Written by Greg Fertel | 31 January 2008

We round out our discussion with some more specific questions. The cast: Mike A. of River Ave Blues Pablo Zevallos of Yankees: Looking for the Future Mike Ashmore of Mike Ashmore’s Thunder Thoughts And your Pending Pinstripes crew. You’re Brian Cashman in the 2007 draft. Do you select Andrew Brackman? If not, who do you select and why? Pablo – “I would select Brackman. Pitching depth in the system is incredibly deep, as by the time all of the veteran's contracts expire, there will be enough spaces for the younger players/prospects, many of whom are turning out nicely. The way things are turning out, there are more prospects than spots, so there is no need for a player who will develop quickly, someone Brackman is not.” Mike Ashmore - “I take Brackman. Brackman never would have been there if not for the injury, and the Yankees certainly have the pitching depth in the organization where waiting a year for him to pitch isn't going to hurt them at all. Considering's Cashman's position to hang onto his prospects over the past few years, it was a pick the Yankees could finally afford to make.” Mike A. – "Oh, absolutely. When a player with that kind of ceiling falls into your lap with the 30th pick, you have to go for it. Yes it sucks that he needed Tommy John surgery, but I'd rather wait a year for a potential superstar than have a solid player now. Josh Smoker and Michael Burgess are the only other players I would have seriously considered at that pick, and probably would have gone with Burgess." Ashish - "No, I would select Josh Smoker, the high school pitcher who was selected right after Brackman in the draft. Not only does he have excellent control, but he also owns an excellent mid-nineties fastball. He's 6'2, 190 pounds and will only get bigger and stronger as he continues to fill out his body. And after all, he's an elite lefty, something the Yankees lack in their system." Eric - "On draft day, I was upset that the Yanks didn't take Matt Harvey, but after seeing how he didn't sign and hearing some questions about his mechanics by Carlos Gomez, I'm happy with Brackman. As Lane Meyer of nomaas.org pointed out, Brackman is a one of a kind talent, a very athletic, very tall pitcher who can hit the high 90's and already has a great curveball. This kind of athlete is worth the risk in my mind, so I'm happy to risk seeing him come back from TJ." Me - "I agree with everything said on Brackman. The Pirates have been burned over the past few years when they try to take the "save college pitcher" route. In reality, there is no such thing as a truly safe bet in the pitching market, so you might as well aim high. As far as ceilings go, you don't get much better than Andrew Brackman." Prylis Cuello or Abraham Almonte?

Pablo – “Both are extremely raw and projectable, but I'll lean towards Almonte, since there isn't much OF depth in the system.”

Mike Ashmore – “I've got to go with Almonte. I haven't been fortunate enough to see either play, but it looks like Almonte has more potential to hit for a better average and more power, and has some nice versatility as well.”

Mike A. – “Abe, he does more things better.”

Ashish – "Abe Almonte, he has the better tools."

Eric - "Almonte by a little bit, as I think he has the tools to be a more complete ballplayer, and he is about 6 months younger." Me - "Almonte. Agreed on everything, though Cuello could very well become quite the slugger."

Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes?

Pablo - “Joba--I may be one of the few who think that injury concerns aren't a particular problem with Joba--he's dropped significant amounts of weight, and he has very good mechanics (for what I hear). Joba's two (going on three?) plus pitches are better than Hughes's two. Joba is superior in stuff, strikeouts, and hittability, and, from what we saw last year in the majors, the control is a crapshoot between the two. That said, both will be very good/excellent pitchers for a long time.”

Mike Ashmore - "The most difficult of these questions for me, because I feel like they're two pretty different pitchers. Both absolutely dominated in Trenton, but Chamberlain certainly made the bigger impact in the Bronx. But I wonder how much Hughes early season injury took away from his ability to do the same. Right now, I'll go with Joba, but I think the answer could be different come next year."

Mike A. – “I'm still a Hughes man. Maybe reality just hasn't hit me yet.”

Ashish - "Hughes. He'll be throwing 95-96 next year and he's gonna be a horse. I have to see what Joba does in the starting role before I can pick Joba over Phil."

Eric - "Hughes by a hair, as I still believe he will get his big fastball back. I love Joba though, and think they could both become ace pitchers." EJ - "My heart says Chamberlain but my brain still says Hughes. I absolutely love Joba Chamberlain and think that he's a top prospect, but he's only been dominant for the past year. He could very well wake up and go back to being the "Sidney Ponson-wannabe" that he was two years ago. Its great to have them both though" Austin Jackson or Jose Tabata? Pablo – “AJax--he's a surer bet once his tools translated into success last year. If Tabata develops good power this year, though, I might lean towards Tabata.” Mike Ashmore - "Jackson. The guy is a premiere athlete and seems to have finally put everything together. If anything, I think that a sort of healthy competition between the two this season will make both of them better." Mike A.– “Tabata. I think Jackson has the greater upside and has a chance to do more things at an elite level, but there's more risk involved. Tabata's done nothing but hit since Day 1, injured or not. His upside is pretty significant in it's own right, but I think he's a safer bet.” Ashish - "Tabata. Jose has put up numbers all throughout his hitting career while AJax has had only three months of hitting prosperity. Although it is encouraging, I need to see more of the new AJax to take him over JT." Eric - "Tabata by a nose, as he's younger and has a longer track record of performance. However, if Jackson picks up where he left off in Hawaii, that might quickly change." Me - "I'm still with Jose Tabata. I agree with what Mike said for the most part - Jackson showed some awesome stuff in Tampa this year, but the same size is still relatively low. He could very well have just had a hot streak that won't be repeated. Tabata is a safer bet."

Scott Patterson or Edwar Ramirez?

 Pablo – “Edwar--he's the younger of the two Indy leaguers, and his changeup is a plus plus pitch. He can add a little frame to get some juice on his FB, and I think he can add another pitch (curve?). Patterson is in his prime as we speak, and won't be around for long.”

Mike Ashmore - “Scotty P, no question. I cover independent ball as well, and was actually in Lancaster when Scott found out he'd been signed by the Yankees. He came into the press box and went onto my laptop to get the e-mail with directions to Trenton from his agent. I actually had a Thunder roster in my bag and showed him who he'd be playing with. I think he's the next Edwar with better stuff. He doesn't necessarily use his height to his advantage as much as people might think or hope, he's not the most imposing presence on the mound. He also has a somewhat unconventional follow-through, and there might be concerns with mechanics, although you can't argue with his numbers so far."

Mike A. – “My heart says Patterson, but my head says Edwar. I'll take my chances with the guy who has an 80 pitch.”

Ashish - "Patterson. Edwar has an excellent changeup. That's it. Hitters will adapt and sit on the fastball every time. Patterson has more of an arsenal, and he keeps his walk totals low. I think he'll be the better reliever."

Eric - "Edwar. I believe in the nasty changeup, and think he can learn to gain confidence in his fastball. Patterson seems to be mostly a 1-pitch pitcher but doesn't throw hard enough to be successful at the major league level with just his fastball." Me - "I'm an Edwar guy. People say that he doesn't have the fastball to be successful, but that just empircally isn't true. He has plenty of velocity (low 90s, high 80s) - his problem is a lack of command. Ron Guidry didn't seem to do the best job keeping young pitchers on track last year, but when Edwar was in the minors and under control, he was an absolute monster. He was the most prolific strikeout pitcher in the minors in 2007." Francisco Cervelli - Great catcher or Greatest Catcher Ever?

Pablo – “I think Cervelli has plus defense, and although he hasn't shown much power, he has improving contact skills and solid on-base skills. If he adds some power (12-15 HR power)--well, you never know.”

Mike Ashmore – “I feel like I'm on The Colbert Report all of a sudden. I'm not believing the hype just yet. Dioner Navarro was hyped to death when he was in Waterfront Park, and he doesn't exactly have a spot waiting for him in Cooperstown. I'm very excited to get a chance to see his kid play with my own eyes, but until I do, I'm not going to annoint him Jorge Posada's heir apparent.”

Mike A. – “Ha, neither. Good defense-first backup. There's not nearly enough offensive potential for me to get excited about him, even for a catcher.”

Ashish – “Neither. Good defensive backstop. Not enough offense to warrant a starting job.”

Eric - "Right now a great backup, but could become an average regular if his bat continues to progress. I am a big fan of his defense." Me - "I'm pretty high on Cervelli. A great defensive catcher only needs to be an average MLB hitter in order to be an asset, and Cervelli looks to be a Jason Kendall type with the bat."

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