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MadBum And The Rest Of The D-Backs’ Future Payroll Promises

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2020 salary terms may finally be sorted out. But what about what’s owed to players beyond that point? The near-term economic picture remains questionable at best. That’ll make teams all the more cautious with guaranteed future salaries.

Every organization has some amount of future cash committed to players, all of it done before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. There are several different ways to look at salaries; for instance, for purposes of calculating the luxury tax, the average annual value is the touchstone, with up-front bonuses spread over the life of the deal. For this exercise, we’ll focus on actual cash outlays that still have yet to be paid.

We’ll run through every team, with a big assist from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database. Prior entries can be found here. Next up is the Diamondbacks:

*Reflects deferred salary in Madison Bumgarner contract

*Includes buyouts on club options over Ketel Marte, Starling Marte, Merrill Kelly, Stephen Vogt, Hector Rondon, and Junior Guerra

*Includes remaining signing bonus to be paid to Nick Ahmed

*Includes remaining salary obligation to Zack Greinke

*Does not include buyout of Mike Leake mutual option, which is owed by Mariners

(click to expand/view detail list)

Latest On Blue Jays’ Training Plans

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Every MLB club faces a difficult task in launching and sustaining a 2020 season. But the Blue Jays face some unique challenges as the only affiliated organization located outside of the United States.

The Toronto organization announced today that it will gather its players and personnel at its facility in Dunedin, Florida. The club says it will “begin the intake screening and isolation process” there.

[RELATED: Blue Jays 60-Man Player Pool]

The Jays’ next step will depend upon the views of the relevant Canadian authorities. If approval is granted, the club says it’ll charter a flight to train in Toronto “under a modified quarantine, isolated from the general public.” Otherwise, it’ll keep its employees at the Dunedin facility and undertake Summer Training there.

It was just ten days ago that the Blue Jays halted activities at its spring complex as coronavirus cases hit the neighboring Phillies facility and soared in the state of Florida generally. There was indeed cause for concern, as several players and staff members ended up testing positive for COVID-19 infections.

That mini-outbreak served to highlight the need for strict measures if this campaign is to occur in a reasonably safe manner. That’s all the more true for the Jays. With cases within the organization already, and the situation in Florida only continuing to worsen, gathering in Dunedin will have to be done carefully.

No doubt the Blue Jays are aware of all that and planning accordingly. The team’s stated preference is to train and play in Toronto, which will mean convincing the Canadian federal, provincial, and local governments that it can be done without unreasonable risk. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported earlier today on Twitter, it seems as if that process is moving towards a favorable outcome for the Jays.

Dodgers Sign 2nd-Rounder Landon Knack

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The Dodgers have signed second-round right-hander Landon Knack for $715K, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports. It’s an under-slot deal for the 60th overall pick – whose selection carried a recommended value of $1,157,400 – but may be a record bonus for a fifth-year college senior, Callis notes.

The 22-year-old Knack was previously at East Tennessee State, where he logged a 2.29 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 122 innings from 2018-19. Despite the dominant numbers he posted in school, Knack did not rank among the top 100 draft prospects available at MLB.com, Baseball America, ESPN.com, FanGraphs or The Athletic. BA, which placed Knack at No. 113, writes that he possesses a high-90s fastball but only “fringy” offspeed offerings.

Although he’s just a couple weeks removed from coming off the draft board, it’s possible Knack will make his major league debut sometime this year. At the very least, there’s a good chance Knack will end up in the Dodgers’ 60-player pool, Callis suggests.

Minor Leaguers Left Out Of Player Pools May Be Able To Play Indy Ball

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8:31pm: Cooper now tweets that minor-league players will need to receive authorization from their team before joining an indy ball roster. But he adds that the expectation is that many teams are amenable to doing so.

7:12pm: Wondering what’ll happen to those minor-league players who weren’t named to MLB teams’ 60-man player pools? While teams are paying stipends to those minor-leaguers they’ve retained, those players’ contracts were formally suspended.

Accordingly, as J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reports, Major League Baseball has determined that clubs lack grounds to prevent minor-leaguers from signing on with independent league outfits. The inverse is also true: MLB teams can’t encourage players to sign on with indy clubs. The situation is different for 40-man players, as MLB contracts were never declared suspended.

As a practical matter, relatively few players will likely end up landing new gigs. The independent leagues aren’t generally rolling in cash, needless to say, and their revenue stream faces even greater challenges than those of MLB teams since in-person attendance is the whole ballgame. Those that are cobbling together 2020 seasons obviously won’t be at full tilt.

That said, the appeal is obvious for players, many of whom would surely make a buck for playing ball rather than sitting dormant and losing a year of development. The calculus would obviously change if there’s some sort of minor-league season to speak of — a decision that could soon be made.

At the same time, there’s obviously some risk in playing outside the affiliated ranks. The controlling MLB team wouldn’t necessarily be on the hook for any injuries or health issues that may arise. And it’s an open question whether an otherwise available team stipend would be withheld from a player earning money for playing baseball in an unaffiliated uniform.

Minor League Baseball’s 2020 Fate Could Be Decided Tuesday

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Because of COVID-19, odds are there will not be a minor league baseball season in 2020. No official decision has come down, but that may be on the verge of changing. Minor League Baseball’s board of trustees are scheduled to meet Tuesday, when they could make an official announcement on whether a season will take place, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports.

“I think in the next 24 hours we’re going to find out what we’ve known for a month and a half now,” a minor league owner told Drellich.

A canceled season seems likely as a result of multiple key factors, as Drellich explains. For one, in the improbable event of a season, minor league teams would have to provide their own players because Major League Baseball suspended its agreement with the minors amid a national emergency. Additionally, from a financial standpoint, the minors would not be able to sustain a season with no fans in their ballparks.

It goes without saying that not having a season would have a detrimental effect on many individuals and teams throughout minor league ball. There may be an increase in furloughs and layoffs of employees, Drellich writes, and it’s possible some teams will have to file for bankruptcy if they’re unable to play this year. Notably, even before the coronavirus reared its head, MLB was exploring a “radical restructuring” that could eliminate about a quarter of minor league clubs. A season off (or a truncated campaign with empty stands) wouldn’t do those teams any favors.

Giants’ Hunter Bishop Tests Positive For Coronavirus

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Giants outfielder Hunter Bishop has become the first member of the team to test positive for COVID-19, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Bishop is exhibiting “mild symptoms” and “was not in contact with any of our players and staff subsequent to when he believes he was infected,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi announced.

The plan was for Bishop to be part of the Giants’ initial player pool, but they left him off as a result of this positive test. Bishop will be back under consideration if he returns to full strength, per Pavlovic, though it will be at least a couple weeks before he can join the team in camp. Manager Gabe Kapler said Bishop will “do nothing for the next 14 days.” He’ll also have to test negative for the virus twice before he’s eligible to participate.

The 22-year-old Bishop, whom the Giants drafted 10th overall in 2019, registered strong production during his first season in the organization. In 146 plate appearances divided between the rookie and Low-A levels, Bishop slashed .229/.438/.429 with five home runs, and though he did strike out 39 times, he also drew 38 walks. MLB.com ranks Bishop as the game’s 71st overall prospect, while FanGraphs credits him for his “rare physical tools.”

Mets To Sign Second-Rounder J.T. Ginn

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The Mets have inked second-round draft pick J.T. Ginn, Tim Healey of Newsday reports on Twitter. He’ll receive a $2.9MM bonus, per Joe DeMayo of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

This puts a bow on the Mets’ 2020 draft class. The club had already inked their other five draftees, with its four selections after Ginn all going for well under the slot values attached to their picks.

The New York org needed every penny to reel in Ginn. He was taken 52nd overall, a position that came with a $1,403,200 pool allocation. Clearly, he wasn’t willing to turn pro for that amount.

Ginn, a draft-eligible sophomore out of Mississippi State, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. But the Mets obviously feel the talent is compelling enough to roll the dice on a full recovery.

Most draft watchers graded Ginn as a first-round talent, in spite of the obvious risk. He was already selected there once before, but spurned the Dodgers back in 2018. Ginn is said by some to possess a potentially front-of-the-rotation arsenal — a big heater, compelling slider, and promising change-up — though others anticipate he’ll settle in more as a back-of-the-staff starter or late-inning reliever.

Athletics Sign Tyler Soderstrom

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The Athletics have announced a deal with top pick Tyler Soderstrom. It includes a $3.3MM signing bonus, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reported yesterday that Soderstrom would sign today and is expected to be added to Oakland’s 60-player pool.

Also going under contract was fifth rounder Stevie Emanuels. The University of Washington righty receives a $400K bonus. With his signing, the A’s have completed all of their draft business.

Soderstrom, a high school catcher out of California, received a bonus that weighed in about $646K north of his slot value at No. 26. Emanuels also went over-slot, with both players getting an extra payout from the cash the Athletics saved in signing second-rounder Jeff Criswell and third-rounder Michael Guldberg to below-slot deals.

The A’s obviously had their eyes on Soderstrom entering the draft. All major draft pundits rated him among the 25 best players available. ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel was particularly bullish, grading the youngster as the tenth-best player available due to his promise as a hitter.

While it’s awfully tempting to imagine Soderstrom as a bat-first catcher, there’s concern with his ability to develop defensively while also maximizing his offensive potential. It remains to be seen what course the A’s will take, but most scouts seemingly believe Soderstrom is athletic enough — and sufficiently talented with the bat —  to man other areas of the diamond (third base or the corner outfield, most likely).

Each MLB Team’s 60-Man Player Pool

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Teams had until Sunday at 4:00 pm EST to report their initial 60-man player pools to MLB. Note that these pools can contain up to 60 players but were not required to be full upon their first submission. Teams can — and in some cases already have begun to — make additions at any time, so long as they have an open spot in the pool. If their pool is full and they wish to sign someone, claim a player off waivers or acquire a player via trade, they’ll need to either release, waive or trade a 60-man player of their own.

While a handful of teams waited until Monday to make their player pools public, all 30 have now been announced. Here are the initial lists submitted by all 30 teams…

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross Opt Out Of 2020 Season

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Neither Ryan Zimmerman nor Joe Ross will suit up to play for the Nationals in 2020, according to respective reports from Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. The D.C. pair joins Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake among the first of what figure to be many players choosing not to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health and safety of themselves and their loved ones,” general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed in a statement. “We are one hundred percent supportive of their decision not to play this year. We will miss their presence in the clubhouse and their contributions on the field.”

Zimmerman outlined his reasoning last week in a guest piece for the Associated Press, candidly discussing his concern with having a newborn daughter and a mother who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Those understandable family concerns have prompted Zimmerman to forgo the year of service time and the prorated $2MM salary he’d have collected in 2020 had he indeed played. Zimmerman released the following statement today, via his agents at CAA Baseball:

After a great deal of thought and given my family circumstances — three young children, including a newborn, and a mother at high risk — I have decided not to participate in the 2020 season. Everyone knows how much it means to me to be a part of a team, and I will miss that camaraderie dearly this year. Of course I would love to pursue back-to-back titles. I cannot speak for anyone else, but given the unusual nature of the season, this is the best decision for me and my family, and I truly appreciate the organization’s understanding and support. To be clear, I am not retiring at this time. I have not decided on my future in baseball past 2020. But this year, I’ll be staying safe at home and pulling as hard as anyone for the guys to defend our championship.

Zimmerman likely wouldn’t have been the everyday lineup cornerstone that he’s been for much of his career in D.C., but the 35-year-old was in line to serve as a part-time first baseman and (under this year’s altered rules) designated hitter. His decision to sit out should lead to more at-bats for both Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, among others.

As for Ross, his decision was surely difficult. Not yet established as a surefire big league starter, he was in line to serve as the Nationals’ fifth starter. Playing out the 2020 season would’ve given the 27-year-old Ross a share of a prorated $1.5MM salary and pushed him north of five years of MLB service, bringing him within a year of free agency. Now, unless Ross himself has been deemed a high-risk player by team medical personnel, he’ll waive both that salary and service time. That can’t be an easy decision to make, and it serves as a reminder of the concerns that many players harbor — particularly if they live with or are in close proximity to at-risk loved ones.

With Ross now on the sidelines for the season, it’s likely that right-handers Austin Voth (profiled here as an intriguing rotation candidate himself earlier this spring) and Erick Fedde will get a look at the back of the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez.

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