2009 Amateur Draft Rumors

Discussion: Is The Draft Broken?

Jayson Stark at ESPN argues that the draft "will never be the same" in the wake of the Stephen Strasburg signing. He quotes club officials who tell him that the draft is "broken" and that the system "needs to be blown up." Among potential changes that should be discussed, Stark lists a formal slotting system, the ability to trade draft picks, a worldwide draft, and a hockey-style system wherein draft picks would be controlled through their college years. What do you think? Are bonuses for top picks out of control? Should teams be able to trade picks? Should the way...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Draft, Moyer, Cubs

Links for Thursday... RotoAuthority looks at the worst closers in baseball. Indians first-round draft pick Alex White is "seeking top five money," according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hoynes says the Indians are optimistic about signing him before Monday's deadline. As you might expect, Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Stephen Strasburg talks between the Nationals and Scott Boras will go down to the wire. MLBTR will be covering the signing deadline intensely, as we did last year. Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a source saying the Phillies' bullpen demotion of Jamie Moyer...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Moneyball, Draft Signings, Halladay

A few more links for your evening... Jon Weisman of the LA Times reports that the movie based on "Moneyball" has once again been green-lighted with Aaron Sorkin signed on to finish the script. The Mariners have signed their supplemental first round pick, Steven Baron, for $980K. Keith Law reports that negotiations between the Brewers and one of their supplemental picks, #39 overall Kentrail Davis, have "gotten ugly" after the Brewers agreed to his demands and then he turned it down. Joel Sherman reports that if Roy Halladay is traded to the NL before the All-Star game, he will not...   Continue Reading

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List Of First Round Draft Picks To Sign

Here's a list of all the first round picks that shows which first-round picks have signed and for how much: Washington Nationals - Stephen Strasburg - Agreed to a Major League deal worth $15.1MM guaranteed. Seattle Mariners - Dustin Ackley - Agreed to a Major League deal worth $7.5MM guaranteed. San Diego Padres - Donavan Tate - Agreed to a $6.25MM bonus. Pittsburgh Pirates - Tony Sanchez - Agreed on a bonus of about $2.5MM. Baltimore Orioles - Matt Hobgood - Agreed to sign for about $2.4MM. San Francisco Giants - Zack Wheeler - Agreed to a $3.3MM bonus. Atlanta...   Continue Reading

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Diamondbacks Sign Supplemental First Rounder

KTAR.com's Craig Grialou reports that the Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with California high school third baseman Matt Davidson, the 35th overall pick in last week's draft. Davidson was Arizona's third selection, one of five players they drafted before the end of the supplemental first round. Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic says Davidson was given a tour of Chase Field and took batting practice with the big league club after signing. Financial terms of the deal are unknown, but MLB's recommended slot bonus for the 35th overall pick is expected to be right around $1MM.   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Betemit, Greene, Sano, Draft

How do you guys feel about interleague play? I understand the problems in creates in terms of the unbalanced schedule, but the fan in me still loves it. Anyway, here's some evening links as rivalry weekend kicks off... Wilson Betemit has been outrighted to Triple-A according to Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune. Betemit had been designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Gordon Beckham last week. Khalil Greene has returned to St. Louis not to play, but to "have his status re-evaluated" according to Derrick Goold. The Cards have been looking for middle infield help, and...   Continue Reading

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Draft Odds and Ends: Phillies, Red Sox, Brewers

Some draft-themed links... Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the Phillies signed their top draft pick, centerfielder Kelly Dugan. Being drafted by the Red Sox was only the start of an amazing day for Chris Costantino, according to John Gillooly of the Providence Journal. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes about the unusual good luck charm the Brewers used during the draft. John Branch of the New York Times profiles Alibay Barkley, the last player chosen in this year's draft. The number of draftees coming out of MLB's Urban Youth Academy rose again this year, according to Lisa Winston of MLB.com.   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Fields, Grilli, Boras, D'Backs

Some links for Thursday evening... Josh Fields told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he had a "blunt and straightforward" meeting with Ken Williams about his place on the White Sox. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports the White Sox drafted their GM's son, Tyler Williams, and Harold Baines Jr.. Jason Grilli was recently dealt to the Rangers and now he's working on a deal of his own. According to his Twitter, Grilli plans to exchange "cash or an item to be named later" for number 49. Gavin McCourt, the son of Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, was drafted by the Red...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Indians, Ryan, Red Sox

More links for the afternoon... The Indians drafted two players named Kyle Smith, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mark Shapiro still says he's hoping for a resurgence from the Indians, according to Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today. Dean Jones Jr. of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles selected Mike Flacco, the brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe. The family connections don't stop there. As Chad Finn of the Boston Globe reports, the Red Sox chose Michael Yastrzemski, Carl's grandson. Charlie Nobles of MLB.com writes that Brendan Ryan is playing well, maybe well enough to become the Cardinals'...   Continue Reading

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Pirates Draft Roundup

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked GM Neal Huntington if Tony Sanchez had more upside and talent than the other players available when the Pirates picked fourth. Here are a couple of points Huntington made in his reply to Kovacevic: "We did not take the player we felt had the highest upside on the board with the Sanchez selection, but we did select the player who was at the top of our board at the time." Huntington says upside isn't everything, pointing out that it's risky to draft high school pitchers. "If Stephen Strasburg or Dustin Ackley had slipped,...   Continue Reading

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