AZ Longhorn

I don't know the first thing about how this works, but maybe the delay was about who pays for it, and what infrastructure system the whole process happened in? Texas may not have wanted to invest in all that if he wasn't gonna help the team next year. But he didn't have a professional employer yet either. So he would have had to *shoulder the bill himself in order to do it in the 6 weeks between the end of the season and now?

Now that the draft didn’t happen for him, I wonder if a “real story” will come out. Because to me it never felt like this was about the particular draft position but that there was (is) something else. Now that the draft didn’t provide that clean next step, i guess we’ll see just how much he doesn’t want to be on the 40 next year. Signing undrafted would be quite a statement, but he’s past the portal deadline, so that’s his only alternative.

My #1 priority of the three, for sure!

I believe the certainty y'all insiders have discussed the Doza situation with. Smells like there's a part of the equation we fans don't know. I'm curious what that is, and hopeful we get some reporting on it. Because the math isn't math-ing on this one.

I get the cope and wanting any good news after the gut punches of Bumila and Peterson. But Blake has been saying all along that the whole HS class will for sure make it to campus with the exceptions of Emerson (obviously) and Harris (not likely) and the open questions around Bumila and Peterson. Whether the rest of our HS class announces they're "removing themselves from the rest of the draft" (which is new and weird) or not, they're in the bag. Not news, nor am I celebrating.

1. Better college player than Laya, sue me. Certainly last year, and probably this coming year too if he turns down the pros. Can actually compete against lefties, more pop, better arm, more polished player. In Laya, LSU gets two years before draft eligibility and a higher draft ceiling, but I would love Brennan if he makes it! 2. Minor point, but as of right now, I don't think we have a DH candidate from the infield, who's a better offensive player than Goldenatz. So IMO the OF+DH lineup today would be LF - Pack (unless promises were made about CF that don't reflect his actual current ability) CF - Goldenatz RF - Brennan DH - Solitaria

Yes. But to those who would panic in response: again, "2026 portal rankings" are not "overall 2027 roster rankings." If you lose your whole team or they all sucked, then you need to go heavy in the portal (and have money to do so). When you return a bunch of production, you don't need to go as heavy in the portal (and don't have as much money to do so anyway). Does Texas still have needs to fill? Absolutely. But we shouldn't conflate "portal rankings" with "how good we will be in 2027"

Jim gave him every opportunity to prove he could hit lefties, but it was just as suspected, he's not a starter against lefties (on a championship-contending roster, at least). And it's hard to pay much for a platoon guy. Best of luck to him that he gets to be an everyday starter somewhere and figures out how to hit lefties.

As others have said, there's no decision involved regarding eligibility to be drafted. So, for a different interpretation of the date to "make a decision" regarding the draft, the signing deadline is August 1.

Good point, thanks. After the trauma of last year, they may be less likely to save money for competing against professional offers, even it if lowers our ceiling. "One in the hand is better than two in the brush" The other piece of context I'm fascinated by is the likelihood of an MLB/MLBPA lockout and work stoppage. Does that looming possibility send more HS draft picks to college this year than otherwise?

o/u at 11.5 or 12.5 conference wins?

... and on how much of the committed high school class makes it to campus. Some of those guys are real dudes. We're golden at the top, our needs are with the roles after our aces. For the spots around Walls/Winter/Crossland/McKernan, if possible I'd prefer high upside freshmen (who eventually turn into Volantis'es and Cozarts at the top of your rotation) over mercenary portal pickups. Let's save any pitching cash to put together good offers to the high school class and see who we can get to campus. If we do worse than expected there, we can throw cash at some portal guys in late July or early August (remember Leffew, for example, was a post-Cape commit last year—those guys exist).

The writing has been on the wall for all of these guys so far (With the possible exception of Courville—I really hoped we'd give him a chance and spend that cash elsewhere, but that was just wish-casting, given what we know about Jim and catchers.) The biggest surprise to me is how long it's taken them to enter. I'm impatient for the churn! But for some reason, the baseball portal is just much slower overall. Remembering from last year: Leffew and Larsen were post-Cape additions, and Pendergrass was a spring enrollee. All were contributors this year. Not that I want us to repeat that per se, and be left scrambling after the draft in a month, but it does add some perspective.

Yes. Humiliating.

Great stuff from Burns + Flores in the pen. 5 IP, 1 run (that shouldn't have been a run — that's on Borba) is a great performance against this Vandy offense. Gave us a chance to win, unfortunately the offense didn't do its part