Vik (Chicago): Who would you play at 2B for the Whitesox? Getz, Lillibridge or Nix? Any of them long-term starters?

John Manuel: Best spring training wins. Getz might be the best fit in terms of bringing a different look to the lineup as an LH bat with some speed; that team seems very righthanded to me. Nix is a good guy to try but I don't have confidence that he will hit. Lillibridge brings more value if he's playing SS but to me he, like Getz, is more of an extra guy. They're all place-holders for Gordon Beckham, who will rake in pro ball, I'm a Beckham fan.

Kevin Goldstein (11:54:35 AM PT): 7. Reds, Yonder Alonso, 1b, Miami This is your first big surprise and things are messy. Right now the White Sox are dancing on tables in the draft room because they get their guy in the other Beckham. I'm shocked here. To answer Joe's question, the Reds are simply adding what they believe is the most valuable asset to the organization.

Bryan Smith (11:55:19 AM PT): The top Cape prospect finds a home in the top ten, which proves to you college players that it pays to hit with wood when you can. Yonder Alonso is such a talented hitter, though, I think he could hit with a tennis racquet. Alonso has the best approach for any player in this draft, and it's really not close.

Kevin Goldstein (11:55:46 AM PT): KG: Two college 1B in history drafted 7th overall: Matt LaPorta and Frank Thomas -- NICE LIST.

Will Carroll (11:57:25 AM PT): Hey, look, I can apparently post here. Lots of interesting rumors flying later in the draft but right now the most interesting to me is all the talk around Scheppers.

Kevin Goldstein (11:57:32 AM PT): I like Alonso a lot, but no way, no way at ALL he should go over Smoak. I don't get that at all. Somebody is going to get a steal with Smoak. By the way, Steve Phillips is TOTALLY right here, sign out of high school kids. Way better for your career.

Kevin Goldstein (11:58:15 AM PT): Will, The Scheppers thing is weird -- could go as high as to Seattle at 20, could be out of the first three rounds.

Joe Sheehan (11:59:04 AM PT): I get that, but I just can't see where the difference in talent between Alonso and Beckham, or even Alonso and Crow, is worth jamming yourself up at the left end of the defensive spectrum. Alonso is supposed to be a quick-to-the-majors guy, too. I almost always make the "best player" argument at this point in the draft. When it comes to taking pure hitters, though, I think you need to bow to the reality of positional value. Getting Gordon Beckham at #8 is a really nice pick for the White Sox.

Kevin Goldstein (11:59:55 AM PT): 8. White Sox select Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia. Very good pick for them, and they are THRILLED that he's still on the board. He could move very quickly through the system. Did somebody just compare him to Jeter? really? Comp I still like is Khalil Greene's bat with Jed Lowrie's glove.

Bryan Smith (12:01:17 PM PT): Beckham hit in the double-digits in home runs as a freshman when he wasn't expected to, and he never looked back. However, he wasn't an elite guy until the Cape Cod last summer, and not a top ten guy until his amazing spring. I was given a Brandon Inge comp last summer that inspired my ranking back then, but now I think Inge represents the low end -- a move to third base, a low OBP, too many strikeouts. There's a good chance that he doesn't fall into some of those traps, and there's a chance he falls in none. Kevin's comp implies the same issues, but Greene's power is where Beckham's high ranking stems from.

Kevin Goldstein (12:01:51 PM PT): College SS taken #8 overall: Tim Costo, Bobby Meacham, Jim DeNeff Joe. I agree, I would totally take Beckham over Alonso, every time.

Ameer (Bloomington, IN): We're over 25% through the season now, and Carlos Quentin is still mashing. I don't buy the 1.004 ops, but at what point do I have to accept that he's this good?

Jay Jaffe: It's time to accept the fact that he's going to be a good major-league hitter, if not necessarily a superstar as he's been thus far. Quentin was #27 on BP's top prospect list in 2006, the last time he was eligible. He had a good 2006, a lost 2007 due to injury, and now he's healthy and killing the ball. He's hitting in a park that favors offense and home runs, so he should putup some nice numbers.