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Orioles “Seem Likely” To Sign Kevin Gausman

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The Orioles have made "significant progress" in negotiations with first-round draft pick Kevin Gausman and a "deal seems likely" before tomorrow's signing deadline, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. 

It was just three days ago that Gausman seemed to be leaning towards pitching for LSU, though the O's increased their contract offer in the interim.  Baltimore's previous offer that was "close" to the $4.2MM recommended slot bonus for the fourth overall pick, while Gausman and his reprentatives were known to be looking for a bonus of slightly beyond $4.2MM.  The two sides have until 4 PM CST on Friday to complete an agreement.

Draft Notes: Indians, Giolito, Gausman, Mets

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We're less than a day away from the draft signing deadline, as teams have until 4 PM CST on Friday to sign their picks.  Here's the latest on the status of some high-round picks who have yet to agree to terms, plus some signings…

  • The Indians have signed fourth-round pick D'vone McClure, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  McClure signed for a $750K bonus, more than double the recommended slot price of $314.7K.
  • The Nationals can pay Lucas Giolito just under $2.813MM without going over the draft spending cap, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, citing calculations from Baseball America.  MLB's recommended slot price for the 16th overall pick is $2.125MM.  Kilgore outlines the situation surrounding Giolito, who the Nats say they will not sign to a contract that puts them over the spending cap and causes the team to incur a fine.
  • "We are making progress. We’re waiting to hear their next proposal," Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) about the club's negotiations with first-rounder Kevin Gausman.  The fourth overall pick has a slot price of $4.2MM, which Gausman and his representatives are looking to "slightly" exceed, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
  • The Mets are at a "standstill" with second-round pick Teddy Stankiewicz, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  Callis hears that Stankiewicz is willing to sign for the recommended slot price for the 75th overall pick ($680.4K) but the Mets haven't offered that large of a bonus.
  • The Giants have signed third-rounder Mac Williamson, tweets Baseball America's Nathan Robe.  Williamson will receive a $390K bonus, which is under the $412.3K recommended price for the 115th overall pick.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo outlines the rules of the newly-instituted Competitive Balance Lottery, which takes place on July 18 and will distribute six total bonus picks among low-revenue and small-market teams for the 2013 amateur draft.

Heyman On Yankees, Garza, Upton, BoSox, Jays

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CBS Sports' Jon Heyman discussed how baseball reporting is evolving in the age of social media and a 24/7 news cycle (while giving MLB Trade Rumors a tip of the cap), joked about the infamous "mystery teams" that often dominate the rumor mill and also shared some hot stove chatter during his appearance on Jonah Keri's Grantland podcast.  Here are some of the highlights…

  • The Yankees have mostly stayed away from major trade deadline moves under Brian Cashman and Heyman suspects the team will largely stand pat this month.  There are no glaring needs on the roster plus the first-place Yankees will get a boost from Brett Gardner's return from the DL.
  • If the Yankees did make a move for pitching, Matt Garza would be at the top of their list.  The Red Sox and Blue Jays are also interested in Garza, not to mention the Dodgers and Tigers, among other clubs.
  • When the Diamondbacks toyed with putting Justin Upton on the trade market two years ago, they discussed a deal with the Red Sox that would have sent Upton to Boston in exchange for Jacoby Ellsbury and Daniel Bard.
  • The Red Sox and Blue Jays have the same record but the Sox are "more fully invested" in contending this season, while Heyman thinks the Jays' pitching injuries may prevent from making a true push at the deadline.
  • Heyman thinks Zack Greinke is a "longshot" to re-sign with the Brewers but the club will at least make him a long-term offer before exploring possible trades before the deadline.  The Angels and Braves are two of the teams expected to be in on Greinke should Milwaukee make him available.
  • Surprise contenders like the Mets, Orioles and Pirates will look to upgrade themselves for a pennant race, though Heyman thinks these teams are "probably all realistic about their chances" and won't sacrifice their rebuilding process by trading any of their blue chip prospects.  The Mets are looking for a veteran bullpen arm, the Orioles a veteran starter and the Pirates a corner outfielder, such as Carlos Quentin or Josh Willingham if the Twins were to make him available.
  • Beyond Greinke, Josh Hamilton, Cole Hamels and a few other notables like Michael Bourn or Melky Cabrera, Heyman feels this year's free agent crop is "not a star-studded class."  The free agent market has been dimmed by the preponderance of teams who lock their young stars up to multiyear contracts early in their careers.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Longoria, Encarnacion, BoSox

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It was on this day in 1997 that Roger Clemens struck out 16 Red Sox batters to lead the Blue Jays to a 3-1 win at Fenway Park.  It was Clemens' first appearance in Boston since he signed a free agent contract with Toronto the previous winter, and there were some definite hard feelings — Clemens punctuated several of his strikeouts with glances up towards the Fenway luxury boxes and then-Sox GM Dan Duquette.

Here's the latest from around the AL East…

  • Speaking of Duquette, the current Orioles executive VP tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he is looking for a hitter with on-base skills to bat first or second in the Orioles' lineup.  Connolly speculates that Shane Victorino could fit that bill though the O's would have to outbid several other teams if the Phillies made Victorino available.
  • Duquette didn't completely rule out dealing a major prospect like Manny Machado or Dylan Bundy, but such a deal is very unlikely.  "They can be really good major leaguers for a really long time,” Duquette said. “That’s the way I look at it. I don’t know that we want to send them to another ballclub for two months or 10 starts of a pitcher. I don’t think that’s the kind of trade we’d want to make. But we want to advance our team in the pennant race.”  (Quotes courtesy of Connolly's Twitter feed).
  • Evan Longoria's recovery timeline will "influence" what the Rays will do at the trade deadline, Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).  Longoria is expected back in August though the third baseman has already experienced one setback during his recovery from a torn hamstring.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including Sportsnet's Shi Davidi) that with Edwin Encarnacion's extension settled, the team can now focus on acquiring pitching.  Anthopoulos also said he "didn't have any intention of trading" Encarnacion, though ESPN's Jayson Stark reported earlier today that the Jays were checking on trade interest in Encarnacion just last week.
  • The Yankees have wrapped up negotiations with first-round draft pick Ty Hensley and are waiting to hear if the right-hander will accept their offer before tomorrow's draft signing deadline, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
  • The Red Sox are almost obligated to be active at the trade deadline, says ESPN's Tim Kurkjian during a radio appearance on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show.  (WEEI.com's Morley Quatroche has a partial transcript.)  “I think they’re going to have to be buyers because they’re the Red Sox,” Kurkjian said. “And they can’t give up on a season….The Red Sox have to go out and get somebody. They have to go out and get another starting pitcher, whether it’s Ryan Dempster or Zack Greinke. It’s going to take an enormous amount to do it.”  Kurkjian also discusses such topics as Carl Crawford's injury, Bobby Valentine's managerial style and the mood in the Sox clubhouse.
  • For most Boston-related material, here's a collection of Red Sox notes from earlier today, plus news about trade interest in the team's backup outfielders.

Stark On LaHair, Encarnacion, Orioles, Vargas

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Here's some news from the Twitter feed of ESPN's Jayson Stark…

Quick Hits: Draft, Headley, Phillies, Pence

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For the most part, the new draft system has reined in costs and pushed players to sign early, writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.  However, six first-round picks remain unsigned as the Friday deadline approaches.  Of course, the draft pool limit should keep the drama in check as teams are unwilling to overspend to the point where they have to forfeit draft picks.  The two most interesting teams to watch figure to be the Pirates (Mark Appel) and the Nationals (Lucas Giolito), Mayo writes.  Links from around baseball as Wednesday turns into Thursday..

  • If the Padres make Chase Headley available, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter) expects the Orioles to inquire on him.  For his part, the third baseman has said that he would prefer to remain in San Diego.
  • Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence might have the most trade value of anyone on the team, including Cole Hamels, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Pence, 29, should make close to $15MM through arbitration for 2013.
  • It may seem like a no-brainer for the Phillies to have an all-out fire sale, but Richard Justice of MLB.com writes that it's not quite that simple.  Philadelphia is leading the majors in attendance for a second straight year and their core players believe that they can still make a run in 2012.  Regardless, one has to imagine that Ruben Amaro Jr. & Co. will make trades with the future in mind.
six first-round picks who haven't signed

International Signings: Pirates, Orioles

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The Diamondbacks signed Colombian catcher Oswaldo Garcia and Dominican shortstop Fernery Ozuna, as MLBTR noted earlier today. Here are some more noteworthy international signings:

  • The Pirates announced that they signed 16-year-old Dominican Michael DeLaCruz. The outfielder obtained a $700K bonus, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter links). “He is a young player with … tools that are still developing,” Pirates director of Latin American scouting Rene Gayo said. “He is also an instinctive and aggressive performer with a very strong opportunity to be a five-tool player.” If the name sounds familiar, it's because the Pirates recently signed Dominican third baseman Julio Delacruz for $700K.
  • The Pirates are waiting to sign three more Dominican players for a combined total of $750K or so, Biertempfel adds.
  • The Orioles signed Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia to a minor league contract with a bonus of $779K, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 25-year-old's bonus won't count against Baltimore's $2.9MM pool for the 2012-13 international signing period. Urrutia is an athletic switch-hitter who could begin his professional career at Double-A, according to Baseball America.

Draft Notes: Giants, Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays

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The deadline to sign draft picks is 4pm CT this Friday. Here are the latest deals…

  • The Giants signed second round pick Martin Agosta for $613K, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The right-hander can touch 96 mph and his fastball regularly checks in between 90-92 mph.
  • The Orioles have made a new offer to fourth overall pick Kevin Gausman and "still feel pretty confident" they will sign him, reports Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. Earlier this week we heard that the right-hander from LSU was leaning towards returning to school for his senior season.
  • The Blue Jays have signed 15th rounder Ryan Borucki to an above-slot $426K bonus, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The high school right-hander from Illinois can throw his fastball in the low-90s but had an elbow issue in March.

J.C. Romero Elects Free Agency

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Left-hander J.C. Romero opted out of his deal with the Orioles and elected free agency, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Orioles signed the 14-year MLB veteran a month ago and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.

The Cardinals signed Romero to a one-year deal worth $750K plus incentives back in December only to release him six weeks into the season. After signing on with the Orioles the 35-year-old MDR Sports Management client posted a 2.51 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 14 1/3 innings (17 appearances) at Norfolk. He has a 4.15 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 657 1/3 career innings.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Longoria, Perez

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Though fourth overall selection Kevin Gausman recently said he’s leaning toward returning to LSU, Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports the team intends to reach a deal with its top pick. Duquette says the sides have made progress toward an agreement and Morosi reports that the Orioles have already offered Gausman "close" to MLB's recommended $4.2MM bonus. Here’s the latest from the AL East…

  • There’s lots of concern about Evan Longoria’s absence in Tampa Bay and no guarantee the Rays third baseman will return in 2012, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Longoria has been sidelined since the beginning of May with a partially torn hamstring.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig says it’s “inexcusable” to see the Rays ranked 29th in attendance, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter). “Nobody can defend that," Selig said. The commissioner added that he'll continue "discussions" with Rays ownership, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes (on Twitter).
  • Blue Jays left-hander Luis Perez will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a ligament in his left pitching elbow, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes.
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