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Archives for June 2013

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.

Draft Signings: Evans, Armstrong, Horstman

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Here are today's most notable signings from Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft (slot information courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • The Royals signed fourth round draft pick Zane Evans, Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets.  Evans signed for $400K, below the $450.4K assigned slot value for the 114th overall pick.  Evans was both a catcher and a right-handed relief pitcher at Georgia Tech and Callis believes Kansas City will use him as a catcher.
  • The Reds have signed third-rounder Mark Armstrong, Callis reports (via Twitter).  Armstrong, a high school right-hander who had committed to Pitt, signed for exactly his assigned slot value of $496K.
  • The Mariners have signed St. John's left-hander Ryan Horstman, Callis reports (via Twitter).  Horstman, one of the few college freshmen eligible for the draft, was taken in the fourth round by the M's and signed for $550K, a significant bump up from his slotted price of $437.6K.
  • Junior college right-hander Kenyan Middleton tweeted that he has officially signed with the Angels earlier today. Middleton, the No. 95 overall pick, is advised by Tripper Johnson of Sosnick & Cobbe. His slot carries an assigned pick value of $541K.
  • The Cardinals signed third-rounder Mike Mayers for a little more than a $500K bonus — about $58K below his assigned pick value — according to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Mayers is a right-hander out of Ole Miss.
  • Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Phillies signed fourth-rounder Jake Sweaney for $400K. Sweaney's deal is $21K below slot. The high school catcher was committed to Oregon and has a plus arm with power potential in his bat.
  • The Twins signed third-rounder Stuart Turner for a $550K bonus that is well below the No. 78 pick's assigned value of $703K, Callis tweets. The Mississipi backstop was regarded as the best catch-and-throw college catcher in this year's draft, and Callis notes that he had a strong year at the plate too.
  • Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports that the Cardinals have agreed to an over-slot deal with 10th-rounder Malik Collymore. The Canadian high school second baseman will receive a $275K signing bonus, which is significantly larger than the recommended $135K.
  • Eleventh-round selection Spencer Navin also received a significantly over-slot deal, tweets Callis. The Dodgers gave the Vanderbilt backstop $300K — three times the $100K maximum for draft picks after the 10th round. Players drafted after the 10th round don't count toward a team's bonus pool as long as they sign for $100K or less. In other words, the $200K excess to sign Navin will count against the Dodgers' draft pool.
  • The Astros have signed fourth-round pick Conrad Gregor for a bonus of $482K, tweets Callis. The Vanderbilt first baseman has good patience and athleticism but has yet to tap into his power, Callis adds. Gregor signed for full slot value.

Orioles To Sign Second-Rounder Chance Sisco

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The Orioles have agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Chance Sisco, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter).  The deal will become official if Sisco passes a physical on Monday.  Terms of the contract weren't released, though the draft slot value (as listed by Baseball America) for the 61st overall pick is $913.3K.

Cisco is a left-handed hitting high school catcher who just began playing behind the plate last season, according to Connolly.  Cisco's scouting report on MLB.com describes the 6'2", 193-pounder as having "an average arm and…good hands," and as a former shortstop switching to catcher, Cisco "should develop into a solid all-around defender" as he learns his new position.

AL West Notes: Ramirez, Iwakuma, Astros, Angels

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The latest out of the AL West…

  • Erasmo Ramirez has hurled 15 consecutive scoreless innings in Triple-A Tacoma, and Dave Cameron of the U.S.S. Mariner writes that it's time for him to be recalled and inserted back into the Mariners' rotation. However, he notes that both Jeremy Bonderman and Aaron Harang are coming off dominant outings against a weak Astros lineup, so cutting either would look bad for the team.
  • While some pundits believe that now is the time to sell Hisashi Iwakuma at his peak value, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes that the Mariners are better off hanging onto their second ace. As Stone points out, GM Jack Zduriencik has whiffed on trades of established pitchers for young hitters in the past, and Iwakuma is too far from free agency to part with (he's controlled through 2015).
  • Things look bleak for the Astros at the Major League level currently, but Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes that hope is on the horizon. Smith examines the wealth of talent at Double-A Corpus Christi, highlighted by Jonathan Singleton, George Springer and Mike Foltynewicz. Smith also discusses pitchers Jake Buchanan and David Martinez as well as left fielder Domingo Santana, whom he calls the team's "most underrated position-player prospect."
  • Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that trading prospects for short-term fixes has hurt the Angels, and notes the irony of GM Jerry Dipoto's situation. Dipoto was the interim GM of the D-backs when he traded Dan Haren to the Halos for a package highlighted by Tyler Skaggs and Patrick Corbin. Dipoto recalls the "bloodbath" that ensued in the Arizona media, who essentially called the deal highway robbery for the Angels. Dipoto tells Saxon that he was adamant Corbin be included the deal, noting that he and his staff had followed Corbin since his early days in junior college.

Cubs Outright Eduardo Sanchez

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FRIDAY: Sanchez has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter).

TUESDAY: The Cubs announced that they have designated right-hander Eduardo Sanchez for assignment.  The move will create room for the newest member of the Cubs, Henry Rodriguez.  

Sanchez, 24, was claimed off of waivers from the Cardinals back in May.  In 43 career relief appearances for St. Louis, Sanchez posted a 3.40 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9.  He pitched in six games for the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate this year and allowed eight runs while tallying seven strikeouts and seven walks. 

White Sox Sign Second-Rounder Tyler Danish

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The Whit Sox have signed second-round pick Tyler Danish for the full slot value of $1,001,800, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. Baseball America's Jim Callis confirms the signing (on Twitter), adding that Danish is an "ultrapolished" high school righty from Florida whose fastball sits 90-93 mph and shows a feel for a slurve and a changeup. He is advised by Tom O'Connell of O'Connell Sports Management.

Danish ranked 96th on Baseball America's list of Top 500 draft prospects, though the White Sox thought considerably higher of him, drafting him 55th overall. BA noted that he has "filthy stuff" but lacks the size that scouts are typically looking for eary in the draft. He's listed at 6'1" and 185 pounds. MLB.com didn't rank him in their Top 100, but noted that his delivery draws comparisons to Pat Neshek, leading to injury concerns. Danish had been committed to Florida.

Dodgers Designate Ramon Hernandez For Assignment

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The Dodgers have designated Ramon Hernandez for assignment, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The move allows the Dodgers to re-instate A.J. Ellis from the disabled list and keep Tim Federowicz on board as a backup.

The 37-year-old Hernandez came to the Dodgers on April 6 in exchange for Aaron Harang, who had been designated for assignment himself. The veteran backstop saw only 55 plate appearances for Los Angeles, batting .208/.291/.438. He did hit three homers and throw out two of the six potential base stealers he was faced with.

In parts of 15 Major League seasons between the A's, Padres, Orioles, Reds, Rockies and Dodgers, Hernandez is a .263/.327/.417 hitter. He is currently in the final year of a two-year, $6.5MM deal he signed with the Rockies in the 2011-12 offseason. Hernandez has just a .628 OPS and eight homers in 69 games over the life of that deal.

Tigers Sign First-Rounder Jonathon Crawford

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The Tigers have signed first-round pick Jonathon Crawford, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). Crawford-JonathonThe Florida right-hander will receive a full slot value — a signing bonus of $2,001,700. The No. 20 overall pick is advised by B.B. Abbott of Jet Sports Management.

Crawford, 21, ranked as the draft's No. 17 prospect according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. Baseball America ranked him 24th on their list of Top 500 draft prospects, and ESPN's Keith Law pegged the former Gator at No. 47 on his own Top 100. Mayo writes that Crawford's fastball touches 96 mph, and he features a power breaking ball as well. However, inconsistencies and an inability to change speeds prevented him from being one of the top few college arms selected in the draft.

The Tigers haven't had a true first-round pick since the 2009 season thanks to their free agent signings of Jose Valverde, Victor Martinez and Prince Fielder. They've shown a tendency to draft pitching early on in the draft, however, selecting names such as Ryan Perry, Jacob Turner, Rick Porcello, Andrew Miller and of course, Justin Verlander with their top picks in recent years. Crawford becomes the 13th first-round selection from this year's draft to sign with his new team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Astros Nearing Deal With Mark Appel

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The Astros are nearing a deal with No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Appel is advised by the Boras Corporation.

Passan reports that the deal could be signed as soon as next week, and Appel's bonus is expected to be about twice as much as the offer he turned down when the Pirates drafted him eighth overall in 2012. That would suggest that Appel will be signing for close to the full slot value of $7,790,400 reported by Baseball America in April; Appel's reported offer from the Pirates was $3.8MM.

East Links: Lee, Bogaerts, Red Sox, Phillies

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The latest out of baseball's Eastern divisions…

  • Phillies ace Cliff Lee was noncommittal when asked by reporters (including CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury) if he'd like to stay in Philadelphia even if things don't turn around: "I definitely want to win. There’s no doubt about that. I want to win. I don’t know how to say it besides that. I want to win." Lee did go on to say he preferred to win in Philadelphia, but avoided discussing the possibility of pitching for another team.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com reported yesterday that Red Sox top prospect Xander Bogaerts was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Sox deliberated on the decision, but with Jose Iglesias sticking on the roster, the decision was made to move Baseball America's No. 8 prospect up a level. The shortstop hit .311/.407/.502 in 56 games at Double-A Portland.
  • The Red Sox and Phillies are both interested in Dominican prospects Rafael Devers and Luis Encarnacion, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required). Devers and Encarnacion are thought to be two of the best hitters on this year's July 2 market, and Badler expects both to sign for over $1MM. Badler says that early reports on Devers liken him to Hank Blalock as a teenager.
  • Evan Drellich of MassLive.com adds that Red Sox GM Ben Cherington is placing a large emphasis on this year's international market, and confirms with team sources that there is heavy interest in Devers.

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