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All the mock drafts and rumors lead to Monday night, when the 2015 MLB Draft begins at 7 pm eastern. Here's the thing, though: we're hours out from that moment, and still, no one is quite sure how things are going to go down. The Diamondbacks could draft Tyler Stephenson out of high school instead of Dansby Swanson, as many have believed they would, which would kick off a cascade effect that messes with the entire first-half of the first round.
They aren't the only ones capable of toying with the expected order of things, though: the Astros might select a player the Sox have been expecting to draft by taking Andrew Benintendi with the fifth pick, according to Peter Gammons.
The Sox have mostly been linked to Benintendi as their other favorites, like LSU shortstop Alex Bregman, are off the board already in many mock drafts. If the Astros go with Benintendi at five, though, that might leave Bregman on the board for Boston at seven, reuniting them with the shortstop prospect they originally selected out of high school in the 29th round in 2012.
It's possible that the Astros only go the Benintendi route if the Diamondbacks pick Stephenson, though, as it would leave Swanson there for the taking at number two, where the Astros are selecting first thanks to their failure to sign 2014's number one pick, Brady Aiken -- with Swanson around, the Astros don't need to pick Bregman, since they are both shortstops. They could, especially since it's believed Bregman might need to move to another position, but it seems unlikely with so many other comparable talents at other positions still on the board just three picks later.
This could turn out to be nothing besides a sign of how volatile the early portions of the 2015 draft are expected to be. It could also turn out to be Boston's way of getting Bregman, who has been their clear favorite from the start, but almost never the player still available at seven. We'll know later on Monday night which it is, but hey, now you've been given something to think about until then.