Cubs, Athletics In Serious Talks On Hammel And/Or Samardzija
The Cubs and Athletics are in serious discussions regarding a major swap that would deliver Chicago starters Jason Hammel “and/or” Jeff Samardzija to Oakland, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Top Oakland prospect Addison Russell has been discussed, according to the report.
Needless to say, a deal involving both Hammel and Samardzija would represent a stunning early turn in the market. The pair of Cubs hurlers has long been rumored to be among the best arms likely to change hands over the summer. But both were expected to have many suitors, some (but not all) of which would likely overlap.
Though Hammel is expected to bring back some value, there is little doubt that Russell would only be involved if Samardzija was also on his way to Oakland. The 20-year-old shortstop is far and away the A’s best-regarded prospect, with a wide consensus that he is one of the twenty best pre-MLB players in the game. ESPN.com’s Keith Law (Insider link) ranked him as the third-best overall prospect coming into the season, lauding his outstanding across-the-board tools, projectable power, elite hands and arm at short, and overall feel for the game.
Indeed, it is arguable that Russell would be too great a return even for Samardzija. On the other hand, it is difficult to see the A’s landing Samardzija (or any other starter at or above his level) without including Russell. The fall-off in the A’s system comes fairly quickly. Billy McKinney is the team’s consensus second-best prospect, but he (like much of the rest of the organization’s best talent) has yet to advance above High-A ball and does not rate amongst the game’s best-rated young players.
For the A’s, the addition of at least one starter — if not two — makes a good deal of sense. The rotation has been good thus far, but clearly could benefit from an upgrade at the top and/or depth at the back for the playoff push.
Of course, Oakland could also stand to upgrade its options at second base. As Dave Cameron of Fangraphs notes on Twitter, that is another area where the Cubs could potentially add value in a hypothetical deal. Indeed, Luis Valbuena, Emilio Bonifacio, and Darwin Barney are all capable of manning the keystone. And it is not inconceivable that a deal could deliver a somewhat lesser prospect (or prospects) back to Oakland, in order to balance out the A’s sacrifice of future value. Ultimately, there are many plausible permutations that one could imagine coming to pass.
Yankees To Sign Eight Top International Prospects
10:02pm: MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets that Arias received an $800K bonus, and Flames’ bonus is $1MM. Park’s bonus is $1.1MM, he adds in a second tweet.
7:19pm: Scout.com’s Kiley McDaniel reports that the Yankees have signed Venezuelan outfielder Jonathan Amundary for a rumored $1.5MM bonus and Dominican outfielder Antonio Arias for a rumored $1MM (Twitter links).
Amundary is described by Badler as a toolsy project that has a crudeness about many aspects of his game but comes with plenty of upside. He ranked seventh on MLB.com’s list and 22nd on BA’s. Arias ranked ninth on MLB.com’s list and 28th on BA’s. Badler writes that Arias, like Amundary, is all about projection. Sanchez likens him to a Cameron Maybin style player and praises his quick hands, good balance and aggressiveness at the dish.
5:50pm: Badler now reports that the Yankees have inked Korean shortstop Hyo-Jun Park — his No. 18 prospect and No. 13 on MLB.com’s list. Park is a bit older than most prospects, as he is an 18-year-old high school senior out of Korea. Scouts feel he can stick at shortstop with plus speed and athleticism. Sanchez notes that while his power is his weakest tool, some believe he could hit 10+ homers once he adds some strength.
5:36pm: Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that the Yankees have added to their impressive haul on this year’s international market by signing his No. 2 ranked prospect — Dominican outfielder Juan De Leon. The 16-year-old De Leon ranked No. 5 on the Top 30 list of MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Badler notes (subscription required) that he has the potential for plus power due thanks to possessing the best bat speed in this year’s class. De Leon has a strong arm and average speed, and scouts are split on whether he can remain in center field or will have to slide over to right, per scouting reports from Badler and Sanchez.
Also from Badler, the Yankees have signed Venezuelan catcher Miguel Flames, who ranked 16th on BA’s Top 30 and 25th on MLB.com’s list. The former third baseman draws praise for raw power, a strong throwing arm and good plate discipline, but he needs more work behind the plate and may have to move to first in some scouts’ opinions, per Sanchez.
3:05pm: Shortstop Dermis Garcia has agreed to a $3.2MM bonus with the Yankees, reports Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). Garcia landed at the very top of MLB.com‘s list of the top prospects, while checking in at ninth on that of Baseball America, which said the key question is whether he can transition his power into game action. Kiley McDaniel first connected the two sides back in February, with Robert Murray tweeting last month that the two were circling in on an “approximate” $3.2MM bonus that proved to be the final amount.
2:20pm: The Yankees have also agreed to a $1.35MM bonus with Wilkerman Garcia, tweets Sanchez. Garcia, a shortstop, appeared at seventh on Baseball America’s list of the top international prospects and 14th on that of MLB.com.
12:38pm: The Yankees have agreed to a $2.25MM bonus with international prospect Nelson Gomez, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Gomez is an infielder out of the Dominican Republic. Murray also approximated a $2.25MM bonus for Gomez last month (Twitter link).
Prospect analysts agree that Gomez is one of the best players available, with MLB.com ranking him second overall and Baseball America putting him at sixth. He has a large frame and offers power at the plate and with his arm. Those physical tools could play anywhere on the diamond, but of course his value depends in part upon his position. Though MLB.com says there is some chance he could stick at short, BA sees him as a third baseman who could have to shift over to first or into the outfield.
The Yankees have been widely expected to blow past their $2,193,100 bonus allocation, and Gomez’s reported bonus accounts for more than that on its own. The Yankees also inked Diego Castillo for a $750K bonus earlier today.
NL International Signings: Cuadrado, Gonzalez, Rosario
Here are the day’s most notable international prospect signings from the National League (rankings via MLB.com and Baseball America):
- The Dodgers have signed Venezuelan corner outfielder Romer Cuadrado and given him a $750K signing bonus, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Cuardado didn’t crack either Top 30 list, though Badler did note in a report (subscription required) that he has an “extra-large frame” for a 16-year-old (6’4″, 195 pounds) with room to add size. Badler noted that Cuardado has projectable raw power from the right side.
- Shortstops Pedro Gonzalez ($1.3MM) and Yeremy Rosario ($800K) have agreed to terms with the Rockies, according to Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter link), respectively. Gonzalez was rated the 12th-best prospect available by both Baseball America and MLB.com. Rosario, meanwhile, landed at 22nd on the MLB.com list, with opinions varying on whether he is a top young player or instead lacks the ability to stick up the middle.
- Shortstop Kenny Hernandez has signed with the Mets for $1MM, Sanchez reports on Twitter. Hernandez was the 27th-rated prospect by MLB.com but rose all the way to 13th on the Baseball America board.
- The Giants have inked outfielder Sandro Fabian for $500K, reports Sanchez (via Twitter). Fabian hails from the Dominican Republic and can generate hard contact but needs to work on his plate discipline and will likely need to move from center to left field, according to Badler (subscription required).
- The Phillies have signed shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa to a $900K bonus, reports Sanchez (via Twitter). The switch-hitting Venezuelan checked in at eighth on BA’s list and 15th on that of MLB.com. His value appears to be in his legs and defensive ability, though Gamboa is said to be a capable contact hitter. Philadelphia has also inked fellow Venezuelan shortstop Daniel Brito, who was rated 29th overall by BA, according to a report from Badler. Brito receives a healthy $650K bonus, according to Badler.
- The Padres have agreed to terms with catcher Ricardo Rodriguez, who came in at the very bottom of MLB.com’s top-30 prospect list, tweets Sanchez. San Diego also landed a $500K contract with shortstop Elvis Sabala, per another Sanchez tweet.
- Outfielder Christian Capellan has agreed to a $500K deal with the Marlins, tweets Sanchez. The club has also inked Venezuelan outfielder Anderson Castro for $650K, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). Miami is expected to land as many as twelve players today while wielding a bonus that is triple the club’s previous levels, tweets Frisaro. The Fish have just over $4.6MM in available pool space, second-most in the league.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
White Sox Claim Angel Sanchez From Rays
The White Sox have claimed righty Angel Sanchez off waivers from the Rays, tweets Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. He will join the club’s Class-A affiliate.
The Rays claimed Sanchez off waivers from the Marlins last month, only to designate him to make room for the addition of Cory Burns. Sanchez, 24, was part of last year’s Ricky Nolasco deal. Over 61 1/3 Double-A frames on the year, Sanchez owns a 7.04 ERA with 5.3 K/9 versus 2.9 BB/9.
Rays To Sign Adrian Rondon, Jesus Sanchez
2:23pm: Tampa has also reached agreement with outfielder Jesus Sanchez on a $400K bonus, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Sanchez was rated the 27th-best prospect by Baseball America entering the signing period.
11:48am: The Rays have agreed to sign international shortstop prospect Adrian Rondon, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). He will earn a $3.3MM bonus, per Deportes’ Dionisio Soldevila (via Twitter), though he cannot technicaly sign until July 7 because he has yet to turn 16.
Rondon occupies the top slot in Baseball America‘s ranking of available prospects and comes in at third in the view of MLB.com. BA cites his outstanding feel for the game and athletic presence in the middle of the diamond, where he could stick. He is also one of, if not the most advanced hitters available. He makes good, hard contact and has some power projection in his swing and body.
The Rays entered the signing period with only $1,998,100 in pool money at the club’s disposal, well shy of the reported bonus for Rondon. The difference of over $1.3MM would handily exceed the 15% bar, above which the club must both pay a 100% overage tax and give up the ability to sign international prospects for bonuses of over $300K for the next two signing periods.
Red Sox To Sign Chris Acosta, Anderson Espinoza
2:30pm: Espinoza will receive a $200K scholarship in addition to his bonus, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter).
2:00pm: Boston has agreed to sign top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza to a $1.8MM bonus, tweets Ben Badler of Baseball America. Espinoza was rated the best available arm by both BA and MLB.com. As expected, the Red Sox will be hit with the maximum penalty.
11:00am: The Red Sox have agreed to a $1.5MM deal with international prospect Chris Acosta, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports on Twitter. Acosta is a right-hander out of the Dominican Republic.
Baseball America rates him the 11th-best available prospect, while MLB.com had him sitting just one spot outside of the top five. Acosta is said to be advanced for his young age, with room to grow into his frame and increase his velocity. He is already sitting in the upper 80s to low 90s, with a good change and promising curve also in his arsenal.
Entering the signing period, Boston was tied to both Acosta and fellow top righty Anderson Espinoza. With just a shade over $1.88MM available in pool money, Boston is expected to incur the maximum penalties for blowing its budget by at least 15%. Should that occur, the club would pay a 100% tax and receive a two-year ban on July 2 signing bonuses of greater than $300K.
Padres Extend Seth Smith
The Padres have officially agreed to a two-year, $13MM extension with outfielder Seth Smith, as originally reported by MLB.com’s Corey Brock (Twitter links). Smith will earn $6MM next year and $6.75MM in 2016 before an option year in 2017, when the club will decide whether to pay a $250K buyout or $7MM salary, Brock reports on Twitter.
Surprising on several levels, the new contract for Smith will presumably keep him off the upcoming trade and free agent markets. Indeed, he has been assured he will not be dealt, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Smith, a 31-year-old who swings from the left side, was playing out his final year of arbitration eligibility in San Diego after being acquired for reliever Luke Gregerson before the season.
To be sure, Smith has been excellent thus far for the Padres. He owns a .281/.384/.506 triple-slash and 9 home runs through 277 plate appearances. Those numbers are good for a park-adjusted 158 OPS+ and 155 wRC+. Though his defense has never been a strong suit, Smith has still managed to put up 2.2 fWAR and 3.0 rWAR in just about a half-season of work in 2014.
On the other hand, that tally of wins above replacement is more than twice what he has produced on average over the past four seasons. Between moving out of Coors Field (after the 2011 season) and into Petco Park, Smith had slashed .246/.331/.406 with 22 home runs in 851 plate appearances for the A’s. It would be unrealistic to expect Smith to keep up his torrid current pace, of course, though projection systems ZiPS and Steamer like him to maintain a more-than-serviceable 120 wRC+for the rest of the season.
In terms of value, Smith will receive a deal that lands just north of several two-year contracts signed over the last free agent period. David Murphy got two years and $12MM from the Indians, while Rajai Davis and Nate McLouth received two-year pacts for between $10MM and $10.75MM. Put in those terms, the deal appears to be a fair one for both sides, with each avoiding the risk of shifts in second-half performance as well as the unpredictable nature of the open market.
The larger question, it would seem, is whether the contract makes sense for San Diego. Even after a recent run of good play, the club remains 10.5 games back in the NL West and 8.5 out of the Wild Card. Smith looked to be an attractive trade chip in the run-up to the deadline, with his pop from the left side of the dish already drawing calls. Then, of course, there is the fact that the Padres just fired GM Josh Byrnes, and are currently in the process of selecting a new steward while operating under a trio of preexisting executives.
AL International Signings: White Sox, Castillo, Martinez
July 2 is upon us; here are the day’s notable international prospect signings from the American League (rankings via MLB.com and Baseball America):
- The White Sox have made several big-dollar signings: shortstop Ricardo Mota has signed for $750K, second baseman Felix Mercedes will receive a $950K bonus, and catcher Jhoandro Alfaro (brother of Rangers’ prospect Jorge) will get $750K, according to Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com (links to Twitter). Earlier, we learned that shortstop Amado Nunez has agreed to a $900K bonus with Chicago, per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets. The club has announced all four signings, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Nunez is perhaps the highest-rated of the foursome, with MLB.com and BA both rating him the 26th-best available prospect. Though he lacks any eye-popping tools and may ultimately need to move off of shortstop, BA says that his broad-based talents tend to show up in game action.
- The Yankees have agreed to a $750K bonus with shortstop Diego Castillo, tweets MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. The highly-rated Venezuelan prospect (16th by MLB.com, 24th by BA) is small in stature but shows promising skill up the middle and a nice line-drive swing at the plate.
- Julio Martinez has signed with the Tigers for $600K, reports Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). Martinez, an outfielder from the Dominican Republic, placed 19th on MLB.com’s ranking, owing largely to his hit and power tools.
- The Astros have agreed to sign righty Franklin Perez and shortstop Miguel Sierra for $1MM each, reports Sanchez (via Twitter). MLB.com rated them the 21st and 23rd best available prospects, respectively, while Baseball America had them at 15th and 19th on its list. Perez is said to have a good fastball and advanced approach on the mound, while Sierra profiles as a solid all-around player with a line-drive stroke and the ability to stay at short.
- The Twins have reached agreement on a $800K bonus with righty Huascar Ynoa, tweets Sanchez. The younger brother of record-holding international signee Michael Ynoa, the Dominican landed at 17th among available prospects on the MLB.com list and 14th in the eyes of Baseball America, which credits him with outstanding stuff but streaky control.
Brewers To Sign Gilbert Lara
The Brewers have agreed to sign international prospect Gilbert Lara, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). Lara will receive a $3.2MM bonus, according to colleague Dionisio Soldevila (via Twitter).
Milwaukee has long been expected to land Lara, a Dominican shortstop who is expected to move to third base but could ultimately shift across the diamond or into the corner outfield. He is big and strong, and has shown good power in game action. MLB.com liked him as the fourth-best available prospect, with Baseball America slotting him at number five.
That bonus alone would exceed the Brewer’s available international money of $2,611,800 by 22.5%. If that holds, Milwaukee would not only pay a 100% tax on the overage, but would sacrifice the right to sign any player for more than $300K in the next two signing periods. On the other hand, the club could always acquire additional slots (up to 50% of its original total pool) to offset the difference.
Blue Jays To Sign Juan Meza, Kevin Vicuna
The Blue Jays have agreed to an as-yet-unreported bonus with international prospect Juan Meza, reports Baseball America’s Ben Badler. Meza will earn a $1.6MM bonus, according to a tweet from MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Toronto has also agreed to sign shortstop Kevin Vicuna, per Badler.
Meza is a righty who hails from Venezuela. BA rates him as the tenth-best available prospect, citing his feel and repertoire in projecting him as a starter. MLB.com, meanwhile, rated him in the 11th slot. Considered a good athlete, Meza could add velocity as he builds up size and strength. He already has a good change and serviceable slider, though his curveball and (perhaps more importantly) command have lagged somewhat. All indications are that he possesses as much upside as any available pitcher.
The shortstop Vicuna, meanwhile, was rated as the 30th-best prospect by Baseball America. He is a slight-framed, defensively-talented ballplayer whose bat is less developed. Vicuna will need to improve his strength and speed to reach his potential.