Athletics Nation

Well, not really, but Billy Beane has told me that his favorite time of the year is when the A's are drafting.  And believe it or not, but the A's will be drafting this Thursday.  They will also be drafting earlier than they have in a few years, drafting 12th overall.  Tampa Bay, despite their excellence in 08, will be drafting first overall.

The mock drafts are appearing all over the place, including places like Minor League Ball and AN's very own Taj Adib is participating in a mock draft himself .  What's funny is that Justin Smoak, the player the A's once had under their control is now projected to go pretty early.  Minor League Ball had him going third overall and Taj's draft had him going fifth.  Regardless, it makes a tear roll down my cheek much like that Indian seeing that trash being thrown into the street.  Especially when several sites seem to think Smoak could likely wind up across the Bay in those horrid orange and black unis.

Any way, I figured I'd open up a front page thread and get some discussion going leading up to this Thursday's MLB draft.  What should the A's do?  Who will be left?  I imagine that the contract demands shouldn't stand in the way this year given that the A's have more funds available.  I wanted to get to this topic with Beane but our interview, as long as it was, wound up getting cut short because I needed to run off to another meeting.