The thought process entering the MLB Draft was that the Tigers would end with one of three college stars with the third overall pick: Dylan Crews, Paul Skenes or Wyatt Langford. With Langford on the board, they went with high school outfielder Max Clark instead.
Valenti says he "can’t blowtorch the pick, but I was frustrated" with the idea of waiting at least three years to see Clark in Detroit: "I think what Scott Harris is telling you is this: they believe the upside on Max Clark is so much higher than on Wyatt Langford that they took him."
But in order for the pick to work out for the Tigers, Valenti says Clark "must be a superstar."
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"Because they risked it for the biscuit. I like when GM’s do this. I’m not being a hypocrite saying I would have preferred the college bat, but I like the fact that Scott Harris is taking his professional life into his own hands. Max Clark you are drafting on the idea of a ballplayer, not the actual player. When you read analysts and they say he’s the 'toolsiest' player, he has the most raw ability, OK, that’s great. I’ve also heard that in other years, he would be taken No. 1 overall.
"My misgiving has nothing to do with the player. Maybe three years from now we’re looking at our version of Corbin Carroll, but the misgiving is with the timeline. I am willing to go with this because I like when GM’s put their own life in their hands. But if this kid is not a star and Wyatt Langford shows up in the league next year and is a good player, that’s a bit of a boondoggle."
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