John Delcos of The Journal has a list of all 20 draft picks that were signed by the Mets today. One of those 20 was Southpaw Jim Fuller, who the Mets selected in the 21st round. David Pinto of Baseball Musings went to see Fuller pitch and provides this video of the young hard thrower.

For more on Fuller go to Baseball Musings.com

According to Jon Heyman from Sports Illustrated, the Mets have come to terms with first round pick SS Reese Havens on a $1.4 million dollar bonus.  Heyman adds that $1.4 million is roughly slot money for where Havens was taken, 22nd overall.   

Also, according to Heyman the Mets are close to signing 33rd overall pick Brad Holt.  They are also into negotiations with their fourth pick Javier Rodriguez, while they have not begun negotiations with Ike Davis.  Davis was their first pick in the draft, 18th pick overall.  Davis and Arizona State Sun Devils have been playing in the College World Series

For Fox Sports, Frank Piliere of Scouts.com conducted a draft mailbag, where he answers a number of questions about the recent MLB draft.  He was asked two questions about the Mets, the first one asking why the Mets avoided high end high school players in favor of college talent. 

Piliere responded:

I think the Mets did what they had to do, and that was get some guys that could immediately improve their system. Reese Havens and Ike Davis are really two of the best college bats out there and Mets’ fans should be thrilled by that haul. This wasn’t a year for the Mets to be risky and take a high school player who could blow up in their faces. They increase their odds that at least one of these two guys will make a big impact for them. You also have to consider when a team has two picks in the first round it is hard to just ignore the slotting rules. You’d find yourself spending an awful lot just in the first round.

Pilliere was also asked if the selection of Ike Davis means that the Mets are giving up on 1B Mike Carp, to which he replied that ideally the Mets move Davis to the OF and having a guy like Carp likely did not affect their decision making.

In a separate column for Scout.com, Piliere writes about the draft winners and gives them draft grades.  He gives the Mets a B, and notably talks about some of the Mets later round draft picks:

The Mets have to be thrilled that Josh Satin fell to them at the 194th overall pick, as he profiles as a big hitting middle infielder. It was quite a surprise to see him fall that far. Mitch Houck, the 524th overall pick, could surprise some Mets fans with his performance as the left-hander is the owner of a sharp cutter that could give hitters problems at any level.

Well, probably like most people I have never seen these guys play other than a few highlights I’ve caught online.  I’ve read good things about Davis and Havens, especially Havens.  If he could move to catcher like so many people have speculated that could be a nice steal. 

And I agree with Piliere that it would’ve been a mistake to shoot for the stars with high end high school talent, when we have a system that is so depleted like ours is you have to fill it with guys that are better now and have proven themselves more.

Plus, everybody talks about the top few picks and analyzes those so it’s nice to read about Satin and Houck.  This draft is so long, and who knows about these guys that could surprise you as stars from late round (see Mike Piazza: drafted in the 62nd round). 

Jim Callis of Baseball America has just posted his new list of the Mets top 10 prospects, in a recent edition of Ask BA.

Here’s how the new list shakes out in light of the recent draft.

The Mets’ conservatism in the draft and their willingness to include prospects in trades for veterans has depleted their farm system. Coming into the season, we rated their minor league talent the 28th-best in the game, ahead of only the Astros and White Sox.

Armed with two extra picks as compensation for the loss of free agent Tom Glavine, New York was in position to add some talent via the 2008 draft. Assuming they sign all of their top choices, I see four of their recent draftees cracking a midseason Top 10 list:

1. Fernando Martinez, of
Still young and talented, but his lack of production may mean he’s overhyped.
2. Ike Davis, 1b
Hulking lefthanded slugger can handle the outfield and pitch, too.
3. Reese Havens, ss
More likely a third baseman or possibly a catcher, stands out with approach and pop.
4. Jon Niese, lhp
Quietly having success in Double-A at age 21, he owns three solid pitches.
5. Dan Murphy, 3b
Having a breakout year with a .325 average and eight homers in Double-A.
6. Mike Carp, 1b
Back on track in Double-A after slumping in 2007, he’s hitting .351 with nine homers.
7. Eddie Kunz, rhp
New York’s top 2007 pick has held his own in Double-A in his first full season.
8. Brad Holt, rhp
2008 supplemental first-rounder can touch 96 mph, needs a reliable second pitch.
9. Javier Rodriguez, of
2008 second-rounder is a lean athlete with speed and projectable power.
10. Nick Evans, 1b
Another Double-A masher (.295, nine homers), he destroys lefthanded pitching.

Four of the Mets 2008 picks crack the list and a few new names appear, Dan Murphy and Nick Evans, who had a cup of coffee with the Mets recently.

For more questions and answers with Jim Callis, including one about why the Mets should have selected Friedrich and Gillespie at #22 and #33 instead of Havens and Holt, head over to Baseball America.

John Manuel rated the Mets top 10 prospects prior to the Mets draft on Baseball America, and Jim Callis commented on them as follows:

Prior to the Johan Santana deal Manuel rated Deolis Guerra (No. 2), Carlos Gomez (No. 3), Kevin Mulvey (No. 4) and Philip Humber (No. 7).

1. Fernando Martinez, of
So far ahead of the rest of the system, but still a long way from his ceiling.
2. Eddie Kunz, rhp
It’s not a good sign when a reliever from the most recent draft is your No. 2 prospect.
3. Brant Rustich, rhp
It’s worse when a reliever from the most recent draft is your No. 3 prospect as well.
4. Jon Niese, lhp
Young lefty with solid stuff will pitch in Double-A at age 21.
5. Nathan Vineyard, lhp
Sandwich pick last June has the potential for three average or better pitches.
6. Robert Parnell, rhp
Gets whiffs with his fastball and slider, but must refine his changeup to stay a starter.
7. Joe Smith, rhp
Sidearm reliever made his big league debut 10 months after getting drafted.
8. Scott Moviel, rhp
He’s 6-foot-11 and already touches 94 mph, though his breaking ball needs work.
9. Danny Murphy, 3b
His third-base defense is an issue, but he has the second-best bat in the system.
10. Wilmer Flores, 3b/ss
Signed out of Venezuela for $750,000, he draws some Miguel Cabrera comps.

I’ve asked Jim to re-rank the top 10 in light of today’s picks and I will post them when he provides his list.

Baseball America had the Mets minor league system ranked 27, ahead of only the Tigers, Astros and White Sox prior to today’s draft.

The Mets selected RHP Brad Holt from the University of North Carolina, the 33rd overall pick, in compensation for losing Tom Glavine to the Braves.

From his UNC player profile…

2007: Named CAA Pitcher-of-the-Week (4/9) … Started 15 games … Fashioned 5-5 mark … Set career-highs with 53 strikeouts and 76.1 innings … Struck out career-high seven over seven innings of two-hit, shutout baseball at Hofstra (4/6) … Picked up win against nationally-ranked Texas Christian (2/24) … Held George Mason to one run on six hits in seven innings (5/19) … 2006: All-CAA Tournament … Made eight starts in 14 games … Limited VCU to two runs, one earned, in 8.2 innings in conference tournament … Drew opening game start in NCAA Regional against Winthrop … Fashioned 3-3 mark … Added wins against Duke and LaSalle … At Albemarle: NCPreps.com 1A All-State honors … Earned All-Watkin Valley Conference honors four times … Four-time All-County selection … Louisville Slugger Second-team All-America selection … Played in North Carolina State games … Listed as 19th best prospect in state by Impact Baseball and 26th by Baseball America … Four-year starter for Bulldogs … … Set school record with 404 career strikeouts … Coached by Gary Weiker … Personal: Full Name: Bradley David Holt … Born Oct. 13, 1986, in Albemarle, N.C. … Son of John David and Wanda Holt.

Scout.com had Holt as their 31st best prospect and wrote the following about him…

Holt continues to fly under the radar because he doesn’t pitch for a big program, but his big arm will likely fit nicely as a supplemental round pick.

ESPN.com projects him as a reliever, in the setup role…

Holt shows consistent arm strength and holds it through his starts as well as any starter in this draft, sitting 93-96 mph every week from his first inning to his last. The velocity is easy; the ball comes out of his arm well and has good downhill plane and some life to it. He pitches almost exclusively off his fastball, throwing offspeed stuff less than 25 percent of the time. His curveball, which has a short downward break and moderately tight rotation, is his best secondary pitch; it could become an average offering, but it’s a one-plane pitch. He has a changeup, but he guides this mediocre offering to the plate. He takes a long stride forward off the mound, holding his velocity even from the stretch when he doesn’t stay over the rubber at all, and has just a little bit of violence at the end when his head snaps slightly. If he had a better changeup or could handle a splitter — his arm slot might be too low for it — he’d have a chance to be a back-end starter. But as a one-and-a-half-pitch pitcher, he’s more likely to work in the bullpen when he reaches the majors.

The Mets select Reese Havens SS from the University of South Carolina.

Havens had a .359 average with South Carolina this year. The 6′1″, 195 lb shortstop could play catcher or shortstop as well.

Keith Law saw him play at the SEC tournament and said he ‘reads the ball well off the bat.’ and has ‘great instincts and feel for the game.’

MLB.com on Havens…

A legitimate prospect in high school, teams were scared off because of a strong commitment to South Carolina. He’s improved steadily in his three years there and has evolved into a good all-around hitter with outstanding plate discpline. He may need to move to third down the road because of his lack of range, but his smarts in the field may at least give him the opportunity to play his way off of short as a pro. At either spot, he’s sure to go off the board pretty quickly.

Jim Callis on a recent Baseball America chat regarding Havens…

There are a lot of Reese Havens arguments around, both in the BA offices and among teams. Basically, those who have seen him in the spring (area scouts, my BA brethren) have been less than impressed. Those who saw him make adjustments in the Cape last summer (mostly scouting directors and crosscheckers, whom I talked to while doing our Cape Top 30) are more impressed. The biggest thing working against him is that he can’t play shortstop at the next level. I see him going in the second or third round as a third baseman. Someone may try to make him a catcher.

From his University of South Carolina player profile…

Competed in 65 games with 65 starts at shortstop … Hit .274 (64-for-234) with 12 doubles, five HR and 43 RBI as well as one triple and 38 runs scored … Batted 2-for-3 with a run scored in 8-6 win over North Carolina at NCAA Super Regional (6/9) … Went 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI in 11-6 win over Charlotte (6/4) … 2-for-4 with three RBI in 9-1 win over Wofford in NCAA Regional (6/1) … 2-for-5 with three RBI in 13-7 win over Tennessee (5/13) … 4-for-5 performance with a double, home run and three RBI in 12-3 win over The Citadel (5/9) … 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, first multi-homer game of his career, in 11-9 win at Ole Miss (4/22) … 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored in 18-4 win over Auburn (4/15) … Career-high five hits including tying USC single-game school record with three doubles in 20-3 win over Mississippi State (3/23) … Four hits with a pair of RBI and one run scored in 13-5 win over Appalachian State (3/13) … Played in the summer and earned All-Star honors for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League

The Mets select Ike Davis 1B/OF out of Arizona State with the 18th overall pick. The Mets received this pick in compensation for losing Tom Glavine to the Braves.

MLB.com on Davis…

On radars since high school, when he was a 19th-round pick of the Rays in 2005, the son of ex-big leaguer Ron Davis has a sweet left-handed swing that should generate more power in the future. He’s not speedy, but he is a solid base runner and would be fine as a corner outfielder or first baseman at the next level.

Jim Callis of Baseball America on Davis…

One of the few first-round-caliber first basemen who has a chance to play a more difficult position.

From his Arizona State player profile…

Turned in another stellar season, earning First Team All-Pac-10 honors for the second straight season…was also named a Jewish Sports Review First Team All-American for the second consecutive year…Collegiate Baseball Third Team All-American…named to the All-Tempe Regional squad…appeared in 62 games, starting each one…batted .349 with eight homers and 61 runs batted in…also pitched in seven games, making one start…finished 1-1 on the mound with a 1.35 ERA…tied for the Pac-10 lead with 23 doubles and finished tied for fifth in the league with 83 hits…made the change from first base to outfield, throwing out four runners from right field…played for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod League during the summer, going 1-0 with a save without allowing a run in 2.2 innings and batting .246 in 16 games before a wrist injury ended his summer.

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UPDATE : The Mets select Ike Davis 1B/OF out of Arizona State with the 18th overall pick.

MLB.com on Davis…

On radars since high school, when he was a 19th-round pick of the Rays in 2005, the son of ex-big leaguer Ron Davis has a sweet left-handed swing that should generate more power in the future. He’s not speedy, but he is a solid base runner and would be fine as a corner outfielder or first baseman at the next level.

Jim Callis of Baseball America on Davis…

One of the few first-round-caliber first basemen who has a chance to play a more difficult position.

We will be watching the 2008 MLB Draft on ESPN 2 from 2-6 PM and discussing the event as it happens in the Hot Foot Bleachers. Join us for the live chat as we break down the picks and listen to what you have to say about them.

Here are some of the links around the blogosphere you’ll want to read to get familiar with the players and keep up with the news leading up to the 2PM draft.

• Mets Blog Live Blogs The Draft
• Baseball America’s Top 30 Prospects
• Baseball America Draft Blog
• MLB Trade Rumors
• MLB.com Draft Tracker
• MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo’s Draft Buzz
• Keith Law of ESPN’s First Round Projection
• Always Amazin Draft Preview
• Mets Merized Draft Wish List

ESPN’s Draft Preview

LIVE DRAFT CHAT