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2016 Amateur Draft

Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Gavin Lux

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The Dodgers have agreed to terms with first-round selection Gavin Lux, Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com reports on Twitter. He’ll receive a $2.317MM bonus that lands just $700 over the slot value at the 20th overall pick.

Lux is a high school shortstop out of Wisconsin who was rated between 29th (ESPN.com) and 36th (Baseball America) among draft-eligible prospects. Ranking him 33rd, MLB.com praised Lux for his baseball intelligence and improving set of physical tools.

With the signing, Los Angeles will keep Lux from making his commitment to Arizona State University. Prospect evaluators agree that the youngster will likely be able to stick at shortstop, with the ESPN.com team explaining that it believes he’ll add enough size and strength to develop some power and arm strength as well.

 

Rockies Sign Multiple Top Draft Picks

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TODAY: Tyler, too, has agreed to terms with Colorado, Callis tweets. He’ll receive the slot value at 38th overall ($1,701,600). MLB.com rated him the 25th-best prospect available, noting that he shows a tall ceiling when he’s on. Tyler has a big fastball with movement and a promising change to go with it, but needs to work on his breaker and clean up his command and mechanics to remain as a starter.

YESTERDAY: The Rockies have agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Ben Bowden, a Vanderbilt lefty, according to reports from MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo (links to Twitter). Bowden lands a $1.6MM bonus, which is $177,100 over the slot value for the 45th pick.

Likewise, the team has agreed to terms with third-rounder Garrett Hampson, a shortstop from Long Beach State, and high school infielder Colton Welker, who was taken in the fourth round. The latter ended up taking down a bigger payday, receiving $850K (well over is $541,800 slot value) while Hampson got $750K (just shy of the $776,700 allocation).

That results in a net $468,600 overage, but Colorado already reportedly saved $458,700 against the pool value of fourth overall choice Riley Pint. In the aggregate, then, GM Jeff Bridich still seems to have some wiggle room as he moves through the team’s harder-to-sign selections. The top unsigned pick is competitive balance selection Robert Tyler, a college righty.

Bowden rated as high as the 75th-available prospect, per Baseball America. In rating him 77th, ESPN.com labelled him a likely reliever as a pro but noted there’s a chance he could work out as a back-of-the-rotation starter. Hampson was rated 156th by Baseball America, which praised his speed and defense while calling him a high-floor player. Welker, too, only received a nod from BA; the University of Miami commit rated 168th.

 

Draft Signings: 6/16/2016

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There are a lot of notable draft deals to work through from the last two days. Among them:

  • Blue Jays second-rounder Bo Bichette announced that he’s signed a deal, which Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets is for a $1.1MM bonus. A son of long-time big leaguer Dante Bichette, the high-school shortstop landed above the $978,600 value at the 66th overall pick. Fellow second-rounder J.B. Woodman inked for $975K, Callis adds on Twitter. An outfielder from Mississippi, he also will deliver some savings to Toronto. The 57th selection came with a $1.124MM slot value. The Jays also added third-round pick Zach Jackson, Callis tweets. The Arkansas righty signed for $540K, leaving the team with $45,100 in savings.
  • Another second-round pick who’s ready for a minor league assignment is C.J. Chatham, who goes to the Red Sox for $1.1MM, per MLB.com (via Twitter). Chosen 51st overall, the Florida Atlantic shortstop rated just outside the top 100 per Baseball America. His signing saves the club $132,800 against the slot value.
  • The Brewers agreed with second-rounder Lucas Erceg for $1.15MM, Callis reports on Twitter. The Menlo College third baseman rated 47th on the draft board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. He was taken 46th overall, which came with an allocation of $1,386,900.
  • The Twins are in agreement with second-rounder Ben Rortvedt on a $900K bonus, per another Callis tweet. Minnesota saves $241,600 against the slot value while adding the Wisconsin high school backstop. Cotillo tweets that Twins third-rounder Griffin Jax, a righty from the Air Force Academy, has agreed to an at-slot, $645.6K bonus.
  • The Dodgers agreed to a $590,800 bonus with second-round pick Mitch White, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Santa Clara righty ended up going for over $400K less than the 65th pick’s pool allocation, so Los Angeles can put that money to work in other areas.
  • Rays third-round choice Austin Franklin signed for a $600K bonus that falls a bit shy of the $676,200 slot value, Callis tweets. Franklin is a high-school righty out of Florida.
  • The Royals have an above-slot deal with third-rounder Khalil Lee, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, though the exact bonus isn’t known. Taken with the 103rd selection, the Virginia high school outfielder rated 121st on BA’s board.
  • The Athletics have locked up third-rounder Sean Murphy for an at-slot, $753,100 bonus, Callis tweets. Baseball America had rated him 63rd among draft-eligible prospects, but Oakland got him with the 83rd pick.
  • Bryson Brigman appears to be in agreement with the Mariners for $700K, just under the $708,200 slot value, per a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A shortstop from the University of San Diego, Brigman went 87th overall.
  • The Giants have given an at-slot, $625,900 bonus to Heath Quinn, Callis tweets. The power-hitting Samford outfielder was taken with the team’s third-round selection.
  • The Cardinals signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from the University of Southern California, for $600K, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That lands over the $421,600 allocation that came with the 136th selection in the draft.
  • Brewers fourth-round selection Corbin Burnessigned for a slot bonus of $536,400, Callis tweets. A righty from St. Mary’s, Burnes took the 57th slot on the Baseball America draft chart on the basis of improving velocity and the possibility of sticking as a starter.

Diamondbacks Agree To Terms With Top Pick Anfernee Grier

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The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with Anfernee Grier, the team’s top draft pick, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). He’ll receive a $1.5MM bonus, which lands just shy of the $1,658,600 allocation for the 39th overall selection.

Arizona sacrificed its first-round selection to sign Zack Greinke over the winter, but made clear it wasn’t interested in punting its competitive balance lottery choice to add another qualifying offer-bound free agent. Grier represents the payoff for that decision.

An outfielder from Auburn University, Grier was widely viewed as one of the fifty best draft-eligible prospects coming into this year’s festivities. The ESPN.com team rated him highest, at No. 40, citing his improving mechanics at the plate and top-end athleticism. He’s a center fielder who could still grow into additional power, so there’s upside aplenty.

Of course, there’s also some reason for skepticism. Baseball America (which rated him 49th) and MLB.com (54th) were somewhat less willing to bet on Grier. He doesn’t have a lengthy and consistent track record of dominance at the college level, and doesn’t feature well-developed plate discipline.

Pirates Sign First-Rounder Will Craig

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The Pirates have officially signed first-round draft choice Will Craig, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted. He’ll receive an at-slot bonus of $2,253,700, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter).

Craig, a junior out of Wake Forest, went 22nd overall to Pittsburgh. He is a two-way player, which led to some confusion on draft night when he was mistakenly announced as a pitcher, but the Bucs have targeted him for his bat.

The MLB.com prospect team of Callis and Jonathan Mayo were highest on Craig, placing him 31st on their draft board. He’s a high-quality overall hitter who is credited for his advanced approach, bat speed, and pop.

It remains to be seen, though, whether Craig will be able to stick at third base. There’s concern that he’ll be forced to first due to a lack of athleticism, and that’s a big reason that Baseball America and ESPN.com ranked him as the 45th-best prospect.

 

Padres Agree To Terms With Eric Lauer

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The Padres agreed to terms with compensation choice Eric Lauer, Baseball America’s John Manuel reports on Twitter. He’ll earn $2MM, just $159,900 shy of the full allotment for the 25th overall pick.

San Diego chose Lauer, a lefty out of Kent State, as part of a critical haul of draft prospects. He was taken just after shortstop Hudson Potts — who recently changed his last name from Sanchez, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. The signing means that the club has inked six of its eight selections from the first five rounds, including top selection Cal Quantrill, with a net savings from that group. Still yet to sign are Buddy Reed (48th overall) and Reggie Lawson (71st).

Lauer drew top-thirty grades from MLB.com and Baseball America, which cited his improving showing over the last year. His calling card is a fairly polished, four-pitch mix that gives him a fairly strong floor. With good athleticism and an easy motion, Lauer looks like a solid bet to crack the majors. Of course, it’s less clear that he has the upside of some higher-octane arms, and that viewpoint led Keith Law of ESPN.com to rate him 50th among draft-eligible prospects.

 

 

Cardinals Agree To Terms With Comp Pick Dylan Carlson

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The Cardinals have agreed to terms with outfielder Dylan Carlson, who was taken the the team’s first of two compensation selections, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). Carlson gets $1.35MM, which falls $550,500 shy of the bonus allocation that came with the 33rd overall pick.

By adding Carlson at a slightly reduced rate, St. Louis will save some cash to re-allocate to other picks. Notably, the Cards added the falling high schooler Delvin Perez with its first overall selection, and then went on to pick college righties Dakota Hudson, Connor Jones, and Zac Gallen.

In Carlson, the Cards add a player who had been ticketed for Cal State Fullerton. Baseball America was highest on him among draft evaluators, rating him 92nd. With high grades for makeup and praise for the way his raw athleticism plays on the field, Carlson appears to be ticketed for a corner outfield spot as a pro. The switch-hitter still has some strength to add to his frame and appears to have solid tools in most areas. Carlson took the very last spot on the top-100 list of ESPN.com’s Keith Law.

Angels Sign First-Rounder Matt Thaiss

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10:15pm: Thaiss will receive a $2.15MM bonus, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. That leaves just over $500K in added funds for the club to dedicate to other draftees.

9:51pm: The Angels have signed first-round pick Matt Thaiss, the backstop himself tweeted. His bonus remains unknown, but the 16th overall selection came with an assigned value of $2.661MM.

Likewise, the Halos have an agreement in place with third-rounder Nolan Williams, with MLB.com’s Jim Callis reporting (via Twitter) that he’ll earn $950K. The shortstop was taken 96th, which had an assigned $620,100 slot amount.

A catcher at the University of Virginia, the smooth-swinging Thaiss may move around defensively as a professional. Halos amateur scouting director Ric Wilson suggested that his team’s top selection isn’t tied to the position, and many evaluators question whether he’ll be able to stick behind the dish.

Certainly, his bat is good enough that it could play elsewhere. Thaiss has impeccable command of the strike zone, which led ESPN.com’s Keith Law to rank him 21st among eligible prospects. Placing him in the 28th slot, Baseball America noted that he delivers above-average, line-drive pop. MLB.com listed Thaiss 36th on its board.

It’ll be interesting to see where the bonus landed for Thaiss. The Halos went on to select high schoolers with its next three selections, including Williams, though it’s not yet clear just how much extra cash will be needed to round out the team’s draft class.

Athletics To Sign Comp A Pick Daulton Jefferies

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The Athletics have agreed to terms with competitive balance Round A selection Daulton Jefferies, MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets. He’ll receive a $1.6MM bonus, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter).

Jefferies, a righty out of the University of California, faced medical questions after dealing with shoulder problems this year. MLB.com still rated him 56th among draft prospects, explaining that Jefferies holds plenty of promise for a shorter (6’0) hurler. He was able to restore some of his draft stock by returning late in the year, and will bring a solid three-pitch mix with him to Oakland.

Other prognosticators were slightly more concerned, but had him in the same general range. Baseball America placed Jefferies 61st on its list, noting that his change-up grades as a plus pitch with a slider rating as an average or better offering. Jefferies also features a low-90s fastball that at times touches 95 mph. He fell to 74th on the board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law.

Oakland will save $145,700 against the slot value for the 37th overall selection. The club also drafted collegiate starters with its other two top selections, both of whom played at the University of Florida: A.J. Puk (first round, 6th overall) and Logan Shore (second round).

Rangers Sign Top Picks Ragans, Speas, Enright

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4:12pm: Second-rounder Alex Speas and third-rounder Kole Enright are also under contract, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Speas gets an at-slot bonus of $1,024,900, while Enright lands just over his pick’s allocation at $675K.

11:59am: The Rangers announced today that they’ve agreed to terms with first-round pick (No. 30 overall) Cole Ragans and will formally announce him at a 3pm CT press conference. The Rangers added that they will announce the signing of several other top draft picks at the presser, though they did not disclose names. Devan Fink first tweeted that Ragans signed at slot value ($2.003,400), and MLB.com’s Jim Callis hears the same (Twitter link), noting that the prep lefty out of Florida has three solid pitches in his arsenal already.

Ragans rated 49th on MLB.com’s list of Top 200 draft prospects, while ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball America each rated him 55th overall. Callis and Jonathan Mayo note in their scouting report for MLB.com that each of Ragans’ fastball, curveball and changeup can be a tick above average and give the 6’3″, 190-pounder credit for pitchability and a projectable frame. Eric Longenhagen’s scouting report at ESPN.com notes that his changeup has become an increasingly projectable offering that many scouts believe will ultimately be his best weapon, but his curve is thrown too slow to project to more than average. BA, on the other hand, feels the curve is his best offspeed pitch and projects the changeup at average down the line.

At $5,358,500, Texas has one of the smallest bonus pools in the league, having forfeited its first-round pick to sign Ian Desmond. A comp pick of their own for the loss of Yovani Gallardo, though, gave the Rangers this No. 30 selection that was used to add Ragans. The Rangers have about $3.35MM to sign their remaining selections.

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