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Twins Sign First-Rounder Aaron Sabato

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5:20pm: Minnesota has announced the signing.

3:50pm: The Twins will sign their first-round pick, first baseman Aaron Sabato, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. He’ll make $2.75MM, which is a bit more than the $2.57MM slot value of the 27th choice.

Sabato’s coming off a two-year run at North Carolina, where he batted .332/.459/.698 with 25 home runs in 368 plate appearances over parts of two seasons. The 21-year-old has earned some comparisons to Mets 2019 NL Rookie of the Year winner Pete Alonso, Mayo notes.

High-profile prospect outlets such as MLB.com, Baseball America, ESPN, The Athletic and FanGraphs ranked Sabato in the high 30s or low 40s in this year’s class. FanGraphs called Sabato a “bat-only prospect,” though BA wrote that he has the raw power to rival Spencer Torkelson, whom the Tigers drafted first overall.

Rays Sign First-Rounder Nick Bitsko

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5:15pm: The signing’s now official, the Rays tweeted.

3:45pm: The Rays will sign first-round right-hander Nick Bitsko, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. He’ll earn $3MM, an increase over the $2.83MM slot value of the 24th overall selection.

Bitsko is an 18-year-old right-hander from Pennsylvania who graduated high school a year early in order to enter the 2020 draft class. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently profiled Bitsko, writing that a good deal of scouts regarded him as the highest-upside hurler available in the draft.  As McDaniel explained then, Bitsko’s a hard thrower with excellent spin rates, though the coronavirus led to the cancellation of his final high school season and stopped teams from getting extensive looks at him in person. Bitsko did, however, impress clubs by posting workouts on social media and interacting via Zoom. In fact, according to Rays scout Zach Clark, Bitsko’s Zoom call with the team was among the reasons they took him.

“I think the Zoom call sent it over the top for our guys,” Clark said.  “Listen to Nick talk about pitching, preparation, what he’s done in the past, you’re like, ’Man, it’s really hard to believe you’re talking to a 17-year-old.’ ”

Shortly after profiling Bitsko, McDaniel ranked him as the 15th-best prospect in the 2020 class. MLB.com (14) FanGraphs (16), Keith Law of The Athletic (18) and Baseball America (19) placed Bitsko in a similar vicinity before the draft.

First-Rounder Nick Gonzales Plans To Sign With Pirates

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Pirates first-round pick Nick Gonzales will take a physical on Wednesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets. Assuming there aren’t any issues, Gonzales plans to sign with the team, according to Mackey. As the seventh overall pick, he’s expected to sign for the slot value of $5,432,400, per Mackey.

The 21-year-old Gonzales was a star at New Mexico State, where he played in the middle infield (primarily second base) and slashed .399/.502/.747 with 37 home runs in 596 plate appearances from 2018-20.

On the heels of his stellar college career, Gonzales entered the draft as a top seven prospect according to MLB.com (No. 5), Baseball America (No. 5), FanGraphs (No. 6) and Keith Law of The Athletic (No. 7). Gonzales “has as much pure hitting ability as just about any bat in the 2020 class,” per MLB.com, which notes that some compare him to Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura.

Undrafted Free Agent Signings: 6/17/20

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Here are the latest undrafted free agent signings from around the majors. Reminder: $20K is the maximum an unpicked player can receive this year…

  • Lamar infielder J.C. Correa will sign with the Astros, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He’ll join his brother, star shortstop Carlos Correa, in the Houston organization. The Astros drafted J.C. Correa in 2018 (33rd round) and ’19 (38th), but he decided not to sign on those occasions because he wanted to earn his degree first. He slashed .315/.368/.469 and swatted 10 home runs over 304 plate appearances at Lamar.
  • Indiana University outfielder Elijah Dunham announced Wednesday that he has signed with the Yankees. Dunham, who didn’t sign after the Pirates selected him in the 40th round in 2019, cracked the top 250 pre-draft rankings of ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel this year and checked in at No. 186 on Baseball America’s list. BA writes that Dunham carries a “balanced offensive profile in a corner outfield spot.”
  • The Braves have added a local product in University of Georgia shortstop Cam Shepherd, Baseball America tweets. He was BA’s top available undrafted senior, and the outlet ranked him as the 298th-best prospect entering the draft. His stock has fallen in BA’s eyes from a year ago, though, as it had Shepherd as the 97th-rated pre-draft prospect then. The Rays took Shepherd in the 20th round in 2019, but he opted against signing.
  • The Indians have signed Fresno State left-hander Jaime Arias for $20K, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com tweets. Primarily a reliever in college, Arias pitched to a 3.56 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 139 innings.
  • The Red Sox have added Grand Canyon University first baseman Cuba Bess, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Bess slashed .313/.425/.517 with 12 home runs in 348 PA as a collegian.
  • The Marlins have picked up Air Force outfielder Ashton Easley, per Craig Mish of Sports Grid. Easley was a .301/.364/.512 hitter with 17 homers across 619 PA in school. The club has also signed VCU infielder Brett Norwood, who batted .303/.425/.440 with seven HRs in 299 college PA.
  • The Twins have inked UNC-Wilmington southpaw Zarion Sharpe, La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune writes. Sharpe stayed in school despite going to the Cardinals in the 19th round a year ago, and he tossed 20 2/3 frames of 2.18 ERA ball with 8.7 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 this season.

Latest On Minor League Pay

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There has been plenty of talk about “billionaires versus millionaires” as Major League Baseball owners and players continue to clash over a potential 2020 season, but minor leaguers aren’t so lucky. They make a pittance in comparison, which is why it’s so important that many teams have committed to paying those players their $400-per-week stipends through the end of a minor league season that likely won’t occur this year.

The Nationals became the latest franchise to make the $400 promise Tuesday when they informed their minor leaguers they’ll earn their weekly pay through September, per Emily Waldon and Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. That continues a welcome change of heart from the reigning World Series champions, who two-plus weeks ago reversed an unpopular decision to cut minor leaguers’ weekly pay to $300 after great internal and external pressure.

In another noteworthy development, the MLBPA announced Wednesday that the MLB Players Trust has pledged $1MM to help minor leaguers over the next few months.

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark stated, in part: “Within the baseball community, minor leaguers have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and many of them will lose a season they will never get back. We will continue to seek ways to support them.”

MLB, MLBPA Still Apart On Length Of Potential Season

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Major League Baseball and the MLBPA seem to be progressing toward an agreement on a 2020 season, but there are still obstacles to overcome. The length of a potential campaign continues to serve as a stumbling block, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who writes that “the mood soured by nightfall with the union seeking a longer schedule.”

There was more hope for peace earlier Wednesday when commissioner Rob Manfred, after a meeting with union chief Tony Clark, said the two sides had “a jointly developed framework that we agreed could form the basis of an agreement.” However, the union remains dissatisfied with the league’s proposed 60-game regular season that would take place over 70 days if it were to end Sept. 27, even though the players would earn 100 percent of their prorated salaries and, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, a $25MM playoff pool.

The union offered an 89-game season in its most recent proposal, so there does still seem to be a lot of ground to make up. Indeed, the players at least want something closer to 70 games, Nightengale writes, though MLB doesn’t want to risk the playoffs extending beyond October because of COVID-19 fears. Notably, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned against late-October baseball on Tuesday. So, along with season length, health and safety measures are surely at the front of the minds of owners and players. Expectations are that they’ll pick up discussions again Thursday in hopes of reaching an agreement by the weekend, Nightengale reports.

Amateur Draft Signings: 6/17/20

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We’ll keep track of today’s amateur draft signing news here…

  • The Tigers have signed fifth-rounder Colt Keith for $500K, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. It’s an above-slot deal for Keith, the 132nd overall selection whose pick came with a recommended value of $426,600. The Mississippi high school third baseman was an Arizona State recruit, notes Callis, who adds that Keith has the ability to hit for average and power at the plate. His arm’s also so strong that he was a legit pitching prospect, per Callis. Notably, Keith was among the top 100 prospects in the pre-draft rankings of Baseball America (No. 57), MLB.com (87) and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (99).
  • The Rockies have reached an agreement with fourth-rounder Case Williams, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. Williams’ pick (110) carried a recommended value of $527,800, but he’ll earn $450K, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. A high school right-hander from Colorado, Williams ranked as FanGraphs’ 231st-best prospect entering the draft.
  • Let’s update a couple previously covered signings that didn’t come with financial information when they were reported: Astros fourth-rounder and 131st overall pick Zach Daniels agreed to a deal worth $400K, down from the slot value of $430,800, according to Callis. Meanwhile, Rays fifth-rounder Jeff Hakanson, the 155th choice, received the full slot value of $340K, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relays.

Red Sox Prospect Noah Song’s Career Put On Hold

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Red Sox right-handed pitching prospect Noah Song’s professional baseball career has been put on hold for at least a year. The Department of Defense has ordered Song, who graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2019, to report to flight school in Pensacola, Fla., by June 26, according to Bill Wagner of the Capital Gazette. The training usually lasts 18 months, per Wagner, who adds that Song will be able to apply for early release by May 2021. However, Wagner hears that it’s atypical for such a request to be granted at the midpoint of training.

A fourth-round pick of the Red Sox last June, the hard-throwing, 23-year-old Song got off to an excellent start in his first action as a pro – albeit over a small sample of just 17 innings. Pitching at the Low-A level, Song logged a minuscule 1.06 ERA with 19 strikeouts against five walks. Song now ranks fifth among Red Sox prospects at FanGraphs, sixth at MLB.com and 10th at Baseball America. He may have been a first-rounder if not for his military committment, per FanGraphs, while MLB.com opines that he was the top senior in his draft class.

In regards to his future, Song wrote in a statement (via Wagner): “I am fortunate to have two ‘Plan As’ in life: I want to serve my country as a naval aviator and play baseball for the Red Sox. I will continue to do all I can to accomplish both, and I sincerely appreciate the support I have received from the Navy and the Red Sox in reaching those goals.”

Vice Admiral Sean Buck, Superintendent of the Naval Academy, wrote, “The Naval Academy is proud of what Ensign Song has accomplished and is hopeful he will achieve his goals as a naval officer and professional baseball player.”

Pirates, 2nd-Rounder Jared Jones Agree To Deal

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The Pirates have agreed to terms with second-round pick Jared Jones, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was among those to report. Financial details of the deal aren’t known yet, but Jones’ pick, No. 44, comes with a recommended slot value of $1,689,500. The Pirates are fifth in the majors in available bonus pool space at $11,154,500.

The high school right-hander from California had a fallback in the University of Texas – to which he committed before the draft – had he been unable to reach an agreement with the team that picked him. Jones will instead continue his development as a pro after a dominant run as a high school pitcher and hitter. The 18-year-old logged a 0.89 ERA with 255 strikeouts and 78 walks in 180 1/3 innings, and he slashed .394/.473/.566 at the plate, according to Gorman.

Prior to the draft, Jones came in 41st at Baseball America, 51st in the rankings of ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, 55th at MLB.com, 85th in the rankings of Keith Law of The Athletic, and 91st at FanGraphs. Despite his prowess as a two-way player, MLB.com writes that Jones’ “future is definitely on the mound,” as he owns a repertoire that consists of a high-90s fastball with a promising slider and changeup.

AL Notes: Sox, Astros, Yankees

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Checking in on a few American League franchises…

  • White Sox first-round pick Garrett Crochet will arrive in Chicago sometime this week for a physical, Scott Merkin of MLB.com tweets. Crochet fully intends to sign with the club. “After we get the contract all buttoned up, I should be signing. Yeah, it’s not completely official, but should be here in a few days’ time,” said Crochet, a left-hander from Tennessee whom the White Sox chose 11th overall. His pick carries a recommended slot value of $4,547,500.
  • The Red Sox turned to one of their most valuable players to help lure an undrafted free agent, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com details. In an effort to land St. Joseph’s University right-hander Jordan DiValerio, Boston enlisted the help of ace Chris Sale. DiValerio told Cotillo he received a text Sunday from his agent, who said, ‘”Hey, expect a call from Chris Sale.’ I was like, ‘No way. Are you serious?’ And then, he told me if I got a call from a random number, to pick it up.” While DiValerio was already leaning toward the Red Sox at that point, the call from Sale only helped the club’s cause. “He said it’s one of the best, if not the best organization in baseball,” DiValerio stated. “He said once you get in, the family environment is really just incredible. He’s so happy to be a part of it. He told me I’m going to be happy to be in it as well.”
  • Owner Jim Crane informed Astros employees Tuesday that the team will not lay off or furlough anyone through the end of October, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. However, any member of the staff who makes $100K or more will have to take a pay cut.
  • The Yankees, meanwhile, have told their staff that they’ll continue with the status quo in terms of employment and pay, per James Wagner of the New York Times. The team had previously only committed to them through June 15.

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