This week we will focus on questions dealing with the 2002 draft class. Let's hit the mailbag.

Casey D. writes: Since he's from my little neck of the woods, I was wondering what you thought of Jason Pridie from Prescott HS (Ari.), who went to Tampa Bay with the second pick in the second round?

I'm not sure why, but I think Pridie has a chance to exceed expectations, which are pretty high already. He's a strong overall athlete, with good or better tools in all categories. Although he will be an outfielder in the pros, his arm is strong enough that he pitched quite a bit in high school. He has good power, runs well, and plays the game with enthusiasm and intelligence from what I've been told. About the only negative that anyone mentions about him is his swing, which is erratic, but fixable. I tend to be somewhat skeptical about tools players like Pridie, but for some reason I think he has a good chance to develop. The Devil Rays certainly need him to do so: their draft class focused heavily on high school picks this year, so they can't afford too many busts.

Kyle K. asks: In spite of not signing for two years, I was surprised Matt Harrington slipped so far (13th round). Is this a steal for the Devil Rays or has his performance in low-level leagues been poor enough to temper the high opinions that you and many others had for him? Plus, is he signable on the third try?

I'm not surprised that Harrington slipped. He hasn't pitched very well since leaving high school. He still throws hard, but all the time away from the game, combined with some nagging injuries, has ruined his command.

For those of you who don't remember, Harrington was the consensus best player available in the 2000 draft, a hard-throwing high school right-hander from California with good control. He was drafted by the Rockies, but the contract negotiations were acrimonious. He didn't sign, moved on to the independent Northern League, eventually fired his agent, and replaced him with Scott Boras. He was drafted again in '01, this time by the Padres in the second round. He turned them down as well. The Rays picked him up in the 13th round this week.

Will he sign? Heck if I know. He turned down $3.75 million from the Rockies. He passed up $1.25 million from the Padres. I can't imagine Tampa Bay offering him more than a few hundred thousand to sign. He hasn't pitched well in two years, and he was a fool for turning down San Diego's offer.

GatorBait asks: What do you think of the Braves third-round selection of Charlie Morton? Should they have drafted him this high? What are the positive/negatives of this prospect? How much does a third-round selection usually sign for?

Third-rounders, last year at least, usually signed for between $400,000 and $500,000, depending on the specific talent (and negotiating leverage) of the individual player. That should probably hold true this year as well.

Morton is a classic Atlanta draft pick. A high school pitcher from Connecticut, he is a thin 6-4, but should add strength and muscle to his frame, which would boost his fastball from average to above-average in time. His slider is already pretty good, and the Braves have a good track record with similar pitchers. Being from a cold-weather state means that he probably hasn't been abused with a heavy workload, another positive. Morton is no sure thing, of course; no high school pitcher is, and he lacks polish right now. But I think he fits well as a third-round pick.

Gorzilla writes: Is Jason Neighborgall the real deal? I read he threw 98 mph as a sophomore, and sometimes has reached triple digits. Does he have any other pitches to complement the heater, and will the Red Sox sign him?

I don't know about triple digits, but Neighborgall does throw 94-96 consistently, peaking at 98. He also has a sharp curveball, and some people say he has a better arm than Josh Beckett at the same stage. What hurt his draft stock and pushed him to the seventh round was his anticipated bonus demand ($5 million), "advisor" Scott Boras, a Georgia Tech scholarship, and the fact that he missed the '01 season with a back injury. I doubt he'll sign unless the Red Sox meet his bonus demands.

Melinda W. asks: Is there any particular sleeper in the draft that stands out to you?

Here are a few guys I intend to track closely. All are college players who could end up exceeding expectations in my opinion.

Curtis Granderson, OF (Detroit, third round)
From the University of Illinois-Chicago, Granderson had an excellent college season. He's a left-handed hitting outfielder with decent tools, with a strong work ethic and understanding of the game. He hit .488 this year, impressive even with a metal bat.

Mark Kiger, SS (Oakland, fifth round)
From the University of Florida, Kiger is a polished player with enough athletic ability to play both middle infield and outfield as a professional. He runs well, has some pop in his bat, and will draw walks. Like Granderson, he also has strong "intangibles."

Bobby Kingsbury, OF (Pittsburgh, eighth round)
From Fordham, Kingsbury has better tools than most guys from colleges in the Northeast, showing good outfield defense, a quick bat, and an intelligent hitting approach. He could have been a third or fourth-round pick if he'd gone to a warm-weather college. As with Kiger and Granderson, his work ethic is another plus.

John Sickels is the author of the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He is currently writing a biography of Bob Feller. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html.