June 08--The White Sox will have a hard time topping their 2014 haul when the draft begins Monday, but general manager Rick Hahn said he feels good about netting a valuable player with the No. 8 pick.
The Sox were thrilled last year with their class, which included No. 3 overall pick Carlos Rodon, now a member of their major-league rotation, and a promising second-round pick in high school right-hander Spencer Adams.
The Sox's 2015 draft class will look different, not only because their first-round selection has dropped to No. 8. They also sacrificed their second- and third-round picks this winter to obtain free agents David Robertson and Melky Cabrera, who each declined qualifying offers from their former clubs. The Sox aren't scheduled to pick again until the fourth round, at No. 112.
Doug Laumann, director of amateur scouting, said his team has been running through mock drafts to see who might be available for the Sox's first-round pick. He said a college pitcher could be their most likely scenario, and the Sox have been linked in outside mock drafts to Vanderbilt right-hander Carson Fulmer, Missouri State right-hander Jon Harris, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Dillon Tate and Illinois left-hander Tyler Jay, among others.
Laumann said most of the premium position players are expected be taken earlier than No. 8, though the Sox are prepared for the possibility one might slip. He mentioned high school catcher Tyler Stephenson as a player they have scouted, and catching is an area of need.
"We feel like picking three last year we were certainly able to get a little bit better handle on what we were going to get versus this year at eight," Laumann said. "Just a little bit more work, a little bit more preparation, but ultimately we hope there's a good player there."
As for the rest of the draft, Hahn said the Sox will look to find steals in the later rounds, mentioning players such as Marcus Semien and Micah Johnson, who were sixth- and ninth-round picks, respectively.
"There have been valuable guys a little bit deeper outside those first few rounds," Hahn said. "In some ways, it's a little more pure scouting or old-school scouting. There's no economic element when you start going deeper in the draft. Our area guys in particular get kind of excited by finding someone that we can take later, who then becomes a valuable guy for us."
Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell contributed.
