Duquette and his staff understand far better than most how to judge and acquire talent. They know that there are players sitting around the minor leagues who can do a good job. Brian Daubach's slugging percentage was 13 points better than Mo Vaughn's last year, for a lot less money. The Red Sox have also delved far deeper into the Asian market than any other team, and have improved their presence in Latin America as well.

All is not perfect, however. The 1999 draft class has been criticized, and several scouts and respected talent evaluators have left the organization in recent years, driven out, apparently, by the atmosphere in the front office. Nevertheless, the Sox are in much better shape as an organization than they were before Duquette took over. The system is as strong as it has ever been.

The next draftee was Casey Fossum, a breaking ball lefty from Texas A&M. He doesn't have Baker's ceiling, but should be a competent pitcher. Second-round pick Mat Thompson, a high school pitcher from Idaho, is similar to Baker.

This is a good group at the top of the draft, but the rest of the effort was weak. The fourth through ninth round picks didn't sign, and none of the college players taken in the later rounds look particularly interesting. The draft will rise and fall on the success of the first few picks.