Mariners Ink First Round Pick
Jim Callis of Baseball America reports the Mariners have agreed to terms with first-round pick Nick Franklin. He was handed a $1.28MM signing bonus, close to $100K more than MLB's recommendation for his slot. The high school shortstop was selected 27th overall in June.
17 of the 32 first-round draft picks have now signed. Keep it locked on MLBTR as Monday's deadline looms and visit our first-round tracker page for a quick refresher.
Odds & Ends: Wade, Rays, Freddy
A handful of links for Saturday afternoon…
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle has a full rundown of the trades Astros general manager Ed Wade has executed in his two years on the job. "Wade took over an organization that was in shambles," Justice writes. "He appears to have done the right things to rebuild the farm system while keeping the big league team competitive."
- According to KWTX in Texas, the Rays have agreed to terms with third-round pick OF Todd Glaesmann. He's expected to receive a signing bonus above his slot recommendation, but exact financial terms are not yet available.
- Freddy Garcia will return to a major league mound Tuesday against the Royals, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. The White Sox signed the veteran to a minor league contract in June.
- Matthew Pouliot of NBCSports.com's "Circling The Bases" is almost one-third of the way through what he calls "a series of articles examining what every team's roster would look like if given only the players it originally signed." He's also ranking the rosters from worst to first. Check it out. The Cincinnati squad is a must-see.
Talkin’ John Smoltz
As Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com notes, 42-year-old right-hander John Smoltz has not considered retirement and is hoping to join a new team soon, either as a starter or reliever. Here's what we know so far:
Smoltz was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on August 7 after posting an 8.33 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP over eight starts. He refused an assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket earlier this week, and the Sox now have only two days to find a trade partner before they must grant him his release. The Marlins, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rangers and Astros are thought to have some level of interest. SI.com's Jon Heyman has spoken with MLB executives who believe the veteran is likely to end up back in the National League.
There's a chance an interested club will jump in and make a deal for Smoltz before he's released, but it would make more sense for teams to sit tight until Monday, and leave Boston with the remainder of his one-year, $5.5 million contract. A release will also negate all bonuses and incentives tied to that deal.
Odds & Ends: Draft Signings, Reds, Marlins
News on draft signings is picking up–let's take a look:
- Joe Smith at the St. Petersburg Times says the Rays have signed their fifth-round pick, 1B Jeff Malm.
- The Rays also came to terms with their ninth-round pick, LHP Kevin James, for a $625k bonus, says Jim Callis at Baseball America.
- John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer believes the Reds' recent moves indicate the team is looking to balance the budget. How can we explain the Scott Rolen deal, though?
- Juan C. Rodriguez at the Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the Marlins have agreed to terms with their second-round selection, RHP Bryan Berglund. No word on the terms just yet.
Nationals Make Offer To Strasburg
According to Thomas Boswell at the Washington Post, the Nationals have formally made their offer to no. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, and it's been on the table for some time. As expected, the offer is "record-setting" in that it surpasses Mark Prior's $10.5MM bonus from 2001, and a source seems to indicate to Boswell that the offer is at least "twice as much" as the top bonus awarded last year, which was $6MM.
This is the first official word that the Nationals have a contract on the table, but it's all but certain negotiations will still last until the final minutes of the August 17 deadline. After examining the pattern of offers that the Nationals made to top free agent Mark Teixeira last year, Boswell projects that the current figures are somewhere between $14MM and $16MM. It's likely going to take much more to sway Strasburg and Scott Boras. Stay tuned to MLBTR as the saga continues to unfold before Monday.
Pirates DFA Jeff Salazar
According to Jen Langosch at MLB.com (via Twitter), the Pirates have designated outfielder Jeff Salazar for assignment. Salazar, 28, hasn't been able to put it together at the plate this year, managing just one hit in 26 plate appearances for the Bucs.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Orioles, Scheppers
A buffet brunch of links–come get your fill:
- Ken Davidoff at Newsday reports that the Yankees are confident first-round pick/secret agent from the future Slade Heathcott will sign, likely for a bonus around $2MM.
- Jeff Zrebiec at the Baltimore Sun talked to Orioles president Andy MacPhail, who assures that manager Dave Trembley's job is safe through this season. Trembley has a club option for 2010.
- Yahoo Sports' Gordon Edes believes that we will see draft picks as commodities to be traded in the near future, as it "makes too much sense."
- Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker discusses the possibility that Tanner Scheppers pitches in Japan, and concludes that most international free agent signings in NPB are "low-risk, low-reward."
- Lane Meyer at NoMaas talked to Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer about the draft and potential signings.
Red Sox DFA Chris Woodward
As expected, the Red Sox have designated IF Chris Woodward for assignment, says Adam Kilgore at the Boston Globe. He'll leave to make room for the newly acquired Alex Gonzalez. The 33-year-old Woodward played in five games for the Sox after being claimed from the Mariners, going without a hit in seven plate appearances.
Dodgers Sign Second Rounder Garrett Gould
9:37pm: Gurnick says he'll receive a $900K bonus.
5:36pm: Ken Gurnick of MLB.com is reporting that the Dodgers have signed second rounder Garrett Gould. The exact dollar figure isn't known yet, but MLB's recommended bonus for the 65th overall pick is around $563K. Gould, a 6'-4" righthander from a Kansas high school, was a borderline first round talent who slipped because of bonus demands.
With the signing, the Dodgers have now inked their top ten picks.
Odds & Ends: Bedard, Rays, Hall, Brewers
A few more loose links I rounded up…
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that he "has not ruled out offering some type of extension deal to injured pitcher Erik Bedard." Of course, the club will monitor Bedard's recovery from shoulder surgery before doing anything.
- The Rays have signed fourth rounder Luke Bailey for $750K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. Bailey was arguably the top high school catcher in the draft, but he blew out his elbow in the spring and needed Tommy John surgery.
- The Cincinnati Enquirer's Tom Groeschen mentions that the Reds have interest in infielder Bill Hall, who was DFA'd by the Brewers earlier this week.
- According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, the Brewers "appear headed toward a deal with their highest remaining unsigned selection, University of Tennessee outfielder Kentrail Davis." A month ago we heard that negotiations between the two sides had "gotten ugly." McCalvy also mentions that the Crew signed 5th rounder D'Vontrey Richardson and 15th rounder Del Howell.
- Larry LaRue of The News Tribune says the Mariners "may be on the brink of agreement with high school outfielder Nick Franklin." Seattle selected Frankin 27th overall, and LaRue notes that he'll take a physical tomorrow.
- Jack Etkin of Inside The Rockies reports that the team has released veteran reliever Mike Timlin. Timlin preferred to be home with his wife and children rather than go out on a road trip with the Triple-A Colorado Springs. The move was not performance related and there were no hard feelings on either side.
- The Nationals have signed eighth rounder Roberto Perez, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladsen. The Nats have now signed 10 of their top 12 picks, but they're still waiting on the big guy at the top.