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The Latest On The Biogenesis Scandal

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Earlier this week, the news broke that MLB was pursuing suspensions for more than 20 players in connection to the Biogenesis PED scandal. The Players' Association issued a statement the following day. Here's some more on the scandal…

  • In his latest video piece for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal says that the real story isn't the possibility of suspensions or the length of those suspensions. MLB has pursuing those suspensions for months, but now they have the cooperation of Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch. However, Rosenthal also adds that Bosch "isn't exactly the most credible character to walk down the street," meaning MLB will need more than just his word to issue suspensions. Rosenthal also reports that the Joint Drug Agreement gives Bud Selig the power to issue suspensions even in the absence of a positive test, if there is "just cause" and "sufficient evidence" of their usage and purchasing of PEDs.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney appeared on the Mut and Merloni radio show in Boston to discuss the Biogenesis scandal yesterday, and WEEI's Kevin Dillon has the highlights. Olney said that if Ryan Braun is proven to have used performance enhancing drugs, he will become the Lance Armstrong of Major League Baseball given his adamant protest last February when he won his appeal of a positive test. Braun called the test collector into question and "tried to ruin this person," in Olney's words.
  • Olney feels it could be months before any suspensions are issued, if they're issued at all. He adds that Bosch will need to produce evidence such as phone numbers, text message logs and other witnesses to build a legitimate case. Even then, the appeals process will be lengthy for each player who chooses to file one.
  • MLB is conducting interviews with "tons" of people to compile enough evidence for a "non-analytical positive," writes Steven Marcus of Newsday. Canadian arbitrator Richard McLaren, who assisted on the Mitchell Report in 2007, told Marcus that "attempt to use, or possession, or attempting to possess an illegal substance," would qualify as a non-analytical positive. McLaren suggests that MLB will conduct interviews with Biogenesis employees, receptionists and others in an attempt to gain enough information.
  • Diamondbacks setup man David Hernandez tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he thinks PED users should be banned from the game: “I think you should be out of baseball. It sounds harsh but at the end of the day you’re making it harder on somebody else who is trying to make it in the game… It’s not fair to all of us who have played the game the right way."

Draft Links: Day One Winners, Appel, Dodgers, M’s

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Yesterday was the first day of Major League Baseball's amateur draft, and the Astros kicked things off by selecting Houston native Mark Appel with the No. 1 overall pick. MLBTR covered the draft extensively last night; Zach Links kept track of the first round results as well as the results from the first competitive balance round, and I hosted a draft chat that ran for nearly four hours, covering the entirety of the first round. Here's more on the first day of the draft…

  • ESPN's Keith Law (Insider required and recommended for Law's draft work) lists the Rays' selection of Ryne Stanek at No. 29 atop his list of picks he "loves" from yesterday's selections. He also lists his top 10 remaining talents, headlined by high school right-hander Kyle Serrano.
  • Appel gives the Astros a "native son to build the organization around," writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Appel told Smith that being selected by the Astros was "incredibly special" and "very exciting." He recalls the opening of Minute Maid Park as a child in 2000, and adds that most of his family still lives in Houston. GM Jeff Luhnow said Appel won't be rushed to the Majors, and Smith adds that late 2014 or early 2015 are realistic goals for his MLB debut.
  • Dodgers vice president of scouting Logan White told reporters, including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick, that the team views top picks Chris Anderson (Jacksonville University) and Tom Windle (University of Minnesota) as starters (Twitter link). The pair will not be rushed to the Majors as relievers like Paco Rodriguez was in 2012.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick looks at some of the stories from day one of the draft, including the friendly rivalries between Georgia outfielders Clint Frazier and Austin Meadows and California infielders Dominic Smith and J.P. Crawford. "[Crawford is] just a great guy and a great person," Smith told Crasnick. "We're pretty tight. He's like my baseball brother."
  • Mariners scouting director Tom McNamara says that he doesn't prefer any specific type of player, but Dave Cameron of the U.S.S. Mariner points out that he leans toward polished college players. In four of his five drafts as scouting director McNamara has chosen Dustin Ackley, Danny Hultzen, Mike Zunino and now D.J. Peterson — all of whom were regarded as "safe bets."

Beat The Expert With DraftStreet

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I'm putting my fantasy baseball reputation on the line.  DraftStreet is offering $2000 in cash prizes for an exclusive "beat the expert" MLBTR/DraftStreet league using Friday night's MLB games.  The entry fee is $11, but DraftStreet is raising the pressure on me (Tim Dierkes) by offering $5 back to anyone who beats my team, separate from the regular prize pool.

The beat the expert contest is for Friday night's games (the afternoon Cubs-Pirates game is not included), so you have until 6:00pm central time to create your team.  However, there are only 200 slots in this league, so sign up early.  

You're given a $100K salary cap, and each player is assigned a price by DraftStreet.  For Friday, Cliff Lee is considered the most valuable player since he starts against the Brewers, but he'll cost you over $19K.  Your roster will cover these positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, 3 OF, 2 utility, 2 SP, 1 RP, 1 P and 2 Reserves (14 starters).  You get points based on how your team performs Friday.  For example, you'll get 0.75 points for each strikeout Lee racks up and 1.5 points if he gets the win.  The teams with the most points get the prize money.  You can apply all kinds of strategy in building your roster, but since we're in direct competition this time I won't divulge all my secrets.  I do like Jose Fernandez, who has great numbers and stuff without the name value of a Matt Harvey.  And I always try to grab five-category contributors like CarGo.  You'll have to check the scoreboards to see the rest of the team.  Here's my roster in the beginning stages:

Draftstreet

Be sure to sign up as soon as possible, before the 200 slots are all taken.  DraftStreet has raised the stakes by challenging you to beat me; are you up to it?

This is a sponsored post from DraftStreet.

Dodgers Interested In Cuban Right-Hander Gonzalez

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10:24pm: The Rangers, Red Sox, and Cubs are also interested in Gonzalez, a source tells Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter).  As it stands, there are seven teams in total that are in on the right-hander.

1:48pm: The Dodgers are one of the teams interested in Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports.  Gonzalez, who formerly pitched for Cuba's national team, defected earlier this year and is now living in Mexico.  At age 26, he is old enough to be signed without his salary counting towards a team's international spending cap.

Gonzalez "is said to be 6-foot-3 with a fastball in the 90s, a changeup, forkball and curveball" and at least one Major League scout thinks the righty could reach the Majors this season.  Gonzalez hasn't pitched much in Cuba over the last two seasons as he was suspended by the country's top league for a previous attempt to escape.

Gonzalez is expected to be declared eligible by MLB this week and will become a free agent upon clearance by the U.S. Treasury Department.  A showcase for scouts is tentatively scheduled for around June 20, a source tells Hernandez.

Draft Reactions: Appel, Gray, Cubs, Red Sox

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With the first round of the 2013 draft in the books, here's a look at the latest news on this year's top picks..

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters, including Alyson Footer of MLB.com (via Twitter) Houston viewed Mark Appel as the pick to beat throughout the scouting year and never saw a player who became more appealing than the right-hander.
  • Luhnow went on to say that the Astros won't rush Appel to the big leagues and there's no timetable for when he could eventually make his way up to the varsity squad (Twitter links).
  • Cubs scouting director Jason McLeod wasn't bothered by Jonathan Gray's positive test for Adderall, according to Meghan Montemurro of The Northwest Herald (Twitter link).  The Cubs, of course, selected Kris Bryant with the No. 2 pick.
  • Red Sox's first round pick Trey Ball sounds like he's ready to join the Red Sox rather than attend the University of Texas based on this quote from Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal (viaTwitter).  "Anything can happen, but I feel that Boston is right for me," said the left-hander, who was taken with the No. 7 pick.
  • A's pick Billy McKinney says that the Yankees, Rangers, and Giants also expressed interest in him, tweets Paul Gutierrez of CSNCalifornia.com.

2013 Competitive Balance Round A Results

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We’ll track the results of the Competitive Balance Round A portion of the draft right here.  If you still need to get caught up on the first round, click here..

34. Kansas City Royals – Sean Manaea, LHP, Indiana State

35. Miami Marlins – Matt Krook, LHP, St. Ignatius High School (Calif.)

36. Arizona Diamondbacks – Aaron Blair, RHP, Marshall University

37. Baltimore Orioles – Josh Hart, Parkview High School (Ga.)

38. Cincinnati Reds – Michael Lorenzen, OF/RHP, Cal State Fullerton (announced as RHP)

39. Detroit Tigers – Corey Knebel, RHP, Texas

2013 MLB Draft Results

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After months of anticipation, it's finally time for MLB's amateur draft.  This year's draft is extremely intriguing not just for its talent, but for the lack of clarity we have at the top of the board.

The Astros surprised everyone last year when they selected Carlos Correa No. 1 overall and we know very little about what they might do with the top pick in this year's draft.  We'll use this post to track each first round pick as it comes in..

  1. Houston Astros – Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford University — Agreed to sign for $6.35MM
  2. Chicago Cubs – Kris Bryant, 3B, University of San Diego
  3. Colorado Rockies – Jonathan Gray, RHP, University of Oklahoma — Signed for $4.8MM
  4. Minnesota Twins – Kohl Stewart, RHP, St. Pius X High School (Tex.) — Signed for $4.5444MM
  5. Cleveland Indians – Clint Frazier, OF, Loganville High School (Ga.) — Signed for $3.5MM
  6. Miami Marlins – Colin Moran, 3B, University of North Carolina
  7. Boston Red Sox – Trey Ball, LHP, New Castle High School (Ind.) — Signed for $2.75MM
  8. Kansas City Royals – Hunter Dozier, SS, Stephen F. Austin State University — Signed for $2.2MM
  9. Pittsburgh Pirates – Austin Meadows, OF, Grayson High School (Ga.) — Signed for $3.0296MM
  10. Toronto Blue Jays – Phil Bickford, RHP, Oaks Christian High School (Ca.)
  11. New York Mets – Dom Smith, 1B, Serra High School (Ca.) — Signed for $2.6MM
  12. Seattle Mariners – D.J. Peterson, 3B, New Mexico — Signed for $2.759MM
  13. San Diego Padres – Hunter Renfroe, OF, Mississippi State
  14. Pittsburgh Pirates – Reese McGuire, C, Kentwood High School (Wash.) — Signed for $2.368MM
  15. Arizona Diamondbacks – Braden Shipley, RHP, Nevada — Signed for $2.25MM
  16. Philadelphia Phillies – J.P. Crawford, SS, Lakewood High School (Ca.) — Signed for $2.2993MM
  17. Chicago White Sox – Tim Anderson, SS, East Central CC (Miss.) — Signed for $2.164MM
  18. Los Angeles Dodgers – Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville — Signed for $2.1099MM
  19. St. Louis Cardinals – Marco Gonzales, LHP, Gonzaga — Signed for $1.85MM
  20. Detroit Tigers – Jonathon Crawford, RHP, Florida — Signed for $2.0017MM
  21. Tampa Bay Rays – Nick Ciuffo, C, Lexington High School (S.C.) — Signed for $1.9747MM
  22. Baltimore Orioles – Hunter Harvey, RHP, Bandys High School (N.C.) — Signed for $1.9476MM
  23. Texas Rangers – Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Oral Roberts – Signed for $2.215MM
  24. Oakland Athletics – Billy McKinney, OF, Plano West High School (Tex.) — Signed for $1.8MM
  25. San Francisco Giants – Christian Arroyo, SS, University of Florida — Signed for $1.8665MM
  26. New York Yankees – Eric Jagielo, 3B, Notre Dame — Signed for $1.8394MM
  27. Cincinnati Reds – Philip Ervin, OF, Samford — Signed for $1.81MM
  28. St. Louis Cardinals – Rob Kaminsky, LHP, St. Joseph High School (N.J.) — Signed for $1.8753MM
  29. Tampa Bay Rays – Ryne Stanek, RHP, Arkansas — Signed for $1.7583MM
  30. Texas Rangers - Travis Demeritte, SS, Winder Barrow High School (Ga.) — Signed for $1.9MM
  31. Atlanta Braves – Jason Hursh, RHP, Oklahoma State — Signed for $1.7042MM
  32. New York Yankees – Aaron Judge, OF, Fresno State
  33. New York Yankees – Ian Clarkin, LHP, James Madison High School (Ca.) — Signed for $1.6501MM

Astros Select Mark Appel First Overall

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The Astros have officially drafted Mark Appel with the first overall pick in the 2013 draft.  Keith Law of ESPN.com (via Twitter) heard minutes prior to the selection that the Astros were set to take the Stanford product with the first pick.

Appel, who celebrates his 22nd birthday next week, was selected with the No. 8 pick in last year's draft by the Pirates.  However, the Scott Boras client couldn't come to terms on a contract with the Bucs, prompting him to return to school.  The Astros considered taking Appel with the No. 1 pick last year but opted against doing so when their $6MM offer was rejected.  They wound up taking high school shortstop Carlos Correa with the No. 1 pick instead and inked him to a $4.8MM pact.

The Astros have selected first overall on two other occasions.  They selected Phil Nevin over Derek Jeter and others in 1992 and chose Floyd Bannister from a class featuring Alan Trammell in 1976.  The slot recommendation for the top pick in this year's draft is roughly $7.79MM.

While Appel is not subject to the July 15th signing deadline, GM Jeff Luhnow says they'll sign him before then, tweets Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

Draft Notes: Royals, Cubs, Bryant, Astros, Blue Jays

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In his final installment of his Top 100 Draft Flashback series, Matt Eddy of Baseball America assigned values to each of the top ten picks and gave tiered values to the entire first round.  Eddy lumps the together the picks in groups of five and uses WAR to weigh each tier against one another.  He also identifies the best players to be plucked out of each group, starting with Alex Rodriguez (1-5), Frank Thomas/Derek Jeter (6-10), and Manny Ramirez (11-15).  Here's the latest draft news as we close in on the first pick at 6pm central..

  • Keith Law of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that the Astros will take Mark Appel No. 1.
  • Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) isn't sure if the Royals have a deal worked out with Phil Bickford but he's certain that some team does.  The right-hander's adviser kept him from talking to club executives this week.
  • It was reported earlier today that the Royals have reached a deal to take Bickford with the No. 8 pick, but the club is adamant that they have no such agreement, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. 
  • There's some buzz around baseball that the Cubs are leaning towards taking Kris Bryant over a pitcher, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Twitter link) spoke to one scouting director picking early in first round about how he thinks the top of the draft will play out.  His guess is that the Astros will take Jonathan Gray, the Cubs will grab Mark Appel at No. 2, and the Rockies will draft Bryant with the third pick.  
  • Shi Davidi of Sportsnet broke down the Blue Jays' draft strategy and spoke with Matt Smoral about his draft experience last year.  The left-hander, who saw his stock drop thanks to a stress fracture in his right foot, assumed he was UNC-bound as he didn't expect any club to meet his $2MM asking price.  “Initially, I went, not into panic, but said, ‘Oh crap, I’m going to college,’” the No. 50 pick in last year's draft said. “[The new rules] definitely changed the game but the way I looked at was, I went in there with a number that me and my family and my agent got together, and I was good with going either way."  Toronto found room in the budget for Smoral by essentially punting their picks from rounds 4-10, and Davidi surmises that they'll be open to getting creative this year if another opportunity falls into their lap.
  • Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter) hears that the Mets will draft the best player available at No. 11, rather than target need.

Mets Notes: Ethier, Davis, Murphy, Feliciano

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Acquiring Andre Ethier "would be a solid gamble" for the Mets, Metsblog.com's Matthew Cerrone opines.  Ethier could be forced out of the Dodgers outfield by Yasiel Puig and Scott Van Slyke, making him expendable at a discount price since it is believed the Dodgers would have to absorb at least half of the roughly $80MM remaining on Ethier's contract.  The Mets would be paying around $10MM per season to a player Cerrone sees as "a nice compliment to Lucas Duda in left field," but it would be the first step in the Mets upgrading their outfield now and this winter in the free agent market.

Here's some more on the Amazins from ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, who covered a number of topics during a live chat with readers today…

  • Ike Davis could be a trade candidate if the Mets thought he wouldn't be worth his growing salary over his arbitration years.  A Rubin source on another team projects Davis to earn $6.1MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility this winter, "assuming his production normalizes somewhat the rest of the way."  This could be a big if, as Davis has managed only a .509 OPS through 201 PA this season.  Davis signed a one-year, $3.125MM deal last winter in his first taste of arb-eligibility.
  • Rubin isn't sure if the Mets see Daniel Murphy as an extension candidate since "a New York team doesn't normally have to be consumed with locking up a player's arbitration years."  Murphy signed a one-year, $2.925MM deal last winter and is arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter.  The second baseman has been a bright spot for the Mets this season, hitting .290/.323/.439 and tying for the NL lead with 19 doubles. 
  • Pedro Feliciano has been on the minor league disabled list since May 9 with a "very serious" type of food poisoning that "can affect the person off and on for years."  The southpaw hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2010 after suffering a variety of arm injuries as a member of the Yankees in 2011-12.  Feliciano signed a minor league deal with the Mets in January.

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