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2015 Amateur Draft

Draft Signings: Nash Walters, Cody Poteet

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Here are today’s notable mid-round signings (slot values courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • Brewers third-round pick Nash Walters received an over-slot $800K signing bonus, tweets MLB.com’s Jim Callis. The prep righty out of Texas has an 88-93 mph sinker and a projectable 6’5″ frame, per Callis. Walters rated as the 332nd-best prospect in the 2015 draft on Baseball America’s Top 500, and their scouting report notes that he didn’t begin pitching until 2014, making him quite raw but full of athleticism and potential on the mound. BA felt that Walters might’ve been best-served to honor his commitment to Texas A&M but added that a team might pay for his upside, which the Brewers have done, going $136K over-slot on him.
  • Right-hander Cody Poteet signed for the full slot value of $488.7K of the No. 116 slot at which the Marlins selected him, Callis tweets. BA ranked Poteet 190th in the draft, labeling him as an enigmatic prospect due to being used in a variety of roles. The scouting report from BA says Poteet has starter stuff, with two usable breaking balls when he’s pitching well. He doesn’t always control them well though, and his 90-92 mph fastball played up in a relief role, hitting 94.

Royals Sign First-Rounder Ashe Russell

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The Royals announced that they have signed first-round pick Ashe Russell (Twitter link). Russell, a high school right-hander out of Indiana, agreed to terms on a bonus of $2,190,200, which is $6K over the slot value for the No. 21 overall selection, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter).

Callis and MLB.com colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Russell as the top high school arm in the draft and the 14th-best prospect overall. Baseball America ranked him 17th, while ESPN’s Keith Law had him at No. 30, and Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel rated Russell 37th.

Russell works at 92-95 mph with a slider that can be a swing-and-miss offering in the 78-82 mph range, per MLB.com’s free scouting report. Late life on his fastball helps Russell to generate a large number of ground balls, BA writes, though he’s struggled to repeat the release point on his three-quarter arm slot at times. McDaniel rates him a bit lower due to only showing two plus pitches and command that’s “just alright,” and ESPN feels that his tendency to throw across his body and lack of a plus changeup will leave him vulnerable to lefties.

Twins To Sign Tyler Jay

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The Twins and No. 6 overall pick Tyler Jay are in agreement on a full-slot bonus of $3,889,500, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN first tweeted that Jay was at Target Field in Minneapolis and was scheduled to meet with the media shortly. Jay, a left-handed pitcher out of the University of Illinois, is represented by Scott Leventhal of All Bases Covered Sports Management.

Jay spent his college career as a relief pitcher, but he ranked near the top of the draft class because most scouts believe that he has the mix of pitches necessary to become a starting pitcher in the Majors. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs rated Jay as the sixth-best prospect in the draft, while Jay rated ninth on the lists of MLB.com (Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo) and ESPN (Keith Law). Baseball America ranked Jay as the No. 13 prospect in the draft.

McDaniel ranked Jay second among all pitchers in this year’s class, writing that he flashes three plus pitches and held his velocity well in multi-inning relief stints. McDaniel feels that Jay could feature three 60-grade (or better) pitches in the future. Law notes that Jay could end up in the middle of a big league rotation and has four pitches, though he figures to be a three-pitch guy in pro ball. MLB.com has Jay’s velocity in the 93-95 mph range and topping out at 98. Callis and Mayo prefer Jay’s slider to his curve. BA clocks Jay’s slider in the low 80s and notes that some scouts have given it “wipeout” designation.

Jay will pitch as a reliever in 2015, according to GM Terry Ryan (via MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger on Twitter), though the expectation is, of course, that he will eventually move to the rotation. In response to that, Callis tweets that Jay could very well follow in the footsteps of Chris Sale and Brandon Finnegan, emerging as a late-season relief option for his club in the same season that he’s drafted. Jay will begin his career at Fort Myers in the Class-A Advanced Florida State League, per Ryan.

Draft Signings: Thompson, Jones, Cabbage

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We’ll track some of the day’s notable draft bonus agreements here. (Slot values via Baseball America; signing links to Twitter.)

  • Another player whose signing was reported yesterday, Dylan Thompson of the Mariners, agreed to an above-slot deal, per Callis. A high school righty, Thompson will receive a $585K bonus after being taken 125th overall ($448K slot value).

Earlier Updates

  • 70th overall pick Jahmai Jones receives a $1.1MM bonus from the Angels, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports. We covered his agreement to an above-slot bonus last night, and it turns out that Los Angeles had to add $220K to the pick’s allocated value to keep Jones from attending UNC.
  • The Twins have likewise agreed to an above-slot bonus with fourth-round (110th overall) selection Trey Cabbage, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. It remains unreported just how far over the $517,900 pick allocation Minnesota went to lure Cabbage away from his commitment to the University of Tennessee. The third baseman rated as high as the 72nd-best player in the draft, per MLB.com, which noted his plus hit tool and promise at the hot corner.

Braves Agree To Terms With Second-Rounder Lucas Herbert

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The Braves have agreed to an at-slot, $1,125,200 bonus with second-round selection Lucas Herbert, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Callis calls the would-be UCLA commit the best defensive catcher in the draft.

Herbert, who was chosen 54th overall, was the fourth player taken by the pick-flush Braves. He becomes Atlanta’s highest draft choice reportedly to sign.

Among draft observers, ESPN.com’s Keith Law rated Herbert highest on his board, placing him 45th among eligible prospects. Law notes that the backstop was discovered by scouts who were looking at teammate Kolby Allard, who the Braves took with their first-round choice. Law cites Herbert’s plus defensive potential as his primary calling card, noting that the youngster holds much less promise on offense, where he features “below-average hit and power ceilings.”

Baseball America placed Herbert at 52nd on its pre-draft ranking, with MLB.com putting him in the 69th slot and noting that he does possess “extremely strong hands and wrists” and shows reasonable promise as a hitter. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, meanwhile, took a somewhat dimmer view of Herbert’s future, rating him just inside the top 100.

Draft Signings: Staumont, Finley, Jones, Kramer, Perkins

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Here are the day’s significant draft signings of less than $1MM, with slot values via Baseball America. All signing links to Twitter.

  • Royals second-rounder Josh Staumont will receive the 64th selection’s full $964,600 slot value, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports. The MLB.com prospect team was highest among evaluators on Staumont, listing the collegiate righty as the 65th-best player available and crediting his top-of-class arm strength. Though he has issues with hitting the zone, Staumont has flashed enough easy velocity and promise with his secondary offerings to have a lofty ceiling.
  • The Yankees will pay third-round choice Drew Finley an above-slot $950K bonus, Mayo reports. That’s $323,400 above the 92nd pick’s alloted pool space. ESPN.com’s Keith Law likes Finley quite a bit, explaining that the prep righty combines the projection and control to profile as a future starter. New York also agreed to an at-slot $456,800 payday for fourth-round choice Jeff Hendrix, also via Mayo.
  • The Angels have agreed to an above-slot bonus for second-rounder Jahmai Jones, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. The precise bonus value remains unreported, but Jones was taken with the 70th pick in the draft, which had a $880K allocation. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs listed the high schooler as the 50th player on his board, crediting his advanced bat and solid power. The question is whether Jones can play an up-the-middle position defensively, but McDaniel says there is enough of a track record to suggest he can. Los Angeles has also agreed to a slot-value, $548,600 bonus for third-rounder Grayson Long, according to Mike DiGiovanna of MLB.com.
  • Pirates second-rounder Kevin Kramer will take home a $850K bonus, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com. The team will save $144,800 against the pool space afforded by the 62nd overall selection. Law had the highest rating on the UCLA shorstop among pundits, calling him the 71st-best prospect and praising his overall skillset (while noting long-term questions about Kramer’s ability to stick at short and general lack of impact tools).
  • The Nationals have reached agreement with high school outfielder Blake Perkins, who May says took home a $800K bonus, $93,100 under his slot value at 69th overall. Bryan Webb tweeted this morning that a deal was done. Only Law placed Perkins within his top-100 draft prospects, with Baseball America explaining that he has five-tool potential but has plenty of development ahead of him. Fourth-rounder Mariano Rivera Jr. has agreed to a slot-value ($410,700) bonus, also per Mayo. (You might remember his father, who had a lengthy MLB career for some good clubs.)
  • The Diamondbacks announced a host of signings, including third-rounder Taylor Clarke, fourth-round pick Breckin Williams, and fifth-rounder Ryan Burr. The 76th choice was valued at $801,900, while the 106th pick came with a $538,200 allotment, though bonuses remain unreported. Per BA, Clarke’s future may depend upon his ability to harness his change-up, as the collegiate senior has a useful fastball and well-commanded slider. bArizona will pay Burr the slot value of $403K, Mayo adds.
  • Likewise, the Mariners say they’ve formally signed a number of players to undisclosed bonuses, among them third-rounder Braden Bishop ($607,700 slot value) and fourth-round choice Dylan Thompson ($448K slot value). Bishop, a University of Washington outfielder, drew the 81st position on the MLB.com pre-draft list, which cited his big speed.
  • The Marlins went well above slot to nab eight-round choice Chris Paddack, with Callis reporting that he’ll get an even $400K. The 236th slot in the draft was worth just $173,100.
  • Athletics fourth-round pick Skye Bolt lands a $650K bonus, per Callis. That’s a nice bump up over the 128th choice’s $453,300 allotted value. MLB.com had the highest grade on the UNC outfielder, rating him 67th overall based upon Bolt’s four plus tools. The question is with the bat, which the switch-hitter has failed to show over the last two seasons.

Giants To Sign Top Picks Chris Shaw, Jalen Miller

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The Giants have agreed to significant bonuses with a pair of their top picks, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter links). First-round pick Chris Shaw will sign for a $1.4MM bonus that is $485K shy of his No. 31 slot’s $1.885MM value. Nearly all of that savings will be used on third-round pick Jalen Miller, who receives a $1.1MM bonus despite the assigned slot value of $598K for the No. 95 pick.

Miller, a prep shortstop out of Georgia, was actually consistently ranked higher than Shaw heading into the draft. Miller was listed as the No. 35 prospect in the draft according to Baseball America. Callis an Jonathan Mayo ranked him 41st at MLB.com, while Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel had him 43rd, and ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Miller 60th. Shaw, a first baseman/corner outfielder out of Boston College, ranked 45th, 46th, 55th and 62nd, respectively, on those same lists.

Scouts are split on whether or not Miller will remain at shortstop or slide to the other side of the bag and play second base as a pro. BA notes that scouts like his plus speed and soft hands, but his arm strength and infield actions could ultimately land him at second. He’s said by BA to have a knack for making contact but only average power potential. McDaniel feels there’s double-digit homer potential in there, and MLB.com favorably comps him to Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips due to his frame and 15-homer upside in the middle infield. ESPN feels he has a chance to stick at short and should be given the opportunity to prove that he can handle the position in pro ball.

Shaw’s power is his calling card, but the 6’3″, 245-pound left-handed hitter broke his hamate bone in April this year and didn’t show the same power upon his return. That creates some uncertainty surrounding his draft stock, but it also is likely the reason that the Giants were able to get an under-slot deal for him at 31. BA notes that last summer in the Cape Cod League, Shaw’s homers became legendary, including some 450-foot tape-measure shots to center field. McDaniel placed a 60 grade on his raw power, and MLB.com gave his power an even more enthusiastic 65 grade on the 20-80 scale.

Orioles To Sign Ryan Mountcastle

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The Orioles have reached agreement on a deal with first-round choice Ryan Mountcastle, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com (on Twitter).  Mountcastle’s deal is slightly below slot as he’ll make $1.3MM versus the suggested ~$1.71MM.  He was advised and is now represented by agent Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe & Karon.

Mountcastle, a Florida native, played shortstop in high school but projects as a third baseman, according to Callis.  The youngster boasts solid bat speed to go with the strong arm necessary for playing the third base position.  The Orioles received the pick with which they selected Mountcastle as compensation for the loss of Nelson Cruz to free agency.

Mountcastle ranked as the draft’s No. 108 prospect in the eyes of Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel, 110th on the Top 200 compiled by Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, and 122nd on Baseball America’s Top 500.

Baseball America’s scouting report of Mountcastle credited him for having above-average power and speculated that his defensive shortcomings could result in him playing left field.  McDaniel feels he’ll end up in left as well, giving him at least average tools across the board with the exception of in-game power, where he’ll be more fringe-average.  Mayo and Callis note that the aforementioned bat speed yields “elite” exit velocity when Mountcastle squares up on a ball.

Phillies To Sign Top Picks Randolph, Kingery

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1:30pm: The Phillies announced that they have reached agreement with a number of draft choices, including second-round pick Scott Kingery, as Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes.  Kingery’s deal is for the full value of his selection, netting him a ~$1.26MM bonus, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (on Twitter).

Kingery, a second baseman out of the University of Arizona, was tapped with the No. 48 overall pick.  Prior to the draft, Kingery took some time to chat with MLBTR’s Zach Links for a comprehensive Q&A about his skill set and collegiate career.  Kingery’s story is a unique one as he went from an undersized walk-on for the Wildcats to becoming one of their premier talents.  The youngster told MLBTR that he received no scholarship offers coming out of high school and he did not envision a major league future for himself back in 2012.

“Definitely not. That’s not something that I had in mind going into my freshman year, especially as a walk-on player. I didn’t have a spot on the roster yet for sure, so at that point, I was just trying to find a spot on the team,” Kingery told Links.

Kingery is being advised by David Matranga of PSI Sports.

1:08pm: The Phillies have agreed to sign first-round selection Cornelius Randolph for the full slot value of $3,231,300, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter links). Selected 10th overall, Randolph was advised by and is now represented by Scott Boras. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki tells Callis that the Phillies plan to move Randolph from the infield to the outfield, and Callis notes that Randolph’s bat “will play anywhere.”

A high school shortstop that had committed to Clemson, Randolph’s defense was questioned by many scouts heading into the draft. That did little to detract from the allure of his bat, however. Randolph ranked as the draft’s No. 11 prospect in the eyes of Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel, 19th on the Top 200 compiled by Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, 20th on Baseball America’s Top 500 and 29th on the Top 100 of ESPN’s Keith Law.

McDaniel praised Randolph’s above-average hitting ability, raw power and strong arm when calling him “maybe the best of a deep crop in the Georgia prep ranks.” Mayo and Callis wrote that 6’1″, 190-pound Randolph “has the tools and approach to hit for power and average.” BA praised his bat speed and the ability to hit for all fields, noting that while scouts are “sure” that Randolph isn’t a shortstop, his home on the diamond could be in left field or at third base. ESPN feels that he profiles as a middle-of-the-order bat but cautions that there could be more swing-and-miss to his game than his mechanics would indicate at first glance.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Tigers Sign First-Rounders Burrows, Stewart

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The Tigers have agreed to terms with first-rounders Beau Burrows and Christin Stewart. Burrows himself tweeted that he is now officially a member of the Tigers organization after signing. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter) that he’ll receive the full slot value of $2,154,200 for the No. 22 overall pick (slot values via Baseball America). Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Jim Callis was the one to break the Stewart news, adding that he’ll receive the full slot value of $1,795,100 for his 35th overall selection (Twitter link).

Burrows, a high school right-hander out of Texas, ranked 42nd, 47th, 30th and 33rd on the respective draft rankings of Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel, ESPN’s Keith Law, Baseball America and MLB.com. Stewart’s respective ranks from that same group were 98th, 64th, 66th and 84th.

Burrows’ fastball velocity has jumped from the mid-90s in 2014 to the upper 90s in 2015, with BA saying he touched 97-98 mph and ESPN writing that he’s reached as high as 99. MLB.com notes that he throws as consistently hard as nearly any arm in this year’s draft class. However, Burrows is also about 6’0″ or 6’1″ and 200 pounds, making him somewhat undersized. McDaniel and BA both mention some concerns over Burrows’ delivery, though BA notes that some may look at Sonny Gray’s success and be intrigued by a similarly sized/polished arm.

As for Stewart, he’s said to have very good bat speed and plus raw power. McDaniel gives his raw power a 65 grade on the 20-80 scale, though his game power comes in at an average rating of 50. MLB.com gives him 55 power and notes that fringy speed and arm strength make him a likely left fielder but notes that his home run power was on display more in 2015 than in previous years. BA calls him aggressive and mentions some swing-and-miss tendencies in addition to the aforementioned defensive question marks. All that said, both ESPN and MLB.com note that a team that loves his bat — as the Tigers must — could very well see a regular corner outfielder.

Burrows was selected with the Tigers’ natural pick based on their place in the 2014 standings, whereas Stewart was selected with the pick the Tigers received when Max Scherzer signed with the Nationals as a free agent.

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