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Personally I like Richie Shafer. Some of the draft experts believe he may be the best hitter of this years class. If he was a superior athlete at a glove position he'd probably go higher. Prospect Insider has him sitting at #11 and listed as a 3rd baseman, but really he's a 1st baseman who plays the position with zeal. lots of diving stabs on grounders and things like that.
And you know, we've talked about organizational depth at the first base position. I know the M's won't take him at #3, but he's a guy I'll be following. Lot's of people are saying Oakland because he fits the "proverbial Oakland modus operandi" of high OBP guy with contact and power potential.
My question is, are the M's going to be a team that collects talent, or are they going to try to reload with fresh talent on an annual basis? I guess that available funds will more than likely dictate the "operational dynamics" of the team later on down the road.
When the M's become a better team, and we're drafting towards the middle and lower end, I'd expect draft strategy to change. This year however, I'm expecting the same as last year. Going for the best available talent, and ignoring the lotto tickets and highest perceived ceilings. Unless of course the front office is crazy about Buxton and he's available.