MLB Draft 2014: Top remaining prospects as Orioles first pick (#90) approaches

Day 1 of the Major League Baseball draft has come and gone. The Orioles did not select anyone.. Their first round pick, which would have been at #17, was forfeited with the signing of Ubaldo Jimenez. Their competitive balance pick (#37 overall), was traded to Houston for Bud Norris. A second round pick, which would have been at #55, was sacrificed with the signing of Nelson Cruz.

There were 74 players taken on Day 1 of the draft. Day 2 opens on Friday afternoon at 1 o'clock, beginning with the third round of the draft. The Orioles will make their first selection at #90. There's a lot of teams to pick between now and then, and no way to know who the Orioles have been focusing on all this time. Still, we can at least get an idea of what kind of talent may still fall to them by running through the top remaining prospects from several of the pre-draft rankings.

The good names are all gone, but value remains. The Orioles can get a player who may have a good chance to someday have a positive impact on the big league club if they draft and develop well.

Here are the top five remaining prospects according to ESPN's Keith Law, Baseball America, and MLB.com. Keep in mind that, for players who are expected to be tough signs, the Orioles will not have much or any flexibility to try to sign them, so they'll probably look elsewhere.

Keith Law, ESPN

#29 - Jake Bukauskas, RHP, Stone Bridge HS (Va.)
#32 - Bryce Montes de Oca, RHP, Lawrence HS (Kan.)
#36 - Zech Lemond, RHP, Rice
#38 - Jakson Reetz, C/OF, Hickman HS (Neb.)
#47 - Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview HS (Ga.)

The common trend here is high school players who have fallen. They have probably made demands that exceed what teams have been willing to pay in the new slotting system. If that's the case, we can probably forget about the Orioles getting any of them. Lemond comes from Rice, which is one of those schools with a coach who is notorious for abusing arms.

Law's #90 prospect in his final ranking was Isan Diaz, a Massachusetts high school shortstop who was picked 70th overall by Arizona. His #91 draft prospect is Heath Fillmyer, a right-handed pitcher from Mercer Community College in New Jersey, still on the board.

Baseball America

#33 - Bukauskas
#45 - Michael Cederoth, RHP, San Diego State
#48 - Milton Ramos, SS, American Heritage HS (Fla.)
#53 - Carson Sands, LHP, North Florida Christian HS
#57 - Marshall

On top of the potential difficulty in signing some of the high school guys, the fact that Bukauskas and Marshall have appeared on two lists means they seem likely to be taken before the Orioles even get to select on Day 2. Picks 75-89 still stand between the O's and their selection. Maybe none of these names will be left.

BA's #90-ranked prospect was Daniel Gossett, a Clemson lefty who was picked 60th overall by Oakland. Their #91 prospect is Jace Fry, a lefty from Oregon State who has not yet been drafted.

MLB.com

#38 - Bukauskas
#40 - Reetz
#46 - Ramos
#48 - Chris Oliver, RHP, University of Arkansas
#53 - Sands

The scouting capsule on Oliver notes he will possibly end up as a reliever in professional baseball, though he's started in college. Getting a big league reliever out of a third round pick would still be a win for the Orioles.

The #90 prospect on this list is Jeren Kendall, a Wisconsin high school outfielder. As a Vanderbilt commit, he would probably be a tough sign. Their #88 prospect, John Curtiss, a University of Texas righty, is notable as a draft-eligible sophomore. He's been working in relief at Texas but could try to start in the pros. One other thing that makes him noteworthy is he graduated in three years.

A potential good Oriole will be waiting out there somewhere when the Orioles make pick #90. They only have to correctly identify him. With a minute between picks, rounds 3-10 will cruise later today. Stay tuned to Camden Chat to find out the latest about who the Orioles end up taking in this draft class.