Carlos Asuaje

The only way I would jump back into the draft is as a favor or if there’s a referral that makes sense, which does happen occasionally. In 2013 I had two draft picks fall in my lap three weeks before the draft in Carlos Asuaje of the Red Sox and Brandon Diaz of the Brewers. In Asuaje’s case, I had a friend playing for Nova Southeastern University tell me that they had a prospect who had an advisor whom he felt wasn’t helping him at all. Carlos was a Cape Cod League All-Star and a projected high pick. When his advisor at the time realized that he wouldn’t be cashing in instantly on Carlos, he essentially left him hanging. I didn’t intend to poach a draft guy, particularly with only three weeks to work, but as a favor for our mutual friend, I spoke to Carlos on the phone and was horrified to hear what he was telling me. He was ill prepared for the draft, and I felt an obligation to help.

We met the next day, and I was blown away by his makeup, which is probably among the top five I’ve encountered in my career. I decided that I could help him, and that he could be someone special. I was named his advisor that day, condensed a year’s worth of information into three weeks, and promised to be with him on draft day. I explained the draft process and figured out his value was and what workouts to attend and not attend. I also explained what pro ball would be like for him with every phone call.

In Asuaje’s case, something very bizarre happened. I helped him choose which workouts to attend, and I was certain that he’d be picked in the first 10 rounds. Draft day two rolls around, and in the ninth round, teams start lowballing him because the ones that liked him the most had blown their draft budgets and thought they’d get a Division II sign cheaply. On day three, his dream came true, and he was selected by his favorite team from childhood, the Boston Red Sox. The negotiations were tense in person, since we were dealing with a rookie scout who had never had drafted anyone before, but eight hours later, the deal was done.

With the budgetary restraints loosened after round 10, Carlos got more than quadruple the bonus he would have had he accepted the many ninth-round offers he received. Had I not been there in person to guide him through the process, who knows what would have happened? I do know that Boston’s 10th pick got $10k as a junior—a club-friendly deal that I never would have advised.