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Yankees Sign First-Rounder Austin Wells

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The Yankees have signed 28th overall pick Austin Wells, he announced on Twitter. The catcher agreed to a $2.5MM bonus, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports. That just about matches the $2,493,900 recommended slot value of his selection.

The Yankees have long been after Wells, whom they drafted in the 35th round in 2018. But Wells elected to attend the University of Arizona, where he upped his stock by slashing .357/.476/.560 with seven home runs in 351 plate appearances. As a result, the 20-year-old went into this month’s draft ranking in the vicinity of where the Yankees took him, as Baseball America rated Wells 21st among available prospects, MLB.com placed him 27th, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel put him at 36, FanGraphs had him 40th, and he checked in at 44 on the list of Keith Law of The Athletic.

As his numbers with the Wildcats show, Wells thrived as a hitter in college, and MLB.com writes he “has power to all fields, with good timing and a simple setup at the plate.” There are questions over whether Wells will make it as a catcher in the pros, but his bat and athleticism could make him a viable first baseman or corner outfielder if he doesn’t stick at his current spot. MLB.com likens Wells to the Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber, an ex-catcher who has become a slugging outfielder in the majors.

Diamondbacks Sign First-Round Pick Bryce Jarvis

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The Diamondbacks have signed their top draft pick, 18th overall selection Bryce Jarvis, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The right-hander agreed to a bonus worth $2.65MM, which comes in well under the recommended slot value of $3.48MM.

Jarvis, the son of former major league righty Kevin Jarvis, was a 37th-round pick of the Yankees a year ago, but he opted against signing. That proved to be a wise decision by the former Duke Blue Devil, who logged a a 2.81 ERA with 12.0 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 150 1/3 innings at the school. Notably, he and Mets righty Marcus Stroman are the only first-rounders Duke has produced to this point.

Jarvis entered the draft as a top 25 prospect according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (No. 21), FanGraphs (No. 23), The Athletic’s Keith Law (No. 24), and MLB.com (No. 25). McDaniel wrote that Jarvis has taken a major step forward of late, owing to increased arm speed and an improved breaking ball. Along with the breaker, the 22-year-old’s repertoire includes a mid-90s fastball and a quality changeup.

Chad Bettis To Retire

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Veteran right-hander Chad Bettis is retiring from baseball, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets. The 31-year-old Bettis was on a minor league contract with the Yankees, who signed him in February.

“Today I am walking away from the game with my head held high, knowing that I pushed my body as far as it could go physically,” Bettis told Groke.

Bettis entered pro baseball as a 2010 second-round pick of the Rockies, with whom he topped out as Baseball America’s 86th-ranked prospect in 2012. He made his major league debut with Colorado a year later and went on to enjoy multiple solid seasons with the club, despite having to call hitter-friendly Coors Field home. Bettis peaked from 2015-16, a 301-inning stretch in which he recorded a 4.57 ERA/4.11 FIP with 7.06 K/9, 3.02 BB/9, a 50.5 percent groundball rate and 4.5 fWAR.

Unfortunately, Bettis’ effectiveness declined after those two seasons, thanks in part to serious health problems. Bettis underwent surgery for testicular cancer before the 2017 campaign, though he did make his return to the majors later that year and appear with the Rockies in each of the two ensuing seasons. But a hip impingement slowed Bettis last season, after which the Rockies outrighted him.

Bettis’ career, all of which was spent with the Rockies, concludes with 600 2/3 innings of 5.12 ERA/4.59 FIP ball. MLBTR wishes him the best in retirement.

Latest On Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton

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Had the regular season started when it was supposed to in late March, the Yankees would have had to go without the face of their franchise, right fielder Aaron Judge, for a lengthy period of time. A right rib fracture and a punctured lung slowed Judge during the first version of spring training this year, but the slugger now has a chance to be in the Yankees’ season-opening lineup in a month, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Judge, whose injury problems first cropped up in February, has finally returned to hitting off a tee, per Boland. While that doesn’t mean he’ll be ready for Game 1 of the Yankees’ season, it’s still a a positive development for the club, which would have opened a normal season without three of its best outfield options in Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks. Each player was shelved with injuries during the spring, though we now know Hicks expects to return from his October 2019 Tommy John procedure once the season starts.

Like Hicks, Stanton – who dealt with a calf strain during the spring – is a near certainty right now to be part of New York’s opener, according to Boland. Injuries have been a major problem dating back to last season for Stanton, whose second year as a Yankee consisted of a mere 18 games.

Quick Hits: Exhibition Games, 60-Man, Scouting, D-backs, Dodgers, Twins

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There has been some question as to whether the second version of spring training will include any games, but that’s no longer the case. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Major League Baseball has told teams they’ll allow them to schedule up to three exhibition contests apiece before the regular season starts July 23-24. The best case is to have exhibition opponents located in close proximity to one another. However, if a team isn’t near any potential opponents, it can schedule a game(s) versus the first club it will play in the regular season in the days leading up to their opener, according to Rosenthal.

  • Jayson Stark of The Athletic passes along some more information on the 2020 campaign (Twitter links: 1, 2). For one, once a team removes a player from its 60-man player pool, the club won’t be able to bring him back. However, a player will still be able to go back and forth between the major league roster and the taxi squad if a team keeps him in its 60-man group. Also, opposing scouts will not be allowed to attend taxi squad workouts or intrasquad games, relays Stark, who adds that it’s up in the air whether MLB will permit in-person scouting at all this year – including during the playoffs.
  • It’s already known that one Diamondbacks player has recently tested positive for the coronavirus. He’s not the only member of the organization to do so, though, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that “several” of the organization’s minor leaguers and one minor league coach have tested positive over the past week. All of the positives came out of the club’s spring training facility in Salt River, Ariz., but each of those individuals were and are asymptomatic.
  • The coronavirus has also affected the Dodgers and Twins of late. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and other reporters Thursday that members of the Dodgers organization have tested positive, but nobody had “symptoms that were problematic.” Meanwhile, Twins president of baseball ops said (via Phil Miller of the Star Tribune) that “a few” of their players and minor leaguers have tested positive in recent days, though none of those individuals were in Minneapolis or the team’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., at the time.

Mets Sign First-Rounder Pete Crow-Armstrong

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The Mets have signed first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com tweets. He’ll earn the full slot value of his selection, No. 19, with a $3,359,000 bonus.

The 18-year-old Crow-Armstrong, an outfielder from Los Angeles, committed to Ohio State prior to the draft. He entered the proceedings as a top 25 prospect according to Keith Law of The Athletic (No. 10), Baseball America (No. 17), ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (No. 18), MLB.com (No. 20) and FanGraphs (No. 25). Law, the biggest fan of Crow-Armstrong among the bunch, praised his all-around game, especially his defense in center field, writing, “The defensive and positional value give him a higher floor than most teenagers in the class have, and the possibility for a 60 bat with 50 power gives him a star ceiling.”

The Crow-Armstrong deal leaves the Mets with just one unsigned draft pick, second-rounder J.T. Ginn, whose selection (No. 52) comes with a recommended value of $1,403,000. The Mets still have about $2.6MM left in their draft pool, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, so it seems they’re in good position to sign Ginn.

Quick Hits: Fans In Stands, Red Sox, Marlins, Cardinals

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Major League Baseball will allow its teams to decide whether they’ll allow fans in the stands this season “based on local, state ordinances and procedures,” Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Schulman expresses doubt that either the Giants or Athletics will play in front of fans in their stadiums in 2020, though.

It may be a different story for the Marlins, as Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez told Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 that he’ll at least consider allowing spectators at their stadium. The Marlins will first have to come up with an effective social distancing plan, however, and that could be especially difficult with coronavirus cases in Florida rising at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, speaking with Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald and other reporters Wednesday, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said “it’s a possibility” that Fenway Park will be able to host fans sometime this year. Kennedy added “there are clubs around Major League Baseball that are anticipating having fans in their ballparks,” though it remains to be seen whether that will prove to be wishful thinking.

Here’s more from the majors…

  • Kennedy and Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom offered further updates on the franchise, as Mastrodonato was among those to cover on Twitter. Bloom revealed the Red Sox have had one player test positive for the coronavirus, but that individual is no longer exhibiting any symptoms. Those who do test positive are required a 14-day quarantine/monitoring period, and then they have to test negative on multiple occasions before returning, Bloom said.
  • Bloom also spoke on on outfielder Alex Verdugo and right-hander Collin McHugh, two players who have dealt with injuries. A stress fracture in Verdugo’s back slowed him during the first version of spring training, but one of the key components of the Mookie Betts trade will be a full go for Boston when camp resumes in July. And McHugh, still on the mend from elbow problems that limited him in 2019, is making progress. The Red Sox are hopeful he’ll be able to pitch this season, which is his first with the club. Boston signed the ex-Astro to a one-year, incentive-heavy deal in free agency.
  • Back to the Marlins, who recently had a player and a staff member test positive for the virus at their Jupiter, Fla., complex, Craig Mish of Sports Grid reports. Both people are now asymptomatic.
  • The Cardinals have become the latest team to make a financial commitment to their minor leaguers until the conclusion of the campaign, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced Wednesday they’ll pay their minors talent $400 a week through August, the end of a season those individuals likely won’t be able to play.

Amateur Draft Signings: 6/24/20

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Several more draft picks from the second through fifth rounds have agreed to deals with their first-ever major league organizations. Here are the latest updates…

  • The Cardinals announced the signing of second-round pick Masyn Winn on Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch relays. Winn will earn $2.1MM, which is above the $1,338,500 recommended slot value of his pick (No. 54), per Jim Callis of MLB.com. Winn, a Texas high school shortstop/right-hander who committed to Arkansas before the draft, is a legitimate prospect on both ends, according to Callis.
  • The Red Sox have reached a deal on a $1.75MM bonus with third-round choice Blaze Jordan, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It’s a well-above-slot pact for Jordan, a high school third baseman from Mississippi whose pick (89) came with a recommended value of $667,900.
  • The Rangers have inked a pair of picks, third-rounder Tekoah Roby and fifth-rounder Thomas Saggese, TR Sullivan of MLB.com tweets. Roby, a high school righty from Florida who went 86th overall, signed for $775K (recommended slot value: $699,700). Despite coming off the board much later at 145, Saggese received $800K – easily above the $375,200 slot. Saggese is a high school shortstop from California.
  • The Rockies announced the signings of third-round left-hander Sam Weatherly (Clemson) and fifth-round shortstop Jack Blomgren (Michigan). Financial details aren’t yet known in either case. Weatherly’s pick (81) came with a slot value of $755,300, while Blomgren’s (140) was assessed at $394,300.
  • Mets fifth-rounder Eric Orze landed a deal for just $20K, Callis reports. His pick, No. 150, was worth a much more lucrative $357,100. As Callis notes, it’s easy to root for Orze, who has overcome cancer twice. On the mound, the righty from the University of New Orleans offers “an above-average, 92-95 mph fastball, an average slider and an above-average splitter,” Baseball America writes.

Padres Sign 34th, 45th Overall Draft Picks

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The Padres have signed supplemental first-round pick Justin Lange and second-rounder Owen Caissie, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets (links: 1, 2). Lange will earn $2MM, while Caissie agreed to a bonus worth $1,200,004.

As the 34th overall pick, Lange’s selection came with a recommended value of $2,148,100. The Texas-based high school right-hander and Dallas Baptist recruit’s stock rose over the past year, thanks in part to a fastball that has skyrocketed to the 95 to 100 mph range. According to Baseball America, which ranked him as the 50th-best player in this year’s draft class, “Lange has all of the foundational pieces to be an impact pitcher at the next level.” That said, there are concerns about his command and his slider, per BA.

Caissie – the 45th choice – also signed for below slot, as his pick came with a recommended value of $1,650,200. The Canadian high school outfielder, who committed to Michigan before the draft, brings “super-projectable power,” above-average running and a big arm to the table, per Callis. BA only ranked Caissie as the 180th overall player before the draft, though MLB.com was much more bullish in placing him 75th.

With the Padres having secured Lange, Caissie and three other picks, they’re down to one unsigned selection – third-round righty Cole Wilcox. Money shouldn’t stand in the way a deal, though, as Wilcox’s pick (No. 80) carries a slot value of $767,800 and, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune points out, the Padres can still spend up to $3.3MM more.

West Health Notes: A’s, D-backs, Mariners, Giants, Rangers

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Players who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus have the right to opt out of participating this season, but they’d still receive full pay and service time. Athletics reliever Jake Diekman, who has ulcerative colitis and who had his colon removed in 2017, is one of those players. Diekman, however, informed Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he has no interest in opting out of the campaign – at least, not yet. “I’ve never thought once about opting out,” said the southpaw, though he added: “Say two or three guys on the team get it, we’ve all been around each other. I don’t know if I’d opt out in the middle of the season, but it definitely worries you.” Slusser also spoke with A’s utility player Chad Pinder, whose wife is expecting a baby in September, about the season. Pinder said, in part: “We have to do it right — or it just might not work. But there is a risk to this.”

  • An unnamed player on the Diamondbacks tested positive for the coronavirus in Arizona within the last month, general manager Mike Hazen said Wednesday (via Bob Nightengale of USA Today). That player was not using their facility, though, Hazen added. It’s unclear how his recovery has gone.
  • The Mariners have “had a few players test positive” for the virus, general manager Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday (via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Fortunately, Dipoto went on to reveal that “they’re asymptomatic, and they feel great.”
  • More on the Mariners, who are uncertain whether outfielder Mitch Haniger will be ready for the resumption of spring training, according to GM Jerry Dipoto (via Divish). The past year has been an injury-filled nightmare for Haniger, who only played in 63 games in 2019 and then underwent two offseason surgeries – one a core procedure, the other a dissectomy. In better news for the Mariners, reliever Austin Adams – who underwent surgery on a torn ACL last fall – is set for camp. The 29-year-old Adams may have broken out for the Mariners last season with 32 innings of 3.94 ERA ball and a whopping 14.91 K/9.
  • Giants corner infielder Pablo Sandoval and lefties Tony Watson and Tyler Anderson will all be good to go for camp’s return, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets (1, 2). Catcher Aramis Garcia could be ready to come back in mid- to late August, meanwhile, and reliever Reyes Moronta may be set by then or in September. Sandoval had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last September; Watson dealt with shoulder issues before spring training shut down; Anderson underwent a procedure on his left knee last summer; Garcia’s still recovering from February hip surgery; and Moronta’s on the mend from the right shoulder surgery he had in September.
  • Rangers left-hander Joely Rodriguez is back to throwing after suffering a lat strain in April, but he won’t be ready for the start of the season, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Rodriguez should return at some point during the campaign, though. Texas lured Rodriguez back to the majors on a a two-year, $5.5MM contract in free agency after the former Phillie thrived in Japan from 2018-19.

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