The Pittsburgh Pirates Need a Shortstop of the Future, the 2012 Draft Has ‘Em

The Pittsburgh Pirates pissed you off this year, didn’t they?

Would you like some good news about last season?  Hell yeah – sure you would!  The Bucs will pick in the number eight spot in the 2012 June MLB Amateur Draft.  They should also get a couple supplemental picks, too.

We know what you’re thinking.  Hey, man, it’s really early to be thinking about June especially after the snow that arrived last night.  But just trust us on this… looking ahead to June might be worth it.  We know it’s worth your time to take a look at a  few dynamic players on a day like this.

The first player up is one that some mock drafts have going at the bottom of the first round while we think his stock will rise this year.  There is still baseball to be played before the draft hits, so who knows, things change, but we think a shortstop just might be coming Pittsburgh’s way in looking at a draft filled with talent at the position.

The Bucs could grab Carlos Correa with their first pick. Some believe that he compares to another shortstop the Pirates were checking out in the past– Manny Machado. Both are similar in size, with Correa checking in at 6’3″ or 6’4″ depending on what you read.  One concern might be Correa could get too big for the shortstop position and might need to slide over to third.

Correa’s upside really lies in his bat. He’s fast.  His soft hands do bad things to baseballs when he lets them.  Some believe Correa won’t rise through a system without some patience, but when it’s all said and done, he looks like a tremendous prospect.

Oh yeah, he will be 17 on draft day, too.  Wipe that grin off your face.

Don’t care for the upside of a 17-year old, you say?

Deven Marrero of Arizona State might be a safer pick.  Some scouts feel he will be the best defensive shortstop in the draft, with a bat that isn’t shameful, but his offensive ceiling seems a bit more limited.

Marrero was the all-leather defensive player of the year in the PAC-10.  His bat isn’t too far behind; if you watch him in the videos below you will see some great plate awareness.

He is polished and hit nearly .400 in 2010.  He keeps his strikeouts low and unlike Correa, is more traditional in size for a shortstop at 6’-1”, 190.

While playing with Collegiate Team USA, Marrero had 19 hits with five doubles and six steals while playing in 14 games.  He also drove in 14 teammates.

If you’re short on time, cue this up to about 3:10 as Marrero works the hell out of this lefty in the beginning of the video.  The second half is at Fenway Park, where you see more of the solid plate awareness by Marrero.

Scout.com

We might take a peek at the other shortstops in the draft sometime this weekend.