NL East Notes: Scouts, Phillies, Mets
Most scouts live unglamorous, travel-heavy lifestyles and are unknown to fans, but they play vital roles in the draft in particular and player evaluation in general. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post profiles Nationals assistant GM Kris Kline as he travels to watch players in preparation for the draft. The story follows Kline through the Nationals’ selection of UNLV pitcher Erick Fedde in the first round. It’s a difficult story to summarize here, but a fascinating read. Here’s more from the NL East.
- The Phillies haven’t yet decided to be sellers at the trade deadline, but they’re preparing for that possibility, GM Ruben Amaro says in an interview with Philly.com’s Ryan Lawrence. “We’re making sure we know which players we like the most in certain organizations and preparing for that,” Amaro says. “At the same time, we’re continuing to assess what our needs are.” It may be tricky for the Phillies to tear down, of course — Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have 10-and-5 protection, and Cliff Lee is hurt and has a contract that will be tough to deal. Amaro says he is hopeful that Lee will return soon, however, and he suggests that the Phillies may be willing to eat salary in trades.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson says the team will determine whether to have a higher payroll next year after this season is over, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York writes. Alderson adds that if the Mets are contending in July, they should have the resources to make a trade.
Minor Moves: Wilton Lopez, Michael Taylor
Here are today’s minor moves from around the big leagues.
- The White Sox have announced that they’ve acquired outfielder Michael Taylor from the Athletics for pitcher Jake Sanchez. Taylor, 28, played sparingly for the Athletics in 2011 through 2013. He posted a .243/.357/.385 line in 258 plate appearances for Triple-A Sacramento this year and is a career .275/.367/.436 hitter at the Triple-A level. Sanchez, 24, had a 2.80 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 for Class A+ Kannapolis. The White Sox purchased his contract from the independent Joliet Slammers last year.
- The Rockies have outrighted pitcher Wilton Lopez to Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to MiLB.com. The Rockies designated him for assignment on Tuesday. Lopez, 30, allowed 18 hits and eight runs in 6 1/3 innings of work over four outings for the Rockies this season. He has a career 3.54 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 305 1/3 innings over six seasons.
Yankees Sign Jacob Lindgren
The Yankees have signed second-round pick Jacob Lindgren, Chad Jennings of LoHud.com tweets. This morning, George A. King III of the New York Post wrote that Lindgren’s signing was expected, and that he would receive the bonus pool amount, which is around $1.02MM for the No. 55 overall pick.
Baseball America ranked Lindgren the No. 50 prospect in the draft, and MLB.com ranked him No. 51. The Mississippi State junior throws a low-90s fastball and a very good slider, and appears likely to pitch as a reliever, although MLB.com notes the possibility that he could start.
Brewers Sign Kodi Medeiros
The Brewers have signed No. 12 overall draft pick Kodi Medeiros, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tweets. Medeiros receives a signing bonus of $2.5MM, plus $240K to pay for college. The Hawaii high school lefty had a commitment to Pepperdine.
MLB.com ranked Medeiros the No. 29 prospect in the draft, and Baseball America placed him at No. 32. He wins praise for his fastball, which has good life and can reach into the mid-90s, and his slider, although he is somewhat small and pitches from a low arm slot, which has led some within the game to believe he may eventually be a reliever.
The bonus pool value of the No. 12 pick is around $2.81MM, so the Brewers save about $310K of room against their bonus pool. The Brewers went over their bonus pool allotments to sign Comp Round A selection Jacob Gatewood and second-rounder Monte Harrison, but between their savings on Medeiros and on later rounds (where they picked several college seniors), they are still within their bonus pool, as MLB.com’s Jim Callis notes.
West Notes: Giants, Cahill, Jackson
The Giants didn’t have a particularly flashy offseason, but GM Brian Sabean’s moves have helped the team post the best record in baseball so far, writes ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Hunter Pence, signed to a five-year deal near the end of last season, has hit .296/.368/.464 so far, and Michael Morse, who Sabean signed to a one-year deal, has also been a key part of the Giants’ offense. Tim Hudson, signed to a two-year deal, has posted a 1.81 ERA. Here are more notes from the National League.
- Two and a half years later, the Diamondbacks‘ trade for Trevor Cahill looks like a poor one, and AZCentral.com’s Nick Piecoro investigates what went wrong. One problem, Piecoro says, is that Cahill’s mechanics are inconsistent, which means he sometimes has trouble throwing strikes. The Diamondbacks demoted Cahill to Class A+ Visalia this week after he posted a 5.66 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings this season. Jarrod Parker, the key piece the Diamondbacks traded to the Athletics for Cahill, recently had Tommy John surgery, but Piecoro points out that at least Parker isn’t signed to a long-term contract. Cahill is guaranteed $12MM next season.
- The parameters of Alex Jackson‘s upcoming negotiations with the Mariners are now relatively clear, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes. Jackson, the sixth overall pick, has a bonus pool allotment of around $3.58MM. The Mariners, meanwhile, have about $3.89MM remaining in their bonus pool. They can spend up to around $4.22MM before they’re penalized with the loss of future draft picks. Jackson is advised by Scott Boras.
Marlins Sign Justin Twine
The Marlins have signed second-round pick Justin Twine for the bonus pool value of $1.316MM, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets. Miami selected Twine, a Texas high school shortstop (and also an outstanding high school running back), with the No. 43 overall pick. He was committed to TCU.
Baseball America ranked Twine the No. 138 prospect in the draft, while MLB.com placed him at No. 161. They note he has excellent speed (which is no surprise, given his background), but scouts aren’t sold on his hitting ability, particularly his ability to hit secondary pitches. He also may eventually have to move to center field.
The Marlins also recently reportedly agreed to a $6MM bonus with first-round pick Tyler Kolek, saving $821K against their bonus pool. They also saved about $400K on Comp Round A pick Blake Anderson and about $137K on third-rounder Brian Anderson. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis pointed out earlier today (on Twitter), that meant the Marlins had saved about $1.36MM against their bonus pool. The Marlins gave back $250K of that amount as part of a $350K bonus for 11th-round pick Nick White, but that still left about $1.11MM in savings. Callis guessed that Twine might be the beneficiary of some of that money, but it appears that isn’t the case.
Week In Review: 6/8/14 – 6/14/14
Here’s a look back at this week at MLBTR.
Key News
- The Twins signed DH/1B Kendrys Morales to a prorated one-year contract.
Trades
- White Sox — acquired OF Matt Tuiasosopo from Blue Jays for cash considerations
- Blue Jays — acquired OF Adron Chambers from Astros for P Alejandro Solarte and INF Will Dupont
- White Sox — acquired P Shawn Hill from Blue Jays
- Tigers — acquired C Manny Pina from Mariners for a player to be named
- Yankees — acquired P David Huff from Giants
Claimed
- Rays — P Angel Sanchez (from Marlins — link)
- Diamondbacks — C Jordan Pacheco (from Rockies — link)
Designated For Assignment
- Diamondbacks — 1B/OF Nick Evans (link)
- Yankees — P Wade LeBlanc (link)
Cleared Waivers
- Twins — OF Jason Kubel (link)
Outrighted
- Rockies — P Wilton Lopez (link)
- Padres — P Jason Lane (link)
- Yankees — P Alfredo Aceves (link)
- Rays — P Josh Lueke (link)
- Athletics — OF Kent Matthes (link)
- Phillies — P Cesar Jimenez (link)
- Mets — P Buddy Carlyle (link)
- Angels — P Jarrett Grube, P Michael Brady, P Brooks Raley (link)
Released
- Cubs — P Jose Veras (link)
Key Draft Signings
- Cubs — C Kyle Schwarber (link)
- Twins — SS Nick Gordon (link)
- Phillies — P Aaron Nola (link)
- Rockies — P Kyle Freeland (link)
- Padres — IF Trea Turner, OF Michael Gettys (link)
- Brewers — SS Jacob Gatewood (link), OF Monte Harrison (link)
- Yankees — P Austin DeCarr (link)
- Pirates — SS Cole Tucker (link), P Mitch Keller (link), P Trey Supak (link)
- Rockies — P Ryan Castellani (link)
- Angels — P Joe Gatto (link)
- Rays — 1B Casey Gillaspie (link), P Cameron Varga (link)
- Athletics — 3B Matt Chapman (link)
- Rangers — P Luis Ortiz (link)
- Tigers — OF Derek Hill (link)
- Marlins — C Blake Anderson (link)
- Mariners — OF Gareth Morgan (link)
- Astros — 1B A.J. Reed (link)
- Red Sox — P Michael Kopech (link)
- Blue Jays — P Sean Reid-Foley (link)
- Royals — P Foster Griffin (link), C Chase Vallot (link)
- Indians — P Grant Hockin (link)
- Cardinals — P Jack Flaherty, P Luke Weaver (link)
- Diamondbacks — OF Marcus Wilson (link), P Cody Reed (link)
- Rangers — SS Ti’Quan Forbes (link)
- White Sox — P Spencer Adams (link)
Key Minor-League Signings
- Yankees — P Heath Bell (link)
- Cubs — C Yorvit Torrealba (link)
- Red Sox — OF Andres Torres (link)
Quick Hits: Winkler, Choi, D’Arnaud
Rockies prospect Daniel Winkler is headed for an MRI after injuring his elbow, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. Winkler left the Double-A Tulsa Drillers’ game against the Springfield Cardinals in the fourth inning Saturday. Winkler isn’t as well known as Rockies prospects like Jon Gray and Eddie Butler, but he has performed brilliantly this season, posting a 1.41 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 70 innings. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- The Mariners will likely need to make a 40-man roster move Monday, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune tweets. Minor-league first baseman Ji-Man Choi is expected to return from a 50-game PED suspension, and he’ll need to take an active spot on the 40-man once again. Choi, 23, was off to a great start for Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .394/.500/.545 in 40 plate appearances there. He hit .295/.394/.535 in 499 plate appearances at three levels in 2013.
- The case of Travis d’Arnaud proves the difficulty involved in predicting which prospects will succeed, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. The Mets optioned d’Arnaud to Triple-A Las Vegas this weekend after he hit .180/.271/.273 in 145 plate appearances so far this season. Nonetheless, many Mets officials remain upbeat about the former top prospect’s future. “He’s so athletic,” says one. “I think he will be a frontline guy, a pretty good everyday player who will hit some home runs. Is he Buster Posey? I don’t know. But do I think he can be in the big leagues on an everyday basis for eight, ten years? Absolutely.”
NL Notes: Cole, Roark, Phillies
Pirates ace Gerrit Cole has landed on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue, but the team doesn’t believe the shoulder has any structural damage, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. That could be great news for the Bucs, who will need Cole if they hope to make noise in the playoff race this summer. The injury, which came to light almost three years to the day after Cole was selected first overall in the 2011 draft, is a reminder of the uncertainty of drafting pitchers in a season that’s been full of such reminders. Here are more notes from around the National League.
- The career trajectory of Tanner Roark of the Nationals is perhaps a more pleasant story about the uncertainty of pitching — the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore describes Roark as “a potential rotation piece that fell out of the sky.” The Rangers drafted Roark in the 25th round in 2008, then shipped him to Washington with another minor-leaguer for Cristian Guzman in 2010. Even in 2013, the Nationals used him as a reliever in Triple-A. But he pitched brilliantly down the stretch for the Nats in 2013 and has been nearly as good this season, posting a 2.91 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 as a key part of Washington’s rotation.
- Chase Utley of the Phillies tops the list of the best bats who might be available in trade this summer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. It’s unclear whether the Phillies will commit to trading veterans, but even if they do, some of them (like Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee) would be difficult to trade anyway. Utley, who is signed to a reasonable contract and is still very productive, is a different story. Utley has the right to veto any trade, however, since he has 10-and-5 rights, and the Phillies have shown no interest in trading Utley.
Draft Notes: Seniors, Rodon, Archer, Hale
The number of college seniors taken in the first ten rounds of the draft increased when bonus pools were instituted in 2012, and the trend toward college seniors reached new heights in 2014, Clint Longenecker of Baseball America writes. Teams took a total of 71 seniors in the first ten rounds, including a total of 36 in the ninth and tenth rounds. Since seniors have little leverage, they can often be signed cheaply, and teams can use the pool savings on a senior drafted in, say, the ninth round on players drafted earlier, or even on hard-to-sign talents from Day 3. Here are more notes on the draft.
- With the third overall pick in the draft, the White Sox drafted lefty Carlos Rodon, and 105 picks later, in the fourth round, they also drafted his catcher at NC State, Brett Austin. Austin is a big fan of his current, and perhaps future, teammate, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports. “I’m going to branch out and say he could be like a Clayton Kershaw one day,” says Austin. “It’s bold to say, but I’ve heard someone say he’s the best amateur pitcher they’ve ever seen over the last 20 years. And me catching him for the last three years, I’ve kind of started to believe that, too.”
- Many high schoolers who were selected this week have difficult decisions ahead, and Fangraphs’ David Laurila checks in with high school product Chris Archer and college product David Hale to see what led them to decide when to turn pro. “If a company … is willing to offer you a large advance, and is willing to pay the expenses of school if it doesn’t work out … that’s something you probably want to take advantage of, especially if your family can’t necessarily cover all of your school expenses,” says Archer. The Rays pitcher, who was drafted by the Indians in the fifth round in 2006, adds that he also thought signing out of high school would help him develop as a pitcher, given how raw he was when he was drafted. Hale, meanwhile, thought he might be drafted somewhere from the third through eighth rounds out of high school, in which case he wouldn’t get enough money to sway him from going to Princeton. He went to college, signed with the Braves after his junior year, and quickly finished his degree the following offseason.