Amateur Signing Bonuses: Angels
Next up in our series looking at each club's five largest amateur signing bonuses, the Angels…
- Jered Weaver, $4MM (2004)
- Kendry Morales, $3MM (2004)
- Kaleb Cowart, $2.3MM (2010)
- Troy Glaus, $2.25MM (1997)
- Joe Torres, $2.08MM (2000)
Coming off a junior season at Long Beach State in which he posted a 1.62 ERA with 213 strikeouts and just 21 walks in 144 innings (13.3 K/9, 1.3 BB/9), Weaver was the best pitching prospect in the 2004 draft but fell to the 12th overall pick due to bonus demands. The Scott Boras client held out until the following May (this was before the days of the signing deadline), pitching in an independent league to stay sharp in case he re-entered the draft in 2005. The Angels eventually got him to sign, and just about a year later he was in the big leagues. Weaver has a 3.55 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 144 career big league starts. He earned his first trip to the All Star Game in 2010, leading the AL with 233 strikeouts.
Morales defected from Cuba as a 21-year-old during the summer of 2004, signing with the Angels that December after establishing residency in the Dominican Republic. The $3MM bonus was paid up front as part of his six-year, $4.5MM major league contract. That deal just expired this season, but the Halos still control him as an arbitration eligible player for the next three years. The switch-hitting first baseman is a .284/.336/.502 career hitter in 1,240 big league plate appearances, coming into his own with a 43 double, 34 homer season in 2009.
The third overall pick in 1997, Glaus zoomed through the minors and made his major league debut in July 1998. A three-time All Star with the Angels, Glaus hit 40+ homers twice with the team, leading the AL with 47 big flies in 2000. He was named the World Series MVP during the team's 2002 title run, and overall hit .253/.357/.497 in six-plus years with the Angels before signing with the Diamondbacks as a free agent after the 2003 season. That $2.25MM bonus, a staggering amount at the time, was a tremendous investment. The Angels got their money's worth and then some.
Cowart was the the team's first round pick this year, the 18th overall selection. He hit .192/.214/.308 in just 28 plate appearances down in rookie ball after signing, but his career will begin in earnest next season. Torres flamed out after being the tenth overall pick in 2000, never getting out of Single-A. He missed part of 2003 and all of 2004 after having Tommy John surgery, and left the team as a minor league free agent after the 2006 season. Torres threw 375 innings in the Angels' system with a 5.40 ERA.
Casey Kotchman is right behind Torres at $2.075MM. He was the 13th overall pick in 2001. Mike Trout, the best prospect in baseball and the 25th overall pick in the 2009 draft, was originally asking for $2.5MM to sign last year, but he settled for $1.215MM. Through 807 minor league plate appearances, he's a .344/.426/.489 hitter.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Royals
Time to take our amateur signing bonus series to Kansas City…
- Eric Hosmer, 6MM (2008)
- Alex Gordon, $4MM (2005)
- Mike Moustakas, $4MM (2007)
- Luke Hochevar, $3.5MM (2006)
- Christian Colon, $2.75MM (2010)
You're looking at five of the Royals' last six first round picks, with the lone exception being 2009 pick Aaron Crow. He received a $1.5MM signing bonus as part of his $3MM major league deal.
Hosmer, the third overall pick two years ago, was touted as one of the best high school bats in recent memory. He has lived up to that hype in the minors, crushing Single-A and Double-A pitchers to the tune of .338/.406/.571 with 20 homers as a 20-year-old in 586 plate appearances this season.
Gordon was the best college player in the country when the Royals selected him second overall in 2005, but so far he hasn't delivered on the unrealistic and unfair George Brett comparisons. In parts of four seasons with the big league team, Gordon is a .244/.328/.405 hitter in 1,641 plate appearances, moving from the hot corner to the outfield in 2010. He's still just 26 though, plenty of time left for him to figure it out.
Drafted with the second overall pick in 2007, Moustakas holds the California high school record with 52 career homers. He's continued to mash in the minors, hitting .322/.369/.630 with 36 homers split between Double-A and Triple-A as a 21-year-old this season. Moustakas is Kansas City's third baseman of the future, and he and Hosmer represent prospects 1 and 1A in the game's best farm system.
The lone pitcher on the list, Hochevar was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft after spending a year in an independent league. The Dodgers selected him in the supplemental first round the year before, but after much drama the two sides were unable to work out a contract and he went back into the draft the next year. Hochevar has made 65 starts (and four relief appearances) for Kansas City over the last three-plus years, posting a 5.60 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 387.2 innings.
Colon was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, and his pro debut consisted of a .278/.326/.380 batting line in 271 Single-A plate appearances. His coming out party is set for 2011.
The Royals have the best farm system in baseball, and it's easy to see why. They spend the money needed to sign elite amateur talent, and that extends beyond the first round. Over the last three years, they've spent over $24MM on draft picks, the fifth most in baseball.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Astros
Next up in our series looking at each team's amateur spending, the Houston Astros…
- Ariel Ovando, $2.6-2.8MM (2010)
- Delino DeShields Jr., $2.15MM (2010)
- Chris Burke, $2.125MM (2001)
- Jason Castro, $2.07MM (2008)
- Max Sapp, $1.4MM (2006)
The Astros made a major splash on the Latin American market this summer by signing Ovando, a 16-year-old Dominican outfielder. The exact amount of the bonus isn't known, but it's easily enough to set the franchise record. Ovando's playing career will begin next season.
The son of the man once traded straight up for Pedro Martinez, DeShields was the eighth overall pick in this June's draft and signed for a bonus roughly $100K over slot. He started his career as an 18-year-old down in rookie ball, hitting .289/.337/.395 in just 83 plate appearances. Like Ovando, DeShields' career will begin in earnest next year.
Castro was a bit of a surprise with the tenth overall pick in 2008, but he has more than justified the selection by reaching the majors this June. He hit an unimpressive .205/.286/.287 in 217 plate appearances with the big league club, but that's not out of the ordinary for a 23-year-old rookie backstop. Castro is clearly Houston's catcher of the present and future.
Burke, the tenth overall pick in 2001, reached the big leagues in 2004 and spent the next three full seasons playing all over the field as a super-sub, getting over 350 plate appearances each year. A career .249/.319/.377 hitter with the Astros, Burke was shipped to the Diamondbacks in the Jose Valverde trade in December 2007.
Sapp, the 23rd overall pick in 2006, had his career derailed by a life-threatening battle with viral meningitis, chronic sinus disease, and seizures. He was released earlier this year after hitting .224/.310/.313 in 839 minor league plate appearances. Sapp hasn't played in a game since 2008.
MLBTR Originals: 10/17/10 – 10/24/10
All eyes are on the World Series, but we here at MLBTR are looking ahead to the Hot Stove League. Here's a recap of our original content from the last week…
- Ben Nicholson-Smith tackled the bullpen market, looking at potential relievers for the Diamondbacks and five potential bargain lefties. He also listed some minor league deals that paid off.
- Tim Dierkes looked at the free agent market for left fielders and the trade market for third basemen.
- Luke Adams listed five pitchers that could benefit from a move to the NL, and I rounded up each team's 2011 payroll commitments.
- Ben compared Robinson Cano and Darren O'Day, who don't have much in common beyond a birthday. His series looking at what was said about each GM when they were hired concluded with the NL West.
- The Arbitration Eligibles series continued with the Padres, Dodgers, and Rockies.
- Our series looking at each team's spending on amateur prospects continued with the Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Rockies, Tigers, and Marlins.
- This week's poll questions includes queries about the Mets' next general manager, A.J. Burnett's contract, baseball's model franchise, and the World Series.
- We looked at the free agent stock of Kevin Correia of the Padres, Ty Wigginton of the Orioles, and Derrek Lee of the Braves. We also discussed Jimmy Rollins' next contract.
- Steve Adams broke down the Giants' roster.
- The best of blogosphere was rounded up in this week's Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- This week's chat transcript can be found here.
- Learn about our team and transactons-only feeds here.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Marlins
Next up, a look at the Marlins' spending on amateur players…
- Josh Beckett, $3.625MM (1999)
- Adrian Gonzalez, $3MM (2000)
- Livan Hernandez, $2.5MM (1996)
- Kyle Skipworth, $2.3MM (2008)
- Jason Stokes, $2.027MM (2000)
Touted as the best high school pitching prospect ever, Beckett received the largest contract ever given to a prep pitcher when he agreed to a big league contract guaranteeing him at least $7MM as the second overall pick. He made quick work of the minors, debuting for Florida in 2001. Two years later he was the World Series MVP, and two years after that he was traded to the Red Sox in the blockbuster that brought Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins. Beckett's career with the Marlins consisted of a 3.46 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 609 innings.
Gonzalez was the first overall pick in what is considered one of the worst draft classes in recent memory. He performed well as he steadily climbed the minor league ladder, at least until the Fish traded him and another minor leaguer to the Rangers for Ugueth Urbina to help bolster their bullpen during their 2003 title run. Gonzalez never played a game for the Marlins, and of course has since gone on to star with the Padres.
The Marlins signed Hernandez shortly after he defected from Cuba as a 21-year-old, and less than a year later he was named the 1997 World Series MVP. He remained with the Marlins until the 1999 trade deadline, when he was shipped to the Giants for two players. Livan finished his Marlins' career with a 4.39 ERA in 469.2 innings.
Stokes was selected with the 41st overall pick in 2000 after setting the Texas single-season high school record with 25 homers, but injuries (most notably to his hand and groin) derailed his career. He was pretty much through with baseball by 2007, after a minor league career that saw him hit .275/.349/.507 in 1,904 plate appearances. The Marlins dealt him to Oakland before the 2007 season for John Baker.
Florida took Skipworth with the sixth overall pick in 2008, and he is slowly making his way through the farm system. A career .226/.285/.381 hitter, the 20-year-old had the best season of his career in 2010, hitting .245/.309/.418. It's also worth noting that Miguel Cabrera's $1.9MM bonus (1999) was the largest ever given to a Venezuelan-born player, and stood as the record for close to a decade.
Odds & Ends: Brewers, Marlins, Yankees, Bagwell
A few links to check out as the Giants try to join the Rangers in the World Series…
- Over at RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes lists some Pittsburgh Pirates that could help your fantasy team next season.
- Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com report that Joey Cora and Bob Melvin are among the final candidates for the Brewers managerial opening. Pat Listach was informed that he is no longer considered a candidate for the job according Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel.
- Elsewhere in Milwaukee coaching news, the team has confirmed that Dale Sveum will return as hitting coach on a two-year deal according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). Sveum was a candidate for Pirates' manager job.
- The Marlins have no immediate plans to interview Yankees bench coach Tony Pena for their managerial opening now that New York has been eliminated from the postseason, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun-Sentinel.
- Meanwhile, Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com lists ten issues the Yanks must deal with this offseason, starting with Derek Jeter's contract situation.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets that Jeff Bagwell has informed the Astros that he will not be returning as hitting coach. Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer says (via Twitter) that there are no hard feelings on either side.
- MetsBlog.com's Matthew Cerrone muses about the Mets acquiring a starting pitcher.
- In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney explains how the Rangers were able to take on payroll over the last year despite being bankrupt.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports that when the Mets interview GM candidates Sandy Alderson and Josh Byrnes for a second time this week, they will focus on what each would do in the immediate future, meaning the upcoming offseason.
- Meanwhile, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that because Josh Byrnes is still under contract with the Diamondbacks for the next five years, the Mets would only have to pay him a "reasonable amount" if they hire him as their new GM. That amount would then be deducted from what Arizona is paying him.
- In the wake of their ALCS loss to the Rangers, John Harper of The New York Daily News says that the failed Cliff Lee trade ultimately cost the Yankees.
- Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle thinks there's a case to be made for the Astros signing Lance Berkman this offseason.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post thinks the Rockies should make a run at Javier Vazquez if the price is right (Twitter link).
2011 Payroll Commitments
With the 2010-2011 offseason drawing closer, we're going to start hearing more and more about how much each team is able to spend on their 2011 roster. Some are obviously able to spend more than others, but every team will be impacted by how much money they already have tied up in existing contracts.
Below is a list of the guaranteed money that each team is responsible for next season. Players in their pre-arbitration or arbitration-eligible seasons do not count since they can simply be non-tendered. Buyouts are included, however, as is money owed to former players (like the Dodgers and Juan Pierre) as well as money received from other teams for current players (like the Cubs and Carlos Silva).
Obviously this data is unofficial, but it's a fine ballpark number to reference.
- Angels, $93.667MM: Torii Hunter, Scott Kazmir, and Dan Haren are the big obligations here.
- Astros, $41.25MM: Almost half belongs to Carlos Lee.
- Athletics, $11.48MM: Eric Chavez's $3MM buyout is the biggest commitment.
- Blue Jays, $43.243MM: Lots and lots of Vernon Wells here.
- Braves, $61.867MM: Derek Lowe, Chipper Jones, and Tim Hudson are the biggest obligations.
- Brewers, $32.371MM: Mostly Randy Wolf.
- Cardinals, $81.089MM: Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Chris Carpenter, and Kyle Lohse make up most of this.
- Cubs, $87.925MM: This will go up if/when Aramis Ramirez exercises his $14.6MM player option.
- Diamondbacks, $19.991MM: Chris Young and Mark Reynolds make up more than half of this.
- Dodgers, $61.833MM: This includes Ted Lilly's new deal.
- Giants, $76.933MM: A big chunk of this is going to Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand.
- Indians, $27.455MM: It's all for Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, and Fausto Carmona.
- Mariners, $69.596MM: Ichiro Suzuki is the big hit.
- Marlins, $19.75MM: Almost entirely Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson.
- Mets, $108.763MM: Both Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran are over $20MM.
- Nationals, $29.150MM: Ryan Zimmerman and Jason Marquis are the big earners.
- Orioles, $28.7MM: Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis make up the majority of this.
- Padres, $1.1MM: Just amazing. All of that money is tied up in buyouts for Jon Garland and Yorvit Torrealba, so they technically have no one under contract for next season.
- Phillies, $143.728MM: They owe six players eight-figure salaries next season.
- Pirates, $16.75MM: Ryan Doumit and Paul Maholm are the big commitments.
- Rangers, $32.1MM: Just about half goes to Michael Young.
- Rays, $17.674MM: Ben Zobrist and James Shields make up basically half of this.
- Reds, $42.733MM: Francisco Cordero, Brandon Phillips, and Scott Rolen are making the big bucks.
- Red Sox, $100.506MM: John Lackey, J.D. Drew, and Josh Beckett are almost half of this.
- Rockies, $50.841: Lots of Aaron Cook and Todd Helton in here.
- Royals, $45.53MM: Zack Greinke and Gil Meche will get most of this.
- Tigers, $61.025MM: This is less than half of their 2010 commitments.
- Twins, $72.35MM: Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, and Michael Cuddyer account for almost all of that.
- White Sox, $75.425MM: Most of this goes to Jake Peavy, Alexis Rios, and Mark Buehrle.
- Yankees, $144.612MM: Just wait until they re-sign Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the information used in this post.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Tigers
Time to take our amateur signing bonus series to Motown…
- Jacob Turner, $4.7MM (2009)
- Rick Porcello, $3.58MM (2007)
- Andrew Miller, $3.55MM (2006)
- Eric Munson, $3.5MM (1999)
- Nick Castellanos, $3.45MM (2010)
Turner, a Scott Boras client and the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft, received what was then the largest bonus ever given to a high school pitcher. The total value of his big league contract is $5.5MM with the potential to be worth $7MM. He spent his first pro season in Single-A, and is the team's best prospect thanks to a 3.28 ERA, 8.0 K/9, and 1.8 BB/9 in 115.1 innings.
Before there was Turner there was Porcello, who matched Josh Beckett for the most guaranteed money ever given to a high school arm ($7MM). He reached the majors after just one season in the minors, and has a 4.43 ERA with 2.1 BB/9 and 4.7 K/9 in 333.1 innings for the Tigers. Castellanos was the 44th overall pick this year, and his bonus is the largest ever given to a player outside of the first round. He started his career with a .333/.414/.417 performance in 29 rookie ball plate appearances.
Miller was the consensus top talent in the 2006 draft, but lasted until the sixth pick because of bonus demands. The Tigers were happy to pay him, but they rushed him to the big leagues later that year. Miller posted a 5.69 ERA in 74.1 innings for the Tigers before being traded to Marlins in December 2007 as part of the package for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis.
Munson was the third overall pick in the 1999 draft after a monster collegiate career at USC. His bonus was the franchise record for close to a decade before Porcello came along. Munson received 885 plate appearances for the Tigers from 2000-2004, hitting just .215/.287/.414 along the way. He was granted his release after the 2004 season, and has bounced from team to team ever since.
Amazingly, this list doesn't including Kyle Sleeth (third overall in 2003) and Justin Verlander (second overall in 2004), who received $3.35MM and $3.12MM bonuses, respectively. The Tigers aren't shy about spending on young players, that's for sure.
Poll: Mets’ Next General Manager
After a first round of interviews, the Mets have narrowed their general manager search down to two candidates: Sandy Alderson and Josh Byrnes. Both have experience running a team, Alderson with the A's (1983-1997) and Byrnes with the Diamondbacks (2005-2010), and both surely have different strengths and weaknesses. Byrnes gives them a younger exec perhaps more well-versed in today's game, Alderson a veteran front office presence with deep roots in the game.
Both Alderson and Byrnes will interview for the second time this week, and a decision will presumably be made shortly thereafter. Time for the poll…
Who should the Mets hire to be their next GM?
Click here to vote, and here to see the results.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Rockies
The Rockies are up next in our amateur signing bonus series…
- Tyler Matzek, $3.9MM (2009)
- Greg Reynolds, $3.25MM (2006)
- Jason Young, $2.75MM (2000)
- Troy Tulowitzki, $2.3MM (2005)
- Chin-Hui Tsao. $2.2MM (1999)
Matzek was one of the best prospects available in the 2009 draft, but he fell into the Rockies' lap with the 11th overall pick because of perceived bonus demands. Colorado met those demands, giving him the fourth largest bonus of the entire draft class. Matzek spent 2010 in Single-A, pitching to a 2.92 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 in 89.1 innings as a 19-year-old.
Tulowitzki, the seventh overall pick in 2005, is quite simply the Rockies' franchise cornerstone and one of the five or ten best players in baseball. In four-plus years as Colorado's shortstop, Tulo has hit .290/.362/.495 with top-of-the-line defense. The team has gotten every dollar's worth and then some with this pick and bonus.
Young, the 47th overall pick in 2000, pitched well in the minors before getting his first taste of the big leagues in 2003, and he ultimately put up a 9.71 ERA in 29.2 innings for Colorado before being claimed off waivers by the Indians in August 2005. He was out of baseball by the end of that season. Reynolds was the second overall pick in 2006, and made 13 ugly starts (8.13 ERA, 3.2 K/9, 3.8 BB/9) for Colorado in 2008. He missed basically the entire 2009 season with shoulder surgery and is working his way back.
Tsao's career featured a lot of firsts. He was the first significant international signing in team history, the first player they ever signed out of Asia, and the first Taiwanese-born pitcher in MLB history. His career was riddled with injury, most notably Tommy John surgery in 2001, but he reached the big leagues in 2003. In 63.2 innings for the Rockies from 2003-2005, Tsao pitched to a 5.80 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 before being released in 2006. He pitched in the Chinese Professional Baseball League after his time in MLB was through, but his career came to end earlier this year when he was banned from the league for his role in a game-fixing scandal.