Post-Draft Coverage

By KYLE KEOUGH
Double Day AP

The season three amateur draft has come and gone, and as always, there was plenty of talent to be found. General Managers complained of a lack of blue-chip prospects in the draft, but some surprising slides led to what might someday turn out to be draft-day steals.

Let's take a look at just a small sampling of the draftees:

El Paso had center fielder Rolando Crespo fall to them at #24 in the first round, and the Sun Kings quickly scooped the 18-year-old up. He's still very young and inexperienced, but scouts feel he'll end up as a very good ML hitter with some speed. Double Day isn't exactly bereft of center fielders, but Crespo is a legitimate CF for the future who will hit well and play a second outfield. Good players like him are at a premium.

Al Rodriguez surprisingly went 12th to the Salt Lake City Trappers. Even though the youngster likely will have to shift from SS to another position, he is a bonafide top-5 talent with a very good bat--scouts rave about his power--and the makings of a good defensive player wherever he plays. There is certainly a shortage of shortstops in Double Day, so it's surprising nobody took a chance on Rodriguez earlier.

Witchita brought in LF Edge Elster at pick 13, and he looks to be an extremely durable player with a very solid bat for the White Stockings for seasons to come. Despite average power, Elster was ranked by scouts as one of the absolute best hitters in the draft, and with good reason.

Franchises were obviously scared with Andrew Cox's lackluster control - he slipped all the way to the San Francisco Seals at #15. Meanwhile, fellow blue-chip arm B.J. McIntosh was one of the big steals of the first round. Despite legitimate ace-caliber stuff, McIntosh dropped all the way to Baltimore at pick #21.