John Sickels' new 2012 MLB Mock Draft for SB Nation's MinorLeagueBall.com imagines a scenario many Pirates fans would be pleased to see. The Seattle Mariners, at No. 3, select Carlos Correa, causing a chain reaction that results in University of Florida catcher Mike Zunino falling to the Pirates at No. 8.
Mike Zunino, C, University of Florida: This one is hard to get a handle on. Rumors persist that the Pirates like Deven Marrero, but his bat just isn't good enough with the talent still left on the board. Zunino also plays a premium defensive position, and he's not Tony Sanchez. Lance McCullers also fits into recent Pittsburgh draft philosophy.
If Zunino falls to the Pirates, I would hope it would be an easy decision, unless of course it's a very strange scenario in which Zunino and another top player fall.
I've never heard the Pirates connected to Lance McCullers before. He's a high school pitcher from Florida who throws very hard. Like a lot of high-school pitchers, he's still working on a changeup. He also doesn't have great command yet, and he isn't particularly tall at 6-foot-1, so he might be a reliever in the long term. He also has what looks like a high-effort delivery. He's a good prospect, but I'd be disappointed if the Pirates took him.
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