (97 HR)
- Road: 2,268 PA, .261/.313/.430, 194 XBH (75 HR)
Does Charlie Blackmon develop into a star playing his home games somewhere other than Coors Field?
That's the question facing the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 2 overall, and in an extremely thin draft class, it's worth taking the risk.
A four-time All-Star, Blackmon has developed into one of baseball's most dynamic leadoff hitters, winning a pair of Silver Slugger awards along the way.
Over the past four seasons, he's hit .315/.376/.558 for a 128 OPS+ while averaging 36 doubles, 32 home runs, 86 RBI, 120 runs scored and 11 steals.
Still, his career home-road splits are tough to ignore:
Despite that rather large red flag, it's still easy to dream about a hypothetical outfield of Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Blackmon.
Actual Pick: 3B Pedro Alvarez
Blackmon's Actual Draft Position: No. 72 overall (Colorado Rockies)
3. Kansas City Royals: RHP Craig Kimbrel
There's an argument to be made for the Kansas City Royals to double down on their selection of first baseman Eric Hosmer. After all, he developed into one of the centerpieces of the team's offensive attack in his seven seasons in Kansas City.
However, for an organization that helped lead the bullpen revolution, a chance to add one of the most dominant relievers ever is impossible to pass up.
With 346 career saves, Craig Kimbrel is the active leader and 13th on the all-time list, and his peripheral numbers are otherworldly. He has a 2.08 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a staggering 14.6 K/9 in 565 career appearances, holding opposing hitters to a .158 batting average in the process.
Adding Kimbrel to a relief corps that already included Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera would have given the Royals the greatest bullpen in MLB history.
Actual Pick: 1B Eric Hosmer
Kimbrel's Actual Draft Position: No. 96 overall (Atlanta Braves)
4. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Lance Lynn
The underrated Lance Lynn has quietly put together an impressive enough career to be considered the top starting pitcher in this draft class.
He peaked last season when he went 16-11 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 246 strikeouts in 208.1 innings for the Texas Rangers. That performance was worth 7.5 WAR and earned him a fifth-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.
The 33-year-old is by no means a one-year wonder, though. He has a career 98-68 record with a 3.59 ERA (115 ERA+) in 1,342.2 innings, and he has eclipsed the 175-inning mark six different times.
When the Orioles won 96 games and an AL East title in 2014, Lynn went 15-10 with a 2.74 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 203.2 innings. He would have been the ace of the Baltimore staff and very well could have been the missing piece.
Actual Pick: LHP Brian Matusz
Lynn's Actual Draft Position: No. 39 overall (St. Louis Cardinals)
5. San Francisco Giants: SS Brandon Crawford
The San Francisco Giants lose Buster Posey in this redraft, but they still have a chance to bring back another core piece of their success during the last decade.
Brandon Crawford entered the league as a glove-only shortstop who filled a glaring hole on the left side of the San Francisco infield.
While he never quite developed into a star offensively, he did put together some productive seasons. He even won a Silver Slugger award in 2015 when he posted a 113 OPS+ with 33 doubles, 21 home runs and 84 RBI in a 5.8 WAR season.
With that said, his glove is what makes him a top-five selection.
The three-time Gold Glove winner has racked up an impressive 78 defensive runs saved over his nine-year career, delivering countless highlight-reel plays along the way.
Actual Pick: C Buster Posey
Crawford's Actual Draft Position: No. 117 overall (San Francisco Giants)
6. Florida Marlins: 1B Eric Hosmer
Is Eric Hosmer worth the massive eight-year, $144 million contract the San Diego Padres handed him in free agency? No.
Did he develop into the middle-of-the-order slugger many expected him to become when he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick? Not really.
Still, there's a lot to like about a career .278/.336/.432 (108 OPS+) hitter with 20-plus home run power who is also a four-time Gold Glove winner.
He has also shown a knack for coming through in the postseason with 29 RBI in 31 career playoff games.
For the Miami Marlins, he would undoubtedly be an upgrade over guys like Gaby Sanchez, Garrett Jones and Justin Bour who have manned first base in recent years.
Actual Pick: C Kyle Skipworth
Hosmer's Actual Draft Position: No. 3 overall (Kansas City Royals)
7. Cincinnati Reds: RHP Jake Odorizzi
Jake Odorizzi has already been traded three times in his MLB career. Despite bouncing around that much, he has developed into a solid MLB starter.
The 30-year-old has a 3.88 ERA and 106 ERA+ over the past six seasons, averaging 30 starts, 165 innings and 2.1 WAR during that span.
He put together the best season of his career at the perfect time last season, going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 178 strikeouts in 159 innings to earn his first All-Star selection in a contract year.
He turned that performance into a one-year, $17.8 million contract by way of a qualifying offer from the Minnesota Twins.
Actual Pick: 1B Yonder Alonso
Odorizzi's Actual Draft Position: No. 32 overall (Milwaukee Brewers)
8. Chicago White Sox: OF Aaron Hicks
It took Aaron Hicks some time to deliver on his first-round pedigree and top prospect profile.
He was a .225/.306/.349 career hitter over 928 plate appearances when the New York Yankees acquired him prior to the 2016 season, and he hit a brutal .217/.281/.336 for a 64 OPS+ in 361 plate appearances in his first year with the team.
Things finally clicked in 2017, and he posted a 125 OPS+ and 8.1 WAR in the two years leading up to an injury-shortened 2019 campaign.
Meanwhile, center field has been such a black hole for the Chicago White Sox over the past few seasons that Hicks looks like a great fit with the No. 8 pick.
Actual Pick: IF Gordon Beckham
Hicks' Actual Draft Position: No. 14 overall (Minnesota Twins)
9. Washington Nationals: IF/OF Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison came out of nowhere to emerged as an NL MVP candidate in 2014.
A .250/.282/.367 hitter with 1.2 career WAR over his first three MLB seasons, he hit .315/.347/.490 for a 133 OPS+ with 58 extra-base hits and 18 steals. That was worth 5.6 WAR and earned him an All-Star nod along with a ninth-place finish in NL MVP voting.
After filling a super-utility role during his breakout season, he eventually settled in as the Pittsburgh Pirates' everyday second baseman, earning another All-Star selection in 2017.
Seeing how valuable Howie Kendrick was for the Washington Nationals last year thanks in large part to his versatility, it's easy to envision Harrison thriving in a similar capacity.
Actual Pick: RHP Aaron Crow (did not sign)
Harrison's Actual Draft Position: No. 191 overall (Chicago Cubs)
10. Houston Astros: LHP Wade Miley
Wade Miley is a rock-solid MLB starter, provided he isn't overexposed by pitching too deep into games.
That's something the Houston Astros recognized last year, and they were able to extract terrific value from a one-year, $4.5 million contract as a result.
The 33-year-old went 14-6 with a 3.98 ERA over 167.1 innings while recording an out after the sixth inning in only three of his 33 starts.
With multi-inning weapons like Collin McHugh, Brad Peacock, Chris Devenski and Josh James, the Astros could afford to keep him on a short leash.
A reunion in this redraft is a great fit for all involved.
Actual Pick: C Jason Castro
Miley's Actual Draft Position: No. 43 overall (Arizona Diamondbacks)
11. Texas Rangers: RHP Tanner Roark
There is plenty of value in a durable starter who can chew through innings at a league-average level.
Case in point, Tanner Roark went 10-10 with a 4.35 ERA and 103 ERA+ in 165.1 innings last season. He turned that performance into a two-year, $24 million from the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 33-year-old is 74-64 with a 3.71 ERA and 113 ERA+ in 1,100.1 innings over seven big league seasons, including an excellent 2016 campaign where he went 16-10 with a 2.83 ERA in a career-high 210 innings to finish 10th in NL Cy Young voting.
The Texas Rangers are actually the team that originally drafted Roark out of the University of Illinois before trading him to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Christian Guzman at the 2010 trade deadline.
Actual Pick: 1B Justin Smoak
Roark's Actual Draft Position: No. 753 overall (Texas Rangers)
12. Oakland Athletics: RHP Collin McHugh
The Oakland Athletics have long valued multi-inning relief options, and they were one of the first teams to embrace the idea of using an opener in the starting rotation.
Yusmeiro Petit has been a valuable pitcher for them the past two seasons, racking up 176 innings of work in 154 relief appearances with a 2.86 ERA and 3.9 WAR.
Collin McHugh fits that same mold.
The 32-year-old started 102 games during the four-year stretch from 2014 through 2017, going 48-28 with a 3.70 ERA and 106 ERA+, including a 19-win season in 2015 when he finished eighth in AL Cy Young voting.
An embarrassment of riches pushed him to the bullpen in 2018, and he responded with a 1.99 ERA and a career-high 11.7 K/9 in 72.1 innings over 58 appearances.
Whether he's used as a starter or a reliever, McHugh would be a great fit in Oakland.
Actual Pick: 2B Jemile Weeks
McHugh's Actual Draft Position: No. 554 overall (New York Mets)
13. St. Louis Cardinals: LHP Brad Hand
The four-year, $30.5 million contract that the St. Louis Cardinals handed to reliever Brett Cecil prior to the 2017 season already ranks as one of the worst signings in franchise history.
Brad Hand would eliminate the need to shell out that significant chunk of money in free agency.
After Hand flopped as a starter with the Marlins, the Padres plucked him off waivers and moved him to the bullpen, where he posted a 2.92 ERA and 11.2 K/9 with 21 holds in an NL-high 82 appearances in 2016.
He moved into the closer's role the following year and has now made the All-Star team each of the last three seasons, racking up 87 saves with a 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 12.7 K/9.
Actual Pick: 3B Brett Wallace
Hand's Actual Draft Position: No. 52 overall (Florida Marlins)
14. Minnesota Twins: C Jason Castro
The Minnesota Twins signed Jason Castro to a three-year, $24.5 million contract in November 2016 to bring some stability to a young pitching staff.
This redraft gives them a chance to build around him from the start of his career.
The 32-year-old was never able to build off a stellar 2013 season where he hit .276/.350/.485 for a 130 OPS+ with 35 doubles and 18 home runs to earn his only All-Star selection.
However, he has been a consistent threat for double-digit home runs while developing into one of the game's best pitch-framers and game-callers.
He posted a respectable 101 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 79 games splitting time with Mitch Garver last year, and he joined the Los Angeles Angels on a one-year, $6.85 million deal during the offseason.
Actual Pick: OF Aaron Hicks
Castro's Actual Draft Position: No. 10 overall (Houston Astros)
15. Los Angeles Dodgers: LHP Will Smith
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not had a shutdown left-hander in their bullpen since Hung-Chih Kuo was an All-Star in 2010.
Guys like J.P. Howell, Paco Rodriguez, Luis Avilan and Scott Alexander enjoyed varying levels of success pitching mostly in specialist roles, while Julio Urias was more of a swingman than a true reliever last year.
When healthy, Will Smith has been one of the most dominant southpaws in baseball.
The 30-year-old was an All-Star last year and was one of the few bright spots on a bad San Francisco Giants team, nailing down 34 of 38 save chances with a 2.76 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 13.2 K/9 in 63 appearances.
All told, he has a 3.53 ERA and 10.8 K/9 in 359 career appearances, tallying 49 saves and 85 holds in the process.
He's been particularly effective at Dodger Stadium, with a 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 15.1 K/9 with five saves in 17 appearances.
Actual Pick: RHP Ethan Martin
Smith's Actual Draft Position: No. 229 overall (Los Angeles Angels)
16. Milwaukee Brewers: C Christian Vazquez
The Milwaukee Brewers originally drafted Brett Lawrie as a catcher with the No. 16 overall pick before they moved him to second base.
So, why not go with someone who actually stuck at the position?
Christian Vazquez finally established himself as the guy behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox last season, continuing to show solid defensive chops and a rocket arm while putting together a career year offensively.
The 29-year-old hit .276/.320/.477 for a 103 OPS+ with 26 doubles, 23 home runs and 72 RBI in 521 plate appearances. He also allowed only 36 steals while throwing out 38 percent of base stealers.
Aside from last season with Yasmani Grandal, the catcher position has been a question mark for the Brewers since they traded Jonathan Lucroy. Vazquez would be the answer in 2020 and beyond.
Actual Pick: IF Brett Lawrie
Vazquez's Actual Draft Position: No. 292 overall (Boston Red Sox)
17. Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Nathan Eovaldi
There is little question Nathan Eovaldi has electric stuff.
The 30-year-old has averaged 97.0 mph with his fastball over his eight-year career, and he backs it with an upper-80s slider and a hard-biting curveball.
While that has not always led to impressive results, as evidenced by his 4.30 ERA and 94 ERA+ in 917.2 career innings, there's enough upside for him to be the next pitcher off the board in this re-draft.
He put together in a brilliant postseason for the Boston Red Sox in 2018, pitching to a 1.61 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 22.1 innings spanning two starts and four relief appearances.
That earned him a four-year, $68 million deal in free agency, and it remains to be seen how that will play out for the Red Sox.
Actual Pick: 1B David Cooper
Eovaldi's Actual Draft Position: No. 337 overall (Los Angeles Dodgers)
18. New York Mets: C Alex Avila
The New York Mets have not had a reliable option behind the plate since Paul Lo Duca was an All-Star in 2006, immediately following the Mike Piazza era.
Alex Avila was a bona fide star in 2011, hitting .295/.389/.506 for a 142 OPS+ with 33 doubles, 19 home runs and 82 RBI. The 24-year-old earned an All-Star selection, won a Silver Slugger award and finished 12th in AL MVP voting.
He has failed to duplicate that level of success in subsequent seasons, but he has put together a quietly consistent career as a second-tier backstop.
Thanks in large part to a 14.4 percent career walk rate, Avila has a .348 on-base percentage and 102 OPS+ in 3,465 plate appearances. He has also developed into an above-average defender and thrown out 30 percent of base stealers over the years.
Actual Pick: 1B Ike Davis
Avila's Actual Draft Position: No. 163 overall (Detroit Tigers)
19. Chicago Cubs: IF/OF Dee Gordon
The Chicago Cubs have not had a true speed threat atop the lineup since Juan Pierre swiped 58 bases during the 2006 season for the North Siders.
Corey Patterson had solid wheels and Dexter Fowler was an on-base machine, but neither player was a true top-of-the-order burner.
Few players in recent memory are faster than Dee Gordon.
The 32-year-old ranks second among active players with 330 steals, leading the NL in that category three times. He's also a .288 career hitter, and he won an NL batting title in 2015 when he batted .333 and tallied 205 hits.
With the ability to play second base, shortstop and center field, he would fit well on a Cubs team that values versatility.
Actual Pick: RHP Andrew Cashner
Gordon's Actual Draft Position: No. 127 overall (Los Angeles Dodgers)
20. Seattle Mariners: C Roberto Perez
Roberto Perez is now the fifth catcher selected in the first round of this redraft.
Originally selected in the 33rd round, he goes 991 picks earlier this time around to a Seattle Mariners team that has struggled to fill the position.
After serving as a backup to Yan Gomes over the first five years of his career, Perez was finally handed the starting job last season. He responded with a 99 OPS+ and 24 home runs while winning a Gold Glove in a 4.0 WAR season.
While the Mariners had a solid catching situation last year with the platoon of Tom Murphy and Omar Narvaez, the addition of Perez would have brought some stability to the position in the years prior.
Actual Pick: RHP Josh Fields
Perez's Actual Draft Position: No. 1,011 overall (Cleveland Indians)
21. Detroit Tigers: RHP Andrew Cashner
Andrew Cashner went 9-4 with nine saves in 30 relief appearances during his junior season at TCU, posting a 2.32 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 54.1 innings.
After he debuted as a reliever with the Chicago Cubs in 2010, the North Siders traded him to the San Diego Padres in a lopsided deal for a young Anthony Rizzo.
The Padres moved him into the starting rotation, and he has since put together a solid career as a middle-of-the-rotation innings-eater, bouncing around to five different teams in the last four years.
The 33-year-old has a 4.10 ERA and 99 ERA+ in 1,196 career innings, finding a modest level of success in spite of a middling 6.8 K/9 strikeout rate.
Actual Pick: RHP Ryan Perry
Cashner's Actual Draft Position: No. 19 overall (Chicago Cubs)
22. New York Mets: 1B Justin Smoak
Heading into the 2008 draft, Baseball America compared Justin Smoak to fellow switch-hitter Mark Teixeira on the heels of an impressive career at South Carolina.
While he has failed to develop into that kind of middle-of-the-order force, he has put together a productive 10-year career.
The 33-year-old has a 104 OPS+ with 191 home runs and 555 RBI in 4,618 career plate appearances. That includes a monster 2017 season during which he set career highs in OPS+ (131), home runs (38), RBI (90) and WAR (3.0) while earning an All-Star selection.
Aside from a few productive seasons from Lucas Duda, first base had been a bit of a revolving door for the Mets before Pete Alonso burst onto the scene last year.
Actual Pick: SS Reese Havens
Smoak's Actual Draft Position: No. 11 overall (Texas Rangers)
23. San Diego Padres: 1B/OF Eric Thames
Eric Thames has power that will play anywhere, including spacious Petco Park.
After a forgettable start to his MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, he joined the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization for his age-27 season.
In three KBO seasons, he hit .349/.451/.721 while averaging 41 home runs and 127 RBI, taking home league MVP honors in 2015.
He made his way back stateside with a 125 OPS+ and 31 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017, and he has a 118 OPS+ and 72 home runs over the past three years.
With the ability to play first base and corner outfield, his power bat would be a welcome addition to the San Diego lineup.
Actual Pick: 1B Allan Dykstra
Thames' Actual Draft Position: No. 219 overall (Toronto Blue Jays)
24. Philadelphia Phillies: LHP Justin Wilson
There's always a market for a reliable left-handed reliever.
Justin Wilson has been just that over the course of his eight-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.
In 457 appearances, he has a 3.25 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 with 18 saves and 119 holds. He converted 13 of 15 save chances in the closer's role for the Tigers in 2017.
Adding to his value his effectiveness against both righties and lefties:
After Brad Hand and Will Smith, he's the clear choice as the third-best reliever in this draft class.
Actual Pick: SS Anthony Hewitt
Wilson's Actual Draft Position: No. 144 overall (Pittsburgh Pirates)
25. Colorado Rockies: RHP Josh Lindblom
Josh Lindblom might be the biggest wild card in the 2008 draft class.
The 32-year-old has a forgettable 4.10 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 147 innings in the big leagues, with the bulk of that work coming in relief. That performance was worth 1.1 WAR before he made the move to the KBO for the 2015 season.
After some initial ups and downs, he emerged as one of the stars of the league. He took home MVP honors last year after he went 20-3 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 189 strikeouts in 194.2 innings.
The Milwaukee Brewers took a chance on him with a three-year, $9.13 million during the offseason, and it remains to be seen how the adjustments he's made overseas will translate.
In this redraft, there's no better team to take that same risk than the pitching-starved Colorado Rockies.
Actual Pick: LHP Christian Friedrich
Lindblom's Actual Draft Position: No. 60 overall (Los Angeles Dodgers)
26. Arizona Diamondbacks: IF Logan Forsythe
- 2015: 124 OPS+, 52 XBH (17 HR), 4.6 WAR
- 2016: 113 OPS+, 48 XBH (20 HR), 3.5 WAR
At his peak, Logan Forsythe was one of the better second basemen in the game.
With that said, it was a rather brief peak, spanning only the 2015 and 2016 seasons when he was playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.
He's been worth a combined 4.6 WAR over the other seven seasons of his career, serving mostly in a utility infield role.
For the Arizona Diamondbacks, he would have been a massive upgrade in 2015, when their second basemen hit .233/.283/.348 and ranked 28th in total value.
Actual Pick: LHP Daniel Schlereth
Forsythe's Actual Draft Position: No. 46 overall (San Diego Padres)
27. Minnesota Twins: RHP Daniel Hudson
Daniel Hudson has been both a top-of-the-rotation starter and a late-inning reliever at various points in his injury-plagued career.
In 2011, he went 16-12 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 222.0 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving the team what appeared to be a budding ace in his age-24 season.
Instead, he pitched only 48 total innings over the next three seasons before making the full-time move to the bullpen.
He has a 3.94 ERA and 9.0 K/9 in 314 appearances over the past five seasons, and he had his best season as a reliever last year with a 2.47 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with eight saves and 11 holds in 69 appearances. He added four more saves during the postseason to help the Washington Nationals win the World Series.
Actual Pick: RHP Carlos Gutierrez
Hudson's Actual Draft Position: No. 150 overall (Chicago White Sox)
28. New York Yankees: RHP Tyson Ross
Another pitcher who has had a tough time staying healthy, Tyson Ross put together a three-year stretch where he was one of the best pitchers in the National League.
He was an All-Star in 2014 when he posted a 2.81 ERA in 195.2 innings, and he struck out a career-high 212 batters en route to a 3.26 ERA in 196 innings the following year.
However, he's pitched only 239.1 innings over the past four seasons, and his days as a viable MLB starter might now be behind him.
With that said, he would have been a huge addition to the New York Yankees rotation in 2014 and 2015, two years in which the team failed to make the playoffs largely due to a shaky starting staff.
Actual Pick: RHP Gerrit Cole (did not sign)
Ross' Actual Draft Position: No. 58 overall (Oakland Athletics)
29. Cleveland Indians: LHP Mike Montgomery
Oh, the irony.
Mike Montgomery will forever be remembered as the pitcher who recorded the final out of the 2016 World Series, securing victory for the Chicago Cubs over none other than the Cleveland Indians.
The left-hander has been a valuable swingman throughout his career, posting a 3.83 ERA and 111 ERA+ in 535.2 innings spanning 69 starts and 111 relief appearances.
He's the kind of pitcher who fits on any staff, and late in the first round, he's a solid addition for an Indians team that could use him in a variety of roles.
Actual Pick: 3B Lonnie Chisenhall
Montgomery's Actual Draft Position: No. 36 overall (Kansas City Royals)
30. Boston Red Sox: IF Brett Lawrie
The upside that Brett Lawrie provided was a big reason the Oakland Athletics were willing to trade Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays.
At the time of the trade, Lawrie had already racked up 12.7 WAR over four MLB seasons, and he was still shy of his 25th birthday. However, he wound up playing only two more seasons in the big leagues.
It's a strange case of things just never quite clicking for a talented player.
He's an interesting fit for the Boston Red Sox, who would perhaps shy away from the ill-advised Pablo Sandoval signing in favor of giving Lawrie a shot at the everyday third base job. That alone is reason enough for them to consider grabbing him in this re-draft.
Actual Pick: RHP Casey Kelly
Lawrie's Actual Draft Position: No. 16 overall (Milwaukee Brewers)
Supplemental Round
31. Minnesota Twins: 1B Pedro Alvarez
32. Milwaukee Brewers: 2B Danny Espinosa
33. New York Mets: RHP Brad Brach
34. Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Tyler Chatwood
35. Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Bryan Shaw
36. Kansas City Royals: SS Jordy Mercer
37. San Francisco Giants: OF Lonnie Chisenhall
38. Houston Astros: RHP David Phelps
39. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Trevor May
40. Atlanta Braves: RHP Ryan Cook
41. Chicago Cubs: LHP Tommy Milone
42. San Diego Padres: OF Robbie Grossman
43. Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Jordan Lyles
44. New York Yankees: 1B Yonder Alonso
45. Boston Red Sox: RHP Tom Koehler
46. San Diego Padres: RHP Vance Worley
All statistics via Baseball Reference or FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
Be sure to check out our other recent MLB redrafts: 2011, 2010, 2009