Rockies Take High School Lefty
With other teams scared off by an expected hefty signing bonus expectation, the Rockies took advantage of their 11th pick in the first round on Tuesday.
The Rockies selected left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek of Capistrano Valley (Ca.) High School. Matzek was ranked the second best player in California, and some teams actually had him No. 2 overall. Baseball America listed him as the eighth best prospect in the draft.
Matzek reinforced his draft status during the high school playoffs with a fastball that hit 97-98 miles per hour.
He is the first high school pitcher the Rockies have taken in the first round since Matt Harrington, who turned down a $4 million offer as the seventh selection overall in 2000.
This is from Baseball America’s predraft story:
According to multiple team sources, several of the draft’s best high school players blew them away when they revealed their price tags. California lefthander Tyler Matzek, the best prep prospect in the draft, wants “precedent-setting money,” which is interpreted to mean that he wants to surpass the record $7 million guarantee for a high schooler given to Josh Beckett and Rick Porcello. Texas righthander Shelby Miller, previously believed to be signable for around MLB’s bonus recommendations, is asking for $4 million.
The amount of money he wants concerns me, but I’m going to have faith in the front office that they wouldn’t have drafted him if they didn’t think they could sign him. I’m impressed they went for the best player though and didn’t draft a lesser and cheaper player.
I like it! He’ll look good in the rotation next year!
I’m not quite sure how I feel about this pick right now. Ask me in about four years.
Kyle I think it will be a little more than a year.
Think that the Rocks are going to play real hardball with this kid on the money. They have the 32nd and 33rd selections, so they are probably going to tell him that they won’t be upset if they sign those picks and get the 12th pick in next year’s draft in exchange for not signing him.
From Matzek’s perspective, a failure to sign would mean he’d have to commit to three more years of college ball before being eligable. That’s a lot of risk when the Rocks will have millions on the table.
These kids forget the economy. If he has to wait, I think he will regret it economically not to mention risk of injury, etc. The odds of a pitcher throwing hard staying injury free…….
Sorry just noticed another Jeff….
I think there is always a risk with giving these guys too much money. It’s not their fault for asking for the money, its the system and the way it is set up. I am not too familiar with the slotting system as of yet, perhaps someone can explain it. I think its going to take a bit for the players and the owners to really agree with a different type of system. It is a free market, so if the teams think the players are worth it, then pay it, but without even collegiate experience hard to justify to me these millions they get.
I think having this kid in the majors next year is not very likely. Especially, since his signing will probably go down to the August 15th deadline. But, 2011 could be realistic. If he pans out, there could be a rotation of Jiminez, Chacin, Friedrich, Matzek, and Morales/Hammel. That leaves Cook and Francis out, but we’ll see. Regardless, the future is bright for the Rockies in terms of young players.
Does anybody else like what Hammel has done so far? Granted, he has not pitched well at home and that needs to improve, but he has shown some maturity, I think.
If you want the high-ceiling guys instead of those who project to #4 starters, you have to pay a little. The guys who make it, well, you get to tell them what they’re making the first 3 years of their MLB career.
And it’s not as if the Rockies don’t have something to lose. They have the other two picks, but Matzen is the most highly regarded lefty in the draft, a guy with the potential to be a no. 1 starter. If he’s not reasonable, what can you do. But you’ve got to make a good faith effort to sign him.
If he doesn’t sign until the Aug 17 deadline, 2011 seems a bit early since he likely won’t pitch professionally this season. Which is just as well–teams don’t like to give young pitchers heavy workloads anymore. He doesn’t turn 19 until October, so he’d still be just 21 in 2012.
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