2011 Indians "Live" Draft Blog

UPDATE 748 p.m. EST:
The Cleveland Indians select shortstop Francisco Lindor with the 8th pick in the first round of the 2011 Draft.

This will be the final update for this blog as going forward all updates will be in separate posts for each pick and then a recap each day.


UPDATE 7:46 p.m. EST
Looks like the Diamondbacks are going to take Archie Bradley at #7, so with what is available it looks like Lindor or a college arm like Jungmann or Jed Bradley.


UPDATE 7:30 p.m. EST
With the Mariners taking lefty Danny Hultzen at #2, the entire first round is now out of whack and let the craziness begin.  Third baseman Anthony Rendon scared the Mariners off because of his medical, and there now appears that after five picks without being selected he may be there when the Indians pick.  This would create an interesting quandary for the Indians as do they take the highly regarded bat who is slipping, or do they stick to a guy like say Archie Bradley who it appears may be their top target? It is also possible that both go in the next two picks, which opens the door for Lindor or a guy like Baez shooting up the draft.  Intrigue!


UPDATE 7:00 p.m. EST
The Baltimore Orioles at #4 will have a big affect on what the Indians ultimately do with the #8 pick. The Orioles are linked heavily to both Archie Bradley and Jed Bradley, two players also heavily linked to the Indians. There is no question that it appears Archie Bradley will be the pick if he is there when the Indians pick, and there was talk earlier in the day the Orioles would pick him, but that appears to have cooled considerably and now the talk is they will take Jed Brantley or someone else.  This would be good news for Tribe fans as it would increase the likelihood that Archie Bradley slips to them.  If he doesn't then it still looks like a toss up that it will be one of Lindor, Starling, or one of the college arms like Jungmann or Jed Bradley.


UPDATE 5:18 p.m. EST
Less than two hours from the MLB Draft, things have been strangely quiet with regard to now only what the Indians may do at #8 but the draft in general.  Much different from last year, though I expect over the next two hours for some of the steam to pick up.

Some of the national pundits keep saying the Indians will take a college arm with the first pick, and while that is certainly a possibility, from the intel I have gathered from sources that is not the desired course of action for the team.  If the Indians draft a college arm it would mean one of the prep players they are considering for the first pick is off the board when they pick.  The Indians are likely to go upside/ceiling with the first pick if it is available, but in the scenario where their top two or three prep guys go off the board then one of those college arms certainly seems plausible.

Do not fret Tribe fans, because even if they do take a college arm with the first pick, they will continue to draft the best player available for the remainder of the draft and I hear will really look to be extremely aggressive later in the draft.

UPDATE 1:18 p.m. EST:
Kevin Goldstein just posted his final mock draft, and he has the Indians taking high school right-hander Archie Bradley at #8.  One note is that in his mock both prep outfielder Bubba Starling and shortstop Francisco Lindor were gone when the Indians selected.

So among the four big national pundits, both Keith Law and Baseball America say the Indians take Jed Brantley and both Jonathan Mayo and Kevin Goldstein say the Indians draft Archie Bradley.  Hey, at least they are all in agreement that it will be a Bradley that is chosen.  With the vote tied at 2-2, with myself as tiebreaker I say if Archie is there he is an Indian.

UPDATE 12:47 p.m. EST:
Some final mocks being posted this afternoon by some national guys. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has the Indians taking high school right-handed pitcher Archie Bradley with their 8th pick, while Baseball America has the Indians taking Georgia Tech left-hander Jed Bradley.  ESPN.com's Keith Law also has the Indians taking Jed Bradley, but Law also mentions that Texas right-handed pitcher Taylor Jungmann is a possibility and that Vanderbilt right-hander Sonny Gray was seriously considered but a high ranking Indians official nixed it.

It should be noted that while Baseball America and Law have the Indians taking Jed Bradley that high school right-handed pitcher Archie Bradley was already taken in both mocks when the Indians #8 pick came up.  Archie Bradley appears to be gaining significant steam not just with the Indians but other teams at the top of the draft, and it appears that if Archie Bradley is gone when the Indians pick they may react to it by going with the best upside college arm available.  The Indians are targeting upside/ceiling with the first pick, but it truly remains to be seen if there is interest, if any, by the Indians on Starling and Francisco Lindor.

UPDATE 9:48 a.m. EST:
Draft day is here.

And with that comes the insanity and whirlwind that comes from 50 new players selected to become Cleveland Indians and getting to know all of them even though likely only half will sign with the organization.

Today is all about the first round which kicks off at 7:00 p.m. EST tonight on live TV (MLB Network) in Secaucus, NJ. There will be lots of buzz all day with who does what, especially at the top of the first round with teams who have the first five or six picks. All of this obviously will have some affect on what the Indians ultimately do when it comes their time to select.

Here is what is known so far with regard to the Indians and teams selecting above them and just below them. This blog will continue to be updated throughout the day as new info comes in:

- MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo is reporting that the Pirates will take UCLA right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole with the first pick. No surprise here.

- As to what teams with the #2 to #7 picks do at this point is anyone’s guess, but third baseman Anthony Rendon, right-handed pitcher Dylan Bundy, and left-handed pitcher Danny Hultzen should all be long gone by the time the Indians select. So cross them off your lists.

- As for the Indians, they plan to be just as aggressive with the draft this year as they were last year and take the best talent available when they make each pick. They may not be as aggressive with signing picks this year (though that can change), but they certainly will be as aggressive with the draft itself this year and potentially even more aggressive this year than last year as we get deeper into the draft.

- With where the Indians are at as an organization with the strength of the farm system they do not need much depth at several positions and levels, so they can afford to be patient with longer term players who have significant upside/ceiling. That means you could very well see a strong influx of high schoolers and players with two years or less of college (similar to last year, but maybe even more).

- Even though the Indians may need some bats in the farm system, I expect a lot of the upside they draft to be of the pitching variety because of how extremely deep this draft is with high level arms. It is a very weak draft with upside bats, one of worst in years, so the options are limited.

- As for who they ultimately take with the #8 pick in the first round? The time appears right with the way the organization is setup to take some risk, and I believe they know that. Like with any team they have not said much on what specific players they may be targeting, but it really looks like they are going to target upside/ceiling with the first pick.

- Depending on how things shake out above them, that means it looks like they will draft one of the high school kids: outfielder Bubba Starling, shortstop Francisco Lindor, or right-handed pitcher Archie Bradley. I think many people would be happy if this does happen, especially if it is Starling or Bradley, and I believe it will.

More updates to come....check back as this blog will continue to be updated all the way up until the Indians pick tonight.

Jeff Ellis and Andrew Zajac contributed to this report

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

Posted in: 2011 Draft