Quick Hits: White Sox, Indians, Meister
Links for Tuesday night, as Albert Pujols reaches the 30-homer plateau for the 11th consecutive season. Pujols, who started the season slowly, now leads the National League in home runs. Here are today’s links as the first baseman's free agent stock continues inching back up…
- The White Sox can't take on payroll at this point, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com (on Twitter).
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti declined to tell Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer whether the Indians considered Delmon Young, the former Twins outfielder who was acquired by the Tigers yesterday. Antonetti says the Indians are still looking at ways to improve.
- Darren Heitner of the Sports Agent Blog interviewed agent Barry Meister and touched on arbitration, the Winter Meetings and clients such as Craig Counsell.
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.
Indians Sign Francisco Lindor
The Indians have signed first overall pick Francisco Lindor, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that the sides agreed to a $2.9MM deal (Twitter link). Sportsmeter, LLC represents the 17-year-old. The Indians believe Lindor has the potential to develop into an impact shortstop, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.
Quick Hits: Marquis, Aaron Hill, Ellis, Matsui
Dan Uggla's incredible 33-game hitting streak came to an end today. The Braves' slugger batted an insane .377/.438/.762 over that stretch with 15 homers, good for an even 1.200 OPS. Remarkably though, he still falls 23 games short of Joe DiMaggio's immortal record. Here are your Sunday links:
- After fracturing a fibula today, new Diamondbacks acquisition Jason Marquis will miss four to six weeks. SI's Jon Heyman tweets that it sounds like the team's inclination is to replace Marquis internally. The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro doesn't think the team will go with top draft pick Trevor Bauer for the rotation spot, but notes that it's not crazy to suggest it. The 20-year-old Bauer tossed five scoreless innings today in his Double-A debut.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, "We’re always open minded for Aaron [Hill] still being a long-term part of this team." Anthopoulos notes that Hill has flashed his talent at times this year. It's tough to picture the Jays picking up Hill's $8MM club option, but maybe they can work something out.
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post tweets that he would be surprised if the Rockies don't re-sign second baseman Mark Ellis. The 34-year-old had a .267/.304/.382 line in 139 plate appearances heading into tonight's action.
- If Bob Melvin is managing the Athletics again in 2012, he wants them to bring Hideki Matsui back, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Matsui had just a .617 OPS in the season's first half, but has risen from the ashes to post a .410/.470/.630 slash line in 26 games since the All-Star Break.
- Similarly, the Cubs and Carlos Pena both seem to be open to working out a new deal, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com. On a related note, ESPN's Buster Olney hears that "in some important corners of the Cubs' front office, there is concern about investing huge money in one player this winter." In other words, the Cubs' brass might be wary of signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder to play first base.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if the Pirates can follow the path to prominence that their division rivals, the Brewers, followed to escape a similar tradition of losing.
- Olney tweets that in three days, Drew Pomeranz can officially become the player to be named later from last month's Ubaldo Jimenez trade with the Indians. Pomeranz is expected to report to the Rockies' Double-A affiliate in Tulsa.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Draft Signings: Blue Jays, Indians, Red Sox, Pirates
The draft signing deadline is now less than three full days away, and the signing status of all first and supplemental first round picks can be found right here. We'll keep track of all the day's notable signings right here, with the latest up top…
- The Blue Jays have signed third rounder Josh Stilson for $500K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. MLB's slot recommendation was just about $290K. Stilson, a right-hander from Texas A&M, was expected to be a first round pick before injuring his shoulder this spring.
- The Indians have signed 19th round pick Shawn Morimando, according to the Reynolds Sports Twitter feed. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports (on Twitter) that the high school left-hander from Virginia Beach received a $350K signing bonus.
- The Red Sox have signed 29th rounder Matt Spalding for $275K, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Spalding is a high school right-hander from Kentucky.
- The Pirates announced that they have signed 12th rounder Candon Myles in a press release. He's a high school center fielder from Texas, and his signing bonus was undisclosed.
Draft Signings: D’Backs, Indians, Blue Jays, A’s
The latest draft signings from around MLB…
- The Diamondbacks have signed tenth rounder Kyle Winkler for $240K, tweets Callis. Winkler, a right-hander out of TCU, was expected to be drafted in the supplemental first round before suffering a stress fracture in his elbow the weekend before the draft.
- The Indians have signed seventh rounder Eric Haase for $580K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The high school catcher obtained the highest bonus of any player selected after the fifth round so far this year. He's more athletic than most catchers and was the best high school position prospect in Michigan this spring, according to Callis. Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Sports represents Haase.
- The Blue Jays announced that they have signed 17th round right-hander Brady Dragmire and 27th round outfielder Derrick Loveless. They also confirmed the signings of 35th overall pick Jacob Anderson and fourth rounder Tom Robson.
- The A's formally announced that they have agreed to terms with third round selection B.A. Vollmuth (Baseball America heard about the $304K agreement last night). The third baseman earned First Team All-Conference USA honors for the second consecutive season at Southern Mississippi this year.
Stark On Astros, Damon, Jimenez, Rockies
There's now almost no chance that MLB will expand the playoffs by next year, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. It's far from a lock that the postseason will expand under baseball's upcoming collective bargaining agreement, despite heavy rumblings about expanded playoffs. The union views postseason changes as part of a series of related possible changes, which is why we won't necessarily see more playoff teams by 2012, according to Stark. Here are the rest of his rumors…
- Incoming Astros owner Jim Crane has told commissioner Bud Selig privately that he wants to keep the Astros in the NL Central. However, MLB might look to move Houston to the AL West to even out baseball's divisions.
- Johnny Damon cleared waivers and can now be dealt to any team, according to Stark. Rival teams say Damon didn't draw heavy trade interest last month.
- Stark hears that the MRI the Indians took of Ubaldo Jimenez came back "remarkably clean."
- Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who has often been mentioned as a possible successor to Selig, isn't lobbying to become the next commissioner, according to a longtime associate. "If he did it, he'd do it out of loyalty to the game. But I wouldn't say he has a burning passion to do it."
- The Rockies are saying they'd like to swap Ian Stewart for another player who could use a change of scenery. However, other clubs recognize that Stewart is a non-tender candidate, so his trade value is not high.
- The Rockies could take a flyer on J.C. Romero, according to Stark.
- One NL scout says Dontrelle Willis looks as good as he has in three or four years.
Indians Designate Austin Kearns For Assignment
The Indians announced that they have designated outfielder Austin Kearns for assignment to create active roster space for Shin-Soo Choo, who has been activated from the disabled list. Choo had been on the DL since June 25th after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured thumb.
Kearns signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Indians last offseason and produced a .200/.302/.287 line with two homers in 174 plate appearances. He played both corner outfield positions for the Tribe, but saw his slash line drop significantly; he posted a .263/.351/.395 line for the Indians and Yankees in 2010.
Draft Notes: Cubs, Giants, Indians, Capps, Winkler, O’s
For the latest on which top picks have signed, check out this post on MLBTR's sidebar. Here's the latest on this year's draftees…
- The Cubs have signed fifth rounder Tayler Scott for just under $280K, tweets Callis. The high school right-hander from Arizona was committed to attend the University of Arizona, and is said to throw in the low-90's with a good breaking ball. MLB's slot recommendation was approximately $158K.
- Callis reports (on Twitter) that the Giants have signed fifth rounder Chris Marlowe for $145K, just above MLB's slot recommendation of $134K. He's a righty reliever from Oklahoma State with a big fastball.
- The Indians signed 43rd round pick Geoff Davenport for $100K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The left-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
- Mariners draft pick Carter Capps, who signed yesterday, obtained a $500K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The recommended bonus for the third rounder was $243K.
- The D'Backs have agreed to terms with tenth rounder Kyle Winkler, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
- The Orioles agreed to terms with 42nd round right-hander Jason McCracken, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O's continue talking with their top picks, but nothing has changed regarding their status, according to scouting director Joe Jordan.
Draft Notes: Mariners, D’Backs, Jays, Marlins, Tigers
We're less than a week away from the draft signing deadline, so here's the latest news on that front…
- The Mariners have signed third rounder Carter Capps according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Capps, a right-hander from Mount Olive, was taken with the compensation pick the Mariners received for failing to sign 2010 third rounder Ryne Stanek, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 121st overall pick is $243K.
- The Mariners have also signed 19th rounder Luke Guarnaccia, reports Baker (Twitter links). Baker notes that Seattle has not yet signed their first, second, third, or fifth round picks.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks and seventh rounder Ben Roberts are currently "miles apart" in negotiations. Roberts is a high school outfielder from the baseball hotbed known as Missoula, Montana.
- The Blue Jays have signed fourth rounder Tom Robson for $325K accoridng to ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). Baseball America's Jim Callis says he received a $325K bonus (on Twitter). Robson is a high school right-hander from British Columbia, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 139th pick is $189K.
- Aaron Fitt and Jim Callis of Baseball America report that the Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh rounder Ryan Rieger on a $200K bonus (Twitter links). Rieger, a first baseman, was committed to Long Beach State after attending the Junior College of the Sequoias.
- The Tigers announced on their Twitter feed that they have agreed to terms with second round pick James McCann. The catcher from the University of Arkansas was Detroit's top selection after they surrendered their first rounder to sign Victor Martinez. MLB's slot recommendation for the 76th overall pick is about $478K, but Baseball America's Jim Callis says he signed for approximately $558K (Twitter link).
- The Yankees have agreed to terms on a $157K bonus with 25th rounder Adam Smith reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). Smith played third base and pitched at Texas A&M, and Rogers describes him as "hard-throwing, but raw." He will sign tomorrow.
- The Indians have signed 41st rounder Brian Ruiz, they announced in a press release. Ruiz is a hometown kid, a high school outfielder from Cleveland.
- The Nationals are not expected to sign 15th round pick Zach Houchins according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Houchins, a junior college shortstop from North Carolina, says the team has not contacted him since June, after he posted what were considered racist and homophobic remarks on Twitter.