| 07 June 2010
Grandal, 21, is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and hails from the University of Miami. This marks the second time in the last three years that the Reds have drafted a former Hurricane in the first round (Yonder Alonso in 2008). This also means Cincinnati has taken a catcher in the first round in two of the last four years (Devin Mesoraco in 2007). Before Mesoraco, the team had taken a catcher in the first round just twice in the organization's history (Dan LaMar in 1979 and Dan Wilson in 1990). Think about that for a second. So, they must really like Grandal.
Grandal is known as a solid defensive player who developed into a very good hitter with a lot of pop at the collegiate level. As a junior at Miami in 2010, he had a breakout year at the plate, batting .412 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. That earned him ACC Player of the Year honors. Grandal is also a switch hitter, although many believe he is much better from the left side of the dish.
Interestingly, ESPN's Keith Law projected Grandal to go fourth overall to the Kansas City Royals in his most-recent mock draft. Therefore, it looks like the Reds might have gotten themselves very good value here. (But like I blogged earlier today, Law originally predicted that Grandal would be a Red. More proof that people should usually go with their first reaction.)
As for Mesoraco, he is having a career season in the minors offensively, but he's getting a good chunk of his starts as a designated hitter. The club has never been enamored with his defense and that might be the reason they decided to draft Grandal just three years after taking Mesoraco. I thought Mesoraco's surge at the plate this year - at least when he was at high-A - might make them hold off on drafting a catcher so early.
There is also the chance that the Reds were ready to take Georgia Tech pitcher Deck McGwire who went 11th to the Blue Jays. Law's final mock had the Reds taking McGwire. However, maybe it's just the optimist in me, but I like the Grandal pick. You can never have enough pitching, but the Reds do have a lot of it in the stable. And most of them are young guns. Mike Leake and Aroldis Chapman are only 22, while Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey are just 24. (And Edinson Volquez is 26.) So, if any team could afford to pass on pitching in the first round, it was the Reds. (Wow, did I just write that?)
If Grandal ends up locking down the Reds' starting catching job for years to come, we're going to look back on this as a great pick. There is already talk that signability might be a problem, but the Reds' front office has proven in recent years they are willing to invest in young talent, whether that means signing their draft picks, or signing young international free agents from places like Cuba, Dominican Republic and Venezuela (17-year-old OF Yorman Rodriguez appears to be a great find out of the latter nation). It's been a complete change in philosophy for the Reds in Latin America and it's going to pay off in the future.
As for Grandal? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. A lot of first-round MLB draft picks never make it, but hopefully he will have a long and productive career in the Queen City. This team has been waiting for their "catcher of the future" for a long time. I think that person is Ryan Hanigan, but he's already pushing 30 and the organization at least needs quality depth at the position. I'm not crazy about the pick, but overall I like it. Solid. Alex Wimmers would have been an enticing option though.
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