What Does The Fox Say? Cape Fear Drafts Player They Don't Need, Are Not Concerned (2062-04)

[woods]

Woody Donahue's first Amateur Draft as President of Baseball Operations for the Cape Fear Swamp Foxes presented an opportunity to reveal his draft strategy. Holding the tenth overall pick in the draft, it would be a momentous decision in any case.

Would Donahue prioritize pitching or hitting? Would he draft based on current team need? Or would he dig way too deep into the draft pool to pick an obscure 40-potential shortstop, in an attempt to convince other GMs of some kind of superior intuition?

All possibilities were on the table.

Instead, Cape Fear drafted second baseman Jaime Serna, a player who they absolutely don't need and won't have room for, simply because he was the best player on the board.

"Serna was an easy decision," said Donahue, as he spoke about the selection after the draft. "Team needs change so much in this league from year to year, with trades, injuries, and so on, that the only answer is to pick the best player available."

Scouts have called the 21-year-old Serna's talent so advanced, he could start in the big leagues tomorrow. He is a spray hitter with plus gap power and speed, making him a doubles-hitting machine. His glove is good enough to play shortstop, but he'll likely end up at second base.

The problem with that is, Richard Vernon plays second base for the Swamp Foxes, and is under contract to do so through at least 2065. And Tariel Bogolyubski's ability to fill in at second negates the need for a backup. So, a plan for Serna to suit up for the Swamp Foxes anytime soon would require a change of position for him, or for Vernon.

Donahue is not ruling anything out, but wouldn't commit to moving either player, saying, "We view Rich [Vernon] as our second baseman, now and for the future."

When pressed about where on the diamond Serna might play, Donahue's answer was non-committal. "It won't be a problem. Give me 27 Sernas, and we'll find room for all of them. I'll never complain about a team full of sure-handed infielders who can also hit."

In any case, fans hoping to see Serna play shouldn't be clamoring for tickets to tomorrow's game. The team still needs to offer him a signing bonus, and they'll probably try to get him some extra reps in the minors, to shake off the rust from a shortened junior year campaign (Serna missed 5 weeks with a sprained ankle). A September big league call-up might be possible, but it will depend on how Serna looks at the lower minor-league levels.

[recte44]

If he hits, he'll find a way into your lineup. Plenty of positional versatility.