Nationals Spend Big In Draft
The Nationals committed almost $17MM to their top six draft picks this year: $7.2MM to Anthony Rendon, $2MM to Alex Meyer, $4.15MM to Matt Purke, $3MM to Brian Goodwin, $325K to Kylin Turnbull, and $161,100 to Matt Skole. The figures for Rendon and Purke reflect the guarantees on their Major League deals. Links for the team's record draft bonanza:
- "We're the talk of the industry right now," GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Rizzo said he finalized deals with Scott Boras advisees Rendon, Meyer, and Goodwin "at the buzzer" last night. Rizzo said that for the first time in his career, he signed four draft picks that he considers to be first-round talents. Yesterday was "a huge day in the history of the Washinton Nationals," in the opinion of vice president of player personnel Roy Clark.
- The Nationals had the parameters of a deal with Purke by late Saturday into Sunday morning, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The southpaw dropped to the third round due to a shoulder injury and his expected asking price, but was willing to allow the Nationals to fully evaluate his health. Rendon will start his professional career at third base, notes Ladson.
- The Nationals' farm system now has depth and star power, writes Kilgore.
American League Over Slot Signings
Most teams will exceed MLB's slot recommendations on at least a few players. Here's the latest on such signings from the American League:
- The Mariners signed second rounder Brad Miller for $750K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
- The Orioles signed sixth rounder Nicky Delmonico for $1.525MM, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Earlier on, the Orioles agreed to sign second rounder Jason Esposito for $600K, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (on Twitter). Before that, the Orioles signed 26th round pick Zach Davies for $575K, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis. The high school righty has drawn some Mike Leake comparisons, writes Callis. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun was told last night that this deal isn't done, but it could be headed in the right direction.
- Red Sox seventh rounder Cody Kukuk signed for $800K, according to Callis (on Twitter). Boston also signed fourth rounder Noe Ramirez, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The right-hander obtains a $625K bonus, according to Speier and Callis.
- The Blue Jays signed seventh rounder Christian Lopes for $800K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Blue Jays also signed 13th round pick Matt Dean, tweets Callis. The high school third baseman signed for $737.5K, tweets ESPN's Keith Law. BA considers him the best prep third base prospect in the draft.
- The Yankees signed Greg Bird for $1.1MM, according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. The Yankees signed sixth rounder Jake Cave for $825K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The Yankees also signed third rounder Jordan Cote for $725K, according to Callis. The high school right-hander has a fastball in the 90 mph range and stands 6'5". Earlier today, the Yankees signed 20th round pick and high school lefty Daniel Camarena for $335K, tweets Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA.
- The Indians signed 18th rounder Shawn Armstrong for $325K, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Indians also announced that they have signed second round right-hander Dillon Howard. He gets a $1.85MM bonus, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (on Twitter).
- The Royals signed 16th rounder Jack Lopez for $750K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The Royals have also signed third rounder Bryan Brickhouse for $1.5MM, reports Callis. The high school right-hander received the second largest bonus outside of the top 18 picks so far. Earlier today, the Royals signed fourth round pick and high school righty Kyle Smith for $695K, reports Callis. The Royals also signed 29th round pick Jake Junis for $675K, reports Callis. Junis, an athletic high school righty from Illinois, is represented by Frontline.
- The Angels have agreed to terms with sixth rounder Austin Wood, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The USC righty got $150K.
- The Twins signed tenth rounder Brett Lee for $150K, according to John Manuel and Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
- The Tigers signed 15th round pick and high school outfielder Tyler Gibson for $525K, tweets Rogers.
National League Over Slot Signings
Though MLB would prefer to keep a lid on it, many signings exceeding their slot recommendations will be revealed by reporters today. The latest from the National League:
- The Mets signed 11th rounder Christian Montgomery for $250K, according to Callis. They also signed third rounder Logan Verrett for $425K, according to Callis (Twitter links). Earlier today, the Mets signed high school shortstop Brad Marquez for $325K, reports Callis. Since Marquez also plays football, his bonus will be spread over three years. The Mets also signed 15th round pick and high school middle infielder Philip Evans for $650K, reports Callis.
- Reds 22nd rounder Amir Garrett obtained a $1MM two sport deal that will be spread over five years, Callis tweets.
- The Giants signed second rounder Andrew Susac for $1.1MM according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. They also signed sixth rounder Josh Osich for $450K, according to Callis on Twitter.
- The Phillies signed fifth rounder Mitch Walding for $800K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). The Phillies have also signed second rounder Roman Quinn for $775K, reports Baseball America's Conor Glassey (Twitter links). Callis says the high school outfielder was the fastest legitimate prospect in the draft.
- The Cubs signed 11th rounder Shawon Dunston Jr. to a $1.275MM deal, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Cubs also agreed to sign second rounder Dan Vogelbach for around $1.6MM, according to Rogers (Twitter links). The Florida high schooler has lots of power from the left side, according to Callis.
- The Nationals signed fourth round left-hander Kylin Turnbull for $325K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
- The Reds signed 23rd rounder Sal Romano for $450K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). The Reds also signed 43rd rounder Ty Washington, according to Rogers (on Twitter). Callis reports that the second baseman obtains a $300K bonus (Twitter link).
- The Pirates signed ninth rounder Clay Holmes, who was asking for a $1.2MM bonus, according to Callis (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals signed second rounder Charlie Tilson for $1.275MM, according to Callis (Twitter link). The high schooler is a speedy leadoff type who plays center field.
- The Dodgers signed fourth rounder Ryan O'Sullivan for $100K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
- The Brewers signed 18th rounder Chris McFarland for $315K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The high school infielder has solid tools across the board.
- The Cubs signed hard-throwing college reliever Tony Zych, a fourth rounder, for $400K, tweets Callis. The Cubs also signed 25th round pick Rock Shoulders for $294K, tweets Callis. The first baseman came out of a Florida junior college.
- The Diamondbacks signed fifth round pick Michael Perez for $235K, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis. Perez is a high school catcher out of Puerto Rico.
Athletics Place Harden, Crisp, Breslow On Waivers
A trio of Athletics were placed on waivers recently, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports: starter Rich Harden, center fielder Coco Crisp, and lefty reliever Craig Breslow. Placing the three on waivers does not necessarily mean the A's want to trade them. But if they were placed this afternoon then the clock is now ticking to make a claim, with the window closing after 48 hours.
The Red Sox pulled out of a trade deadline deal for Harden over physical concerns, but the 29-year-old righty continues to take his turn in the rotation for the A's. His big-time strikeout rate is back in an eight start sample, though Harden remains prone to free passes and home runs. Owed just $360K plus performance bonuses, claiming Harden would not be terribly risky despite his extensive injury history.
Crisp, 31, is hitting .274/.329/.392 in 441 plate appearances this season, already his highest total since '07. He leads the American League with 37 steals and his defense is typically well-regarded. He has a shot at Type B status, so the A's probably won't let him go for nothing. Crisp has about $1.39MM remaining on his contract.
Breslow is under team control through 2013, assuming he's tendered contracts for the next two seasons. The brainy 31-year-old has been hittable this year, especially against left-handed hitters.
Tigers Acquire Delmon Young
In a surprising intra-division deal, the Twins announced today that they've traded left fielder Delmon Young to the Tigers for minor league lefty Cole Nelson and a player to be named later. The press release notes that the PTBNL must be chosen on or before October 15th. The Tigers already had an open spot on the 40-man roster for Young. It's not yet clear whether Young cleared waivers, or just made it past the seven American League clubs that would have allowed the Tigers to win the claim. Young won't have to alter his plans, as the Twins were headed to Detroit tonight to begin a three-game set.
Young, 25, is hitting just .266/.305/.357 in 325 plate appearances in a season that has included separate DL stints for oblique and ankle strains. Though he's generally regarded as a subpar defender, his UZR is positive in this year's 642 inning sample. Young (pictured) is under team control through next year, but with a mild raise likely from this year's $5.375MM salary, the Twins weren't necessarily going to tender him a contract in December. By trading Young now, the Twins saved about $1.3MM in salary.
Drafted first overall by the Rays in 2003, Young was the key part of the '07 challenge trade that sent Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza to Tampa Bay. He hasn't lived up to his potential, posting solid batting averages but failing to draw walks or hit for power outside of his .493 slugging percentage last year. Still, a year ago it was hard to picture the Twins moving Young, especially to a division rival.
With the Tigers' Brennan Boesch expected to return from a strained thumb tonight and Young now in the mix, the job of right fielder Magglio Ordonez is in jeopardy.
Nelson, 22, has a 4.87 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and 0.5 HR/9 in 105 1/3 innings for the Tigers' High-A club this year. He's spent time in the rotation and bullpen. As our transaction tracker shows, this is the first trade between GMs Dave Dombrowski and Bill Smith.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Astros Choose Santana To Complete Pence Trade
The Astros have selected outfield prospect Domingo Santana from the Phillies as the player to be named later to complete the Hunter Pence trade, tweets Alyson Footer. The Astros had previously acquired prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, and Josh Zeid from the Phillies for Pence and $2MM on July 29th.
Santana, 19, is hitting .269/.345/.434 in 391 Low-A plate appearances this year while playing right field and DH. Baseball America ranked him ninth among Phillies prospects prior to the season, praising his athleticism and raw power.
Marlins Notes: Ramon Vazquez, Morrison, Fernandez
The latest on the Marlins…
- The Marlins signed infielder Ramon Vazquez, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The 34-year-old last appeared in the Majors with the Pirates in '09; this year he's played for the Triple-A affiliates of the Cardinals and Blue Jays. Presumably he'll head to Triple-A for Florida.
- The Marlins took a hit in credibility in optioning Logan Morrison to Triple-A and telling him it was because of his batting average, writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs.
- Marlins' first round draft pick Jose Fernandez has an interesting back story as a Cuban defector. Drafted 14th overall, the Fish appear to have offered Fernandez a bonus right around the $1.6MM slot so far. His advisor, Richard Arena of Team One Management, told Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on August 7th, "It’s definitely going to get done. There’s no question."
Explaining Major League Deals For Draft Picks
2011 draft pick Trevor Bauer already received a Major League deal from the Diamondbacks, and a few more players might receive one today. Via email, Baseball America's Jim Callis named Gerrit Cole (Pirates), Danny Hultzen (Mariners), Dylan Bundy (Orioles), and Anthony Rendon (Nationals) as candidates. Be sure to follow Jim on Twitter to get all of the latest draft pick signing scoops.
In a 2008 article, ESPN's Keith Law explained that "a typical minor league contract signed by an amateur player will fix his signing bonus and his salary for the first year of his minor league playing career." A Major League deal, meanwhile, benefits the player by placing him on the 40-man roster and therefore making it easier to promote him to the Majors later. The player also has the potential of seeing a domino effect on future salaries, as his salary cannot be less than 80 percent of his total compensation from the previous year. For example, the Tigers' Rick Porcello is earning $1.536MM even though he is not arbitration eligible until after the season, and that lifts up all his future salaries.
The team loses roster flexibility with a Major League deal for a draft pick, though it gains the advantage of lowering the average annual value by spreading it over multiple years. This advantage can be gained through two-sport deals without the sacrifice of a 40-man spot. Callis notes that Bubba Starling and Archie Bradley will get this type of contract.
Players have three or four years in which they can be optioned to the minors without clearing waivers, and with a Major League deal the first option is typically going to be used in the player's first year. This sometimes accelerates a player's timetable and forces the team's hand.
Nine teams currently have at least one opening on the 40-man roster, though as one baseball source noted, most teams have two or three guys they could easily remove this time of year.
What Lies Ahead For The Boras Corporation
The Boras Corporation regained the top spot last offseason with big deals for Jayson Werth, Adrian Beltre, Carlos Gonzalez, and Rafael Soriano. Several of the likely $100MM+ players for the 2011-12 offseason – Albert Pujols, C.C. Sabathia, and Jose Reyes – are not represented by Boras, but let's see what lies ahead for baseball's most notorious agency after the situations of top draft picks like Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon are resolved today.
Boras has six notable free agents, unless he swipes a few more clients before the offseason begins.
- Prince Fielder is only 27 years old and ranks second in the NL with a .987 OPS. Power pays on the free agent market, and Fielder could be the second player in baseball history to receive a $200MM contract. However, if the Cubs don't get serious about the slugger, Boras will have to be creative in finding a few teams to create a bidding war.
- It'll be interesting to hear how Boras spins Edwin Jackson, owner of a career ERA of 4.53. Maybe the pitch will be that he's 27, he throws 95, he's consistently healthy (last night's hamstring injury notwithstanding), he's on the upswing, and we still haven't seen the best of him. Four years and $50MM wouldn't surprise me.
- A strong, healthy finish would go a long way for Carlos Beltran, who hasn't done much with the Giants and is battling a strained hand. We heard in July that Boras could aim for five years and $70MM, and I've suggested a four-year, $52MM finishing point, but so much depends on Beltran's finish. With Beltran turning 35 in April, that fourth year will be a tough sell.
- Boras has a couple of quality relievers in Ryan Madson and Francisco Rodriguez. As a 30-year-old with rare consistency for a reliever, Madson is positioned for a surprisingly big contract, maybe four years and perhaps a salary over $8MM per year. K-Rod's status is similarly strong, save for last year's stint on the disqualified list.
- Boras found Carlos Pena a $10MM deal coming off a .196 batting average. The numbers are a little better this time around, but it's hard to commit multiple years to a regular who hits around .220.
- The agency has many other once-prominent free agents, but Magglio Ordonez, Johnny Damon, Ivan Rodriguez, Andruw Jones and the like don't figure to score big contracts. Additionally, it's hard to picture Rafael Soriano opting out of his deal with the Yankees.
Boras has no shortage of arbitration eligible clients. The biggest names:
- Elvis Andrus, Dexter Fowler, Ian Kennedy, and Max Scherzer are among those who will be eligible for the first time. No records will be broken here, but Scherzer should push $4MM.
- Boras' second timers include Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Jair Jurrjens, and Mike Pelfrey. Ellsbury won't get close to Miguel Cabrera's $11.3MM record, but he should get into the $6MM range. An MVP award would provide a nice salary boost for Ellsbury.
- The agency's notable third timers are Jered Weaver, Michael Bourn, and Jonathan Sanchez. Weaver is already the first and second time arbitration record holder for starters, and this winter he figures to topple Carlos Zambrano's $12.4MM mark for a third time starting pitcher.
Draft Pick Signing Deadline Is Tonight
The draft pick signing deadline is upon us, at 11pm central time tonight. Baseball America's Jim Callis explains what to expect, with 98 of the first 331 picks still unsigned. Several records figure to be broken, as most remaining players will sign on deadline day. MLB Network's Peter Gammons says on Twitter that teams are trying to use the possibility of slotting becoming part of the next collective bargaining agreement as leverage, while advisors counter by saying the players union won't accept slotting and 2012 has an inferior draft class. One more good read comes from former Nationals GM Jim Bowden at ESPN, as Bowden dissects the differences among negotiations for Ryan Zimmerman, Aaron Crow, and Danny Espinosa.
Baseball America, Keith Law, Kevin Goldstein, and others will be breaking news of signings throughout the day, and we'll cover it all here at MLB Trade Rumors. Click here for our updated list of first and supplemental round picks to sign; this post covers the first 60 picks overall. Today each of the remaining 23 first-rounders will receive a post. Additionally, the ten remaining supplemental round picks will have their statuses updated in one post. Finally, we'll have two more constantly-updated posts noting over-slot signings the American and National Leagues. If you'd like to know instantly any time we update a post, follow us on Twitter.