MLB Draft Report; LSU Holding Camp

BASEBALL

The first round and compensation round took place on Monday night.  Here is how the LSU players and prospects fared:

First, Anthony Ranaudo (pictured) was selected 39th overall by the Boston Red Sox.  The Slant wishes him the very best in his pro career.

Delino Deshields Jr. was selected eighth overall by the Houston Astros, and he'll certainly sign.  He never seriously considered attending LSU, and this is no surprise.

Pitcher Cam Bedrosian was selected 29th overall, and he's expected to go play pro ball.  I don't expect much drama with his contract situation.

In a bit of a surprise, LSU quarterback and pitcher signee Zach Lee, was selected 28th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  My first instinct was that no team would have selected Lee so high unless they had assurances that he would bypass LSU and sign.  However, I learned about a rule Monday night that if a team does not sign their first round pick, they are awarded a first round pick the following year.

The Dodgers are reportedly in some financial trouble.  Many, including Kevin Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus.com speculate that the Dodgers selected Lee with no intention of signing him.  The strategy would be to wait and use the pick next year.  He even put 5-1 odds that the Dodgers sign Lee.  We'll see.

We now play the waiting game with Lee to see if he signs by August 15th.

I'll update again after Tuesday as the draft continues.

RECRUITING


LSU is currently hosting a number of prospects on campus as part of the first of two summer camps.

A lot of the eyes were on the quarterbacks as all in-state prospects were on hand in efforts to earn an offer from the Tigers.  The consensus was that Catholic HS's Zack Oliver was the best of the bunch and that he would be the one to ultimately earn the offer.   However, Clinton's Stevie Douglas is competing neck and neck with Oliver and putting on a good show.  Haughton's Dak Prescott is also making a name for himself and has caught the eye of the coaches.

In addition to the in-state quarterbacks, South Carolina's Justin Worley is on campus and competing.  Worley has some big-time offers from places like Tennessee, Notre Dame, Stanford and Florida State.

South Carolina defensive back Ronnie Martin is on campus and reportedly standing out as the top defensive back in attendance.  Martin has an offer from LSU and is very high on the Tigers.  He also recently received an offer from Nebraska and South Carolina.  The offer from the Gamecocks may prove difficult for LSU to overcome, but hopefully Martin has a good visit.

LSU Commitment Trevon Randle is attending camp and reportedly doing very well.  Some rumors have been swirling that Randle could be re-considering his commitment to LSU, but that does not appear to be the case.

Thought not at LSU's camp, Tampa, FL quarterback Phillip Ely received an offer from LSU recently.  Ely has performed very well at a number of camps this summer and has earned offers from the likes of Arizona State, South Florida, Michigan State, Rutgers, and others.  LSU's offer stands out as one of Ely's best, and that will hopefully put the Tigers near the top of his list.  I love Ely as a prospect.

East St. John defensive back Floyd Raven attended a camp at Ole Miss and really put on a show.  He ran a 40-time of 4.44 and measured at 6'2".  He will likely shoot up the rankings.  He is scheduled to attend LSU's second camp in July and he could very well earn an offer at that time.