Today we signed 12th round draft pick Gary Brown out of Diamond Bar (CA) HS, the first prep player we selected.

This is huge. I assumed Brown, who took BP today in Anaheim, was on his was to Fullerton. Seen as possibly the fastest player in the draft, Brown is a Figgins type in that his future might be as a utility man. One site projected him as a 2B, and I think he played some SS in high school. This could be especially true with guys like Corey Brown, Sulentic, Mitchell, Herrera and obviously Buck ahead of him in the OF.

Hopefully we don't take a path similar to that of the Angels, who are still bouncing Figgins around the diamond. At 6-0, 165, I'd like to see what Brown could if we left him alone at 2B, as we have no real potential impact 2B in the system. There he would project as a plus bat and arm with a little pop and potentially a ton of range, and he has the next half decade to iron out footwork and instincts.

Could the money we saved trading Kendall have been key in signing Brown? I'm excited not to have another Justin Smoak on our hands, especially since we spent a 12th round pick on Brown. Your thoughts: