With the 2010 MLB Amateur Players Draft roughly 2 months ago we now know how it will affect the 2011 UVa Baseball team. Of the returning players drafted all but two signed professional contracts and will no longer don the orange and blue Virginia Cavaliers jersey. While I don't know all of the incoming first years it appears that Coach O'Connor will only lose one pitcher. These are their stories:
3rd year Jarrett Parker was drafted in the 2nd round and the 74th pick overall by the San Francisco Giants. Parker becomes the highest drafted player since Sean Doolittle was drafted in the sandwhich round in 2007. He signed is official deal with the Giants today and I am hearing he will get roughly $700,000 for a signing bonus. Not a bad payday. I don't expect Jarrett to have to play anywhere this summer but will probably just report to the Giants training facility and play in the instructional fall league this fall.
Phil Gosselin was drafted in the 5th round(164th) by the Atlanta Braves and has been tearing it up for the low-A Rome Braves since late June. He is currently batting .318 with 55 hits in only 46 games with the Braves. Unfortunately I don't think Phil will get moved up to High-A Myrtle Beach this year even though I think he deserves it. I imagine he will probably start out in Myrtle Beach next year and might move up to AA Mississippi quickly in 2011.
Also selected in the 5th round(167th) by the Florida Marlins was 3rd year Robert Morey. Bob reported to camp in Florida and was immediately sent to Greensboro to play for the Low-A Grasshoppers in the same league as Phil. Morey appears to be in the same boat as Phil since he has pretty gaudy numbers but hasn't gotten much love from the big club. They have him on a pretty strict pitch count and hasn't been able to go more than 4 IP in any of his starts. He is 0-2 but only has a 2.36 ERA and has 25 K's in 26.2 IP.
The 10th round saw 3rd year closer Kevin Arico drafted(307th) by the Cincinnati Reds. Kev has been struggling a little bit with a 6.43 ERA and an 0-3 record in 15 games this summer. I can't really attribute much of this to Kevin's talents because he pitched a hell of a lot for the Cavs down the stretch this year and is probably feeling the effects now.
3rd year Dan Grovatt was selected in the 11th round(327th) by the Pittsburgh Pirates. I actually expected Dan to return to the Cavs this year since it was taking so long to reach a deal with the Bucs. Last Friday they came to terms and Grovatt was sent to State College to apparently be the DH for the rest of the season for the Low-A Spikes.
The 1st 4th year taken in the draft was Tyler Cannon who was drafted in the 12th round(360th) by the Cleveland Indians. Cannon has been struggling since joining the low-A Mahonin Valley Scrappers with a .187 average in the 25 games he has played in. I like to be positive about my former teammates and also hope he's just a bit tired. I hope for a big rebound next year and hope Cannon can end the year in AA Akron where former Cavalier Matt Packer is and leading the minor leagues in ERA. A side note, for all you people in the DC metro area, Packer will be pitching next week against the Bowie Baysox, where another former Cavalier, Greg Miclat plays.
The final Cavalier to be drafted and sign was 4th year Neal Davis. Neal was drafted in the 36th round(1,101st) by the Philadelphia Phillies. Neal hasn't pitched very much this summer due to some minor arm troubles that have kept him off the bump. While writing this article I was able to get a hold of Neal who said that the minors were "a little bit different playing everyday, and it takes a little while to get used to but once you fall into a routine it's a lot of fun playing against some of the best players out there." Expect a big 2011 out of Neal who I think will revert back to his form he had in high school where he was the stud of Catonsville High like his old man Steve.
Two Cavs were drafted in the later rounds but have chosen to return Davenport for their senior seasons. 4th years Tyler Wilson and Kenny Swab will return to be two of the elder statesmen of the masters of Davenport.