2014 MLB Draft: An Athletics’ Future With Ti’Quan Forbes
By Jason Burke
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The 2014 MLB Draft is just days away. Who is on the Oakland Athletics’ radar? What do the experts say? Who the heck are these draftees? Let’s talk about the Athletics draft implications.
2014 MLB Draft mocks are not as popular as say, NFL Mock Drafts. While there is less information out there, if they seem to agree on a player/team combination, there may be something substantial there. This is the case for one Ti’Quan Forbes. The Oakland Athletics possess the #25 overall pick, and according to the mocks on Bleacher Report, Forbes is someone the A’s are after. According to Baseball America, Forbes is on the A’s radar, but would be a reach at #25. In their two latest mocks, BA had the Athletics taking a player other than Forbes, but mentioned him in connection with the A’s. If the A’s want him, they’ll grab him, even it’s a little bit of a reach.
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So who is Ti’Quan Forbes? He plays shortstop for Columbia High School in Mississippi, is 6’4″ and has loads of raw power. This video on MLB.com gives a brief glimpse into what Forbes has to potentially offer the Athletics.
While he plays SS now, the speculation is that he will outgrow the position and transfer to either 3B or OF. The 17 year-old Forbes weighs in at 177 lbs, leaving him plenty of room to add muscle as he matures. With the way the A’s are currently set up, a move to the outfield would make the most sense. Josh Donaldson is already manning 3B with authority, and Addison Russell has already been proclaimed the SS of the future.
By the time Forbes is ready to break in to the big leagues however, Donaldson may be out of Oakland via trade or free agency (first year of free agency is 2019), or will be past his prime production years, when the A’s will be ready for a younger third baseman. Say Forbes is ready in 5 years. Donaldson, if he sticks with the Athletics through all of his arbitration years, would be 33, approaching 34. Forbes would be 22/23 depending on the timing of the call-up, and the timing may be perfect for him to slide into 3B.
The A’s also have Renato Nunez in Stockton to man 3B in the future (his ETA is 2016). If Nunez progresses as expected, Forbes may be learning a new position in the outfield. There are a lot of factors at work in determining where Forbes would play. The most important may be, whom he is drafted by. The 2014 MLB Draft isn’t until Thursday.