2015 MLB Draft: Keith Law's final mock draft has Red Sox taking Ian Happ

ESPN's Keith Law has made his final pre-draft picks, and he has a fairly unusual pick for the Red Sox: Bearcats outfielder/second baseman Ian Happ.

Happ, 20, has generally been expected to go slightly later in the first round than the Red Sox are selecting, making him at least a slight reach at seven. That could give the Red Sox a chance to both pick a fairly high-quality player and save some amount of money against the slot to use on later picks.

In the field, Happ is a question mark at best. He's got a lot of work to do at second base if he wants to make it to the majors as an infielder, and given a limited arm (which would also get in the way of a move to, say, third base) and underwhelming athleticism, in the outfield he's likely destined to wind up in left. He wouldn't be the Hanley/Manny Ramirez sort out there, mind, just your typical outfielder without the range to play center.

At the plate is where Happ would really earn his keep. The switch hitter is considered one of the best pure hitters in the class, able to hold his own hitting lefty or righty. He was not a particularly impressive power hitter in his first two years with Cincinnati, but has come on strong in 2015, clubbing 14 homers in 200 at bats and touting a .672 slugging on the year.

On the surface, Happ isn't the sort of player you get excited about picking seventh. As a second baseman he would probably be quite the bat, but he's not likely to wind up there, and even if he does he might end up giving a good bit of that value back defensively. Still, his bat is a relatively safe bet, and if the Red Sox can work some savings into the first round by picking him, that's certainly a plus.