 05/30/2002 01:22 am ET
Cards look to add hitters in draft
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
The Cardinals don't pick until the third round, No. 102 overall, in Tuesday's First-Year Player Draft. They gave up their first- and second-round picks in this year's draft as compensation for signing free agents Tino Martinez and Jason Isringhausen.
In a broad sense, the team's system is deeper in pitching prospects than positional players. The club's top prospect is arguably Double-A right-hander Jimmy Journell, while the Class-A Peoria team is loaded with talented pitchers.
As a result, there is some sense of urgency to add positional players and hitters, but Marty Maier, the director of amateur scouting, insists that that won't be the only driving factor.
"I think we're always looking to add hitters," Maier said. "I don't think we'll put any more additional emphasis on it this year than we have in the past. We're looking for hitters. We're looking for guys that we think have a chance to hit, guys that play a regular position. But picking where we do, it's hard to say who's gonna be available. It's just hard to pinpoint."
In talking to Maier, that point comes up again and again. With no pick in the first 100, the Cards simply can't project with much accuracy what they'll be able to do.
What's important to note, however, is that the team's strategy won't change as a result of sitting out the first two rounds. The approach remains to get the best player available, rather than focusing on filling specific needs. It's just that the method of finding that best player is a little different.
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