As we approach the beginning of the 2012 MLB Draft (which begins at 7:00 p.m. on Monday), Jim Callis' latest mock has the Pirates taking a player they've never been connected to before, outfielder David Dahl.
The early rumors that Pittsburgh coveted a shortstop and would take Arizona State's Deven Marrero have died out. Fried might be the only player left from a clearly defined top eight, thought the Pirates seem to prefer a bat. Unless Almora or Zunino gets here, they could opt for high school outfielders Courtney Hawkins (Texas) or David Dahl (Alabama) if they had to have a bat. The Bucs are also the earliest destination for Mississippi State righthander Chris Stratton.
I appreciate that Dahl isn't Marrero, and I like that he's a hitter, but he also would seem to be a bit of a reach. Most mocks have him going in the teens, usually the late teens. Jonathan Mayo compares him to Johnny Damon, only without Damon's power. That's fine, but to be very honest, if the first seven picks play out the way Callis imagines they will, I'd rather the Pirates just took Max Fried. Fried is a pitcher, and he has less of a chance of reaching his ceiling than Dahl does, but that ceiling is much higher.
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