Draft Signings: Melotakis, Jones, Alford, Astros, A’s
MLBTR will track which first and supplemental first round picks have signed leading up to the July 13th signing deadline. As for players selected in round two and beyond, here are some additional draft signings…
- The Twins have signed second rounder Mason Melotakis and fourth rounder Zach Jones, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (on Twitter). Both players are college pitchers; Melotakis a lefty and Jones a righty. Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter) that Jones signed for $357K, exactly slot money.
- The Brewers have signed 25th rounder Lance Roenicke according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (on Twitter). Lance, a college outfielder, is the son of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke.
- The Blue Jays will sign third round selection Anthony Alford, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports. Alford, a high school outfielder, might have been a first round selection, but he informed teams of his intent to play football and baseball at Southern Mississippi instead of signing out of the draft. The Blue Jays will allow Alford to play football, Callis reports. The outfielder’s bonus remains unconfirmed, but it could be close to double the recommended value of $424K.
- The Astros announced the signing of eight selections, including fifth rounder Andrew Aplin.
- The A's announced that they agreed to terms with 13 players, including their fourth round selection, high school center fielder B.J. Boyd.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Details On Brett Myers’ Vesting Option
Brett Myers’ $10MM option for 2013 vests if he finishes 45 games and doesn’t end the season on the disabled list, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Myers, who has already completed 20 games, can also trigger the option with a points system based on other qualifications.
Myers has a 2.25 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 14 saves this year. He'll earn $11MM in 2012 and his contract, which was restructured upon his return to the bullpen, includes a $10MM vesting option for 2013 with a $3MM buyout.
If the Astros trade the 31-year-old to a team that uses him as a setup man, the option likely won’t vest. There’s a good chance Myers will finish 45 games if he continues closing, but one executive suggested to Morosi that the $10MM vesting option isn’t that scary to prospective trade partners. “I wouldn’t imagine it’s going to be a huge hindrance,” the person said.
Quick Hits: Manny, Wolff, Marin, Rangers
It was on this day in 1966 that the Mets made one of the most infamous draft blunders in history, taking Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick of the June amateur draft. Chilcott became the first #1 pick to never play a game in the Major Leagues, while the A's fared a bit better with the #2 selection — Reggie Jackson.
Let's check out some news from around baseball as we prepare for some interleague action…
- Athletics GM Billy Beane said no decision has been made about releasing Manny Ramirez, reported Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News, though Beane also wasn't sure when or if Ramirez would be called up to Oakland. Ramirez has completed his 50-game suspension but has been hampered by a leg injury and isn't hitting well in Triple-A.
- In a radio appearance on 95.7 FM The Game, Athletics managing general partner Lew Wolff said that he wants to keep the team in the Bay Area and his ownership group has no plans to sell the A's. Wolff predicted that in five years, the A's would be playing in a new stadium in San Jose. (All links at to Twitter.)
- The Orioles have signed third-round pick Adrian Marin, as announced by Marin himself on his Twitter page. Marin is a high school shortstop who was originally committed to the University of Miami.
- The Rangers announced the signings of 18 draft picks, including all of their selections between the fourth and tenth rounds.
- The Tigers shouldn't trade top prospect Nick Castellanos in an effort to win this season at the sake of the minor league system, writes Jamie Samuelsen for the Detroit Free Press.
- ESPN's Keith Law examines how teams' first-round draft picks fit in among their organizations' other top prospects.
- The Twins have hurt themselves by not dealing veterans at the trade deadline in recent years and shouldn't make that same mistake again this season, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Souhan does name a few players, however, he thinks the Twins shouldn't deal: Jared Burton, Glen Perkins, Jamey Carroll and Josh Willingham.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes an early look at the trade deadline in his latest Hot Corner video, naming the Twins, A's, Padres and Cubs as the few clubs who are clear sellers, with the Cubs "probably the biggest seller out there." Rosenthal also thinks the Astros will likely join this group as they want to get rid of their high-priced veterans, though Houston is playing well right now.
- In terms of potential sellers, Rosenthal names the Brewers, as they could look to move Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and/or Francisco Rodriguez if they fall out of contention. The Phillies "are kind of hanging on a precipice" in the tough NL East and unless they get more concrete news about the health of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay, Philadelphia could become sellers as well and look ahead to 2013.
- Fredric Horowitz has been hired as the arbitrator between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association, reports the Associated Press. Horowitz replaces Shyam Das, who was fired in the wake of his decision to lift Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.
NL Central Links: Hanrahan, Soler, Pierzynski, K-Rod
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.
Astros Sign Carlos Correa
5:41pm: Correa's bonus is worth $4.8MM, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
3:54pm: The deal is official, McTaggart tweets. Luhnow said it's a "monumental day" for the franchise.
THURSDAY, 3:30pm: Correa is in Houston and will sign shortly, Alyson Footer of the Astros reports (on Twitter). The Astros are announcing their deal with the top prospect today.
WEDNESDAY: The Astros have a verbal agreement to sign first overall selection Carlos Correa, according to owner Jim Crane, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter). GM Jeff Luhnow said earlier in the week that he expected to sign the Puerto Rican shortstop by Thursday.
Terms of the deal are not yet known but sources told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that it will likely be in the vicinity of $5MM. The Astros took signability into heavy consideration and reportedly didn't settle on selecting Correa until the eleventh hour. Pitcher Mark Appel, a Scott Boras client who fell to eighth overall, allegedly rejected a $6MM offer from Houston.
Crane says that the team's deal with Correa is structured in such a way that it will allow the club to also retain some of its favorite picks, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The Astros will likely need to spend big in order to sign No. 41 pick Lance McCullers Jr., a right-hander who has committed to play for the University of Florida.
Draft Notes: Diamondbacks, Zimmer, Red Sox, Astros
The latest on the MLB draft, which has reached its conclusion after three busy days…
- The Diamondbacks are "close" to agreeing to terms with first-round pick Stryker Trahan, tweets Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The high school catcher was tabbed with the No. 26 pick.
- The Royals appear to be close to a deal with fifth-overall pick Kyle Zimmer, tweets Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star. The right-hander will likely start with the club's Arizona League affiliate but may go to Idaho Falls instead.
- The Red Sox are nearing deals with supplemental first round selection Pat Light and second rounder Jamie Callahan, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
- ESPN.com's Keith Law reviews the draft class of each National League team, noting that he loves what the Astros did. The Padres impressed Law early on, and he liked the Nationals' selection of Lucas Giolito.
- A legal dispute in Ohio could impact the future use of advisors, as Darren Heitner explains in a piece at Forbes.com. The MLBPA has warned agents that a case involving the former representatives of Andy Oliver “could represent a significant threat” to agents by placing restrictions on who can represent athletes who live or attend school in Ohio.
- There have been lots of pre-draft agreements between teams and players, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick hears (Twitter link). "It's a bigger joke this year than it's ever been,'' one agent told Crasnick.
Draft Notes: Appel, Correa, Astros, Blue Jays
Earlier this evening, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow made it known that he expects to sign first-overall pick Carlos Correa this week. According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the deal will likely be in the vicinity of $5MM. Houston has until July 13th at 4pm CDT to sign the top pick, but it sounds as though they'll have it done with plenty of time left on the clock. Here's tonight's batch of draft news..
- Some executives (though, not Pirates execs) told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) that Mark Appel was drafted about where they had him on their boards, at No. 8. The right-hander was in the mix for the first-overall pick but appears to have priced himself out of consideration.
- Astros scouting director Bobby Heck said the team had a pool of five players they were considering with the top pick and did not decide on Correa until the afternoon of the draft, writes Conor Glassey of Baseball America. All things considered, Glassey writes that there were only a few surprises on the first day of the draft.
- Potential signability issues scared some teams off from outfielder Anthony Alford, but the Blue Jays pulled the trigger on taking him in the third-round anyway. Alford, who is committed to Southern Miss on a football scholarship, has been scouted by Toronto all season long, writes MLB.com's Chris Toman.
Astros Expect To Sign Correa By Thursday
General Manager Jeff Luhnow said that the Astros expect to sign first-overall pick Carlos Correa by Thursday, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter). The high school shortstop was tabbed by Houston after the club also considered Stanford right-hander Mark Appel and other top prospects.
The deal is expected to be worth roughly $5MM, sources tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Astros were considering a few other options very late in the game as one source told Heyman that the decision "came down to the last thirty seconds.''
Draft Bonus Notes: Appel, Garcia
Here are some updates on the demands of various draftees as day two of the 2012 first year player draft continues (click here for more of MLBTR’s notes on the draft):
- First rounder Mark Appel and his representatives at the Boras Corporation turned down a $6MM offer from the Astros, Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres reports. The right-hander had been a possible first overall selection, but the Astros decided to take Carlos Correa instead. The Pirates selected Appel eighth overall, which means his recommended bonus is $2.9MM — presumably much less than his asking price. Keith Law of ESPN.com notes that no offer was made by the Astros (Twitter link).
- The Dodgers selected Onelkis Garcia in the third round (113th overall) and while the Cuban left-hander has said he’s looking for a $7MM bonus, he won’t get one, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (on Twitter).
Draft Notes: Astros, Gausman, Twins, Red Sox
The MLB Draft got started last night and now the first round and supplemental round are complete. Here are some reactions to the events of day one before the action resumes at 11am CDT…
- High school shortstop Tanner Rahier and high school outfielder Anthony Alford are among the top remaining players, Nathan Rode of Baseball America writes.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com likes what the Astros (Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers Jr.) and Pirates (Mark Appel) accomplished yesterday. Law's list of best available players features nine high schoolers including third baseman Carson Kelly and right-hander Kieran Lovegrove.
- Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com provides an overview of day one, including a preview of the interaction between the Pirates and Scott Boras, the advisor for Appel. Commissioner Bud Selig said he's "very optimistic" that the new system will work out, according to Crasnick.
- McCullers and his father, Lance McCullers Sr., were selected 41st overall 30 years apart from one another, Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle notes (on Twitter).
- Blue Jays scouting director Andrew Tinnish says college right-hander Marcus Stroman is very advanced, though not necessarily MLB-ready, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- Top Orioles selection Kevin Gausman said he's confident he’ll be able to reach a deal with Baltimore, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). The Orioles drafted Gausman fourth overall, making him the first pitcher selected.
- Scouting director Deron Johnson said the Twins wanted Byron Buxton all along and had been targeting the high school outfielder since last summer, Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com reports.
- Arizona State coach Tom Esmay says top Red Sox pick Deven Marrero is committed to improving his game, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes. Red Sox scouting director Amiel Sawdaye doesn’t sound concerned about the shortstop's unimpressive offensive numbers.