16th Overall: Dodgers Select LHP Chris Reed
The LA Dodgers, filled with ownership problems, but booming with minor league talent. They added to their prospect pool with the left-handed relief pitcher from Stanford Chris Reed. Reed stands at 6’4 and is a mid-90’s flamethrower with some potential on his secondary pitches. Reed has a slider and change-up that could be developed into excellent pitches.
This season with Stanford, Reed had a record of 6-2, an ERA of 2.80, and a 47 to 13 strikeout/walk ratio. Much like the 15th pick Jed Bradley, Reed is a big power pitcher. Take a look at your 2011 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, flip to the College Top 100 and see where Reed is ranked. He is not on the list. A surprise pick to me at least. Maybe the Dodgers thought they could get him to sign easily, despite being a Boras client.
Our good friends over at LasordasLair.com had this to say about the pick –
So the Dodgers just drafted a college closer who they think might convert to a starting pitcher. Sound familiar? Josh Lindblom was in the same situation and it took switching him from starter to reliever and back about 6 times before they finally left him as a reliever. There was a lot of higher ranked talent on the board, According to Scout.com and their top 100 draft prospects, the Dodgers just added the 54th best prospect at pick 16. Thanks for the slot Frank you are free to leave anytime you wish.
It’s certainly a tough road ahead transitioning to starter, but the Dodgers hope they can make that happen. This was the surprise pick of the first round for me. As always, we will make sure to keep you posted on his progress.