By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Brewers announced that they have signed first round selection Clint Coulter. The team is holding a news conference to announce the deal for the catcher, who completed his physical in Milwaukee earlier today.
Coulter will obtain a $1.675MM bonus, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports. That's precisely the amount MLB recommends for the 27th overall selection. The Brewers also announced the signing of outfielder Victor Roache, the 28th overall selection on Monday.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
3:16pm: Winker obtained a $1MM bonus, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter).
1:57pm: The Reds signed supplementary first round draft pick Jesse Winker, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter). The Reds confirmed the deal, announcing the signings of 11th rounder Nolan Becker and 25th rounder Sean Lucas (Twitter link).
The Reds selected Winker, a high school outfielder, with the 49th overall selection as compensation for losing free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez. MLB recommends a bonus of $1.025MM for the 49th overall selection, according to Baseball America.
By Mike Axisa | at
Two years ago today, both Stephen Strasburg and Giancarlo Stanton made their Major League debuts. Strasburg famously struck out 14 Pirates in his first career start and has pitched to a 2.46 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 157 innings and 28 starts since. Stanton went 3-for-5 against the Phillies in his debut and has hit .267/.349/.535 with 70 homers in the show. Here's the latest from the baseball corner of the blogosphere…
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The latest outright assignments…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The latest minor moves…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Tigers, Phillies, Mets, White Sox and Rays are among the most surprising teams in baseball so far this season, Jayson Stark writes at ESPN.com. Here are some details from Stark's latest Rumblings & Grumblings column…
By Howard Megdal | at
As a fan, free agent compensation draft picks can feel like an extra slap in the face from Major League Baseball.
"You're losing one of your key players. But here, take a guy who can't help you for three or four years, and probably won't help you at all." The just-concluded draft included Mike Wacha to the Cardinals for losing Albert Pujols, Clint Coulter to the Brewers for losing Prince Fielder, and Brian Johnson to the Red Sox for losing Jonathan Papelbon. Cold comfort, at least for now.
But the free agent compensation draft pick can be more than just a consolation prize taken home from a game show you didn't win. At its best, those picks can turn into important contributors. The Mets drafted David Wright, for instance, as a compensation pick for losing Mike Hampton via free agency, a loss they'd gladly experience again.
Usually, it works the other way around. In December 1983, Darrell Evans signed with the Detroit Tigers, after eight productive seasons with the San Francisco Giants. His contribution to San Francisco had been immense — consistent power and defense at third base. He was worth 19.8 wins above replacement (WAR) during his time with the Giants.
When he signed with Detroit, San Francisco got the 24th pick in the 1984 draft, (under a much different compensation system) and selected Terry Mulholland. While Mulholland only pitched in fits and starts from the time he debuted in 1986, he got packaged with third baseman Charlie Hayes and pitcher Dennis Cook in a deal that netted the Giants Steve Bedrosian, their closer in the pennant-winning season of 1989. Mulholland, alas, was worth -0.6 WAR to the Giants over three seasons, so the Evans-Mullholland duo checks in at just 19.2 WAR, total.
For my money, the baseball universe is best when a player contributes for a team, then leaves a compensation pick that also turns into a key contributor. It feels like the departing free agent has planted a tree. Let's take a look at the finest twofers baseball teams have received from this rule.
Things worked out far better on both ends for the Tigers when catcher Lance Parrish signed with the Phillies in March of 1987. Parrish had been worth 28.1 WAR in ten seasons with Detroit. And the compensation pick they received became Travis Fryman. By 1990, as Parrish was bouncing around the league, Fryman was debuting, and impressing, for the Tigers. He'd go on to play eight years in Detroit, providing the Tigers with another 25.5 WAR before Detroit traded him to Arizona after the 1997 season. This tag team value of 53.6, evenly distributed, is compensation pick magic at its best.
The Indians got in on the magic act a year later, when Brett Butler, their leadoff hitter and sparkplug for four seasons, signed with the Giants. Butler had been worth 16.4 WAR over those four seasons. But the 17th pick in the 1988 draft, Charles Nagy, proved to be plenty of consolation. He pitched 13 years with the Indians, made three All-Star teams, and appeared for the Indians in five different postseasons. His WAR of 22.6 gives the Butler-Nagy tag team a solid showing of 39 WAR.
Skipping past marginal successes like the Astros getting Todd Jones for losing Nolan Ryan and the Mets nabbing Bobby Jones for losing Darryl Strawberry, we arrive at the great Rafael Palmeiro/Brian Roberts caper. The Orioles signed Palmeiro in December 1993, and Palmeiro was extremely effective for Baltimore over five seasons. He finished in the top-20 in MVP voting in all five seasons, won a pair of Gold Gloves at first base, and was worth 21.9 WAR over five years.
When Palmeiro signed with the Texas Rangers following the 1998 season, the Orioles received the 50th overall pick in 1999, and drafted Roberts. By 2001, Roberts was with the Major League club. By 2003, he became the team's regular second baseman. And he's still with the Orioles today, having produced 27.4 WAR. The Palmeiro/Roberts total of 49.3 is going to be tough for any duo to top.
The years since have seen some other, more marginal successes. Joe Blanton, compensation to Oakland for Jason Giambi, gave Oakland another 7.5 WAR atop Giambi's 26.6. Phil Hughes, compensation to the Yankees for losing Andy Pettitte, has given New York 4.9 WAR above the 32.7 Pettitte gave the Yankees. Better yet for New York, both totals are again climbing, with Pettitte having returned to the Yankees.
So the odds are against it, of course. But Kevin Plawecki, drafted by the Mets after losing Jose Reyes, could come to the big leagues, best Reyes's 27 WAR in New York, and make the duo the finest compensation tag team of all time.
By Zachary Links | at
FRIDAY: The sides agreed to a Major League deal, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
WEDNESDAY: It appears that left-hander Jeff Francis has an agreement in principle with the Rockies, sources tell Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter). Renck adds that he expects the veteran to start this weekend.
If Francis does indeed sign with the Rockies, he'll return to where he pitched from 2004-10. Francis owned a 4.22 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 215 1/3 innings for the Rockies in 2007.
The Reds released Francis earlier this week after he opted out of his contract. The 31-year-old posted a 3.72 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 77 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Brett Myers’ $10MM option for 2013 vests if he finishes 45 games and doesn’t end the season on the disabled list, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Myers, who has already completed 20 games, can also trigger the option with a points system based on other qualifications.
Myers has a 2.25 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 14 saves this year. He'll earn $11MM in 2012 and his contract, which was restructured upon his return to the bullpen, includes a $10MM vesting option for 2013 with a $3MM buyout.
If the Astros trade the 31-year-old to a team that uses him as a setup man, the option likely won’t vest. There’s a good chance Myers will finish 45 games if he continues closing, but one executive suggested to Morosi that the $10MM vesting option isn’t that scary to prospective trade partners. “I wouldn’t imagine it’s going to be a huge hindrance,” the person said.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The free agent market will feature an unusually strong class of outfielders this coming offseason, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. Josh Hamilton leads a group that includes Michael Bourn, Andre Ethier, Melky Cabrera, Shane Victorino, B.J. Upton and Carlos Quentin. However, teams are looking to avoid unnecessary long-term commitments, so it may not be possible for all of these players to cash in. Here are more notes from Olney:
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