MLB Insiders Opinions On Who The A's Draft On Sunday

MLB Insiders from various outlets all have different opinions on who the A's might draft on Sunday.

Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons first baseman Nick Kurtz (8) celebrates after retiring Stanford Cardinal third baseman Tommy Troy (not pictured) to end the game at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2024 MLB Draft nears, MLB insiders from different sports outlets do not share the same opinion on who the A's might select on Sunday. That has been the case for a lot of the top teams this season, with Cleveland controlling it all with the number one selection.

Rumors have been swirling for weeks about Cleveland potentially selecting West Virginia infielder, JJ Wetherholt, with the first pick. Which would then leave one of the top three prospects in Charlie Condon, Travis Bazzana, or Jac Caglianone to fall to the A's with the fourth pick. Even if Cleveland decides to go the favored route and take Bazzana, Colorado has been tied to taking a pitcher with the third pick. That would leave one of the top three to the A's again.

Every insider has a different scenario happening, which is why mocking a player to the A's at the fourth pick becomes difficult. The A's are in a great position. They may have an opportunity to take a top three player, someone they might have thought would not have been there months ago.

Kiley McDaniel - ESPN: Travis Bazzana, Infielder, Oregon State
If the A's have an opportunity to select Bazzana, it should be a no-brainer. He might be the best hitter in the class, both contact and power, as he hit .407 with 28 home runs this past season. Some have speculated where he would play with the A's at the big-league level, with Zack Gelof already at second base. Not to mention, Jacob Wilson (#1), Darell Hernaiz (#4), and Max Muncy (#7) are all projected to be competing for the two spots on the left side of the infield.

McDaniel explains that if Bazzana does not go first overall, this has been "long thought of" as the landing spot for him. He mentions that Braden Montgomery is the assumed pick right now if Bazzana, Condon, and Caglianone go with the first three picks and there is "not much talk" of a pitcher being selected by the A's. Interestingly he notes that the Nick Kurtz buzz, which started after the 2023 MLB Draft, has really died down.

Jim Callis - MLB & Joe Tansey - Bleacher Report: Nick Kurtz, First Baseman, Wake Forest
If the top three players go with the first three picks, Kurtz would certainly become an option for the A's with the fourth pick. Both Kurtz and Montgomery are options to sign under-slot with the A's, as they would probably fall to the later picks in the top ten if not selected by Oakland.

With McDaniel stating the buzz around Kurtz to the A's has died down, it could be assumed if the scenario above did happen, Montgomery would become the A's draft pick. It is all speculation as of right now, but it is interesting that there seems to be a big difference in opinion here.

Eric Longenhagen - Fangraphs: Braden Montgomery, Outfielder, Texas A&M
In Longenhagen's mock draft he has the A's selecting Montgomery over Caglianone, which would be interesting. One way that might happen is if the A's are able to sign Montgomery for under the slot value and Caglianone wants the full slot value ($8.37 million). The A's typically like to operate with as much bonus pool money as possible heading into day two as leverage to maybe sign high school players away from their college commitments.

Sunday will be a interesting day for the Oakland A's, with this draft potentially marking the start of their contention again. The A's will be locked out of a top ten pick next year, meaning the A's need to draft very well this year while they have a top selection.

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