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White Sox To Sign Keon Barnum

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MONDAY: Barnum has agreed to a $950K bonus, reports Keeley. The contract will become official once he passes his physical.

SUNDAY: The White Sox will sign supplementary first round pick Keon Barnum pending a physical on Monday, reports Laura Keeley of the Tampa Times. Barnum, a high school first baseman out of Tampa, will forego his scholarship to the University of Miami to join the White Sox organization after being selected 48th overall. 

The White Sox were close to reaching an agreement with Barnum on draft night, according to Chicago's director of amateur scouting Doug Laumann. The recommended bonus for the selection is $1.05MM.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

NL Central Links: Hanrahan, Soler, Pierzynski, K-Rod

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Someone finally got to Aroldis Chapman and, of all teams, it was the light-hitting Pirates.  Chapman allowed back-to-back doubles to lead off the 10th inning, allowing his first earned run of the 2012 season and first since September 10, 2011 — a stretch of 35 straight scoreless innings.  Pittsburgh won the game by a 5-4 score.

Here's the latest from the NL Central…

  • Joel Hanrahan doesn't think the Pirates will trade him this summer, the closer tells Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Cook opines that Pirates ownership's commitment to re-signing top players will be questioned if Hanrahan doesn't receive a long-term extension.  Hanrahan told Cook he didn't think much about trade rumors, though we know he at least reads them on this very website.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow confirmed that his team still has an interest in Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.  Luhnow wouldn't say if the Astros had submitted a contract offer by today, the reported deadline set by Soler's agents.
  • A.J. Pierzynski tells CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien about how he was almost dealt to the Cubs in 2003, as the Cubs offered the Twins a package of Juan Cruz and Todd Wellemeyer for the catcher.  Pierzynski said that he'd like to remain with the White Sox when he hits free agency this winter but if the Southsiders' local rivals from Wrigleyville were to contact him, “if they were the only team that came after me and I wanted to continue to play, how could I say no?"
  • Francisco Rodriguez wants to remain with the Brewers through the rest of this season, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, though the reliever said he'd like to close again, in all likelihood for a new team since John Axford is ensconced as Milwaukee's stopper.

Top Picks Brinson, Barnum Close To Deals

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11:15pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune adds White Sox supplemental round pick Keon Barnum (No. 48 overall) to the list of today's draft picks that are near a deal (Twitter link).

11:09pm: The Rangers selected Lewis Brinson, an outfielder out of Coral Springs High School in Florida, with the No. 29 overall pick in tonight's draft, and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes that Brinson says he and the Rangers are already close to a deal.

Brinson has a full scholarship to the University of Florida, but it appears he will forego that commitment to join the Rangers organization, according to Sullivan.

The 6'4", 185 pound Brinson has an athletic frame that led Baseball America's Conor Glassey to note comparisons to Cameron Maybin in his write-up following Brinson's selection. Glassey writes that Brinson is still raw at the plate, but his long limbs allow him to cover ample ground in center field and give him "intriguing power potential."

BA's Jim Callis and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus both had Brinson going 26th overall to the Diamondbacks in their final mock drafts, while MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo and ESPN's Keith Law had him slipping out of the first round.

Quick Hits: White Sox, Diamondbacks, Mets

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It’s draft day, which means lots of coverage on MLBTR. I’ll be hosting a live chat throughout the evening, so come by and discuss the latest picks as they’re announced. MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be updating posts with each selection, so you’ll be able to see everything at a glance. Here are some non-draft links as we await the big event…

  • The White Sox are expected to target veteran bullpen help if they're in a position to add to their roster in July, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • Knobler hears the Diamondbacks will call top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer up “soon” (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox called the Diamondbacks about Joe Saunders after Arizona acquired the left-hander in 2010, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. One MLB executive can imagine a trade involving Saunders and Kevin Youkilis, though the person doubts the Diamondbacks would be interested in taking on considerable salary or parting with a significant prospect.
  • The Mets will likely make three roster moves Tuesday, when Miguel Batista, Jason Bay and Chris Young are expected to return, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The club will have to create 40-man roster space for Young.
  • The Tigers should have a better idea of what, if anything, Victor Martinez can offer in 2012 by late July, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.

Rosenthal On Headley, Blue Jays, Myers, Dodgers

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that we should expect the unexpected once trade talk picks up this summer. For example, who expected Ubaldo Jimenez to be traded this time last year? Here are Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams says he’d prefer to focus on short-term goals for now and figure out whether to buy or sell closer to the July 31st trade deadline. “We’ll see where we are in July and then we’ll figure it out,” he said.
  • Chase Headley is a popular trade target, Rosenthal reports. The Padres could replace Headley at third with Jedd Gyorko or move Gyorko to second if they hold onto Headley.
  • The Diamondbacks explored the trade market for young catchers before signing Miguel Montero to an extension, only to find that acquiring a backstop such as Travis d’Arnaud or Austin Romine would have cost them top pitching prospect Tyler Skaggs and then some.
  • Some executives wonder if the Blue Jays should make their move this summer, asking “If not now, when?” One person says the Blue Jays are monitoring Matt Garza of the Cubs.
  • Carlos Lee can block trades to 14 teams, including the Dodgers, Rosenthal reports. Almost all of the teams on Lee’s no-trade list are high-revenue clubs. This provides Lee with some leverage, but doesn’t necessarily mean he’d block a deal.
  • Brett Myers’ $10MM option for 2013 likely vests with between 40 and 50 games finished, Rosenthal estimates. If a team acquired the right-hander and used him as a setup man, the option wouldn’t become an issue. But teams interested in using Myers as a closer might have interest in re-working the option like the Brewers did with Francisco Rodriguez a year ago.
  • The contracts for Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay of the Phillies include the same no-trade protection, Rosenthal reports. Each player can block deals to 21 teams per year.
  • Dodgers president Stan Kasten expects his team to be “aggressive, but not reckless” in considering possible upgrades.

Draft Notes: Phillies, White Sox, Brewers, Nationals

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The first round of the MLB draft takes place tomorrow night.  Here are the latest notes on the draft:

  • The Phillies intend to spend their entire draft pool of $4.9MM on their first ten picks and will draft a position player early, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
  • White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann told the Chicago Tribune's Dave Van Dyck he doesn't expect to find an immediate impact player in the draft.  “It’s probably as thin as I've seen in a decade,” Laumann said. “We see that it's pretty thin right now in the college ranks."
  • Brewers amateur scouting director Bruce Seid doesn't think there much of a talent dropoff after the first ten picks, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.  The Brewers have the 27th, 28th, and 38th selections.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo isn't letting the new CBA impact his draft strategy, says MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • The Padres will keep an eye out for shortstops in the draft, says Corey Brock of MLB.com.
  • The Astros have the first overall pick in the draft for the first time in 20 years. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart recalls how that missed pick (Phil Nevin) affected the franchise.

Latest On Kevin Youkilis

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The Dodgers, Phillies and Diamondbacks are among the teams showing early interest in Kevin Youkilis, people familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  One Red Sox person termed talks as "very preliminary'' but others familiar with the club's thinking say that they feel the need to trade him, barring more injuries.

Red Sox people are telling others that they're looking for value in exchange for Youkilis, but it is said that they would ask for less if a team will pay the $9MM plus remaining on his contract ($12MM salary).  That deal also has a $13MM option with a $1MM buyout for 2013.

Aside from the aforementioned clubs, Heyman writes that the White Sox, Angels, Brewers, Giants, Rangers, Indians, and Reds are also possible destinations for the 33-year-old.  While Texas had a scout at a recent Red Sox game, Heyman notes that they are pretty set in the infield and the right-handed bat they seek is much more likely to be an outfielder.

Latest On Kevin Youkilis

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1:07pm: Teams have checked in, but the Red Sox haven’t initiated any talks, GM Ben Cherington said, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Reds are happy with Todd Frazier at third, Knobler tweets.

12:30pm: The Dodgers have lukewarm interest in Youkilis, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (on Twitter). They don't want to pay his salary or surrender a top prospect for him.

12:13pm: The White Sox have watched Youkilis and the Rangers have checked in on him, Knobler reports. The Dodgers are stepping up their scouting of Youkilis, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

10:19am: The Red Sox are telling teams they definitely intend to trade Kevin Youkilis, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The emergence of Will Middlebrooks has made it more challenging than ever to work Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz into Boston's lineup.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe suggested yesterday that the Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers are among the teams with interest in Youkilis. The Phillies and Indians were linked to the corner infielder earlier this spring.

Youkilis has a .250/.318/.406 batting line with four home runs in 107 plate appearances this year. The 33-year-old spent three weeks on the disabled list with lower back soreness before returning to action late last month. Youkilis, a three-time All-Star, can play first or third base. He earns $12MM this year and his contract includes a $13MM club option for 2013 ($1MM buyout).

White Sox Plan To Add Players Midseason

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Before the season started, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams told manager Robin Ventura not to expect more than a .500 season, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The White Sox expected to trade away veteran players midseason, but the team now sits in first place with a 29-22 record, so Williams plans on adding talent this summer, according to Nightengale.

Jake Peavy would have been available if the White Sox weren’t contending, but he’s now “untouchable.”  The White Sox could look for more offense at third base, in my opinion. Veteran second baseman Orlando Hudson is now starting at third, but between Hudson and Brent Morel, White Sox third basemen have the lowest OPS in the Major Leagues (.439) at the position.

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