Brady Aiken was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2014 MLB Draft, but the left-hander did not sign with the Houston Astros after the two sides failed to agree to a deal because of concerns with his elbow. Will the Los Angeles Dodgers consider taking him this year?
Aiken is not among the top prospects in the upcoming 2015 MLB Draft because he underwent Tommy John surgery in March and won't be ready until some point in 2016. Although he's expected to drop much further this time around, a number of clubs late in the first round may take a chance on him.
The Dodgers have the No. 24 overall pick, and although six of their top 10 prospects are pitchers, they may explore taking the left-hander because their starting rotation is enduring issues right now and potentially beyond 2015. Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy are out until 2016 after undergoing season-ending surgeries; Zack Greinke may opt out of his contract after this season; and Brett Anderson is slated to hit free agency as well.
It's also unknown if Carlos Frias and Mike Bolsinger are formidable long-term options.
Their pitching prospects have been performing well at Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa, but nearly all of the positions on the Dodgers' 25-man roster will be occupied for the foreseeable future (and they have Corey Seager and Darnell Sweeney getting closer to making their MLB debuts). President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman loves his pitching prospects, and the fact that Aiken was the top pick last year could make him a steal in 2015, even though he recently underwent Tommy John.
"Since the new ownership group has taken over, the Dodgers have essentially been acting out the Joker Money Parade scene from Batman, throwing their financial weight around unlike any other team in baseball," writes ESPN Insider Eric Longenhagen. "Aiken's asking price is going to be high, but the Dodgers have the money to do it. They pick 24th, but have the seventh richest bonus pool in the draft this year. If L.A. isn't comfortable with Aiken's medicals, Mike Matuella is an option as well, though his track record of performance isn't as solid as Aiken's was pre-injury."
Aiken was selected out of high school last year. He's still 18 years old and the Dodgers would have plenty of time to develop him into a future ace. The Dodgers are under new management in their front office, but out of the team's last four first-round picks, three have been pitchers.
ESPN Insider Keith Law projects Los Angeles to select third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes out of Concordia Lutheran High School in Texas, so as of right now there will be a lot of speculation leading up to draft day.
The 2015 MLB Draft will take place from June 8-10. Aiken will be a prospect to pay attention to even though he's not projected to go in the first round this year.
