Levine: Draft A Crapshoot For White Sox, Cubs

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The one through five picks in this year's baseball amateur draft, which starts Monday night, aren't as clear cut as in recent times. Normally, you see a stud pitcher or two and a Kris Bryant-like slugger who are surefire top picks. The experts say that's not the case in 2015 -- and especially for the White Sox and Cubs, who pick eighth and ninth, respectively.

The White Sox would love to draft another power arm out of college. That would follow the track and quick ascension to the big leagues that Carlos Rodon (2014) and Chris Sale (2010) made into the rotation.

"This year the landscape was different than the last few drafts," said White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann, who won't have a second-round pick due to the signing of free agent David Robertson. "We do line up our choices by ability and what the future potential is. That said, we'd at some point have to line up our choices by position. We will say where are our weaknesses and which way we need to go."

The Cubs have been consistent in taking the best player available since Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod have been in charge. Last year they picked Kyle Schwarber, a power-hitting catcher who could be in the big leagues by September. In 2013, it was Bryant, who now is a major league impact player. Outfielder Albert Almora was the Epstein group's pick in their first Cubs draft in 2012.

Both Chicago teams would love to have University of Illinois pitcher Tyler Jay, a  hard-throwing left-handed closer who has opened a lot of eyes and potentially could be a starting pitcher.

"I love this kid's stuff and makeup," an American League talent-evaluating executive said. "We have him as a relief pitcher that could easily be made into a rotation pitcher. I can see the White Sox taking him and doing what they have done with Sale and Rodon. Jay has four pitches, so it's no surprise that baseball people think he could multi-task as a professional pitcher."

The other pitchers in the draft that the Cubs and White Sox hope fall are 21-year-old Vanderbilt right-hander Carson Fulmer and 21-year-old UC Santa Barbara right-hander Dillon Tate. Both have exceptional mid-to-high 90s fastballs and quality breaking balls. Some teams believe Fulmer would be better suited as a closer.

Catching is always at a premium, and 18-year-old Tyler Stephenson from the Atlanta area is said to go either No. 1 to Arizona or tumble to the mid-first round. Both Chicago teams need catching in their systems, but the wait for a high schooler like Stephenson may be too big of a gamble in the first round for teams that want pitching depth like the Cubs and White Sox.

There's a lot of middle infield depth in the first-round projections. According to a few people in the know, the Cubs are hoping that high school outfielder Kyle Tucker is still there when they pick in the first round. Tucker's older brother Preston is a power-hitting prospect in the Houston organization. However, most scouts believe Kyle will is a better prospect with his power and high average. He's also reported to have a strong right fielder's-type arm.

Top choices are slotted these days and are instant lotto winners. Multi-million contracts are now common. This is quite a departure from the days of yore.

"I got an agent the day before the draft," said White Sox coach Harold Baines, who was the No.1 pick overall in the 1977 draft out of high school by the White Sox. "I was from a little town, and we didn't hear or know much except that Bill Veeck liked me. I got 50,000 dollars, that seemed pretty good at that time."

Even into the 1980s players did their own bartering.

"I negotiated my own deal," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, picked with the 10th pick in the first round of the 1988 draft. "I got a couple of hundred thousand dollars and did the contract with scouting director Al Goldis."

Those days are gone, but the crapshoot of trying to find the next Bryce Harper or Mike Trout continues to be a shot in the dark.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.