Rays draft Palmetto slugger

PALMETTO -- Palmetto High senior Granden Goetzman said he always wanted to play professional baseball.

Now he’ll get the chance.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Goetzman on Tuesday in the second round of the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

“Ever since I can remember that’s what I’ve wanted to do, MLB,” Goetzman said. “I kind of felt (the Rays) had the most interest going into the draft. I feel good about the Rays, and I feel comfortable around their people.”

The Rays took Goetzman with the 75th overall pick. Among area players, he was the highest pick since current Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez, who was taken 42nd by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 out of Manatee High and The Pendleton School at IMG Academies, as well as the University of Miami.

J.R. Murphy, who played at IMG Academies, was selected 76th by the New York Yankees in 2009.

Goetzman has signed to play collegiately at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. Major League clubs retain the rights to a selected player until August 15 or until the player begins or returns to a four-year college.

Goetzman said he definitely will turn pro.

Last year’s 75th pick, Arizona State pitcher Jordan Swagerty, signed a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals that paid him a signing bonus of between $600,000 and $625,000, according to a Yahoo Sports report.

And doing it with the Rays is even sweeter. Goetzman said he has followed the Rays closely since moving to Florida from Pennsylvania about 10 years ago.

“One day, hopefully I get to play in the Trop in front of my hometown fans,” said Goetzman, who was the 11th selection for a busy Rays staff.

Local supporters won’t have to wait until Goetzman reaches Tropicana Field to watch him play professionally. The Rays’ Gulf Coast League and Florida State League teams are in Port Charlotte and play against Pittsburgh Pirates affiliates in Bradenton.

Goetzman said he followed the first round and compensation round of the draft on Monday night, when it aired nationally on the MLB Network.

The three-day, 50-round draft resumed at noon Tuesday. Goetzman was picked about 30 minutes after the draft restarted and said he was watching on a projection screen on Palmetto High’s campus.

“Everybody is happy for me, proud of me,” said Goetzman, who was named the Herald’s All-Area Baseball Player of the Year on Sunday. “Teachers are giving me hugs and doing all that.”

The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder primarily played shortstop this season. He hit .413 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs in 25 games.

However, Goetzman is projected as an outfield prospect. It’s a position he has played in the past.

“I played center field growing up,” he said. “I just started playing shortstop just to fill a hole. I feel good in center field.”

Also Tuesday, Lakewood Ranch graduate Jonathan Griffin was selected in the 21st round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Griffin, a first baseman at the University of Central Florida, also played at State College of Florida.

Griffin was a first-team Conference USA selection, tied for eighth in the country with 18 homers and finished the regular season with a .332 batting average. He also led the Knights in slugging percentage (.634) and was second with 53 RBIs.

Current SCF pitcher Nick Goody was taken in the 22nd round by the New York Yankees.

“I’m just at a loss for words. I’m pretty excited right now,” said Goody, who started at SCF as a shortstop before converting to pitcher.

Goody, who is in Minnesota for the Northwoods Summer League, is signed with national powerhouse LSU to continue his college career. He said he won’t decide until later this summer whether he’ll turn pro or continue with college.

Goody, the Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year, finished 6-2 with a 1.29 earned-run average. He struck out an impressive 114 batters and walked 33 in 84 innings.

Another SCF standout, first baseman Roderick “Rock” Shoulders, was selected in the 25th round by the Chicago Cubs. Shoulders led all Florida Juco players with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs and batted .318.

Shoulders, who is headed to Maryland to play in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League this summer, plans to play at the University of South Florida next season. He’s unsure if he will sign with the Cubs.

“It just depends on where they’re at and what kind of deal I can get,” Shoulders said.

This story was originally published June 8, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Rays draft Palmetto slugger."