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2014 Amateur Draft Signings

Padres Notes: Torres, GM Search, Francoeur, Street

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The Padres have signed fourth-round selection Nick Torres, reports MLB.com’s Corey Brock (on Twitter). Torres, whose slot was valued at $445K, received a $406.7K bonus and is already DHing for the team’s Arizona Rookie League affiliate tonight. Torres ranked as the No. 117 prospect in the draft per BA, and MLB.com ranked him 109th. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note that Torres was the heart of a strong Cal Poly team and profiles as a corner outfielder that can generate consistently hard contact and has plenty of raw power to tap into.

Here’s more on the Padres…

  • The Padres wanted to interview Indians assistant GM Mike Chernoff for their vacant GM slot, but he turned down the opportunity to interview and will remain in Cleveland, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). David Forst of the A’s and Jason McLeod of the Cubs took the same route, Heyman notes.
  • Jeff Francoeur, currently enjoying a strong season for the Friars’ Triple-A affiliate, has a rolling opt-out in his contract and could soon leave for a Major League opportunity, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish. Francoeur’s contract allows him to leave should a team offer him a big league deal, and one source suggested to Cotillo that the Blue Jays have have interest. Frenchy is slashing a healthy .297/.325/.485 with 15 big flies this season, though those numbers have come in the very hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
  • ESPN’s Jim Bowden feels that the Orioles, Tigers, Angels and Reds are good fits for Huston Street and offers his thoughts on what each club would have to surrender in order to pry the potential All-Star away from San Diego (ESPN Insider subscription required). Street, who has a $7MM club option for the 2015 season, has posted a stunning 0.90 ERA with a 32-to-7 K/BB ratio in 30 innings this year.
  • The Padres’ decision to extend Seth Smith was simply weird, writes Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron. While Smith can more than justify the relatively small investment, his value likely won’t ever be higher, and the Padres probably aren’t going to win during the life of this contract. San Diego hasn’t been able to decide whether it’s rebuilding or pushing for contention in years, Cameron writes, and this move further exemplifies that indecision despite the fact that it came after the team dismissed its GM.

Indians Sign Mike Papi

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1:14pm: Papi gets a $1.25MM bonus and a $30K scholarship, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish (on Twitter).  That’s a little less than the prescribed $1.495MM slot value for the No. 38 pick.

1:10pm: The Indians announced that they have signed their Competitive Balance Round A selection, Mike Papi.  The University of Virginia product was taken with the No. 38 overall pick.

Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) and Baseball America both ranked Papi as the 43rd best prospect in this draft.  MLB.com was more or less in agreement with that assessment, putting him at No. 45.  Baseball America was very complimentary of Papi’s physical strength and noted that scouts give him plus power grades.  However, Papi is a below-average runner and so-so athlete who will probably be a better fit at first base than in the outfield, according to BA.

The outfielder/first baseman earned All-America and First-Team All-ACC honors for the second straight year in 2014, leading the team in average, homers and RBI and became the first Cavalier to lead the ACC in home runs since 1978.

Blue Jays Sign First-Rounders Hoffman, Pentecost

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The Blue Jays have signed first-round choices Jeff Hoffman (9th overall) and Max Pentecost (11th overall), the club announced via press release. Both players will receive at-slot bonuses, as reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter), meaning that Hoffman will take home $3,080,800 while Pentecost will earn $2,888,300.

As the draft approached, Hoffman was very much in the mix with the three pitchers that ultimately went with the first three choices. Though a UCL tear put a dent in his value, he did not fall far. Even after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the righty out of Eastern Carolina was ranked the 13th available prospect by MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo. He features a mid-90s heater, big curve, and occasionally plus change.

Pentecost, meanwhile, came in at 19th on the MLB.com list. He was the MVP of the prestigious Cape Cod League, and is described by MLB.com as “a rare catcher who could have average or better tools across the board.” Though Pentecost will need to add some polish behind the dish, the expectation is that he will be able to man the position as a professional.

With its top two picks under contract, Toronto can focus its attention on its remaining unsigned picks. Seventh-rounder Zack Zehner, a college senior, is the only Jays draftee that remains unsigned from the first ten rounds. Even after going $407K over slot to sign fifth-rounder Lane Thomas, the Jays remain $71.4K under the club’s total allocation.

Astros Sign Derek Fisher

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2:07pm: Fisher will receive a full-slot bonus, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.

1:56pm: The Astros announced that they have signed No. 37 overall pick Derek Fisher (Twitter link). Terms have yet to be disclosed, though the University of Virgina outfielder’s slot comes with a value of $1,534,100.

Fisher ranked 15th among draft prospects according to ESPN’s Keith Law, while MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo ranked him 26th, and Baseball America ranked him 31st. He was originally selected in the sixth round by the Rangers in 2011 but reportedly turned down a seven-figure offer to attend UVA. Fisher was thought to be a potential Top 100 pick at one point, Law notes, but a broken hamate bone caused his stock to drop a bit.

Law, however, cautions that his average speed and defensive question marks likely limit Fisher to left field as a pro, meaning he will have to hit to provide significant value. It appears there’s a good chance of that happening, though, as Law praises his left-handed swing which comes with “very little wasted movement” and good bat speed. Callis and Mayo project him as a plus hitter in terms of both average and power, and BA notes that scouts have given him 70-grade raw power (which would line up with Law’s assertion that he could hit 30-plus homers if everything breaks right).

Reds To Sign First-Rounder Nick Howard

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The Reds have agreed with first-round choice Nick Howard on a $1,990,500 bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). That falls just $100K shy of the slot allocation that came with the 19th overall pick.

Howard, a closer in his last season at the University of Virginia, is expected to be given a chance to transition into back into a starting role in the Reds organization. He has two strong offerings: a mid-to-high 90s heater and often-devastating slider. On the back of those pitches, Baseball America (25th) and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis (31st) saw Howard as one of the best arms available.

Howard becomes the last of the team’s choices from the first ten rounds to sign. In total, the club saved $375K on those signings as against its total available pool of just under $7MM, per MLB.com’s signing tracker.

Reds Sign Second-Rounder Taylor Sparks

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The Reds have agreed to a $972.8K bonus with second-round (58th overall) choice Taylor Sparks, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). That represents the assigned value of the pick.

Sparks is a third baseman out of UC Irvine. He was the 56th overall prospect in the view of MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, who write that he is strong, athletic, and delivers hard contact at the plate. He is expected to develop some power and be able to stick at the hot corner. ESPN.com’s Keith Law rated him at the 72nd spot, while Baseball America had him as the 87th best player available.

According to the MLB.com signings tracker, Cincinnati has now locked up all of its picks from the first ten rounds with the exception of its first selection (19th overall): Nick Howard, the University of Virginia closer, who just completed play at the College World Series.

Draft Signings: Graves, Laxer, Schuh

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Here are today’s notable amateur draft signings, with all slot information provided by Baseball America…

  • The Athletics have signed third-rounder Brett Graves, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (via Twitter).  Graves signed for a $510K bonus, giving the A’s a slight discount on the $519.2K slot price attached to the 101st overall selection.  Graves is a 6’1″, 173-pound right-hander from the University of Missouri.  He was ranked as the 59th-best draft prospect by ESPN’s Keith Law, 61st by Baseball America and 80th by MLB.com.  The BA scouting report noted that Graves “appeared to be losing steam as the college season wound down,” which could explain why he was still available after the first 100 picks.
  • The Tigers have signed ninth-round pick Josh Laxer, according to the MLB.com transactions page.  Laxer signed for the $143.9K bonus price assigned to the 280th overall pick, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (Twitter link).  Laxer, a right-handed reliever from Ole Miss, has a fastball that can touch 96mph at best, though Baseball America’s scouting report noted that he’ll have to work heavily on his command.
  • The Orioles announced the signing of left-hander Max Schuh, their seventh-round draft choice.  No terms were announced, though the slot value for the 211th overall pick is $179.9K.  Schuh is a 6’4″, 210-pound southpaw out of UCLA.  Baseball America’s scouting report projects Schuh as a reliever since he only has a two-pitch repertoire, though both his pitches (a fastball and slurve) were considered to be very good, and Schuh could add velocity to his 86-91mph heater.

Draft Signings: Kam Uter, Chris Ellis

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Here are Sunday’s notable mid- to late-round draft signings, with all slot courtesy of Baseball America:

  • The Dodgers have signed 12th-round pick Kam Uter for $200K, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Georgia high school pitcher had a commitment to play wide receiver for Wake Forest. Picks from after the 10th round can earn bonuses of up to $100K before they count against the signing team’s pool, so Uter’s signing will cost the Dodgers $100K against their bonus pool.
  • The Angels have signed their third-round selection Ole Miss right-hander Chris Ellis, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (Twitter links). Callis tweets that Ellis will receive $575K, slightly less than the bonus pool allotment of $612.8K. First-rounder Sean Newcomb (15th overall) is the only Angels’ draft choice from the first ten rounds who remains unsigned. In a separate tweet, Gonzalez notes no progress has been made with Newcomb, but he expects the University of Hartford left-hander to come to terms before the July 18 deadline.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Draft Signings: Kevin Steen, Branden Cogswell, Auston Bousfield

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Here’s a roundup of today’s draft signings:

  • The Red Sox have reportedly signed ninth-rounder Kevin Steen tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com. According to Speier, the high-school pitcher is just one of two Boston draftees from the top ten rounds to receive an above slot bonus. The exact amount of the deal is unknown, and slot value for the pick is $152,700. He features a low 90’s fastball.
  • The Athletics have signed seventh-rounder Branden Cogswell for $200K, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The pick had a bonus pool allotment of $164,200. MLB.com notes that that the junior UVA infielder makes up for his limited power and “modest tools” with good “feel for the game.” He may end up at second base as a professional.
  • The Padres have signed fifth-rounder (No. 147 overall) Auston Bousfield for $200K, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The pick had a bonus pool allotment of $333,100. Bousfield, a junior outfielder from Ole Miss, ranked No. 329 in Baseball America’s list of the top 500 draft prospects. BA praises his ability to hit for average and notes that he should be able to play center field at the professional level, but suggests he won’t hit for much more than gap power.

Brad Johnson contributed to this post.

Royals Sign Brandon Finnegan

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The Royals have announced that they’ve signed No. 17 overall draft pick Brandon Finnegan. MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets that Finnegan will receive the full bonus pool allotment of $2,200,600.

Finnegan, a junior lefty from TCU, was ranked the No. 15 draft prospect by MLB.com, No. 18 by Baseball America and No. 24 by ESPN’s Keith Law. MLB.com notes that he throws 93-95 MPH and has what could be a good slider. He also uses a changeup, although he might stop throwing the pitch if he ends up in the bullpen.

Finnegan could end up as a closer in the long term — he’s undersized at 5’11”, and MLB.com notes that there are questions about his durability. Finnegan also missed a few weeks in April and May with shoulder tightness. But he has excellent stuff. The Royals could use him as a starter, but Callis notes that he could make it to the big leagues quickly as a reliever.

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