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2016 MLB Draft Results — First Round

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The 2016 MLB Draft is underway, and we’ll track the first-round picks as they come in — starting with the first 23 picks (worst-to-first, and excepting teams that sacrificed picks to sign qualifying offer-declining free agents). We’ll fire up another post for the “sandwich” choices: selections awarded to clubs that lost QO-declining free agents and competitive balance Round A picks.

Click here for bonus pools and other important context, including links to scouting reports and other assessments. Here are the picks (links to players who participated in MLBTR’s Draft Prospect Q&A Series):

  1. Phillies — Mickey Moniak, OF, La Costa Canyon HS, Carlsbad, CA
  2. Reds — Nick Senzel, IF, University of Tennessee
  3. Braves — Ian Anderson, RHP, Shenendehowa HS, Clifton Park, NY
  4. Rockies — Riley Pint, RHP, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Overland Park, KS
  5. Brewers — Corey Ray, OF, University of Louisville
  6. Athletics — A.J. Puk, LHP, University of Florida
  7. Marlins — Braxton Garrett, LHP, Florence HS, Florence, AL
  8. Padres — Cal Quantrill, RHP, Stanford University
  9. Tigers — Matt Manning, RHP, Sheldon HS, Sacramento, CA
  10. White Sox — Zack Collins, C/1B, University of Miami — Agreed to sign for slot value ($3.3806MM)
  11. Mariners — Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer University
  12. Red Sox — Jason Groome, LHP, Barnegat HS, Barnegat, NJ
  13. Rays — Joshua Lowe, 3B, Pope HS, Marietta, GA
  14. Indians — Will Benson, OF, The Westminster Schools, Atlanta, GA
  15. Twins — Alex Kirilloff, OF, Plum HS, Pittsburgh, PA
  16. Angels — Matt Thaiss, C, University of Virginia
  17. Astros — Forrest Whitley, RHP, Alamo Heights HS, San Antonio, TX
  18. Yankees — Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade College Prep HS, Canoga Park, CA
  19. Mets — Justin Dunn, RHP, Boston College
  20. Dodgers — Gavin Lux, SS, Indian Trail Academy, Kenosha, WI
  21. Blue Jays — T.J. Zeuch, RHP, University of Pittsburgh
  22. Pirates — Will Craig, RHP/3B, Wake Forest
  23. Cardinals — Delvin Perez, SS, International Baseball Academy, Ceiba, Puerto Rico

Cubs To Sign Joel Peralta

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The Cubs have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran righty Joel Peralta, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The agreement is pending a physical.

Peralta, 40, was recently cut loose by the Mariners after a rough start to the season. Seattle still owes him the balance of his $1.25MM salary, less whatever he can earn (presumably, at the league minimum) with Chicago or another organization.

Though Peralta has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in his 23 1/3 frames on the year, there is some reason for optimism. He also struck out 10.8 and walked only 2.7 batters per nine with the M’s, and he’s maintained his velocity while hitting the zone and managing contact much as he has in prior years. The trick will be limiting the long ball, which has hurt the flyball-prone reliever thus far in 2016.

Per the report, the Blue Jays and Royals also showed interest before Peralta elected to reunite with manager Joe Maddon. Many of Peralta’s best seasons came with Tampa Bay during his four-year run with the organization.

Phillies Select Mickey Moniak With First Overall Pick

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The Phillies have made it official, taking high school outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first overall selection of the 2016 draft. That makes him the first draft choice of GM Matt Klentak.

Philadelphia had been connected with several other players in recent months, including southpaws Jason Groome and A.J. Puk. But the rebuilding organization ended up going with the youngster out of Carlsbad, California, as had seemed increasingly likely in recent weeks. He is currently committed to play at UCLA.

Moniak doesn’t wow with off-the-charts physical prowess, but ESPN.com’s Keith Law says he “appears to have the best hit tool in the high school class.” Baseball America and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis join Law in rating Moniak the fifth-best overall talent in the draft.

While some question whether he’ll ever develop significant power to match his 6’2 frame, the evaluators agree that Moniak ought to be capable of manning center field in the long run, with his good wheels aiding him both in the field and on the basepaths. The 18-year-old draws universal praise for his instincts on the field as well as his work ethic.

It seems likely that the Phils are angling to preserve some of their spending power with the choice. That’s not to say that Moniak isn’t a top talent — by all accounts he is. Rather, somewhat like the Astros did in going with Carlos Correa over Byron Buxton back in 2012, the idea would be to take a more affordable player with hopes of adding yet more talent later in the draft. (Lance McCullers, Rio Ruiz, Brett Phillips, and Preston Tucker were among the other early-round choices that year by Houston.)

Philadelphia has $9.015MM to put towards signing Moniak, but it can allocate any savings to other selections. The club’s total pool adds up to just over $13.4MM, ranking second to the Reds — who just top their National League foes thanks to landing the first overall competitive balance Round A selection.

Cubs Acquire Chris Coghlan

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The Cubs have brought back veteran infielder/outfielder Chris Coghlan in a trade with the Athletics, per an announcement from Oakland. Young utilityman Arismendy Alcantara will go back in return.

Mar 29, 2016; Mesa, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Chris Coghlan against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago had shipped Coghlan to the A’s over the winter in exchange for pitcher Aaron Brooks. That move proved to be a precursor to the Cubs’ signing of Dexter Fowler.

In the interim, though, the Cubs lost Kyle Schwarber for the season and recently saw Jorge Soler go down with a hamstring injury of unknown severity. Also hitting the DL with a hammy issue is infielder Tommy La Stella.

Those losses have reduced the club’s depth somewhat, though it still has a nice group of outfield talent in reserve (including just-promoted prospect Albert Almora) as well as a fully healthy infield that includes two outstanding players (Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist) who are also capable of playing in the outfield.

The 30-year-old Coghlan will likely see time at the corner outfield, but has also been an option at second base (where Zobrist is entrenched). He had two highly productive seasons with the Cubs over 2013-14, posting a combined .265/.346/.447 batting line with 25 home runs and 18 steals over 935 plate appearances. Coghlan has scuffled thus far in Oakland with an ugly .146/.215/.272 slash, but those results and eroding plate discipline — he owns an uncharacteristic 27.3% strikeout rate against a diminished 7.6% walk rate — didn’t deter his former club.

There was a time when it would have seemed that Alcantara was the perfect player to plug into just such an opening. A middle infielder by trade, he saw ample time on the outfield grass upon his promotion in 2014. But the 24-year-old has never quite blossomed at the big league level, and wasn’t showing any signs of resolving his strikeout issues at Triple-A.

Still, he’s an interesting wild card for the A’s. Though he’s yet to show consistent on-base skills, Alcantara is generally regarded as a quality fielder and has loud tools on offense, with a history of double-digit home runs and steals. Indeed, over 213 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors this year, he has already swiped twenty bags.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

White Sox Sign Justin Morneau

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The White Sox have signed veteran first baseman Justin Morneau, the club announced. It’s a one-year, $1MM contract.

Morneau will head straight onto the 15-day DL as he continues to work back to form after undergoing elbow surgery. His timeline remains unclear at present, but perhaps the club will have a chance to evaluate him before weighing other moves at the trade deadline.

Apr 28, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 34-year-old figures to play a role roughly analogous to what the team had expected from Adam LaRoche, who was a heavily-used DH and also spelled Jose Abreu at first. When LaRoche shocked the baseball world with his sudden retirement this spring, the club saved a boatload of money but also lost a source of left-handed pop (although he had disppointed to that point).

Morneau will step into that void once he’s ready to be activated. While he doesn’t come with the same kind of power ceiling that LaRoche carried — Morneau hasn’t hit more than twenty home runs since 2009 — he’s arguably a better overall hitter and certainly had better results last year.

Though Coors Field certainly provides a boost, Morneau’s .310/.363/.458 slash over 182 plate apperaances last year went for an above-average 109 OPS+. And he was even better the season prior, leading the league in batting average and hitting at a strong .319/.364/.496 clip.

It remains to be seen how much action Morneau will receive in the field, but it doesn’t hurt that he remains well-regarded with the glove. The team will also see how he holds up with a long history of medical concerns even before his recent procedure.

Chicago has been the most aggressive team in the league thus far in making mid-season additions. It already added James Shields, knocking pre-2016 free agent Mat Latos out of the rotation. And now the organization has moved on the free agent market to fill its need for a left-handed bat.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see whether GM Rick Hahn has more acquisitions in mind. There’s been chatter that the South Siders could look at a left-handed reliever, and there are several other positions that are probably susceptible of an upgrade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reds Outright Stephen Johnson, Kyle Skipworth

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The Reds announced that right-hander Stephen Johnson and catcher Kyle Skipworth have cleared waivers and been outrighted off the 40-man roster (Johnson to Triple-A Louisville and Skipworth to Double-A Pensacola). Skipworth was on the 60-day disabled list but had reached the end of his rehab window and was subsequently placed on waivers, whereas Johnson’s removal from the 40-man roster will drop Cincinnati’s count to 39, paving way for the activation of right-hander Anthony DeSclafani from the 60-day disabled list.

Johnson, 25, was acquired by the Reds from the Giants last August in exchange for Marlon Byrd. He rattled off 8 2/3 shutout innings for Cincinnati’s Double-A affiliate following the trade last season and went on to post a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League. Dominant as Johnson was in 2015 (he also had a 3.41 ERA with 10.6 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 in 58 innings for San Francisco’s Double-A affiliate), he’s looked lost on the mound at Triple-A in 2016. In 28 1/3 innings with Louisville, he’s limped to a 5.72 ERA and seen his strikeout rate dip to 8.9 K/9 against a still-too-high 4.4 BB/9 rate (he’s also hit four batters). His struggles have escalated recently, as he has a 7.20 ERA over the past month prior to today’s news.

Skipworth, meanwhile, will look to get his career back on track at the Double-A level. The 26-year-old was selected sixth overall by the Marlins in the 2008 draft and at one point rated as a Top 100 prospect in the eyes of both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Skipworth even drew comparisons to Joe Mauer for his offensive upside back in BA’s 2008 scouting report, but his tools at the plate have never come around in the minors. He’s a career .214/.279/.384 hitter in parts of nine minor league seasons and doesn’t have an OPS north of .700 at any single minor league level.

In DeSclafani, the Reds will be getting their most consistent starter from 2016 back into the rotation. Oblique injuries have kept the 26-year-old from taking a big league mound this season, but he built up to 72 pitches in his final rehab assignment and has apparently been deemed ready to return to the team. DeSclafani, who posted a 4.05 ERA in 184 2/3 innings for Cincinnati last season, will look to augment a rotation that has struggled tremendously in 2016. With Raisel Iglesias having spent much of the season on the DL alongside DeSclafani and Alfredo Simon allowing more than a run per inning, Reds’ starters have combined to post a 5.04 ERA on the year.

Rangers Activate Robinson Chirinos, Designate Phil Klein For Assignment

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The Rangers announced today that they’ve activated catcher Robinson Chirinos from the 60-day disabled list and designated right-hander Phil Klein for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Right-hander Luke Jackson was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to clear a spot for Chirinos on the active roster.

Chirinos, 32, has missed all but five games this season to date after suffering a fractured forearm when he was hit by a pitch in early April. His injury led the Rangers to pick up Bryan Holaday and Bobby Wilson via trade, and that pairing of journeyman has somewhat incredibly provided the team with an outstanding .274/.324/.472 batting line and eight home runs. The Holaday/Wilson tandem has been so productive, in fact, that Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the Rangers are considering carrying three all three catchers (Twitter link). Chirinos and Holaday, he points out, can play other positions on a limited basis, as each is a former infielder.

While Chirinos isn’t a household name, he performed well for the Rangers while seeing quite a bit of work behind the dish last season; in 273 plate appearances, he batted .232/.325/.438. Combined with his work from the 2014 campaign and his brief time early in 2016, Chirinos has batted .236/.306/.430 with 24 home runs in exactly 162 games dating back to Opening Day 2014.

As for Klein, the 27-year-old gave Texas 19 useful innings back in 2014 but has struggled in the Majors in both 2015 and 2016, working to a combined 6.23 ERA in 26 innings. While he performed well at Round Rock last season (2.97 ERA in 63 2/3 innings), he’s struggled there as well in 2016 and will now be in limbo for up to 10 days as the Rangers have the option to trade him, release him or send him through outright waivers.

NL East Notes: Braves, Draft, Johnson, Mets, Bourjos

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Multiple draft outlets have noted the possibility that the Braves could cut a deal with high school right-hander Ian Anderson at No. 3 overall in tonight’s draft with an eye toward over-spending on the No. 40 selection. ESPN’s Keith Law noted as much in this morning’s final mock draft (subscription required and recommended), and Eric Longenhagen or ESPN and Fangraphs tweets that the team could do so with an eye on getting former No. 1 overall candidate Jason Groome at No. 40, though their willingness to do so is dependent on who comes off the board with the first and second selections. D1Baseball.com’s Frankie Piliere tweeted earlier today that Groome’s asking price is extremely high and connected him to the Braves while adding that he’s in a somewhat of a “freefall” as a result of his price tag. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com wrote in today’s draft buzz column wrote that Groome has floated an asking price of $4MM, which could cause some teams to shy away from him. Notably, the MLB.com pair also adds that Groome has now committed to Chipola Junior College in Florida after having previously been committed to Vanderbilt. In doing so, Groome would allow himself to be eligible for next year’s draft if he elects not to sign.

More from the NL East…

  • The Mets could have promoted either Dilson Herrera or T.J. Rivera to the Majors instead of swinging yesterday’s trade for utilityman Kelly Johnson, writes Newsday’s Marc Carig, but assistant GM John Ricco explained that the club wasn’t interested in asking a player to make a notable position switch, as it would’ve had to do with either Rivera, Herrera or Neil Walker (who would move off of second base if Herrera were to slide into his natural position at the MLB level). Skipper Terry Collins lauded the front office for bringing back Johnson, whom he described as an excellent clubhouse presence and a veteran that has been through the rigors of a postseason chase before. Ricco added that while the team waited out some injuries last season, New York’s aspirations of winning it all in 2016 prompted earlier action. Johnson and James Loney, the two players acquired recently, aren’t exactly impact players that would push a team over the edge, of course, but adding role players to plug gaps on the roster in June as opposed to July can indeed make a difference in a tight division race.
  • The Post’s Ken Davidoff was also on hand to talk to Ricco and Collins about the Mets’ acquisition of Johnson, with Ricco stating that the enhanced play of the 2016 Nationals (as compared to last season’s squad) didn’t prompt earlier action. Collins, meanwhile, noted that the addition of a player in an early trade is important in sending a message to the clubhouse that the front office is committed to winning in the current season. Per Collins, last season’s acquisition of Johnson and Juan Uribe “completely” changed the clubhouse atmosphere. Davidoff adds that striking early allows the Mets to reassess later in the summer if Johnson isn’t able to right the ship at the plate.
  • While the Mets are clearly in the need for infield help, as evidenced by the Johnson trade, Carig checked in with a team source in regards to recently released Dodgers infielder Alex Guerrero and was told that the 29-year-old is not on the Mets’ radar at this time (Twitter link).
  • The Phillies have informed Peter Bourjos that he is now a bench player, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Manager Pete Mackanin called the situation “unfortunate” and noted that Bourjos “has got to make a drastic change in his approach offensively.” Mackanin stressed that he “loves” Bourjos’ defensive work, but the 29-year-old’s .195/.226/.282 batting line and near-28 percent strikeout rate aren’t cutting it in the lineup. In his place, extra at-bats figure to be given to Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel, Cody Asche and Jimmy Paredes, writes Gelb, though he notes that the Phils are also hopeful of seeing names like Nick Williams and Roman Quinn impact the outfield alignment later in the season. For Bourjos, the loss of a starting job with free agency so close around the corner is disheartening, though his defensive prowess should land him an opportunity elsewhere this coming winter.

Athletics Place Rich Hill On Disabled List

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JUNE 9: The Athletics have indeed placed Hill on the disabled list with a strained right groin, the team announced. The move is retroactive to May 30. Per John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter), Hill has yet to undergo his MRI, hence the lack of additional updates beyond the placement on the disabled list.

JUNE 8: Athletics lefty Rich Hill suffered a setback in his recovery from a groin strain during today’s 35-pitch bullpen session, he told reporters, including Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area (links to Twitter). According to Hill, he felt a pull on the 33rd pitch of his session. He’ll head back to Oakland tomorrow to undergo an MRI, per Stiglich, and manager Bob Melvin conceded that a trip to the disabled list is a strong possibility, tweets MLB.com’s Jane Lee. Similarly, the Bay Area News Group’s John Hickey tweets that a DL stint is likely. Hill has been sidelined since May 29, so the A’s would at least be able to backdate a DL stint to that point, reducing the minimum stay on the disabled list. However, the extent of Hill’s strain won’t be known until tomorrow’s MRI has been reviewed by the team’s medical staff.

The 36-year-old Hill has proven to be one of the best free-agent signings of the 2015-16 offseason, as he’s given the Athletics 64 innings of 2.25 ERA ball with 10.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 48.1 percent ground-ball rate. The one-year, $6MM contract he signed seemed risky at the time for a player with Hill’s injury history and limited recent track record, but he’s already made good on that contract and provided surplus value to the A’s.

A prolonged absence for Hill would deprive the A’s of their most effective starter and could also significantly impact Hill’s value on the summer trade market. With Oakland sitting in last place in the AL West and Hill’s status as a veteran on an affordable one-year deal, the left-hander is a prototypical trade candidate. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently listed him second when assessing the game’s top 10 trade candidates, noting that Hill’s dominance and affordable contract could make him appealing to virtually any team taking aim at the 2016 postseason. However, for a player that has already pitched more Major League innings this season than he has in any season since 2007, durability will be a focal point in any potential trade talks.

Giants, Chris Denorfia Agree To Minors Deal

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The Giants and veteran outfielder Chris Denorfia are in agreement on a minor league contract, pending a physical, according to Baseball Essential’s Robert Murray (Twitter link). Denorfia is a client of Pro Star Management, Inc.

The 35-year-old Denorfia hasn’t suited up at the Major League or Minor League level this season, although he was in big league camp with the Yankees back in Spring Training before opting out of said deal on March 27.. Denorfia also appeared in 103 games with the Cubs last season, posting a .269/.319/.373 batting line with three homers in 231 trips to the plate. He has long graded out as a plus defender on the outfield corners and has plenty of experience in center field if he’s needed there in a pinch. He somewhat curiously struggled against left-handed pitching with the Cubs in 2015 — an oddity considering the fact that he’s a lifetime .285/.353/.419 hitter when holding the platoon advantage over a lefty.

The Giants currently have both Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence on the disabled list, and while Pagan may be nearing a return, Pence required surgery to repair a torn hamstring and is expected to be out for at least two months. As such, adding some veteran outfield depth to the mix is a logical course of action for San Francisco, who also agreed to a minor league pact with former Giant Travis Ishikawa yesterday.

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