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Rays To Sign Third-Rounder Burke For $900K

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The Rays and third-round selection Brock Burke have agreed to terms on a $900K signing bonus, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter). That’s more than $355K north of the No. 96 overall selection’s slot value. A high school left-hander out of Colorado, Burke had been committed to Oregon. He is represented by agent Paul Cobbe of Sosnick/Cobbe Sports.

Burke didn’t rank among MLB.com’s Top 200, Keith Law’s Top 100 or even Baseball America’s Top 500. However, Law noted in his recap of AL teams’ drafts (subscription required and recommended) that Burke is “very projectable” and features an 86-91 mph fastball with sink. Law adds that Burke’s changeup and curve both need work, and he doesn’t use his lower half enough. BA does have a scouting report on Burke, noting that the 6’3″, 185-pound southpaw offers projection and has touched 92 mph but struggles with command, as evidenced by the seven walks per nine innings he averaged this spring.

BA also says that his breaking ball has depth and projects as average or better, and it’s worth noting that Burke struck out an incredible 19 hitters in a late April game this season (as written by Justin Groom of Colorado’s 9News.com). MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo noted at the time of the selection that Burke has continually improved his velocity and may have more velocity on the horizon, as he doesn’t get to throw as many innings as prep arms from warmer climates (video link).

Padres Sign Chris Nelson

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8:41pm: Nelson’s contract contains an August 1 opt-out date, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (on Twitter).

7:33pm: The Padres have signed infielder Chris Nelson to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s Corey Brock (on Twitter). A client of agent Jon Fetterolf, Nelson was recently released by the Reds and will report to Triple-A El Paso.

Nelson, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2004 draft (by the Rockies), batted .274/.330/.363 in 261 plate appearances with Triple-A Louisville in the Reds organization earlier this season. He’s a career .268/.312/.399 hitter in the Majors and had a particularly strong showing in 2012 when he hit .301/.352/.458 with nine home runs (though a good deal of that production came at Coors Field).

Nelson has experience at both second and third base, though defensive metrics such as Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved aren’t particularly high on him at either position. He should serve as a nice depth piece for the Padres, who have lost Jedd Gyorko to injury and traded away some of their infield depth in the offseason by dealing Logan Forsythe to Tampa Bay.

AL West Notes: Beltre, Rangers, Morales, Astros, Mills

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While the Rangers find themselves at least facing the unexpected possibility that they will be sellers in July, GM Jon Daniels tells Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that the team isn’t thinking of trading Adrian Beltre. “We haven’t really considered it,” Daniels said when asked. “He’s our best player, team leader, Hall of Famer.” More from Heyman’s article and more on the AL West below…

  • Beltre’s future aside, Heyman writes that the Rangers will have to look hard at dealing veteran pieces such as Joakim Soria, Alex Rios and even Elvis Andrus as they look to retool for the future in what has become a lost year due to injuries. However, Daniels says that his team isn’t giving up on 2014 yet, and it would take a “compelling baseball deal” to move one of the Rangers’ core players.
  • Heyman also sheds some light on the Rangers’ pursuit of Kendrys Morales. Texas made just a $3MM offer to agent Scott Boras to secure Morales’ services, only to be outbid by a Twins team that offered $12MM pro-rated. Shortly thereafter, the Rangers saw another first base/DH option go down with an injury, as Mitch Moreland suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
  • The Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich looks at the oddity of service time by pointing out that Astros right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, who has never pitched an inning in the Major Leagues, is closer to free agency and has more service time than standout rookie George Springer. Wojciechowski was added to the 40-man roster this offseason and injured himself on Feb. 1, long before Spring Training was underway and players could be demoted to the minors. Because injured players cannot be demote to the minors — otherwise teams could demote injured players to save countless dollars — Wojciechowski has been on the Major League 15-day DL all season, earning service time and a $500K salary.
  • The Athletics were keeping tabs on lefty Brad Mills for awhile before acquiring him from the Brewers, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team has little starting pitching depth and was aware of the opt-out in Mills’ contract. Of being acquired in exchange for $1 (yes, one dollar), Mills told Slusser: “I thought it was a joke at first. I try not to take it as a value judgment on my worth. Whatever they had to do to make it work.”

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.

2015 Vesting Options Update

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The state of next year’s free agent class will be impacted by whether or not players with vesting options in their contracts achieve the necessary playing time to trigger those conditional options. Here’s a rundown of these players and their progress toward triggering their options…

  • Nick Punto: Punto has a $2.75MM club option that will automatically vest if he spends fewer than 30 days on the disabled list, assistant GM David Forst told reporters at the time of the signing. He did add that there are other ways for Punto’s option to vest, though for the time being, he’s on pace to see his option vest simply due to the fact that he’s avoided the DL entirely. If the option doesn’t vest, the A’s have the choice of picking him up at $2.75MM or buying him out for $250K.
  • Rickie Weeks: Weeks has an $11.5MM option that won’t be vesting, as he would need to total 600 PA in 2014 or 1,200 PA in 2013-14 and finish the season healthy. He’s being platooned heavily with Scooter Gennett and has just 112 PAs on the season, so he’ll fall well shy of that mark. Should he reach 400 PAs (which only seems likely in the event of Gennett injury), Weeks would be entitled to a $1MM buyout of his option.
  • Jimmy Rollins: Rollins’ option vests if he reaches 600 PA in 2014 or if he totals 1,100 options from 2013-14 and finishes the season on the active roster. He’s 141 PA shy of that combined 1,100 number, meaning he’s highly likely to end up with an $11MM guarantee for 2015.
  • Dan Haren: If Haren pitches 180 innings or more in 2014, he triggers a $10MM player option for the 2015 season. He’s averaging just over six innings per start, so he’s on pace to clear that mark given 30-31 starts. However, if he finishes the season anywhere near his current 3.54 ERA, he may prefer to test the open market in search of a multi-year deal.
  • Mike Adams: Adams’ $6MM club option for 2015 vests with 60 innings pitched in 2014, but he’s once again on the disabled list for the Phillies and has thrown just 17 innings. Adams has thrown 42 innings in his season-and-a-half with the Phils, and it seems highly unlikely that they would pick him up at $6MM given his injury troubles.
  • Rafael Soriano: Soriano’s $14MM club option will vest if he finishes 120 games combined in 2013-14. He’s currently at 81 games finished on the season, meaning he’d need to finish a rather unlikely 39 of his team’s final 92 games (42 percent) this season. Should the option vest, half of his salary will be deferred and paid in annual installments from 2018-25.
  • Kyuji Fujikawa: The Cubs hoped that Fujikawa, one of the best relievers in Japanese history, would help to fortify their bullpen when they signed him to a two-year, $9.5MM contract in the 2012-13 offseason. Instead, both player and team received a hefty dose of bad luck when Fujikawa needed Tommy John surgery after just 12 innings last season. He has a vesting option based on games finished, but the 33-year-old hasn’t pitched in 2014 and surely won’t be crossing that threshold.
  • Sean Burnett: Burnett’s $4.5MM club option vests if he appears in a total of 110 games between 2013-14, but like Fujikawa, he’s been plagued by injury and has no chance of that happening. Burnett has appeared in just 16 games total over the past two seasons and underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month. The Halos will certainly be paying the $500K buyout on his club option.
  • Scott Downs: Downs has a $4MM vesting option, and while the specifics haven’t been reported, Ken Rosenthal noted at the time of the deal that it would vest were Downs to pitch “a normal workload.” He’s headed in that direction, as he’s on pace for his highest innings total since 2011. Downs has pitched to a 5.48 ERA in his 23 innings, so the White Sox may not wish to see that option vest. Then again, he has a 3.95 ERA dating back to May 3, so he’s shown some signs of improvement.

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.

2015 Free Agent Power Rankings

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We’re always looking ahead at MLBTR, and it’s time for another entry in our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings series.  My May edition can be found here, and the full list of 2015 free agents is here.

1.  Hanley Ramirez.  A strong showing over the last month elevates Ramirez back to #1 status.  All is quiet on the extension front, with the 30-year-old shortstop telling Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports on June 3rd that there are no ongoing talks.

2.  Max Scherzer.  Scherzer led the AL with a 1.83 ERA at the time of our last rankings, but since then he’s posted a 6.86 ERA in six starts, even though one of those outings was a shutout.  There’s no reason to think the righty won’t get back on track, but some of the shine will come off if he finishes the season with an ERA in the high 3s.

3.  Jon Lester.  Things are going fine for Lester, who is looking for his first sub-3.50 ERA since 2011.  Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said on WEEI in late May that he expects to engage in further extension talks, and GM Ben Cherington said something similar on June 10th.

4.  James Shields.  Lester and Shields were unlikely to uphold their matching 2.67 ERAs from our last rankings, but a hittable five-start run has brought the Royals’ ace up to 3.50.  Nonetheless, his team has won ten straight and sits in first place in the AL Central.  At the least, the Royals’ success shuts down the speculation from a few weeks ago that Shields could be a trade candidate.  That means he’s likely to come with a qualifying offer attached.

5.  Pablo Sandoval.  Sandoval has been crushing the ball over his last 35 games, and I’ve moved the 27-year-old up to his best spot yet.  If he can stay healthy, Sandoval seems a good bet for his first 20 home run season since 2011.  The Giants have the best record in the NL and a track record of keeping their own, so it’s quite possible Sandoval never reaches the open market.

6. Nelson Cruz.  With 10 home runs since our last rankings and an MLB-best 22 overall, I can’t keep denying Cruz his spot on this list.  A 40 home run, 120 RBI season gets a guy paid, even if Cruz is lacking on defense, turns 35 next summer, and endured a Biogenesis suspension last year.  Barring injury, Carlos Beltran’s three-year, $45MM deal could be Cruz’s floor this winter even with a qualifying offer.

7.  Victor Martinez.  V-Mart is another aging bat-first player who continues to crush the ball.  With good health, he seems likely to fly past his career high of 25 home runs, which happened eight seasons ago.  Martinez is primed for his first All-Star appearance since 2010, as well as another multiyear contract.

8.  Mike Morse.  Morse rounds out our trio of bats newly joining these rankings.  The 32-year-old is hitting .289/.343/.533 in 265 plate appearances and is looking like one of the offseason’s best bargains with a $6MM salary.  Morse hasn’t exceeded 102 games in a season since 2011, so he must continue to avoid the DL to improve his earning power.

9.  Asdrubal Cabrera.  Another new entrant to the list, Cabrera has been solid but unspectacular with a .255/.323/.409 line on the season.  He has age on his side, as he turns 29 in November.  However, Cabrera’s defense at shortstop is generally considered below-average.

10.  Russell Martin.  Martin leads all starting catchers with a .418 OBP, though he missed nearly a month with a hamstring strain.  His .272 batting average may not last, but he’s also posting a career-best 14.6% walk rate.  Still only 31, Martin could be a popular free agent this winter.

These rankings have seen plenty of turnover since last month, with Ervin Santana, Justin Masterson, Chase Headley, Colby Rasmus, and Jed Lowrie dropping out of the top ten due to lackluster performance or injury.  Meanwhile, Josh Beckett is making a push, including a May 25th no-hitter, 26-year-old Japanese righty Kenta Maeda has a 2.68 ERA through 11 starts, and Jason Hammel has become excellent trade bait for the Cubs.  Melky Cabrera, Nick Markakis, Adam LaRoche, and Seth Smith are position players worth a mention.

Rosenthal On A’s, Angels, Rasmus, Indians

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Somehow, someway, Athletics GM Billy Beane is going to pull something off between now and the deadline, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Between the inexperience of Sonny Gray and Jesse Chavez, Scott Kazmir’s past health troubles, and other question marks, the A’s could use some rotation reinforcements.  Oakland isn’t deep enough in minor league talent to land the Cubs’ Jeff Samardzija or Rays’ David Price, but Rosenthal is certain that Beane will find something out there.  Here’s more from his always informative column..

  • The Angels don’t necessarily need rotation help, but they’d like to add a starter nonetheless.  They are currently without a lefty reliever, and another rotation piece would allow them to move left-hander Hector Santiago to the bullpen.  Rosenthal speculates that Padres righty Ian Kennedy and Mets righty Dillon Gee could be fits.
  • The qualifying offer reduces the desire of some teams to trade QO candidates before they hit the open market.  Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus and Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa are examples of potential free agents who are unlikely to be moved since their clubs would like the option of making an offer and an acquiring team would not be able to extend one.  If not for the QO possibility, Toronto might opt to move Rasmus for a pitcher and re-install a platoon of Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar in center.
  • The Indians are in difficult spots with potential free agents shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and right-hander Justin Masterson.  Cabrera isn’t a strong QO candidate thanks to his so-so defense, so one option would be to trade him for another infielder to alternate with Mike Aviles.  The same goes for Masterson, though he probably doesn’t have much trade value with an ERA of 5.05 with 8.1 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9.

Carlos Quentin Open To Waiving No-Trade Clause

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If teams come calling on Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin, the veteran is willing to think about waiving his no-trade clause to help facilitate a deal, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Quentin’s complete no-trade clause was a big part of why he agreed to sign a team-friendly three-year, $27MM extension with San Diego a couple of years ago, but he would entertain the idea of going elsewhere this summer.

For Quentin to draw interest, of course, he’ll have to start doing better at the plate.  He currently owns a .192/.294/.342 slash line with a .637 OPS, exactly 200 points below his career .837 OPS.  However, there are no shortage of teams looking for a big bat and an American League team could use Quentin as a DH and give his aching knees a rest.  Quentin won’t greenlight any old trade to the AL, but he’ll think about it for some teams.

A trade could put Quentin in a playoff race but it could also carry financial incentive.  Quentin makes $9.5MM this year, $8MM in 2015, and has a $10MM mutual option in 2016. That option does not have a buyout, but a $3MM buyout will trigger if he can somehow play 320 games from 2013-15.  It might be a longshot regardless — he is 212 games shy of that number — but he might have a shot of reaching 320 games if he plays DH over the next year and a half.

San Diego hasn’t yet approached Quentin about the possibility of a trade, but Heyman writes that they seem to be aware that he’s ready to be reasonable should the situation arise.

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.

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