MLB Draft 2011 Update

Continuing to update things in advance of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft, kicking off on Monday, June 6, 2011, with the first and supplemental rounds...

The Hardball Times has a mock draft up that has the Texas Rangers taking high school outfielder Travis Harrison at #33.

Kevin Goldstein has a mock draft up that has the Texas Rangers taking Oregon State lefty Josh Osich at #33.  Goldstein says the Rangers have interest in Josh Bell, but are likely to wait on him rather than using a pick this high on him, especially in light of his reported $6 million asking price.  The risk to waiting, of course, is that a team like Tampa that has lots of first and supplemental picks could decide to take a flyer on Bell, offer him $2-2.5 million (which is upper-mid first round money), and take the compensation pick in next year's draft if he passes.

Goldstein also tweeted last night that Brandon Nimmo, who has been linked to the Rangers, has sent out a letter saying that his asking price is $3 million.  Goldstein also notes that Dan Vogelbach has sent a letter asking for $1.65 million, and Derek Fisher has sent one putting his price at $2.25 million..

To put the bonuses in perspective, from last year's first round and supplemental first round, only 5 players got at least $3 million, and only 15 players got at least $2 million.

Keith Law has reported (and ESPN Boston has corroborated) that Tyler Beede, a righthanded high school pitcher out of Massachusetts, has sent out a letter to area scouts saying that he is going to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt, and not to contact him.

Beede is ranked #35 on the Baseball America top 200 list, and BA says he gets good marks for his advanced command and feel for the game.  ESPN Boston and Law have noted that letters like Beede's are sometimes sent out when an organization has committed to overpay for a player that otherwise wouldn't drop far enough for the organization to grab that player, so that other organizations will pass on the player, allowing him to fall to the team that has made the pre-draft deal.