Holy cow...Houston got another great player the compensatory round. Lance McCullers, Jr. is a guy who may have had enough stuff to go higher in the first round, but questions about his signability and his ultimate role saw him drop in the draft.
McCullers is a hard thrower that we profiled here, with a good summary to follow:
Though he is an extremely high risk pick, the reward may be worth it if he is able to stick as a starter. His fastball-slider combination can be deadly, and if he can become more consistent with his curveball and changeup then he has the potential to be very tough to beat. He would also have to improve his mechanics consistency and also find a repeatable arm slot. According to Keith Law McCullers has been moving up draft boards all spring and has more scouts believing that he will be able to stick as a start
I think McCullers has the ability to be an elite closer if he can't stick in a rotation. That has value, but I think Houston will probably give him every chance to start throughout the minor leagues before making that decision.
What's sort of genius is that, if Correa did indeed agree to a below-slot deal, the Astros could use the savings there to take McCullers for over slot (maybe $2-2.5 million) and get him signed easily. That would be a huge coup for this team, adding two elite, young talents to a system that needs that kind of upside.
Where do you think McCullers would rank right now in Houston's pitching depth chart? Are you happy with this pick? Are you pleased with the combo of McCullers/Correa at the top of this draft?