The Astros have a perception problem, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle writes. The Astros missed out on top overall pick Brady Aiken and another top pick, Jacob Nix, because of a disagreement about Aiken’s health. During part of the time they might have been negotiating with Aiken, Drellich points out, GM Jeff Luhnow was on vacation with his family in Mexico. That might not have had any bearing on their ability to sign Aiken, Drellich notes, but it doesn’t look good, and the Astros generally don’t get the “benefit of the doubt” with such matters.
Drellich also takes a close look at each party’s motivations as the Astros and Aiken tried to negotiate. He points out that, if Aiken goes to junior college and reenters the draft next year, it will be hard for Aiken to top the $5MM the Astros offered, given that the Astros themselves will have the No. 2 overall pick as a result of losing him, along with their own standard first-round pick, which will also be one of the early ones. For a player to get $5MM is very difficult under the new bonus pool system, especially with the Astros taking two very early picks. Here’s more from the AL West.
- Astros scouting director Mike Elias is disappointed with the way the draft signing deadline went, Drellich writes. “I haven’t been very happy about anything to do with it, because of just the unfortunate situation that I think all parties found themselves in,” says Elias. “It’s something that I think we, and everyone involved with, will look forward to ultimately having behind us at some point.” Add the failures to sign Aiken, Nix and Mac Marshall to top 2013 pick Mark Appel‘s poor performance, and it’s a tough time all-around for Elias.
- The Athletics would like to trade reliever Jim Johnson before the trade deadline, John Hickey of IBABuzz.com writes. The A’s don’t want to just cut him and swallow the rest of his salary, and they’re also having trouble drumming up interest in him. Johnson is a pitcher without a role — the A’s have been using him in low-leverage situations given his struggles this season, but even that is a problem, since he isn’t a multi-inning pitcher.
Interesting point in one of the articles about the whole Aiken situation. He might be now ineligible to pitch in NCAA since there’s enough evidence that he had representation throughout this whole situation. I wonder if he took that into account.
He’ll go JC. Didn’t someone else do that recently, like Bryce Harper? Or is he ineligible for that too? In that case he can do the Independent League for a while and just work out. Unless the elbow blows out he’ll still be top 10.
Aiken going in top 10 is questionable given the highly publicized diagnosis of the congenital defect in his UCL. He would have to go higher than 8th to even recover the $3.1 million he was offered after the congenital defect was discovered. He would have to go 3rd to get more than the $5 million he was offered at the last minute. With the Astros getting the #2 and #3 or #4 overall pick I would say that getting more than $5 million is probably out. He wont go #1 again.
He knows he can’t possibly be drafted better than 1-1. He made the decision that not playing for the Astros after the way they handled things was worth any monetary shortfall.
And we are all overlooking the union. One previous article suggested they may be seeking to let these players become free agents via grievance. I’d say leaking Aiken’s medicals is a pretty good grounds for compensation by itself.
He can go to a JC but if part of his goal is to get an education… well feel free to debate the merits of a junior college education versus where he’s going (UCLA?). Also one could make the argument that a solid NCAA program will probably have better coaches and doctors on call.
What about a trade like Joe Nathan for Jim Johnson? Both change of scenery guys who had good years last year and a bad year this year. Don’t know how to do the contracts though.
Both are getting paid 10 million this season. However Nathan is also owed 10 million next season, which Beane would not want to pay. Both may have similar eras and are having a horrendous year, but Nathan has been the superior pitcher of the two. He has a lower WHIP (1.587 vs. 1.959), lower FIP (4.35 vs. 5.29), lower H/9 (10.1 vs. 12.5), and a higher SO/9 (9.6 vs. 6.2).
Unless the Tigers throw in salary and maybe even a prospect, I don’t think a trade like this would happen. Plus the A’s already have a dominant closer in Doolittle, who is having a terrific year. I don’t think Nathan would be open to just a middle relief role.
Nathan’s been much more effective than Johnson. I dunno what the A’s were thinking when they traded for JJ. Dumbest move of the off-season in some ways, and yet the A’s are the best team in baseball. Just goes to show — all you small market teams pay attention — even if you make a bad decision it’s not the end of the world.
Don’t think the tigers are going to put much faith in JJ to close games for them. They’re going to go after a better pitcher and would probably hang out to Nathan rather than trade for JJ.
Not really a team looking to swap expensive, not so good anymore pitchers.
It won’t be like the frieri and grilli swap as both teams were trading for former closers yet both teams already had the closer job locked up unlike the Tigers in this instance.
Beane needs to give up on trying to trade him. Nathan is no good since he has another year at $10 million which makes him worse pitcher than Johnson. If Johnson was smart he would let the A’s send him down to AAA where he would get more work in and can work out his troubles. He is a free agent next year so a month in AAA is more valuable to him than being the 25th player on a team.
the only way they can send him down is if he clears waivers and accepts the outright assignment to AAA. Otherwise, he cant because he has more than 5 years of MLB experience.
He would get through waivers because nobody wants to pay him all that money. Like I said if he was smart he would go down to AAA and regain his pitching form because right now his free agency could never be as low as it is. The deal he should make with the A’s is 1 month of AAA and if not recalled he becomes a free agent. Works for both sides.
Nathan + Prospect for Papelbon makes more sense for the Tigers. At least there would be a definitive upgrade at Closer that way.
I am fairly certain the Astros couldn’t care less about their perception problem. It’s not just that they’re robots. It’s just that robots don’t have feelings.
*couldn’t
Its going to be hard for Aiken to get more than the $3.1 million offered by the Astros after the nature of his congenital defect was brought to light, let alone the $5 million last minute offer. $3.1 million is equal to what slot money for the 8th overall pick and even if he does not get injured in the coming year, there are simply too many questions about his congenital defect that many teams would take him that high. If he does get injured he gets nothing close.
In my opinion it was poor advice from Close to pass on the offer from the Astros.
Remember when they reneged on Drew Stubbs?
Is there any indication that the Astros might be okay with the results of this in order to have two top picks in next year’s draft? Is next year’s draft class better than this years?