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2013 Amateur Draft

Angels To Sign Hunter Green

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The Angels will sign second-round pick Hunter Green to a $942k deal today, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reported yesterday that a deal was near. Green, who is advised by Jet Sports Management, receives a bonus right at the slot recommendation for the 59th overall pick with which he was chosen. (Slot bonus info courtesy of Baseball America.)

The left-hander was taken with the Angels' first overall pick. (The club forfeited its first-round choice when it inked Josh Hamilton in free agency.) Had he not signed, Green was destined for the University of Kentucky.

Green appeared higher than his draft slot on many pundits' boards. Baseball America slotted him as the 31st best draft prospect, ESPN's Keith Law put him at number 42, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo rated Green 48th. While placing Green lower than his colleagues, Mayo explained that the still-lanky youngster is projectable both with his body and his three offerings (fastball-curve-change). Law concurred (Insider link), calling Green inconsistent but "very intriguing." 

Draft Notes: Wilson, Williams, Milone, Driver, Ziomek

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Here's today's rundown of draft-related news and notable non-first-round signings (slot info courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • The Mariners inked second-round selection Austin Wilson to a $1.7MM deal, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.  The outfielder out of Stanford has huge power potential and a solid arm, according to Callis.
  • The Marlins signed second-round pick Trevor Williams for $1.26MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).  The Arizona State right-hander boasts a 90-95 mph fastball and shows strong command.
  • The Rays signed third-rounder Thomas Milone to a $530K deal, according to Callis (via Twitter).  The Connecticut high school outfielder will enter Tampa Bay's system rather than attend UConn.
  • The A's signed seventh-round pick Dustin Driver to a $500K deal, according to Callis (Twitter link), which is more than $300K over slot.  The Washington high school right-hander shows promise but lacks a consistent secondary pitch.
  • The Tigers have signed second-round pick Kevin Ziomek for the full slot value of $956,600, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis. The Vanderbilt lefty features a deceptive 89-94 mph fastball, solid changeup and average slider, according to Callis.
  • Callis adds (also via Twitter) that the Rays have signed an "interesting" non-drafted free agent in Oregon right-hander Clayton Crum. Callis notes that he didn't pitch often for the Ducks but sits 90-94 mph with his fastball and flashes a good slider at times as well.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Royals To Sign Sean Manaea

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The Royals have agreed to sign competitive-balance pick Sean Manaea for $3.55MM, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets. The Indiana State lefty was the No. 34 overall pick in the draft.

$3.55MM is way above the $1.62MM draft pool recommendation for the No. 34 pick. But the Royals’ intentions to sign Manaea to an above-slot bonus became clear very early in their draft — they surprised many observers by selecting college shortstop Hunter Dozier with the No. 8 overall pick, then took Manaea, who is advised by the Boras Corporation and was regarded as one of the top talents in the draft before an injury-plagued junior season at Indiana State. The Royals then signed Dozier for over $900K less than his slot value, saving money to sign Manaea.

ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Manaea the No. 10 prospect in the draft, while MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Baseball America ranked Manaea No. 13 and No. 18, respectively. Manaea’s stock fell after most draft rankings were published, however, particularly when, shortly before the draft, he was scratched from a start with shoulder tightness.

Law writes that the lefty threw 96 MPH with an excellent slider during the summer of 2012 in the Cape Cod League, but both pitches took steps backward in the 2013 season, when Manaea threw 89-94 MPH with an inconsistent slider. He also throws a changeup.

Orioles To Sign Hunter Harvey

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The Orioles have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Hunter Harvey, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com tweets. Harvey, a high school pitcher from North Carolina, was the No. 22 overall pick in the draft. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Harvey signed for exactly the bonus pool recommendation, which is just under $1.95MM. Harvey is advised by Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranked Harvey the No. 22 prospect in the draft, noting his projectable frame, 94-MPH fastball, and inconsistent, but promising, curveball and changeup. ESPN's Keith Law ranked Harvey the draft's No. 24 prospect, while Baseball America ranked Harvey No. 33. Harvey is the son of former big-league reliever Bryan Harvey.

Draft Notes: Wong, Wahl, Sisco, Nicely

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Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports notes (via Twitter) that with 27 of this year's 39 first-rounders signed (a figure that includes Competitive Balance Round A), teams have collectively saved $4,428,400. First round picks, on average, have received 6.3 percent less than slot. That number, of coruse, could change when Kris Bryant and Sean Manaea sign. Here are more draft-related links, including today's significant non-first-round signings (slot info courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • The Rays have signed fourth-rounder Kean Wong for $393K, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets. Wong's bonus is exactly the slot value for the No. 128 pick. Wong, a high school second baseman, is the brother of Cardinals prospect Kolten.
  • The Athletics will sign fifth-round pick Bobby Wahl for $500K, Callis tweeted Thursday afternoon, although he followed that up hours later by saying the deal was not yet complete. The draft pool value of the pick is $286K, so Wahl's bonus would be significantly over slot. That's no surprise, since Wahl was regarded more highly than the typical fifth-round pick. MLB.com ranked Wahl the No. 30 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America had him at No. 36 prospect. ESPN's Keith Law ranked Wahl No. 63, noting the Mississippi righty's success in the SEC but writing that most around the game view Wahl as a reliever in the long term. Wahl is advised by Excel Sports Management.
  • Orioles second-rounder Chance Sisco, who signed last week, received a $785K bonus, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. That would mean the Orioles saved about $128K.
  • The Astros signed 10th-round pick Austin Nicely for a healthy $610K, tweets Callis. Nicely, a high school lefty from Virginia, has a projectable frame and promising fastball/curveball combo, Callis adds. The Astros went about $470K over slot to convince Nicely to break his commitment to the University of Virgina.
  • Third-round pick Jan Hernandez has signed with the Phillies for $550K, tweets Callis. The Phils saved $43K in signing the Puerto Rican high school shortstop. Callis notes that Hernandez is probably a future third baseman or catcher who has some pop and a chance to hit for average.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Rays To Sign Nick Ciuffo

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The Rays will announce the signing of first-round pick Nick Ciuffo on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Ciuffo, a high school catcher from South Carolina, was the No. 21 overall pick in the draft. Ciuffo is advised by Frontline.

Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets that Ciuffo's deal will be for slot value, which would be $1.97MM for the No. 21 pick. ESPN's Keith Law ranked Ciuffo the No. 18 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America had him at No. 22 and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him No. 23. Mayo noted Ciuffo's potential to hit for power and average, and suggested he also had the defensive tools to remain behind the dish. Law, meanwhile, praised Ciuffo's receiving and notes that Ciuffo's power potential should at least make him a backup, though his upside is much higher than that.

Orioles Agree To Terms With Comp Pick Josh Hart

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1:05pm: Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets that Hart signed for a $1.45MM signing bonus, which would be $58K under slot.

10:57am: Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles have reached an agreement with competitive balance pick Josh Hart. The prep outfielder from Georgia will receive a slightly under-slot bonus that will come in just under $1.5MM (Twitter links). Baseball America reported in April that the assigned pick value of Hart's No. 37 slot was $1,508,600. Hart is advised by SFX.

ESPN's Keith Law ranked Hart as the No. 50 prospect in this year's draft. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo had Hart ranked 54th on his Top 100, while Baseball America had him 57th on their Top 500. Law writes that Hart's best attributes are his bat speed and his ability to run. Mayo feels that Hart "profiles as a top-of-the-order type, a guy who will use his speed on both sides of the ball to be a basestealing threat and an excellent defender in the outfield."

Hart is the second player from Competitive Balance Round A to agree to terms today. Earlier this morning, MLBTR reported that the Reds had agreed to sign Michael Lorenzen, who was selected one pick after Hart.

Reds To Sign Comp Pick Michael Lorenzen

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The Reds have agreed to terms with competitive balance pick Michael Lorenzen, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. The Cal State Fullerton product is advised by the Boras Corporation. He will receive a $1.5MM signing bonus, which is slightly more than the $1,470,500 assigned pick value reported by Baseball America in April.

Lorenzen is both a center fielder and pitcher, though the consensus seems to be that he's better suited for the mound. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him as the draft's No. 45 prospect, while ESPN's Keith Law had him at No. 49 and Baseball America ranked him No. 52. Lorenzen boasts outstanding instincts in center field according to BA, with Law giving him an 80-grade arm. Mayo feels that pitching should be a backup plan given his outstanding tools in center field.

After the draft, Lorenzen told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that the Reds plan on allowing him to work as both a pitcher and an outfielder:

"They'll allow me to swing the bat and try to prove to them that I can hit. So I'm just going to continue to do both," Lorenzen said. "I think that with my work ethic and athleticism that I have that I have the ability to continue that in professional ball, and we'll just see where that takes me from there. "

Law opined that Lorenzen was a supplemental or early second-round talent as a pitcher, but he wouldn't take him nearly that high as an outfielder. Reds senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley told Sheldon that Lorenzen could reach the Majors very quickly as a reliever but added that Lorenzen is a very good prospect as an outfielder as well. Said Buckley: "…we're going to kind have a unique plan with him and we're going to try to let him do a little bit of both."

Draft Signings: Gonsalves, Williams, Monda, Hannemann

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Here are today's notable draft notes and non-first-round signings (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • High school lefty Stephen Gonsalves has agreed to a $700k bonus with the Twins, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick Gonsalves, once considered a possible first-rounder, signed for about $232k over slot rather than attending the University of San Diego. 
  • The Diamondbacks have signed second-round choice Justin Williams with a roughly at-slot bonus, tweets Callis. The high school shortstop, who is advised by the Boras Corporation, will likely take his raw power to the outfield as a pro.
  • The Phillies will not sign sixth-round choice Jason Monda, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports on Twitter. The Washington State junior had initially seemed willing to sign, but elected instead to return for his final year as a collegiate ballplayer.
  • Third-rounder Jacob Hannemann has agreed to a $1MM bonus with the Cubs, Callis reports via Twitter. The contract pays the speedy BYU outfielder over $250k more than his recommended slot.
  • The Indians have given a well-above-slot bonus to fifth-round choice Sean Brady, tweets Callis. The high-school lefty, who is advised by Tom O'Connell, will receive $800k from Cleveland, over double the $347,100 slot recommendation.
  • Yankees second-rounder Gosuke Katoh has signed for the full slot value of $845,700, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • Callis also reports that the Padres signed supplemental second-rounder Jordan Paroubeck for a $750K bonus (Twitter links). The prep outfielder from California has solid tools across the board, according to Callis. He signed for $58K under slot.
  • The Padres have also agreed to terms with eighth-rounder Adrian De Horta on a well over-slot deal, MLBTR has learned. De Horta, who is advised by Terry Jones of Reynolds Sports Management, agreed to a $425K signing bonus, which is about $269K over slot value for the No. 238 overall selection. The deal is pending a physical. MLB.com doesn't have a full scouting report on De Horta, though they do offer a scouting video for Padres fans to check out.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Braves Sign First-Rounder Jason Hursh

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The Braves announced (via Twitter) that they have officially signed their first-round selection Jason Hursh this afternoon. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish was the first to report that an agreement was in place yesterday, adding that the Oklahoma State right-hander signed for the full slot value of $1,704,200. Hursh is advised by SFX.

Hursh was the No. 41 prospect in this year's draft according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. Baseball America ranked him 46th, and ESPN's Keith Law ranked him 48th (ESPN Insider required). Mayo noted that Hursh, who had Tommy John surgery in 2011 and missed the 2012 season while recovering, features a 95 mph fastball that he commands well and uses to generate ground-balls. BA had his fastball from 92-98 mph with heavy life and late tail, calling it "one of the most devastating pitches in the draft."

With Hursh's agreement, 24 of the 33 first-round selections from this year's draft have agreed to terms or signed with their new team.

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