The Dodgers drafted five pitchers in the first 10 rounds of the 2012 MLB Draft, two of which profile as relief pitchers. Scott Griggs is the hardest thrower of the five, and could have a future at the back-end of a bullpen.

How He Got Here

Griggs was the Dodgers’ eighth-round selection in the 2012 MLB Draft and signed for $135,100, the recommended slot amount for the 266th overall pick. He attended UCLA and fared well as the team’s closer, as he struck out 64 in 37 1/3 innings in his junior season. Previously, he was drafted in the 34th round of the draft in 2009 by the Mariners, but he declined to sign.

In 2012, Griggs pitched at two levels of the minors in his debut season — Rookie League Ogden and Low-A Great Lakes. The 21-year-old pitched decently against slightly younger competition, posting a 14.7 K/9 and 4.1 H/9 in 11 innings. Unfortunately for Griggs, he also walked 6.5 batters per nine innings, which is one of the biggest question marks about him going forward. He was promoted to Great Lakes and his numbers suffered, as expected for a first-year player. The biggest thing that stands out is he walked 13 batters in 11 2/3 innings — something that won’t get it done for him in the future.

Vitals

Griggs is 6’4, 205 pounds, and the weight is probably pretty accurate. He has a good frame for a power reliever, and he could put on a little weight and not have to worry.

Repertoire

Griggs has a two-pitch arsenal — a fastball and power curveball.

When I saw him, his fastball sat in the 92-94 MPH range and touched 96. He can get a little wild with the pitch, but it’s a potentially plus pitch based on the velocity.

His curveball is a power breaker that sits in the upper-70s. It has sharp break and, while not as good as his fastball, is a swing-and-miss pitch. Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) pointed out that Griggs slows down his arm when he throws his curveball, which is something the minor-league pitching coaches will have to work to improve, as big league hitters — and good minor-league hitters — will pick up on that quickly.

He could add a third pitch down the road, but his two-pitch combination should be enough to get him through the minors. If he gets his command issues resolved, he could be a setup man and possibly close in a pinch.

Delivery

Griggs’ delivery is clean and smooth. He throws from the windup before there are any runners on base, which is not exactly surprising, as most relief pitchers these days throw exclusively from the stretch. There are no hitches or funk in his delivery. He delivers his pitches from a true overhand arm slot, helping him to get some nice downward movement on his fastball. He can bore it in on right-handers.

Grades

Conclusion

Griggs has the potential to be a late-inning reliever. His command and control are going to determine his future, but he has arm talent that can’t be taught. His mechanics are solid, so his control issues appear to be mental. If Griggs can be more efficient with his two-pitch mix, he could be — at worse — a setup man. If he has control issues throughout his career, the best he could hope for is a middle relief role.

=====

Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

The Dodgers have now signed 26 of the 41 players they selected in the 2012 MLB Draft. In addition to their names, information on the amount it took to sign them has been released as well.

=====
Details On The Previous 18 Signed Draft Picks Here
=====

Third rounder Onelkis Garcia, who demanded seven million dollars at one point, settled for below slot money at $382,200 ($420,300), which is a shocker to me. Fourth rounder Justin Chigbogu signed for slightly below slot as well at $250,000 ($305,700). Eighth rounder Scott Griggs settled for slot money at $135,100. Last time around, we didn’t know what seventh rounder Theo Alexander signed for, but now we know he took slot money at $144,600.

For those counting, that’s two picks in the bonus pool who are unsigned, first rounder Corey Seager and second rounder Paco Rodriguez. Due to four players signing below slot and only one player signing above (rest signed for slot), the Dodgers have a surplus of $301,500 in bonus pool money right now. That allows them to go $2,251,500 on Seager ($1,950,000 slot) or $912,300 on Rodriguez ($610,000 slot) and still stay within the bonus pool restrictions. Additionally, they can go over the bonus pool limits and tack on an additional $254,937 total on those guys and not lose a draft pick.

Others who signed include 15th rounder Dalton Von Schamann, 18th rounder Eric Smith, 21st rounder Jacob Scavuzzo, 25th rounder Daniel Coulombe, and 40th rounder Patrick Stover.

2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers Preview
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 1 – The 18th Overall Pick Is Corey Seager
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 1 – The 51st Overall Pick Is Jesmuel Valentin
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 2 – Rounds 2 Through 5
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 2 – Rounds 6 Through 10
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 2 – Rounds 11 Through 15
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 3 – Rounds 16 Through 25
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 3 – Rounds 26 Through 40

—–

Corey Seager is one of the prospects I wanted the Dodgers to draft, so needless to say, I was pleased when they did just that. He could end up as the top prospect in the system with his combination of developing power, one of the best swings in the pool, and defense that could be plus at third base. Signability is a minor concern, as he’s said to be asking for money over slot, but he seems excited about starting his professional career.

Jesmuel Valentin pairs athleticism, bloodlines, and versatility. A switch-hitter, he’s much better from the left than the right, but he’s only been at it for a year and it takes time to get the skill down. He should get a chance to stick at short, which would make sense given his draft position. I’m not as enthusiastic about him as Logan White seems to be though, because he sort of reminds me of Preston Mattingly in the sense that he’s an athlete but the eventual bat ceiling and defensive position are up in the air. He should sign, as both him and his dad sound ready for him to play professional baseball tomorrow.

Steven Rodriguez was an interesting pick in the second round as a reliever because I don’t think he was the best player available. However, he should sign, and that’s important given the Dodgers other picks and the modified draft rules. A player that should move fast, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him next year.

Onelkis Garcia‘s demand for seven million dollars is just amusing, but he’ll require over slot money to sign nevertheless. The upside is there as a starter, but he hasn’t been seen in a game for a while now. Just based on potential alone, I like this choice if he agrees to terms.

Justin Chigbogu was an interesting choice in the fourth round. Since he was taken so high, he should sign and be giving up football. If he can shed pounds and gain athleticism, which is realistic since he would no longer have to carry the bulk necessary to play defensive line, his entire profile as a prospect could change.

Ross Stripling is a senior in college, so I think this was about signability as much as talent. He appears to be a middling starter with average velocity, but a potential bullpen move could help his profile. Josh Lindblom-esque?

Joey Curletta is an upside bat with massive power. He’s likely limited to first base, but wow, the power is impressive. He’ll need to alter his swing a bit to make contact consistently, much less hit for average, but the potential is there.

Theo Alexander sounds like Joc Pederson but with bat questions, which makes me wonder about his professional prospects. The Dodgers obviously believe he will hit given his draft position, and that’s a good thing since his upside appears to be limited elsewhere.

Scott Griggs is another college reliever and he should move fast. I assume he signs since I can’t imagine his stock having helium even if he returns to college.

Zachary Bird is an athletic, right-handed, lanky high school pitcher with velocity upside if he fills out, all of which makes him a standard Dodgers choice. This hasn’t proven to be a bad thing over the years and I hope to monitor his development.

—–

The first ten selections that the Dodgers made in the 2012 MLB Draft shows a solid sample of the changes to the team’s draft approach this year. The Dodgers seemed to stray from their usual staple of hard throwing high school arms and instead focused on power bats with monster upside and college pitchers.

I didn’t like that they seemed to completely get away from taking prep pitchers with upside, instead seemingly opting for lower ceiling, lower floor collegiate arms, but I loved the emphasis on revitalizing the system’s position player drought. Whether they were targeted specifically or because they were the best players available, the picks did end up filling system needs that had been neglected for years.

Going forward, I hope they don’t completely go away from high school pitchers in future drafts, but on the strength of just this one class, I found a lot more to like than dislike.

ESPN‘s Kiley McDaniel says Dodgers first rounder Corey Seager has All-Star upside.

McDaniel: The Dodgers pop Corey Seager here, the brother of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, but Corey is bigger and more physical than his brother. Corey could be a tough sign here with a strong commitment to South Carolina, but you have to think the Dodgers are confident they can get him signed. Seager is a very projectable athlete that plays shortstop now but projects to move to third base, where his above-average hands, smooth feet and plus arm will make him an above-average defender. He shows an advanced feel for hitting with a sweet swing from the left side and average present raw power that could be plus as he fills out his broad shoulders, giving him All-Star upside if he develops as scouts project.

ESPN‘s Scouts Inc. agrees.

Seager has All-Star upside as a power-hitting third baseman who should offer plus defense at the position once he moves off shortstop.

The younger brother of current Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager, Corey is bigger at 18 than Kyle is today, so he’s likely to outgrow short as he fills out. He’s athletic and has great hands and an above-average arm, so he has a very good chance to end up offering plus defense overall. He’s an above-average runner who might drop to average when his body matures, but should retain that athleticism.

Seager’s swing has great hip rotation and he can drive the ball to the opposite field. He loads with his hands a little deep, not quite a full bar but enough to create some length to the ball, and keeps his weight back well, which allows him drive the ball the other way. If Seager will sign — he has a strong commitment to South Carolina — he should go in the last half of the first round, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him go before pick 20. In the event that he doesn’t sign, he’s got a good chance to become a top-five pick in 2015.

As far as him signing goes, Baseball Prospectus‘ Kevin Goldstein thinks he’ll require more than the allotted $1.95 million.

The Dodgers seemed to be focused on high school arms, but made a statement with Seager, who has a rumored price tag well over the slot of $1.95 million here. This is the first good sign for Dodgers fans about how things will work under new ownership.

As far as speculation that he will be a third baseman as a professional, Logan White doesn’t see what the rush is to move him off the position.

—–

Second round pick Steven Rodriguez could move quickly.

“I never try to put too much of a timeline on them, because a lot of times when guys make it to the Major Leagues, it’s based on club need and where ballclubs are at,” White said. “But I can certainly see him battling for a job here toward the end of the next year or the following year, because he’s that polished and he has that good of stuff.”

Rodriguez is considered by MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo as the prospect most likely to first arrive in the big leagues after Blue Jays first-round selection Marcus Stroman.

Rodriguez is the sort of polished veteran college pitcher that can jump into professional baseball and move up the ranks faster than most, White said.

Honestly, I don’t get what the rush is to get a contributing arm in the bullpen. It’s the one area I’m fairly confident that the Dodgers are deep at.

Perhaps they’ve completely lost confidence in Scott Elbert or something? Because this seemed like a pick for need more than best player available, despite what he says.

—–

Third round pick Onelkis Garcia is said to want seven million dollars to sign, but Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus doesn’t see him getting it.

The Dodgers take Onelki Garcia, last year’s weird Cuba story. He said he wants $7 million, he’s not going to get $7 million.

— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) June 5, 2012

Seems unfair that he’s stuck in the draft, but as long as he is, there’s no way he’s getting that type of money. That’s a first pick overall slot.

—–

Baseball Prospect Report has a profile on 8th round pick Scott Griggs.

When you spend two years behind Cole and Bauer, you pray for those Sundays. His media guide bio will do all the basic work for you. He finally got to me on a recent Saturday. What you have here is a good right-handed arm coming high 3/4 with a fastball 92-94, 95 on the faster hair dryers that scouts who want their names on guys prefer, and a solid average breaking ball at 80-82, good rotation and movement, bite. Thank you very much, a college pitcher with a second pitch I trusted, even though it was in a short look. Griggs isn’t terribly pretty the way he lands and perhaps on the pro side his delivery can be slowed down just a tad to get a little bit better control and consistency going. But he’s got the stuff and he’s got the downhill, which you gotta have coming out of college if you’re going to survive.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Joey Curletta in the 6th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s an outfielder out of Mountain Point High School in Arizona.

Ranked #378 by Baseball America.

Curletta is a physical monster at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. He shows light-tower power from the right side of the plate, but scouts wonder how much he’ll actually hit because his swing can be a little stiff and he struggles at times with pitch recognition. He’s a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale and will be limited defensively to first base. He has a small scholarship to Arizona and the Wildcats recruited him as a hitter. Curletta wants to hit, but he’s also shown some intriguing arm strength (92-94 mph) and could wind up on the mound.

A report from Perfect Game:

Joey Curletta is a 2012 OF/3B/RHP with a 6-4 230 lb. frame from Phoenix, AZ who attends Mountain Pointe HS. Extra large well proportioned build, very strong. Right handed hitter, wide base, long and strong swing, swings hard, looking to pull and lift, has bat speed, very strong hands, long loose finish, will have to shorten against velocity but has the tools. 6.89 runner, easy outfield actions, deceptive arm strength and speed, shows athleticism, has also played third base in the past. Also pitched, slow paced delivery, over the top release point, short compact arm action, tends to drift to release point, works downhill. Fastball to 90 mph, mostly straight with occasional flat run, nice change up with arm speed, rare curveball. Shows all the tools, shortening swing will be key. Very good student.

MLB.com has video as well.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Theo Alexander in the 7th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s an outfielder out of Lake Washington Senior High School in Washington.

Ranked #337 by Baseball America.

Alexander has a lively build at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds and a smooth, whippy lefthanded swing. Alexander’s future will come down to his bat, because his secondary skills are average at best. He’s an average runner with a below-average arm. If a team buys into the swing and wants to project on the bat, Alexander could be a single-digit pick. Other scouts view him as more of a tweener, but Alexander is considered signable away from his commitment to UC Santa Barbara.

MLB.com has video as well.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Scott Griggs in the 8th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s a Junior right-handed pitcher out of UCLA.

Ranked #187 by Baseball America.

Griggs ranked as the No. 135 prospect in the BA Top 200 coming out of high school in 2009, based on his raw arm strength and upside. He struggled with his mechanics and control in his first two seasons at UCLA and pitched sparingly, issuing 29 walks in 26 innings. He made progress repeating his delivery and this year emerged as the Bruins’ closer, going 1-1, 2.08 with a school-record 13 saves. His 52 strikeouts in 30 innings are an indication of his electric stuff is, but his 29 walks are illustrative of control that scouts still grade as well below-average. Griggs sits in the 91-93 mph range and tops out at 94-95, but an inconsistent delivery can make it difficult for him to command his fastball. He actually commands his curveball better, and it is a true power pitch in the 79-82 range with depth and bite. He dabbles with a changeup but rarely uses it in games. Griggs has made major strides with the mental side of the game as well, though he still needs to convince scouts he has the toughness to throw strikes consistently in big spots. Griggs comes with risk, and many scouts are convinced he’ll never have enough command to be a big league closer, but his stuff will likely get him drafted in the top three to five rounds.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Zachary Bird in the 9th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s a right-handed pitcher out of Murrah High School in Missouri.

Ranked #371 by Baseball America.

Bird’s father Eugene lettered at Southern Miss, and the raw Bird was expected to follow his dad to Hattiesburg. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder has touched 92 mph and has a projectable frame that scouts like. He’s inexperienced, which shows in his inconsistent delivery and control as well as little things like fielding. He has his share of athletic ability, throws a curveball around 70 mph that could use more power but has fair shape, and the makings of a changeup.

A report via Perfect Game.

Zachary Bird is a 2012 RHP/IF with a 6-4 188 lb. frame from Jackson, MS who attends Murrah HS. Very long limbed, square shouldered build. Full delivery, high compact arm action, high 3/4′s release, will occasionally spin off on release, has some deception. 4-Seam fastball steady 86-88 mph, works downhill well, throws cutter at 85, very effective pitch especially from the stretch. Big 70 mph curveball for strikes, threw slider only in warm ups, change up shows potential if thrown more. Around the plate, could have the whole basket of pitches and a feel for using them. Has been up to 91 frequently in the past. Excellent student, signed with Southern Mississippi.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Zach Babitt in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s a second baseman out of the Academy Of Arts University.

I have no information on him. That sucks.

:o