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Archives for June 2014

Tigers To Sign Derek Hill

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The Tigers are in agreement with No. 23 overall pick Derek Hill, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (on Twitter). Hill will receive a $2MM bonus, according to Callis, which is slightly higher than the $1.953MM value assigned to that slot.

Callis praises the California prep center fielder’s speed and bat in his tweet, and a look at the scouting report put together by him and colleague Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com shows that the duo feel that Hill is one of the fastest players and best defenders in the high school class. He’s run sub-6.4 second times in the 60-yard dash and also has a stronger arm than most of his peers. MLB.com ranked him 20th among draft prospects, while ESPN’s Keith Law ranked him 11th and Baseball America ranked him 22nd. Law noted that there’s a chance Hill ends up as a fourth outfielder, but he has the potential to be an impact leadoff hitter that can steal bases and play elite defense in center. There doesn’t appear to be much power projection with Hill, though BA likes his quick right-handed stroke and notes that he rarely swings and misses within the strike zone.

The Tigers entered the draft with $4.892MM to spend, and they’ve allocated more than 40 percent of that budget to Hill by signing him over slot. They’ve also agreed to a full-slot deal with third-rounder Grayson Greiner that will pay him $549,200.

White Sox Sign Jace Fry

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The White Sox announced today that they have agreed to terms with nine of their top 10 picks in this year’s draft and 28 picks overall, including a new agreement with third-rounder Jace Fry. MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (via Twitter) that Fry, a left-hander out of Oregon State that was selected 77th overall, agreed to an above-slot bonus of $760K. The assigned pick value for that slot had been $726K, per Baseball America.

Fry didn’t crack the Top 100 draft prospects of ESPN’s Keith Law, but he did rank 91st according to Baseball America and 93rd according to Callis and his colleague Jonathan Mayo on MLB.com’s Top 200. Fry underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012 but was healthy and effective in 2014, featuring a fastball that tops out in the low 90s, a curveball that he changes speeds on, and a changeup that will feature good sink when it’s at its best, per MLB.com’s scouting report. BA noted that he repeats his delivery well and has the chance to be a rare sinker/slider left-hander, adding that his fastball is effective more due to its late life than its straight velocity.

The Sox have yet to come to terms with No. 3 overall pick Carlos Rodon, the NC State left-hander and Scott Boras advisee that many felt had a chance to go No. 1 overall. Today’s release included the formal announcement that second-rounder Spencer Adams has been signed — a deal that reportedly guarantees him the full slot value of $1.282MM.

Cubs Sign First-Rounder Kyle Schwarber

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1:38pm: The team has officially announced Schwarer’s signing.

11:20am: The Cubs have agreed to a below-slot bonus with first-round selection Kyle Schwarber, reports MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat (via Twitter). He will sign for $3.125MM, which is nearly $1.5MM shy of the $4.621MM allotment that came with the fourth overall choice.

Arguably the best college bat available, Schwarber was nevertheless something of a surprise choice at fourth overall. While he is said to have good hit and power tools at the plate, the real question is whether or not the Indiana University product can stay behind it defensively. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo wrote in rating Schwarber as the 16th-best available prospect, he could ultimately move to the outfield (or, presumably, first base) since his throwing and receiving skills are considered below average.

Baseball America, ranking him 17th overall, noted that Schwarber had improved his work at catcher over time and likely has the athleticism needed to shift to left field if he can’t continue that trajectory. ESPN.com’s Keith Law, meanwhile, placed the 6’0, 240lb left-handed swinger at 26th on his final board.

As Callis notes (Twitter links), the deal with Schwarber works to the advantage of both parties. Schwarber will take down a bigger bonus than he would have if taken in the middle of the draft, while the Cubs can put the slot savings towards other choices. In particular, the club selected a series of high school arms with its fourth through sixth-round choices — Carson Sands, Justin Steele, and Dylan Cease — who could require above-slot bonuses to forego college. Callis opines that the Cubs are likely to land each member of that trio. Chicago entered the draft with $8.35MM and change in available slot space.

Rangers Agree To Above-Slot Bonus With Josh Morgan

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The Rangers have agreed to sign third-round choice Josh Morgan to an above-slot $800K bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). Even Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported on Monday that the sides were in agreement for an unknown amount.

Morgan’s bonus will result in just under a $250K overage for Texas, as the 95th overall slot with which he was taken came with a $550.1K allotment. That’s what it took to lure him away from UCLA, where he had been slated to enroll this fall.

The California high school shortstop was rated as high as the 63rd-best player available (by Baseball America). As BA explains, Morgan is an all-around performer who is most noted for his outstanding hands up the middle. The biggest questions surround his bat, which figures to be average at best, and whether or not he can avoid a move to second base.

Red Sox Sign Andres Torres

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The Red Sox have signed free agent outfielder Andres Torres to a minor league deal, the club announced (h/t to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, via Twitter). Torres, 36, had remained unsigned all offseason and has yet to play in 2014.

Torres, who has seen most of his big league time up the middle, figures to provide Boston with a new potential option to introduce into the team’s center field mix. While it is far too soon to guess as to whether or when he might see time with the Red Sox, the club has received meager output from its current options. Jackie Bradley Jr. owns a 59 wRC+ (.203/.286/.294 through 211 plate appearances), while Grady Sizemore owns a 69 wRC+ (.220/.291/.328) but has rated less favorably on defense.

Of course, Torres is most associated with the Giants, the club with which he launched a second career. After minimal early-career action with the Tigers and Rangers, Torres went three full seasons in the minors before returning to the bigs with San Francisco at age 31. The next year, 2010, was by far his most productive as a professional, as Torres put up a .268/.343/.479 triple-slash with 16 home runs and 26 stolen bases over 570 plate appearances.

All said, Torres has played above replacement level for each of the last five seasons. Though his production (and playing time) petered out over the last three campaigns — he hit .232/.315/.336 in 1,132 plate appearances over that stretch — Torres has remained a quality defender. Defensive Runs Saved views his work in center from 2011-13 as average, while UZR grades it as a positive, even if it is no longer the kind of top-end work he showed in 2009-10.

A switch-hitter, Torres has posted better career marks against lefties (.737 OPS) than righties (.682 OPS). Those splits have actually widened somewhat over his last two seasons. As Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal notes on Twitter, that could theoretically make him a compliment to Bradley’s left-handed bat in center.

Cherington On Outfield, Drew, Lester, Lackey

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The Red Sox currently sit a disappointing six games under .500 and nine back in the AL East. GM Ben Cherington discussed a variety of pertinent topics today, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports (except as otherwise noted below):

  • Cherington remains confident in his team’s core, indicating that he expects to rely on in-house options to carry the team back into contention. If they can do that, he said, “we’ll try to find any way we can to make improvements to the team as the summer goes on.” At this point, said Cherington, “typically, you’re sort of talking other teams into doing things, and that doesn’t always leave you in the best position to make deals.”
  • If the team were to make an addition in advance of the trade deadline, it would most likely be an outfielder, he told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link). Indeed, the team’s greatest struggles have been in the outfield, which is currently being led by Jonny Gomes’s .722 OPS. When asked whether Boston has the payroll capacity to add players this year, he made clear that it does, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (via Twitter).
  • Cherington affirmed that Jackie Bradley Jr. is the team’s center fielder. “[H]e’s playing really good defense, he’s grinding, he’s making offensive adjustments,” said Cherington. “He’s a very important guy for us and we feel he’s the right guy to be our center fielder.” The GM was somewhat less sanguine about Grady Sizemore, saying that he “hasn’t made the impact as he’d like to.”
  • Cherington strongly disputed the notion that the club was forced by public pressure into signing Stephen Drew. “We signed Stephen Drew because I made a recommendation to ownership to sign Stephen Drew,” he said. “It happened to be that [Will Middlebrooks] got hurt. Stephen Drew was still out there, he was a free agent, and we felt like, if we didn’t sign him, we might be in position to have to make a trade at some point and give up talent to address, potentially an area of need … .”
  • He also said that the team has not entertained any thoughts of dealing away staff ace and pending free agent Jon Lester if the team cannot get back in the mix. “Our position hasn’t changed,” said Cherington. “We hope to have a conversation again about his contract. We’d love to find a way to keep him here [past this year]. … [W]e’re going to want Jon Lester pitching for us down the stretch.”
  • Finally, Cherington addressed the question whether fellow starter John Lackey might retire rather than playing next season for the league minimum option that the club picked up due to the time he’s missed due to injury. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” he said, “and obviously our expectation is that he’s going to be here.”

Braves Expected To Shop For Bullpen Help

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The Braves could be lining up some changes to their pitching staff over the coming months, according to a report from David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A set-up man, in particular another lefty, could be on the team’s wish list at the trade deadline.

Atlanta has not received quite the performances it was hoping for out of some of its middle relievers, as David Carpenter, Luis Avilan (the team’s primary lefty), Ian Thomas, and Gus Schlosser have all posted earned run averages of greater than four per nine. (The latter two are currently working at Triple-A.) Avilan, in particular, has scuffled (including a troubling 4.9 BB/9), and fellow southpaw Alex Wood is heading back down to Triple-A to stretch out again as a starter. The team will hope that recent call-up Shae Simmons can continue his strong start, that Jordan Walden maintains his health, and that Carpenter can regain his form. But none of those arms provide a true alternative to Avilan, and an addition could firm things up and free Wood and perhaps David Hale to work from the rotation.

O’Brien also notes that the club may consider dealing from its rotation, possibly as part of the effort to add to the pen. He says that the team could dangle either Gavin Floyd or Aaron Harang, opining that the former could be the more likely candidate. Of course, while the team does have some depth, O’Brien notes that it may be hesitant to thin the rotation ranks too much — though Wood is certainly more valuable as a starter.

Indeed, it seems like a rather unlikely outcome for Atlanta to flip a starter for relief help. Most hypothetical trade partners that would be willing to part with a quality reliever would presumably not be interested in adding a veteran on an expiring contract. Should the Braves look to add a southpaw to the pen, there appear to be a few likely sellers with decent left handed relief options that could be shopped, such as the Cubs (Wesley Wright and James Russell), Padres (Alex Torres and Troy Patton), Diamondbacks (Oliver Perez and Joe Thatcher), and Astros (Darin Downs and Tony Sipp).

Marlins Agree To Below-Slot Bonus With Blake Anderson

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The Marlins have agreed to a below-slot bonus with compensation round A selection Blake Anderson, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). Anderson will take home $1.17MM, about $400K less than the $1.574MM slot value at the 36th overall pick.

Anderson is a right-handed swinging high school catcher out of Mississippi. As Kiley McDaniel of Scout.com noted (via Twitter), four or five teams liked Anderson quite a bit, while the industry consensus did not see him as a premium prospect. McDaniel notes that he did not land within the list of the top 291 players that he compiled. Likewise, MLB.com did not place him among the draft’s top 200 prospects while ESPN.com’s Keith Law did not include him in his top 100 list.

Baseball America, on the other hand, did include Anderson as the 216th-best available draftee. He is said to have a strong arm behind the dish and good enough athleticism that he could stay there in spite of being a relatively tall 6’4. On the other hand, scouts were concerned with his bat speed and are not overly excited with his power potential.

Miami will surely look to apply the savings from Anderson’s signing towards one or more of the other high schoolers that the team selected early on in the draft. In addition to second overall choice Tyler Kolek, a power prep righty, the Fish own the rights to 43rd overall selection Justin Twine, a Texas high school shortstop, and four other younger draftees taken in the first ten rounds. Miami has the draft’s highest overall available pool, at $14.2MM.

Draft Signings: White, Oliver, LaValley, Greiner

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Hundreds of draft-pick signings will be reported over the coming weeks, and we’ll run down today’s most notable agreements in this post…

  • Junior righty Chad Sobotka, the fourth round choice of the Braves, has agreed to an above-slot deal, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. He will receive $400K, slightly more than the 133rd pick’s $381.3K allotment.
  • The Marlins have given a $350K bonus to 11th round choice Nick White, a high school righty, tweets Callis. That is the largest bonus for a post-tenth-rounder thus far, says Callis. $250K of White’s bonus will be charged to Miami’s $14.2MM total pool.
  • The Phillies have agreed to a $550K bonus with fourth-rounder Chris Oliver, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). That represents a $83K overage as against the $467K pool assigned to the 112th pick. MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo pegged Oliver as the 48th-rated draft prospect, while Baseball America rated the University of Arkansas righty as the 66th best player available.
  • Gavin LaValley, the Reds’ fourth-rounder who was reported to have agreed to terms yesterday, will receive $525K, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com. That is a good bit over the $411.9K slot assignment that came with the 125th overall choice.
  • The Tigers and third-rounder (No. 99 overall) Grayson Greiner have agreed to terms at the full slot value of $529,400, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter). Callis notes that the South Carolina catcher draws more praise for his defense than his bat. Greiner was a Top 100 prospect per MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN.
  • The Diamondbacks  saved $202K on their sixth-round selection, as MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets that they inked Middle Tennessee State left-hander Zac Curtis for just $40K. Arizona’s savings on Curtis will come in handy, as they inked Comp Round B pick Marcus Wilson earlier today to a deal that was $179K over slot. Baseball America ranked Curtis 373rd among draft prospects.
  • Cotillo also tweets that Reds third-rounder Wyatt Strahan received the full slot value of $588,700. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reported last night that the two sides had agreed to terms.

Minor Moves: Jason Lane, Mike MacDougal

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We’ll keep track of the day’s minor moves here …

  • The Padres have outrighted lefty Jason Lane, according to the PCL transactions page. Lane, an outfielder-turned-hurler who just returned to the bigs seven seasons after his last tour, was designated for assignment on Saturday.
  • Righty Mike MacDougal was released by the Mariners, also via the PCL transactions page. The 37-year-old righty carries an 8.25 ERA through 12 innings for Triple-A Tacoma. He last threw in the bigs in 2012, and owns a lifetime 4.00 ERA through 394 MLB frames over parts of 12 seasons.
  • Per MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, the following players have yet to have their situations resolved: Jordan Pacheco (Rockies), David Huff (Giants), Jason Kubel (Twins), Trevor Cahill (Diamondbacks), and Wilton Lopez (Rockies).

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