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2016 Amateur Draft Signings

Marlins, First-Rounder Braxton Garrett Agree To Deal

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9:57am: Garrett’s bonus is $4,145,900, according to Callis (Twitter link). That’s the maximum amount of money the team was able to pay without being hit with a luxury tax, he notes in a followup tweet.

8:50am: The Marlins and first-round pick Braxton Garrett, the lone remaining unsigned first-rounder, have agreed to terms, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Garrett, he adds, is in Miami right now to take his physical with the club. The deal comes in just under the wire, as the deadline to sign 2016 draftees is today at 5pm ET.

Garrett, a high school left-hander from Alabama, rated third among this year’s draft prospects in the eyes of ESPN’s Keith Law, while MLB.com (link) and Baseball America (link) each rated him 10th on their respective rankings. Law wrote that Garrett already has an average fastball that he commands well in addition to a plus curveball. BA praises not only his plus curve but also a changeup that shows “excellent promise,” noting that he could ultimately end up with three above-average pitches. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com agree that the changeup could develop into a plus offering and add that Garrett has the upside of a No. 2 starter in the Majors.

Specific terms of Garrett’s agreement remain unclear at this juncture, though his No. 7 overall slot came with a $3,756,300 value. Assuming all goes well on Garrett’s physical, the Marlins will have signed all of their picks within the top 10 rounds of the draft.

Red Sox Agree To Terms With Jason Groome

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The Red Sox and first-round pick Jason Groome have agreed to terms on a $3.65MM signing bonus, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). The agreement, which is pending a physical, comes less than 24 hours before the deadline to sign 2016 draft picks.

Groome, selected at with the No. 12 overall pick, will receive $457K above his $3.192MM slot value. However, there was some trepidation as to whether he’d sign (or at least as to how much he’d sign for), as the high school lefty was reported to have an agreement in place to go to the Padres at No. 24 for a $5MM bonus. That caused teams to pass on him early in the draft — he was once looked at as a potential first overall pick and later a potential top five selection — but the Sox snagged him at No. 12 anyway despite likely knowing they would be unable to meet that price.

Adding Groome to the system gives Boston a top-end talent to add to its minor league ranks. He rated as the top prospect in this year’s draft class in the estimation of Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, while ESPN’s Keith Law rated him second overall and Baseball America ranked him as the draft’s No. 3 prospect. While there have been some negative reports on Groome’s makeup, the scouting reports on him are excellent. Law writes that Groome has the best high school curveball he’s seen since Lucas Giolito, while Callis and Mayo write that the 6’6″, 220-pounder “has everything to be a top-of-the-rotation left-handed starting pitcher,” with a 92-93 mph heater, the aforementioned curveball and a sparsely used changeup for which he shows good feel. BA agreed and praised his “sound delivery” and the necessary strength to repeat his mechanics well.

Beyond Groome, Callis reports (via Twitter) that the Sox have also reached an over-slot agreement with fifth-rounder Mike Shawaryn. The right-hander from Maryland will receive a $637,500 bonus that significantly outpaces his $375,500 slot. Shawaryn rated 77th on BA’s Top 500, 91st on Law’s Top 100 and 139th on MLB.com’s Top 200, with the various scouting reports on the Terrapin righty noting that a down season caused his stock to tumble from a potential first- or second-round pick to the middle rounds. However, the over-slot deal will convince the college junior from taking his chance at a stronger senior season that could’ve rebuilt some of his draft value.

Callis also reports (via Twitter) that Boston also inked fourth-rounder Bobby Dalbec — a third baseman out of Arizona — for a $650K bonus that tops his $501,300 slot. Dalbec came in at No. 88 on MLB.com’s Top 200 and No. 118 on BA’s Top 500.

Mets Sign First-Rounder Anthony Kay, 11th-Rounder Cameron Planck

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The Mets announced today that they’ve signed first-round pick Anthony Kay and 11th-round pick Cameron Planck (Twitter link). The team didn’t disclose the bonus information, but MLB.com’s Jim Callis, who first reported the deals (links to Twitter), reported that Kay received a bonus of $1.1MM, which is $872K under slot. The reason for the below-slot deal, per Callis, is likely that Kay’s physical exam raised some concerns about the left-hander’s elbow.

The majority of those savings appear to be going to Planck, according to Callis (Twitter link), who received a bonus of $1,000,001. Players signing after the 10th round do not count against a club’s bonus pool unless the bonus exceeds $100K. As such, $900,001 of Planck’s bonus will count against the Mets’ pool. However, having saved $872,100 on Kay’s bonus, Planck’s deal doesn’t really impact the Mets any more than simply signing Kay at full slot value would have.

Kay, 21, starred at the University of Connecticut and rated within the top 50 on pre-draft rankings of ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 28), Baseball America (No. 35) and Callis and Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com (No. 43). ESPN’s scouting report notes that Kay’s changeup could be the best in this year’s draft class, though Callis and Mayo note that he will at times telegraph the pitch by dropping his arm slot when he throws it. Kay’s fastball sits in the low 90s and reaches 95 mph early in his starts, per BA, who notes that his “wide, sturdy build” offsets some concerns about his height (he’s listed at 6’0″). He’s the second of two first-round Mets selections to sign this year, as New York agreed to terms with Boston College righty Justin Dunn (19th overall) back in mid-June. The Mets picked up the No. 31 overall selection as compensation for the loss of Daniel Murphy to the division rival Nationals after Murphy rejected the club’s qualifying offer.

Planck, meanwhile, rated 228th among draft prospects on BA’s Top 500 list. The high school right-hander out of Kentucky had been committed to Louisville but will instead embark on his pro career. BA praises his physicality and velocity (low 90s fastball that tops out at 95 mph) but raises questions about his mechanics and his inconsistent slider.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/9/16

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Here are today’s notable draft signings.

  • The Angels have signed No. 60 overall pick Brandon Marsh for the slot value of $1,073,300, Jon Heyman tweets. The Georgia high school outfielder was committed to Kennesaw State. Various reports prior to the draft indicated he was signable, although he said at one point last month that he would not sign. MLB.com ranked Marsh the No. 48 prospect available in the draft, with Baseball America ranking him No. 59. BA’s subscription-only writeup compares him to Colby Rasmus and praises his speed, arm and hitting potential. The Angels have now signed all their picks in the first ten rounds.

Brewers Agree To $1.2MM Deal With 11th Rounder Chad McClanahan

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The Brewers have struck a $1.2MM deal with 11th-round draft pick Chad McClanahan, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports on Twitter. That’s quite an unusually high payday for a player selected outside of the draft’s first ten rounds.

It’s rather notable that Milwaukee was able to free up enough cash to draw the third baseman away from a reportedly strong commitment to Arizona State University. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy recently crunched the numbers, explaining that the club could just barely afford to pay McClanahan that amount — which is what he was reportedly asking for heading in.

The Brewers had kicked off their draft with a bit of a surprise, landing Louisville outfielder Corey Ray with the fifth overall pick after he had been in contention for an even higher selection. The club had just enough left to make its latest move, which will require it to go over its pool by 5% — just enough not to sacrifice future draft picks. There’ll be a tax on the overage, but obviously the strategic value of draft bonus space is far more important than the actual costs involved.

For their trouble, Milwaukee will land a player who rated just outside the pre-draft top-100 lists of MLB.com and Baseball America. McClanahan is a big-framed, left-handed hitting corner infielder with a projectable power bat. There seems to be a split of opinion as to whether he can stay at third, but the Brew Crew obviously feel that the upside potential in the bat is worth the risk.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/2/16

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Here are today’s significant draft signings from around the league.

  • The Athletics have signed Florida righty Logan Shore for $1.5MM, as various reporters, including FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, have tweeted. Shore, the No. 47 overall pick, was the second Florida hurler the A’s took in this year’s draft, having used their first selection to grab lefty A.J. Puk. Prior to the draft, MLB.com rated Shore the 42nd-best prospect available, noting that he has an excellent changeup and possesses good command, helping compensate for average velocity. Baseball America rated Shore the draft’s No. 34 prospect, with its subscribers-only scouting report essentially describing him as a potential future innings-eater. Shore’s $1.5MM bonus comes in slightly above the $1,351,800 pool value for the pick.

Yankees Sign Blake Rutherford

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The Yankees announced today that they’ve signed their first-round pick Blake Rutherford. Terms of the agreement weren’t included with the announcement, but MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (on Twitter) that the No. 18 overall selection will receive a significantly over-slot bonus of $3,282,000. That sum is $840K more than Rutherford’s slot value of $2,441,600.

An over-slot deal figured to be a requirement for the high school outfielder out of Chaminade Prep in California, however, as he slipped down the draft board a bit from where some earlier projections had him landing. ESPN’s Keith Law rated Rutherford as the No. 6 prospect in the draft, while Callis and Jonathan Mayo ranked him eighth at MLB.com and Baseball America rated him ninth overall. Scouting reports on Rutherford praise his hit tool and potential for above-average power in a corner outfield spot. All three of the reports referenced here note that some scouts are a bit down on Rutherford because he’s already 19 years old, meaning he offers a bit less projection than the typical high school pick, and he’s yet to fully tap into his power potential.

Certainly, those concerns didn’t seem to exist within the Yankees’ front office, and they’ll land a talent that many pundits felt should’ve been off the board by the time they selected. The Yankees added in their announcement that they’ve now signed all of their picks from the Top 10 rounds of the draft, meaning the vast majority of their work on the draft front is in the books. New York went considerably over slot on Rutherford and third-rounder Nolan Martinez, but the Yanks saved a good deal of money on picks five through 10, including four straight $10K signings of college seniors to close out rounds seven through 10 (as can be seen in the draft trackers at MLB.com and Baseball America).

Yankees fans seeking to learn a bit more about their club’s top pick can check out a Q&A that MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom conducted with the highly touted Rutherford back in late April.

Draft Signings: 6/25/16

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Here’s a roundup of key draft signings not yet covered here at MLBTR.

  • The Phillies have signed fifth-round lefty Cole Irvin to an above-slot deal worth $800K, well over the $417,500 value of the 137th pick, reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). Mayo and colleague Jim Callis ranked Irvin as the 138th-best prospect entering the draft, noting that the Oregon standout possesses a 93 to 94 mph fastball and two occasionally above-average secondary offerings – a slider and changeup. Irvin has a solid chance to crack the majors as a back-end starter, according to the MLB.com duo.
  • The Tigers have signed fourth-rounder Kyle Funkhouser for $750K, significantly above the pick value of $526,200, as Callis tweets. The Louisville righty was a first-round pick by the Dodgers last season, but he opted not to sign after sliding down draft boards. The righty suffered diminished velocity this year, resulting in his stock dropping still further — MLB.com’s scouting report notes that he threw 88-92 MPH with secondary stuff that was weaker than it had been previously. Callis notes, though, that Funkhouser’s stuff improved as the draft approached.
  • The Orioles have agreed to terms with their second-rounder, No. 69 overall pick Matthias Dietz, Callis notes (on Twitter). Dietz will receive $1.3MM significantly above his pick value of $934,400. The Illinois community college righty stands 6’6 and throws 91-94 MPH, touching 98, with a hard slider. He is committed to TCU.
  • The Giants have signed Vanderbilt outfielder and second-rounder Bryan Reynolds, as Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The selection, at No. 59 overall, was the Giants’ top pick, since they forfeited their first-rounder with the Jeff Samardzija signing. Via a tweet from Callis, Reynolds will receive $1.35MM, above the pick value of $1.09MM. Callis notes that Reynolds rated as a first-round talent, but he ultimately slid in the draft. Via MLB.com, the switch-hitter has solid tools across the board, but none rank as outstanding, and some scouts fret about his strikeout proclivities.
  • The Dodgers have signed 11th-round pick A.J. Alexy for $600K, almost $500K above his pick value, Callis tweets. As Baseball America noted in its pre-draft scouting report (subscription only), the Pennsylvania high school righty currently throws 88-92 MPH, although he’s 6’4 and projectable, with the talent to throw three pitches in the big leagues. He was committed to Radford. The Dodgers should have space to sign him in part because they picked college seniors in the ninth and tenth rounds, and because second-rounder Mitchell White signed for significantly below his pick value.

Braves Sign No. 3 Overall Pick Ian Anderson

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SATURDAY, 8:00pm: The signing is official, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

3:33pm: The Braves have announced that they’ve agreed to terms with Anderson. Heyman tweets that Anderson will receive exactly $4MM.

MONDAY: The Braves and No. 3 overall draft pick Ian Anderson are finalizing a deal that’ll pay the high school right-hander about $4MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Heyman adds that Anderson will not officially sign until he has graduated. That bonus represents a savings of about $2.5MM on his slot value of $6,510,800 (via MLB.com’s Jim Callis) — money that will help the Braves afford later picks such as Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller and Drew Harrington — each of whom has already reportedly agreed to an over-slot deal.

Anderson, who just turned 18 last month, was rated most highly entering the draft by ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 7 overall), but Baseball America (No. 12) and MLB.com (No. 13) each had him as a top-half-of-the-first-round talent as well. Shortly before the draft, rumors surfaced indicating that Atlanta may tab Anderson in order to save some funds which would be allocated tough signs, and that indeed is how their draft played out.

Scouting reports on Anderson from the three outlets above praise his fastball that sits in the low 90s but can reach 95-96 mph, and BA calls his changeup “devastating” while giving him credit for an above-average curve as well. At 6’4″ and 180 pounds, there’s certainly reason to think that Anderson can continue to fill out his frame. Anderson’s stock might’ve been higher this season if he hadn’t been slowed by an oblique injury and a bout of pneumonia. Ultimately, his deal will allow the Braves to add four high-upside arms to their ranks. While three of them (Anderson, Wentz and Muller) will be a ways off because they are of the high school variety, landing three arms that both BA and MLB.com rated within the top 25 draft prospects seems like a strong haul that should only further bolster an impressive Braves farm system.

The Braves were $2,584,700 over-slot on the combination of Wentz, Muller and Harrington, so the savings from Anderson alone appear to be enough to ensure that Atlanta avoids the loss of a future first-round pick. That wouldn’t happen until the Braves exceeded their bonus pool by more than five percent, although Atlanta will pay a 75 percent luxury tax on any overages up to five percent. That, however, hasn’t been a deterrent for teams in the past and should be of fairly marginal consequence to the Braves should they be required to do so this year.

Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Jordan Sheffield

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The Dodgers have signed first-round pick Jordan Sheffield, the right-hander announced on Instagram. Los Angeles selected Sheffield 36th overall, the competitive balance pick it received for not signing Kyle Funkhouser – whom it took 35th a year ago. Sheffield will land a $1.85MM bonus, which is more expensive than the value of the pick ($1.79MM), tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.

Sheffield, 21, garnered solid pre-draft rankings from prospect experts, with Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo placing him 19th, Baseball America (subscription required) 23rd and ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider required) 31st. Law actually had Sheffield ending up with the Dodgers in his June 9 mock draft, but with the 32nd pick instead of the 36th. Sheffield is perhaps the likeliest pitcher in this year’s draft to develop three plus offerings, according to Callis and Mayo, who praised his high-velocity fastball (94 to 96, with the ability to hit 98), breaking ball and circle change. However, the 6-foot, 185-pounder’s size, past Tommy John surgery and high-effort delivery are red flags, per Callis and Mayo.

Sheffield, the brother of Indians left-handed prospect Justus Sheffield, was previously a 13th-round pick of the Red Sox in 2013 after his stock fell because of his Tommy John procedure. However, in lieu of signing with the Sox, he chose to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt. He recovered from the surgery to rebuild his stock at the college level and will now join the Dodgers. With Sheffield locked up, the Dodgers have their first 12 picks – and 16 of their initial 17 selections – under contract, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.

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