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2014 Amateur Draft Signings

Reds To Sign Alex Blandino

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The Reds have agreed to terms with first-round selection Alex Blandino, reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (on Twitter). Blandino, the 29th overall selection, will receive the full slot value of $1.788MM, according to Mayo.

Alex Blandino

The Stanford third baseman ranked 52nd on the Top 200 draft prospects list compiled by Mayo and his colleague, Jim Callis. ESPN’s Keith Law was a bigger fan and ranked Blandino 39th on the final edition of his Top 100, and Baseball America liked him even more, pegging Blandino at No. 30 on their pre-draft Top 500.

In his Junior season for the Cardinals, Blandino hit .310/.397/.531 with 12 homers, 14 doubles and a pair of steals. He was drafted by the A’s back in 2011 (in the 38th round) but he instead elected to attend college. Clearly, that decision paid off in the short-term, from a financial standpoint.

BA praised his bat speed and quick wrists, noting that he stays inside the ball well but at times “sells out trying to generate home run power.” BA feels that his power may end up being merely average and suggests that a move to second base makes sense, as his bat will play better there. Law agrees that a move to second is possible due to his bat, but thinks Blandino can handle the hot corner defensively. Mayo and Callis praise his plate discipline and ability to hit the ball to all fields, though they, too, note that a move to second seems likely.

Blandino was one of two first-round picks for Cincinnati, who also selected Virgina righty Nick Howard with the No. 19 overall selection. The Reds received the No. 29 overall selection as compensation for losing Shin-Soo Choo to free agency. Blandino’s agreement means that 25 of the 34 first-round selections in this year’s draft have signed or agreed to terms.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cubs Sign Jake Stinnett

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The Cubs announced via press release that they have signed second-round right-hander Jake Stinnett. Stinnett was selected with the No. 45 overall pick.  The Cubs also announced that they have signed fourth-round left-hander Carson Sands, fifth-round lefty Justin Steele, and seventh-round right-hander James Norwood.  The Cubs inked Stinnett to a $1MM deal, $250K under the suggested slot for the No. 45 pick, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.

Stinnett, 22, posted a 2.67 ERA in 16 starts and one relief appearance in his senior year for Maryland.  The 6’4″ hurler struck out a school single-season record and Atlantic Coast Conference-high 132 batters and walked just 30. Stinnett also became the seventh pitcher in program history to throw a no-hitter when he shut down Massachusetts on March 1st.

ESPN.com’s Keith Law (Insider sub. req’d) rated Stinnett as the No. 51 prospect in this year’s class while Baseball America had him as the 67th best prospect and MLB.com had him pegged at No. 72.

Mets Agree To Terms With Michael Conforto

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The Mets have agreed to sign first-round pick Michael Conforto to a $2.97MM deal, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com (on Twitter).  The Oregon State outfielder was rated as one of the best college bats in the draft by Callis.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week that a deal was on the verge of being completed.

Michael Conforto

The reported value of the deal just about matches the slot for the No. 10 overall pick.  The outfielder out of Oregon State was ranked as the No. 8 prospect in this draft by ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball America while Jonathan Mayo and Callis of MLB.com ranked him 17th.

Conforto batted a whopping .345/.504/.547 with seven homers, 16 doubles and a pair of triples in 59 games for Oregon State in 2014 — his junior season. Law praised Conforto’s power to his pull side, also noting that he works counts well and is able to hit the ball to the opposite field. Law expressed real concerns about Conforto’s defense, however, questioning his range and his throwing arm in left field. BA offered a bit of a different take, writing that he improved his previously fringy defense and is now adequate, and their scouting report projected him as a 20-25 homer hitter down the road. MLB.com shared some of the defensive concerns and worried that he might swing and miss too much, however that scouting report also projected him to hit 25-plus homers with regularity at his peak.

The Mets have reportedly signed third-rounder Milton Ramos for roughly $100K over slot, and they went $200K over slot on 13th-rounder Erik Manoah as well, but they didn’t have to go over the suggested value on their first-round pick. The team made up for its over-slot deals with Ramos and Manoah by saving $517K on its picks in the fourth through tenth rounds.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Signings: Anfernee Seymour

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Here are Wednesday’s notable mid- to late-round draft signings, with all slot information coming courtesy of Baseball America…

  • The Marlins have agreed to an over-slot, $400K bonus with seventh-rounder Anfernee Seymour, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (on Twitter). BA ranked Seymour 396th among draft prospects, noting that the high school outfielder has legitimate 80-grade speed and a strong throwing arm that make him an intriguing center field prospect. A native of the Bahamas, Seymour’s hit tool raises question, and he has well below-average power, per BA. His slot value was $205,700.

Mariners To Sign Alex Jackson

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5:23pm: Jackson and the Mariners have agreed to a bonus of $4.2MM, reports MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo (on Twitter).

That bonus is $624,100 over slot and should put the Mariners $317,100 over their allotted bonus pool. Seattle will have to pay a 75 percent luxury tax that comes out to $237,825, but the team will not have to forfeit any future draft picks because of the bonus.

4:08pm: The Mariners and first-round selection Alex Jackson have agreed to terms, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (on Twitter). Callis isn’t sure of the exact bonus terms at this time, but he notes that the bonus will pay the high school catcher/outfielder north of $4MM. That’s well north of the $3,575,900 pick value with the No. 6 overall selection, but as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune recently explained, the Mariners can spend $4,221,295 without losing a pick in next year’s draft. A bonus north of $4MM will subject them to a 75 percent overage tax on their bonus pool, however, as the max they could have spent without incurring overage penalties was $3,882,900 (also per Dutton).

Alex Jackson

Jackson’s power potential and advanced hit tool have led most to consider him the best bat in the 2014 draft class. Both Baseball America and MLB.com ranked Jackson as the No. 4 prospect in this year’s draft class, while ESPN’s Keith Law ranked him fifth. Jackson had been committed to Oregon and is advised by Scott Boras.

All three scouting reports on Jackson rave about his hitting prowess, with MLB.com noting that he could hit north of .280 in the Majors and BA adding that he has the potential for plus-plus power. Jackson’s arm is also regarded as a plus tool, and it plays well behind the plate, where Law notes he has pop times in the 1.8-1.9 second range. However, all three note that Jackson’s receiving and blocking skills need work. The consensus is that he’s athletic enough to be a solid defender in right field, and he could be fast-tracked to the Majors by being shifted to the outfield, but he could become a serviceable defender behind the dish with more work and more development time. Obviously, he’d have more value to the Mariners if he could reach the Majors as a catcher, though the team does have a promising young backstop in the form of 2012 No. 3 overall selection Mike Zunino.

The Mariners have already signed the remainder of their picks within the top 10 rounds, so they needn’t worry that going well over-slot on Jackson could have ramifications further down their draft board.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals To Sign Third-Rounder Jakson Reetz

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The Nationals have agreed to a $800K deal with third-round choice Jakson Reetz, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). Reetz was taken with the 93rd overall pick, which came with a $567,300 slot allocation.

Callis labels Reetz the best all-around high school catcher that was available in the draft. Indeed, he and MLB.com colleague Jonathan Mayo rated him at the 40th slot on their overall board, just beneath the 38th-overall placement of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. Meanwhile, Baseball America had him somewhat further down its list, in the 62nd position. According to Baseball America’s assessment, Reetz features a quick, strong bat, good athleticism, and average power. As a defender, he shows good all-around skills behind the dish but could also play in the outfield or even pitch.

Drawing Reetz away from the University of Nebraska required the Nats to go $232.7K over slot. The organization entered the draft with up to $5,725,700 in available pool space. Washington has yet to agree with multiple choices, including 18th overall selection Erick Fedde and second-rounder Andrew Suarez. According to the MLB.com bonus tracker, the team has saved $236.4K on fifth-rounder Drew Van Orden, $114.8K on seventh-round choice D.K. Carey, and $107.6K on tenth-rounder Matthew Page.

Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Grant Holmes

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WEDNESDAY: The Dodgers have officially announced Holmes’s signing.

He will earn a bonus of $2.5MM, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). (Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported on Twitter that Holmes would earn at least $2.4MM, with Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweeting that the bonus would not be more than $2.51MM.)

Holmes will count for $519.5K against the Dodgers’ total pool allocation.

MONDAY: The Dodgers have a deal in place with first-round pick Grant Holmes, the high school righty tells Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Though terms remain unavailable, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter that the University of Florida commit is expected to receive a bonus that lands above his $1,980,500 slot allotment.

Draft observers viewed Holmes as being well worth the 22nd pick with which he was selected. ESPN.com’s Keith Law ranked him as the sixth-best prospect available, saying that Holmes was the “most polished” high school arm in the draft. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis rated him at 11th, noting that he has increased his fastball velocity while also bringing a hard curve and promising change to the mound. Baseball America had him in the 16th slot.

The Dodgers went at-slot to sign their second through fifth-round picks, but saved about $262K collectively on their seventh, ninth, and tenth-round choices. Los Angeles has yet to sign righty Brock Stewart (sixth round) or catcher Hunter Redman (eighth round), both of whom are college juniors. (Information via the MLBDailyDish.com draft signing tracker.) Entering the draft with about $4.95MM in achievable pool space, the Dodgers could also potentially spend up to $247K more without giving up a pick in next year’s draft.

Astros Agree To $1.5MM Bonus With Fifth-Rounder Nix

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The Astros have agreed to a $1.5MM bonus with fifth-round selection Jacob Nix, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). Mark Berman of Houston FOX 26 first reported (Twitter links) that Nix was set to sign.l

Needless to say, the agreed-upon bonus lands well above the $370.5K allocation that came with Nix’s 136th overall slot. The high school righty said that he thought he was destined for UCLA after sliding to the fifth round, and was “really surprised we were able to get it done.”

Nix was rated as high as the 87th-best available prospect coming into the draft, with ESPN.com’s Keith Law giving him that relatively lofty ranking. Meanwhile, Baseball America had him at 104 on its board and MLB.com’s Callis and Jonathan Mayo slotted him at 162nd. As the MLB.com duo explain, the powerful hurler has big tools and plenty of projectability, but endured a difficult senior season.

Of course, Houston saved a big chunk of change (about $1.422MM) by signing first overall choice Brady Aiken to an under-slot bonus, and has added some additional savings through later signings. Though he is not reflected in the MLB.com bonus tracker, sixth-rounder Brock Dykxhoorn ($277.4K slot) is apparently among those who have signed for slightly below his allotment, with Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reporting that he inked for $250K.

But much of that cushion now appears to be headed to Nix. The team’s most prominent pick that has yet to sign is 37th-overall choice Derek Fisher, who is still playing with Virginia in the College World Series.

Draft Signings: Hentges, Padlo, Loehr, Kelliher, Montgomery

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Here are Tuesday’s notable mid- to late-round draft signings, with all slot information coming courtesy of Baseball America…

  • The Indians have signed fourth-round pick Sam Hentges to a $700K deal, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). That is nearly $300K higher than the 128th selection’s $400.2K slot allocation; he’ll also get a $160K scholarship. As noted below, Cleveland had already spent much of its existing padding on third-rounder Bobby Bradley. The high school lefty out of Minnesota was rated the 213th available player by Baseball America.
  • Rockies fifth-rounder Kevin Padlo has signed for $650K, tweets Callis. Padlo was taken with the 143rd overall choice, which came with a $346.3K allocation. The high school third baseman, who was rated the 129th-best player available by Callis and fellow MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo, was said to be a late mover up draft boards.
  • The Athletics have gone above-slot for two choices, sixth-rounder Trace Loehr and eighth-rounder Branden Kelliher, reports Callis (Twitter link). Loehr will get a $600K bonus (against a $215.9K slot allocation), while Kelliher will get $450K ($215.9K slot). Those overages will take a decent chunk out of the savings that Oakland secured by agreeing with five other top-ten-round choices last Thursday.
  • Yankees fourth-round choice Jordan Montgomery has signed for the slot value of $424K, tweets Callis. Montgomery, a junior lefty for the University of South Carolina, was the 120th-best player in the draft, according to Baseball America.

Earlier Updates

  • The Indians have inked third-round selection Bobby Bradley, a high school first baseman, the club announced today. Bradley lands an above-slot $912.5K bonus, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Bradley was taken with the 97th overall selection, which comes with a $539.6K slot allocation. Running the math on MLB.com’s draft bonus tracker, Cleveland had a cumulative under-slot tally of $501.3K prior to inking Bradley. The team has yet to sign two other high school draftees from its first ten rounds: Simeon Lucas (seventh round) and Micah Miniard (eighth). MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, who rated Bradley the 68th-best available player, said that Bradley offers an unusually advanced left-handed bat with good power. He had been committed to LSU.
  • Jim Callis of MLB.com reports (via Twitter) that the Rays have agreed to terms with fourth-rounder Blake Bivens on an over-slot, $465K bonus. Bivens, a high school right-hander out of Virginia, was slotted to receive $404K. Callis notes that he has a chance for a plus fastball and curveball. BA ranked Bivens 124th among draft prospects.
  • Marlins fourth-round pick Brian Schales agreed to the full slot value of $490K for the 107th overall selection, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (on Twitter). A shortstop out of Edison High School in California, Schales didn’t rank on Keith Law’s Top 100, MLB.com’s Top 200 or BA’s Top 500 prior to the draft.
  • Cotillo tweets that the Marlins also agreed with their fifth-round selection, Casey Soltis, on an over-slot $450K bonus (slot was $366,900). Soltis was a consensus top draft prospect among major media outlets, placing 97th on Law’s list, 100th on BA’s and 113th on MLB.com’s. Law feels he can stick in center due to his athleticism, while the other two think he may be ticketed for right field. There are questions about his power as well, but his speed draws praise.
  • The Twins and fifth-rounder Jake Reed agreed to a $350K bonus that saves Minnesota about $6,400, Cotillo tweets. After starting for his first two seasons with Oregon, Reed was moved to the bullpen and settled in as the Ducks’ closer. With a sinking fastball touching 97 mph and a hard slider, he ranked 123rd on MLB.com’s list and 155th on BA’s. He is one of many power relievers selected by Minnesota.
  • The Indians went nearly $200K over slot on eighth-round pick Micah Miniard, Cotillo reports. BA, who ranked Miniard 393rd among prospects, noted that the Kentucky high school right-hander’s velocity touched 94 mph last fall but dipped into the mid-80s this season.

Pirates To Sign Competitive Balance Pick Connor Joe

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The Pirates have agreed to sign compensation round A selection Connor Joe, reports MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (via Twitter). Joe will receive a bonus of $1.25MM. He was taken with the 39th overall pick, which carries a $1,457,600 slot allocation.

The University of San Diego product was rated as the 102nd-best draft-eligible player by Baseball America and was slotted at 110 by Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. According to BA, Joe is a line-drive hitter with a patient approach. He has primarily served at first base during college, but has also seen time in the outfield and, most intriguingly, behind the plate. While Joe is still working to develop his skills as a backstop, BA says that he has the tools to potentially stick at the position.

According to MLB.com’s bonus tracker, the Bucs have now inked each of their selections from the first ten rounds. All said, Pittsburgh is now $130.9K beneath its potential achievable bonus allocation of $5,606,100.

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