Braves Take Another Shortstop In the 2010 MLB Draft

by gondeee on Jun 11, 2010 2:29 PM EDT

Say what? I thought the draft was over. Indeed it is. Keith Law tweets that the Braves have signed second-round pick Andrelton Simmons... as a shortstop. Simmons was considered the best defensive shortstop in the entire 2010 draft class, but the Braves selected him as a pitcher, where he has been clocked in the 95 to 98 MPH range.

Simmons hinted that he has a desire to play in the field, and he was extremely raw as a pitcher, so the Braves must have relented and agreed to sign him as a shortstop. While he is a plus-plus defender at short, his bat is apparently not that good, and like his pitching would have, he will need to put in a lot of work in the hitting department.

This means the Braves used their first three picks this year on position players, and six of their first seven picks on position players. Two of their first three picks are also shortstops.

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/confusion

"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones

by MBL1 on Jun 11, 2010 2:38 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Good.

I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the Braves. Pitching is wonderful, but we just had to get some offensive talent this year.

"(Jason Heyward) is like the Grim Reaper -- You know he's gonna get you, you just never know when or where."

by Scott Coleman on Jun 11, 2010 2:57 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Or, in Simmons' case,

defensive talent. Who knows if he’ll ever hit?

"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson

by Jacob Peterson on Jun 11, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

you never know with these guys either. Schafer was an all defense guy until his breakout season a few years ago.

I guess this means that lipka will go to gcl, simmons to danville, and eventually salcedo will go to rome.

by telemakhos on Jun 11, 2010 3:26 PM EDT reply actions

cough** HGH ***cough***

by ducheneaux13 on Jun 11, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

He didn’t actually do it, but why would you actually spend a minute to find all the info on the subject when you could just jump to a conclusion in a second.

I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Jun 11, 2010 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions

sorry… internet sarcasm

by ducheneaux13 on Jun 11, 2010 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Sorry, hard to tell. I had to explain to a guy at the game tonight how off base he was about all that.

I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Jun 12, 2010 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions

it is a tired subject.
there was no there there.
and he is a legitimately good kid, wholly deserving of every presumption of not guiltiness.

by fandave on Jun 11, 2010 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Huh, I didn’t know you had to specify a position before signing.

I fed a fish to a pelican and Frisco bay and he tried to eat my cell phone he ran away

by TradeAndruw on Jun 11, 2010 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

I don't think you have to

But it’s sound business to agree with a guy what he’ll be doing before giving him any money, so you don’t have those disputes after you’re already out the cash. You might change your mind on a guy if you decide he’s not going to be worth it unless he pitches, and he refuses to pitch.

by Bronn on Jun 11, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Reminds me a bit

of the Casey Kelley situation that the Red Sox had. They agreed to let him play the field for a half-season if he would pitch in the second half. He stunk at hitting but dominated at pitching, so he agreed to be a full-time pitcher after that.

Not saying the Braves have a similar deal with Simmons, but I can easily imagine him agreeing to try pitching in a couple years if he’s not progressing with the bat.

"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson

by Jacob Peterson on Jun 11, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I can see him getting a run at SS in rookie ball...

and if he struggles, then he works on the mound come spring.

by Mr. Sanchez on Jun 11, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions

This kid sound like Brent Lillibridge

Great glove but no bat but now he is 6’2", 170 maybe once he fills out the bat will start to come around.

by Jay212033 on Jun 11, 2010 3:41 PM EDT reply actions

Lillibridge hit in college and the low minors.

He was never a no bat.

Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.

Panthers '010: Save the Richardson family coffers! We'll take the winning if we stumble into it.

by MichaelProcton on Jun 11, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Nothing to lose with this...

Many players revert to pitching when they don’t make it as position players. Better than trying the other way around.

"Just because we fall from a different tree,
doesn't mean we're not created equally"

by deester11 on Jun 11, 2010 4:15 PM EDT reply actions

Any word on if their other 2nd rounder and 3rd rounder is getting close on deals to join with these who have signed already.

by LakersMania on Jun 11, 2010 4:16 PM EDT reply actions

It’s a good move. Get the kid signed, let him try to hit, if he succeeds, great, if he fails, get him on the mound. The Red Sox did this with Casey Kelly and it’s working out great.

I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Jun 11, 2010 4:23 PM EDT reply actions

I concur

by Mr. Sanchez on Jun 11, 2010 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I like that outlook.

by hollerin' brave on Jun 11, 2010 4:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Medlen

He was drafted as a SS but his bat didn’t work out so he moved to the mound and has been great since.

by Jay212033 on Jun 11, 2010 4:53 PM EDT reply actions

He never played SS as a professional. He was a pitcher from day 1. He was a SS in college, but the Braves never thought he could play there professionally.

I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Jun 11, 2010 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Why do they say he has no bat?

I know it’s Juco, but he seemed to hit well. .420 ba, 7 2b, 6 hr in 72 at bats along with 10 for 11 in steals. Maybe he can be a replacement for Elvis Andrus.

by danielduello on Jun 11, 2010 5:26 PM EDT reply actions

here's his BA scouting report

Like Connors State outfielder Marcus Knecht, Simmons is an Oklahoma junior college player who went from obscurity to scouts’ must-see lists. Simmons turned down small bonus offers to sign out of Curacao at age 16, and that would have spelled the end of any professional baseball hopes if Western Oklahoma State coach Kurt Russell hadn’t seen him on a Caribbean scouting trip. He’s the best defensive shortstop in the draft, an athletic 6-foot-1, 180-pounder with a cannon for an arm and plus actions and instincts. In fact, some teams might be more tempted to draft him as a pitcher, because he has run his fastball up to 95 mph and flashed a mid-80s slider in limited action. That decision became even more difficult when he missed a month with a broken toe. Simmons’ righthanded swing is long, but he makes enough contact and has pop to go with his average speed. He might not provide a huge impact with his bat, but he should hit more than enough to make keeping his glove in the lineup worthwhile. Simmons is only a freshman, but he’ll turn 21 in September and needs to start his pro career.

by telemakhos on Jun 11, 2010 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it’s mostly his long swing that scares people off a little

by telemakhos on Jun 11, 2010 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions

If he’s really a plus-plus defender at SS like people are saying he wont need to hit that much. Like the guy above said, his stats suggest he has some kind of a bat.

by chopc on Jun 11, 2010 5:41 PM EDT reply actions