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2019 MLB Draft Signings

Phillies To Sign First-Rounder Bryson Stott

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JUNE 27: The two sides have an agreement, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Stott will sign a below-slot deal worth $3.9MM, according to Callis.

JUNE 24: The Phillies expect to sign first-rounder Bryson Stott this week, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. As the 14th overall pick, Stott’s slot comes with a recommended value of $4,036,800.

Stott’s a 21-year-old shortstop from UNLV whom draft pundits ranked even higher than where the Phillies selected him. Entering the draft, MLB.com put Stott at No. 9, while Baseball America (No. 10), FanGraphs (No. 11) and ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 13) viewed him similarly.

In their free scouting report of Stott, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com liken him to Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and credit his “solid all-around tools.” They add the lefty-swinging Stott’s “never overmatched” as a hitter, which could make him a plus offensive player in the majors, though there is some question as to whether he’ll stick at shortstop in the bigs.

Stott was by far the Phillies’ highest pick in this year’s draft, as they forfeited their second-rounder when they signed Bryce Harper in free agency last winter. The club didn’t pick again until the 91st selection, with which it chose high school shortstop Jamari Baylor. He’s already signed.

White Sox To Sign First-Rounder Andrew Vaughn

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The White Sox have agreed to sign first-rounder Andrew Vaughn, the third pick in this year’s draft, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports. Vaughn will receive a bonus worth $7.2212MM, right in line with the recommended slot value of his selection.

Vaughn, a 21-year-old first baseman from the University of California, entered the draft as a consensus elite prospect. All of ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 2), MLB.com (No. 3), Baseball America (No. 3) and FanGraphs (No. 4) ranked Vaughn as one of the four best players on the board. Law, the most bullish of the bunch, wrote in his subscription-only draft preview that Vaughn possesses the “best pure bat in the class” and likely the best plate discipline in the group. There are, however, questions about Vaughn’s 5-foot-10 frame, Law notes.

Vaughn’s a year removed from winning the Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the premier player in college baseball. The honor in 2019 went to Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman, whom the Orioles took No. 1 this year and then signed to a record bonus.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/25/19

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Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500,  Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

  • The White Sox have signed second-rounder Matthew Thompson for $2.1 million, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com tweets. Thompson’s pick, No. 45, came with a recommended slot value of $1,650,200. The 18-year-old Thompson’s a high school right-hander from Texas whom Mayo and colleague Jim Callis ranked as the 69th-best player entering the draft. Thompson, who had committed to Texas A&M, possesses “an ultra-quick arm and an athletic delivery” that could help him turn into a No. 3 starter in the majors, Mayo and Callis write. He’s the first of the three top 100 White Sox picks from this year’s class to sign. They still have to lock up first baseman Andrew Vaughn (No. 3 overall) and righty Andrew Dalquist (No. 81).

Brewers Sign First-Round Pick Ethan Small

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The Brewers have signed first-round pick Ethan Small, the team announced. Smith inked a deal worth $1.8MM, below the $2,493,900 slot value of his selection, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets.

The 22-year-old Small’s a former Mississippi State University left-hander who, according to pundits, didn’t rank as highly as the Brewers viewed him entering the draft. Baseball America rated Small 45th in the 2019 class, while ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 50), MLB.com (No. 56) and FanGraphs (No. 58) placed him lower. Small’s a former Tommy John surgery patient whose velocity hasn’t returned since the procedure, per Law, though he notes the hurler “has improved substantially as a pitcher.”

With Small under wraps, the Brewers have now agreed to deals with each of their first three draft picks. They previously inked second-round pitcher Antoine Kelly ($1.03MM) and fourth-round catcher Nick Kahle ($325K). The club entered the draft with the second-lowest pool available at $5,148,200.

Orioles Sign Adley Rutschman

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5:04pm: Rutschman’s deal is official, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com tweets. He signed for under slot at $8.1MM, according to Callis, who notes it surpasses the record $8MM the Pirates gave No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole in 2011.

9:27am: The Orioles are close to a deal with No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). The former Oregon State catcher’s No. 1 overall slot carries a value of $8.42MM. Rutschman isn’t the only top O’s pick on whom there’s news today, however; MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (also via Twitter) that the team’s second-rounder, Gunnar Henderson, has agreed to a deal worth $2.3MM. A high school shortstop out of Alabama, Henderson will receive a bonus that is well north of his No. 42 selection’s $1.771MM slot value.

Rutschman, 21, entered the draft as the consensus top talent on the board. The switch-hitter posted a ludicrous .411/.575/.751 batting line with 17 home runs, 10 doubles and a triple through 266 plate appearances in his junior season with the Beavers. Rutschman’s eye-popping batting average and considerable power numbers almost overshadow his plate discipline at first glance, but his 76-to-38 BB/K ratio is every bit as impressive as the rest of his numbers — if not more so.

Baseball America, MLB.com, Fangraphs and ESPN all ranked Rutschman as the top player in the 2019 draft. ESPN’s Keith Law noted that Rutschman’s defense and plus power give him a high floor with the ceiling of a repeated All-Star, while BA’s report touts him as a potential .300 hitter with plus defensive tools and “excellent” makeup and leadership abilities. Rutschman was the only player in the draft that Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen tabbed as a 60 FV (future value) player on the 20-80 scouting scale. Over at MLB.com, Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo note that while some players who enter a season as a projected top talent struggle with that pressure and spotlight, Rutschman thrived and elevated his game en route to further cementing himself as this year’s best draft prospect.

Broadly speaking, Rutschman is regarded as a plus defender with power from both sides of the dish, strong plate discipline and a strong enough hit tool to post high batting averages as well. If all of that pans out, Rutschman has the makings of a franchise catcher for the new-look Baltimore front office.

Henderson, meanwhile, has yet to turn 18. Scouting reports were reflective of a split camp as to whether he can remain at shortstop or will need to move to third base down the road. MLB.com (No. 27) and Baseball America (No. 30) pegged him as a late-first-round talent, while ESPN (No. 40) and Fangraphs (No. 41) had him a bit lower. Henderson was Gatorade high school player of the year in Alabama and draws praise for his above-average power and the potential for an above-average hit tool. Henderson is young for his graduating class and still filling out his 6’3″ frame, leading to varying projections about his power potential and eventual defensive home. Even reports who project him to move to third base, though, suggest that he has the tools to be a quality defender there.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/23/19

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Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500,  Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

  • Gunnar Henderson, the first pick of the second round (42nd overall), has decided to sign with the Orioles and will officially do so in a few days’ time, Maria Martin of WSFA 12 News reports (Twitter link).  Contract terms aren’t known, though the 42nd overall pick has a recommended slot price of $1,771,100 and Baltimore’s offer might well have exceeded that number to get Henderson to break his commitment to Auburn.  Henderson was ranked by MLB.com as the 27th-best prospect of the class, with BA (30th), Fangraphs (40th) and Keith Law (42nd) also giving high grades to the Alabama high schooler.  Henderson is praised for his hitting potential and some scouts feel he can remain at shortstop, though there is some thought that a move to third base is inevitable.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/20/19

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Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500,  Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

  • The Orioles have signed Kyle Stowers, their pick from Competitive Balance Round B, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports (Twitter link).  Stowers signed for $884.2K, matching the recommended bonus price for the 71st overall pick.  Stowers received a pretty wide range of evaluations from draft pundits, with Fangraphs (32nd) rating the Stanford outfielder highest, Baseball America (102nd) putting Stowers outside their top 100 and MLB.com (78th) falling in between.  He has a big swing that has led to strikeouts in the past, though Stowers has shown some solid left-handed hitting and power potential.
  • The Angels signed third-rounder Jack Kochanowicz, Mayo tweets.  Kochanowicz signed for a hefty $1.25MM bonus worth almost twice the $637.6K slot price of the 91st overall pick, as the high school right-hander clearly needed a heavy incentive to break his commitment to Virginia.  BA (61st), MLB.com (75th) and Fangraphs (80th) all had Kochanowicz in their top 80, noting his 6’6″ height and potential for three plus pitches as he continues to develop.  This includes adding velocity to a fastball that already clocks in the low 90’s.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/19/19

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Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500,  Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

  • The Red Sox announced the signing of second-round pick Matthew Lugo on Tuesday. The high school shortstop from Puerto Rico will receive $1.1MM, a fair amount more than the $929,800 slot value accompanying the 69th pick, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen ranked the 18-year-old Lugo as the 26th-best player available entering the draft, writing he has “50 or 55 tools across the board.”
  • The Marlins have agreed to sign fifth-round right-hander Evan Fitterer to a deal worth far more than slot value, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Fitterer will earn $1.5MM, even though his pick (No. 141) called for a bonus in the $390K range. Callis and Jonathan Mayo write that the 18-year-old high schooler from California “reminds some of a young Kyle Hendricks, perhaps with a bigger fastball, but with a similar feel to pitch.”

Diamondbacks To Sign First-Rounder Blake Walston

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The Diamondbacks have reached an agreement with first-round left-hander Blake Walston, the team announced. Walston received $2.45MM, just below the $2,653,400 slot value, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets.

The Walston agreement brings the Diamondbacks closer to finishing their heavy lifting with respect to this year’s draft. They already signed fellow top 60 picks Corbin Carroll, Brennan Malone, Drey Jamison and Ryne Nelson before reaching a deal with Walston. That group helped comprise quite a 2019 haul for the Diamondbacks, who entered this draft with a league-high $16,093,700 to spend on their selections.

Arizona received the pick it used on Walston because it failed to sign 2018 first-rounder Matt McClain a year ago. In Walston, the team’s getting a prospect whom FanGraphs, Baseball America, ESPN’s Keith Law and MLB.com each ranked in or near the top 50 players available entering the draft. Law (subscription required) noted the high school hurler from North Carolina could be difficult to sign, but the Diamondbacks now have the 17-year-old under wraps.

D-Backs Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Corbin Carroll

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The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Corbin Carroll, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). The high school outfielder will receive the full slot value that comes with the 16th overall pick ($3,745,500).

This is the latest in a string of early draft signings for the Snakes, who had the game’s highest overall draft bonus pool due to a series of compensation picks. They’ve now reportedly inked four of their five highest selections, with only 26th overall choice Blake Walston still to go.

Carroll was the top target of the Arizona organization. He’ll forego a commitment to UCLA to begin his professional career. Entering the draft, MLB.com’s pundits graded him the 15th-best player available, right near his actual selection point. He landed 12th on the Baseball America board and ninth on the Fangraphs ranking.

There was one draft watcher who was quite a bit more bullish. ESPN.com’s Keith Law slotted Carroll way up in the number four spot on his own draft board. He posits that Carroll’s slate of exceptional tools — everything but his arm is a plus — warrant top-five consideration despite the youngster’s relatively diminutive frame. While Carroll stands at just 5’10, Law points to a variety of current big leaguers who deliver ample power from similarly modest heights.

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