The Atlanta Braves shocked the MLB world when they selected Tate Southisene in the first round of the MLB Draft. Yes, selecting a position player made sense given their organizational needs, but Gage Wood was right there.
Not only did they pass on seemingly a more talented prospect, but by passing on him, the Braves let their arch-rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, snatch him up.
It turns out, part of why the Braves went with Southisene has to do with Atlanta getting him to sign a deal that was well under slot. They saved money with their second and third-round picks, Alex Lodise and Cody Miller, respectively. They used their savings to convince Conor Essenberg, their fifth-round pick, to sign.
As Jim Callis of MLB.com reported, the Braves convinced Essenburg to sign by offering him a deal worth around $700,000 over the slot value of the selection. While talented, the risks that come with this pick make it possible that the strategy of spending much of their budget on him could prove to be a draft-wrecker.
Braves could come to regret Conor Essenburg selection
Essenburg was a two-way player who, while he can throw hard, he’s incredibly raw on the mound. As a hitter, there’s more to like, but there’s a chance he’ll just be a right-handed-hitting first baseman, the same position occupied by Matt Olson through the 2030 campaign. Since the Braves announced him as a hitter, chances are, he’ll be focused solely on being a position player in the pros.
He has intriguing power, great bat speed, and a good arm, but whether he has enough speed to stick in the outfield remains to be seen.
There’s a chance he’ll be stuck at first base defensively, and while he has some pop, who’s to say he’ll hit well enough? His hit tool was given a 45 grade per MLB Pipeline.
Essenberg is a worthy gamble to take, but the Braves didn’t exactly treat him like a gamble. Again, they paid him $700,000 over slot to buy him out of his commitment to the University of Kentucky. They must really like what they’ve seen to do that.
If they’re right, great. If they’re not, the Braves might’ve saved money in the early rounds for no reason. It can work, but it’s a risk that frankly, I’m not sure they should’ve taken.
