The 2013 MLB draft is coming up, with the first round set for June 6, and when each team makes its first-round selection, each will be drafting an amateur player it believes will turn into an All-Star.
In reality, front offices know the odds of drafting an All-Star player are actually pretty slim. With research help from Justin Havens of ESPN Stats & Information, here's the last time each American League team drafted a future All-Star -- although in a couple of cases that player made an All-Star team for a different franchise. We'll cover the National League on Wednesday.
Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters (2007)
Many considered Wieters the best player in the draft, but he fell to the fifth pick because of his agent, Scott Boras. The Rays ended up with David Price with the first pick, and the Royals, Cubs and Pirates saved a little money and ended up with Mike Moustakas, Josh Vitters and Daniel Moskos.
Boston Red Sox: Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz (2005)
The Red Sox got Ellsbury with the 23rd pick and Buchholz with the 42nd pick. The Red Sox actually had five first-round picks that year including supplemental picks -- the Ellsbury pick was acquired from the Angels for losing Orlando Cabrera -- and also drafted Craig Hansen, Jed Lowrie and Michael Bowden.
New York Yankees: David Robertson (2006)
The Yankees buy their All-Stars, cry the haters. Well, the haters are right! Robinson Cano came up through the farm system, but other than reliever Robertson, the only players to make an All-Star team in pinstripes since 1990 who were actually drafted by the Yankees were ... yep, Derek Jeter (first round, 1992), Andy Pettitte (22nd round, 1990) and Jorge Posada (24th round, 1990). Oh, plus Phil Hughes, who did make the All-Star team in 2010. But you remembered that.
Tampa Bay Rays: David Price (2007)
For all the praise given to the Rays' drafting acumen, they've had the No. 1 overall pick four times and have busted on three of those -- Josh Hamilton (who never played for Tampa Bay), Delmon Young (at least they traded him before everyone realized he stunk) and Tim Beckham, who followed Price in 2008 and has yet to reach the majors.
Toronto Blue Jays: Ricky Romero (2005)
Romero has suddenly lost the ability to throw strikes, which seems especially painful now because 2005 was one of the most loaded drafts in history -- Romero went sixth overall, one pick before Troy Tulowitzki.
Chicago White Sox: Chris Sale (2010)
Many teams didn't believe Sale would have the durability to make it as a starter, but not only did Sale ascend quickly to the majors but he developed into one of the best pitchers in the game. Six pitchers were selected ahead of Sale, and although one was Matt Harvey and another was Pirates prospect Jameson Taillon, the other four were Drew Pomeranz, Barret Loux, Karsten Whitson and Deck McGuire.
Cleveland Indians: CC Sabathia (1998)
It has been an amazing 15 years since the Indians have drafted an All-Star. Since Sabathia was last an Indians All-Star in 2007, Cleveland's All-Stars have included Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore (acquired from Montreal in the Bartolo Colon trade), Victor Martinez (a farm system product from Venezuela), Fausto Carmona/Roberto Hernandez (signed out of the Dominican Republic) and, the past two years, Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera, acquired from the Cardinals and Mariners.
Detroit Tigers: Alex Avila (2008)
A fifth-round pick out of Alabama, Avila was an All-Star just three years later. However, his 2012 and 2013 follow-up seasons haven't come close to his 2011 season, when he finished 12th in the MVP vote.
Kansas City Royals: Aaron Crow (2009)
Crow made the All-Star team as a rookie reliever in 2011 thanks to 34 good innings. By the way, the Royals haven't had two All-Stars since 2003, when Mike Sweeney and Mike MacDougal made it -- also the last time the Royals finished with a winning record. Is this a bad time for a Ken Harvey joke?
Minnesota Twins: Evan Meek (2002)
Joe Mauer was drafted first overall in 2001 and since then has been a draft spell as cold as a Minnesota winter. That's how you go from six division titles in nine years to back-to-back seasons of 99 and 96 losses. That's also the price you pay when you spend a decade never drafting higher than 14th. Meek was actually released by the Twins before making the All-Star team as the Pirates' rep in 2010.
Houston Astros: Ben Zobrist and Hunter Pence (2004)
Zobrist was a sixth-round pick from Dallas Baptist but the Astros traded him for Aubrey Huff before he reached the majors. What, you don't remember the Aubrey Huff Astros years, either?
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout (2009)
The last time the Angels signed a former All-Star to a megamillion free-agent contract: 2013.
Oakland Athletics: Andrew Bailey (2006)
The A's had only one All-Star last year -- reliever Ryan Cook -- but even then it was a gerrymandered roster that Billy Beane put together. Of the 11 players who compiled 2.0 WAR or better, the only one the A's drafted was A.J. Griffin.
Seattle Mariners: Adam Jones (2003)
Jones is a two-time All-Star with the Orioles, making J.J. Putz (1999) the last All-Star for the Mariners who made the All-Star team as a Mariner. And the last position player? Alex Rodriguez, 2000 All-Star, 1993 draftee.
Texas Rangers: Ian Kinsler (2003)
This might come as a surprise, given the Rangers' success in recent years and the praise given their farm system, but their All-Star reps have actually represented some great trades the team made (Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison) and some key free agents (Adrian Beltre, Yu Darvish, Joe Nathan).