Does it mean they may be interested

Many scouts have ownership in facilities that are within their area.   And most are very good.

Are they interested in your son as a perspective draft prospect, possibly.  

Go for it.

On a related note — what are the stages of interest for the draft vs. college recruiting?

@Iowamom23 posted:

On a related note — what are the stages of interest for the draft vs. college recruiting?

In normal times, scouts would have been out  last season then in summer watching and reporting. In fall, schools have scout day, where the coaches get a chance to watch and talk to the players they are interested in.

I don't know the situation now, if scouts are allowed to come watch, as most campuses are closed to outsiders.

The good part is that the draft is now in July.  That gives the scouts time to watch a bit longer.

Hopefully life may be back to a normal or probably a new normal.

EDIT:  Son never met or spoke to his drafting scout. 

Scouts can watch right now. My kids school had about 15 there on Friday. I saw K-State posted a photo of scouts watching their pitchers on Friday.

As far as stages of interest. I’d say it’s just like recruiting, you will know when they are interested. 

@Iowamom23 I would add that the stages are more fluid since there are so many point of entry (after HS, after junior year [or sophomore yr if you are 20]), after senior yr, or any year if you are going to JUCO). Area Scouts don't care when a kid develops into a possible prospect, just that they have displayed a tool or two to show that they ARE a possible prospect. Once that happens, it is their job to start following and to develop a relationship. And some teams are digging into numbers even younger. There was a work out with metrics in my area for one team that invited HS kids as young as freshmen.

There was an entire area of seats filled with only scouts at the IOWA HS championships this Summer. The college coaches were very envious sitting in their offices

So son had a number of scouts showing up for games this summer. Scouts reached out asking for days he would pitch Now he's getting lots of questionnaires from various teams. Iowa is working on plans for a scout day this fall, assuming we can get our statewide case counts down below Canada's before the snow flies.

How do you know when you cross the line from "here's a kid who might not suck, let's keep an eye on him?" to "this is a kid we might want to give some money to in the near future?'

@Iowamom23 posted:

How do you know when you cross the line from "here's a kid who might not suck, let's keep an eye on him?" to "this is a kid we might want to give some money to in the near future?'

 

Unless the player is expected to be a very high pick, you dont know. 

When son was at Clemson, once season began scouts could not talk to the players as per HC. I think there was communication with pitching coach. We never spoke to any scout. I don't know what went on with his advisor/agent because rules were different back then.

At FAU, we sit behind the scouts. I have seen a scout talk to a parent once.  Again, unless its a top round, there usually wont be any discussion between scouts and parents.   So you really don't know until draft day. If the player wants to get drafted, he will work hard enough to try to make it happen.  I think a lot has to do with scout/coach relationships.

JMO