A couple of Mock Drafts for your reviewable pleasure in advance of next Thursday night's (June 6) amateur draft:
Baseball America's Jim Callis: Jonathan Gray.
Rumors persist that the Astros might prefer to redistribute bonus-pool
money by striking a deal with one of the hitters, and owner Jim Crane
and GM Jeff Luhnow have been spotted scouting Moran. Most industry
sources, however, continue to believe the choice will come down to Gray
or Appel, whom Houston also considered with the No. 1 pick last year.
Scout.com's Kiley McDaniel: Mark Appel.
This week, I've been hearing the Astros current
posture is "exploring every alternative to Appel" and the buzz coming
out of Houston matches the deliberate, measured approach they took last
season to keep everyone in the dark, maximizing their negotiating
leverage with misdirection and hoping one of their targets blinks.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
