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2013 Amateur Draft

Cubs Sign Fourth-Rounder Tyler Skulina

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The Cubs have signed fourth-round draft pick Tyler Skulina for $800K, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets. The draft pool value of Skulina's pick, No. 108 overall, is $477K, so Skulina's bonus is significantly over slot. Baseball America ranked Skulina the No. 73 prospect in the draft.

Callis writes that Skulina, a junior righty from Kent State, has "frontline stuff," with a 91-96 MPH fastball and an 81-84 MPH slider, although his command needs work. MLB.com notes that Skulina uses his height (he's 6'5" and 235 pounds) to throw with a downhill plane that complements his fastball and breaking ball, but says he will have to work on his changeup. 

Central Notes: Gallardo, Twins, White Sox

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The Royals made this a special Father's Day for 21 dads as the team invited the players' fathers to travel with them on their current road trip to Tampa and Cleveland. Dick Kaegel of MLB.com reports the idea was the brainstorm of the Royals' senior director of travel Jeff Davenport, who borrowed the idea from NHL teams, and was approved quickly by GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost. The idea came as a shock to some of the dads including the father of infielder Elliot Johnson, Robert. "Elliot told me about it and I had to call him back three times to make sure I got this story right — I said, 'You've got to be kidding me. All I have to do is get to Kansas City and they're going to put me on a plane and fly me along with you and not charge me anything? And I'm going to get in a hotel and eat with you guys and hang out with you?" The trip hasn't been without incident. Robert Johnson admitted he had an argument with Hall of Famer and new Royals batting coach George Brett over – what else – Elliot's hitting. In other news and notes from MLB's Central divisions: 

  • After struggling for most of the season, Yovani Gallardo has now tossed 14 consecutive scoreless innings. With the Brewers in last place and Gallardo controlled affordably through 2015 ($11.25MM in 2014 and a 2015 club option worth $13MM), the right-hander's name has popped up as a trade candidate (including by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes two weeks ago) and he has heard the talk. "We'll see what happens," Gallardo told reporters including MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. "It's definitely a little bit different. It's the first time I've been in a situation like this — not to say that anything is going to happen." McCalvy reports Gallardo can block trades to ten teams, but Gallardo acknowledges even he doesn't know the identity of all of them. 
  • While the Brewers don't anticipate Corey Hart returning from offseason knee surgery until after the All-Star break, at the earliest, GM Doug Melvin will not rush first base prospect Hunter Morris to the Majors, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Melvin told Haudricourt service time considerations aren't part of the decision-making process, "He needs to play more at Triple-A. We just want to make sure he's ready before making a move like that." The Brewers entered the weekend last in the NL at first base with a .493 OPS and 14th with four home runs and a .275 slugging percentage.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan told Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio Josh Willingham, Justin Morneau, and Kevin Correia will be the most asked about players as the Trade Deadline approaches (Twitter link).
  • Twins closer Glen Perkins will also be sought after by teams looking to bolster their bullpen, including the division rival Tigers. Ryan, however, told Bowden he has not had any conversations with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski and would rather have Perkins pitch for him than against him (Twitter link).
  • Yesterday, the White Sox announced the signing of seventh-round draft choice Trey Michalczewski. Today, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweeted the prep third baseman will receive a $500K bonus, which is $323.4K above the recommended slot (per Baseball America). 

Brewers Sign Devin Williams

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The Brewers have signed their top draft choice Devin Williams to a deal worth $1.35MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). The bonus is above-slot as the recommended value for the 54th overall selection is just over $1.017MM, per Baseball America. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports part of Williams' bonus includes compensation for forgoing a scholarship to the University of Missouri, which is common practice in signing high school picks.

Williams, who is advised by Jason Wood of Arland Sports, was ranked as the 20th best prospect in the draft by ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) and number 43 by Baseball America. Law sees Williams as one of the top prep arms in the country, with an athletic build and delivery reminiscent of the Mariners' Taijuan Walker and a chance for three above-average or better pitches. Callis adds Williams has a loose arm and hits 91-95 mph with his fastball. 

Williams touched 96 mph at a pre-draft workout for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, according to McCalvy, but pitched mostly at 90-94 mph during his senior season at Hazelwood West Hight School near St. Louis, where he went 6-1 with one save and a 1.02 ERA, 93 strikeouts, a .102 opponents' batting average in nine games covering 48 innings.

Williams will report to the Brewers' Rookie League affiliate in Arizona tomorrow. The Brewers, who forfeited their first-round selection after signing Kyle Lohse, have now inked each of their first 11 draft picks.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Pirates Sign Second-Rounder Blake Taylor

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SUNDAY, 12:06pm: Taylor will get a bonus of $750K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  It's an under-slot deal for the left-hander as the suggested value of the No. 51 pick is just over $1.065MM.

FRIDAY, 5:56pm: The Pirates announced the signings of five more picks from their 2013 draft class, including second round pick (51st overall) Blake Taylor.  Terms of the deal weren't announced, though the assigned value of Taylor's draft slot is a little over $1.065MM (hat tip to Baseball America for the list of slot values).  Taylor is advised by Paragon Sports International.

A product of Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California, Taylor is a 6'3", 220-pound left-handed pitcher described by MLB.com as needing to develop a changeup in order to succeed at the Major League level.  That said, Taylor's curveball "has the chance to be an above-average breaking pitch" and he has touched the mid 90's with his fastball, throwing it "with ease" in the low 90's on a regular basis.

Taylor was ranked as the 40th-best prospect of this year's draft class by ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription needed) and was also ranked 55th by Baseball America and ranked 61st by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.

Nationals Sign Drew Ward

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The Nationals have signed third-round pick Drew Ward to a deal worth $850K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  The Oklahoma high schooler was set to attend Oklahoma University, but the allure of joining the Nats' system coupled with the lucrative deal was apparently too much to resist.

The third baseman boasts serious power and a strong arm according to  Baseball America, who has Ward ranked as the 87th best prospect in the draft.  The prospect is a unique case as he graduated high school in three years and was granted special permission to enter the 2013 draft rather than 2014.  Because he was pegged for '14, scouts didn't bear down on him last summer, making it difficult to evaluate him. 

Ward got considerably more than the slot recommendation as the value of the No. 105 pick is $491K.  The youngster is advised by The Legacy Agency.

Indians Sign Clint Frazier

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SATURDAY, 2:01pm: The Indians announced via press release that the deal is official.

FRIDAY, 6:32pm: The Indians have agreed to terms with fifth overall draft pick Clint Frazier, Baseball America's Jim Callis reports (Twitter link).  Frazier will receive a $3.5MM bonus, less than the $3.787MM assigned slot value price for the No. 5 pick (slot info courtesy of Baseball America).  Frazier is advised by the ACES agency.

Frazier was widely heralded as one of the top members of this year's draft class, rated as the No. 4 overall prospect by both MLB.com and Baseball America.  ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required), who rated Frazier at No. 7, described him as possessing "the best bat speed in the draft, [and] some of the best I've ever seen on an amateur player."  Frazier even drew some buzz as a surprise choice to be taken by the Astros as the first overall pick, though Houston instead went with right-hander Mark Appel.

Frazier, 18, is a right-handed hitting outfielder out of Loganville High School in Georgia.  He has above-average arm strength and running ability, according to BA's scouting report, and he is a threat at the plate due to his bat speed and "plus-plus raw power."  While Frazier played center field in high school, he is projected as a corner outfielder in his pro career.

Once Frazier's deal is finalized, he will be the 14th player taken in the first round to have reached an agreement with his club.

Twins Notes: Jimenez, Wang, Draft

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Here are some Twins-related items, courtesy of 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson…

  • The Twins "are dealing…heavily" with Amauris Nina, a trainer/agent tied to several international prospects, most notably 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Elon Jimenez.  The Cubs are considered to be a "heavy favorite" to sign Jimenez once the international signing period begins on July 2.
  • The Twins didn't have any interest in right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week.
  • Club vice president Mike Radcliff said he expects the Twins will sign 27 or 28 of their 40 picks from this year's amateur draft.  He doesn't expect the club will sign 29th-round pick Logan Shore, a high school right-hander who is committed to the University of Florida.  Shore was ranked as the 202nd-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, who speculated that Shore could've gone as high as the third round had he found a particularly interested suitor.
  • A Twins source tells Wolfson that "they fully expect" to sign fourth round pick Stephen Gonsalves.  The high school southpaw has committed to the University of San Diego and was ranked by MLB.com as the 98th-best member of this year's draft class.

Draft Signings: Wilson, Bashlor, Meisner

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We've already passed on one post's worth of notable signings from the second and third day of the amateur draft, and now here are the latest prospects to sign (slot information courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • The Mets have agreed to sign third-rounder Ivan Wilson, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (Twitter link).  Wilson, a high school outfielder, signed for a $624.9K bonus, the exact assigned slot value of the 76th overall pick.  ESPN's Keith Law ranked Wilson as the 86th-best prospect available in this year's draft.  This pick was awarded to the Mets for their failure to sign Teddy Stankewicz as the 75th overall pick of the 2012 draft (Stankewicz has agreed to sign with the Red Sox after being drafted 45th overall this year).
  • The Mets have signed 11th-round draft pick Ty Bashlor to a $550K bonus, Callis reports (via Twitter).  As Callis notes, the $550K is a new record high for a player signed beyond the 10th round since the draft's new rules were instituted last season.  Bonuses beyond the 10th round are only counted towards a team's overall draft pool if they exceed $100K, so a whopping $450K of Bashlor's bonus will count towards the Mets' draft pool.  Bashlor is a right-hander from South Georgia junior college whose fastball can reach 97mph.  
  • The Mets have agreed to sign right-hander Casey Meisner, Callis reports (Twitter link).  Meisner agreed to a $500K bonus, significantly under the assigned slot value of the 84th overall pick ($640.9K).  The 6'7" Meisner, a high schooler from Texas, had committed to Texas Tech.  ESPN's Keith Law tabbed Meisner as the 91st-best prospect of this year's draft class. 

Red Sox To Sign Third-Rounder Jonathan Denney

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The Red Sox have agreed to terms with third-round draft pick Jonathan Denney, Baseball America's Jim Callis reports (Twitter links).  Denney signed for a $875K bonus, well above the $671.2K assigned slot value (courtesy of Baseball America) of the 81st overall pick.  Denney is advised by the BBI Sports Group.

Denney was something of a steal for Boston in the third round given that the high school catcher was a consensus late-first round pick (20th overall by MLB.com, 22nd by ESPN's Keith Law and 25th by Baseball America) by most major draft analysts.  Law mentioned that Denney "struggled receiving this spring and is no longer seen as a lock to catch," which may have accounted for his fall in the draft.  Still, Law feels that Denney can still grow into the position and he has a good arm, plus Baseball America thinks Denney has a strong enough right-handed bat to stick at first base if necessary.

Rockies Sign Second-Rounder Ryan McMahon

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The Rockies have signed second-round draft pick Ryan McMahon to a contract with a bonus worth just under $1.328MM, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports.  The bonus exactly matched the assigned slot value of the 42nd overall pick (slot values provided by Baseball America).  McMahon is advised by the Wasserman Media Group.

McMahon, 18, is a third baseman who also played quarterback for Mater Dei High School and didn't turn his full attention to baseball until his senior year, according to MLB.com.  A left-handed hitter, McMahon is described by Baseball America as having "good hitting instincts and leverage in his swing, giving him a chance to be a solid-average hitter with slightly above-average power as he fills out his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame."  McMahon had committed to USC.

The Rockies took McMahon a bit earlier than expected by most major draft pundits, though he was still solidly placed within the rankings of the top 100 prospects.  ESPN's Keith Law had McMahon highest at 73rd, while MLB.com ranked him 78th and Baseball America had him in the 82nd spot.

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