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Seranthony Dominguez, Pete Fairbanks Among Cubs’ Bullpen Targets

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The Cubs are eyeing upgrades for the back end of the bullpen and have looked into Orioles setup man Seranthony Dominguez and Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, reports Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Levine notes that the Rays have been showing reluctance to part with Fairbanks, which lines up with recent reporting from Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, wherein they indicate that Tampa Bay “strongly prefers” to hang onto Fairbanks (but are still hearing out interested teams who inquire).

Both Dominguez and Fairbanks are sensible targets for a Cubs bullpen in need of help. Dominguez is being paid $8MM in his final year of club control. He’s a pure free agent at season’s end. The 30-year-old righty is in his first full season with the O’s after having been acquired from the Phillies at last year’s deadline. He’s pitched 40 2/3 innings this season and worked to a sharp 3.32 ERA with a hefty 31% strikeout rate. Dominguez has been one of the primary setup options for closer Félix Bautista, tallying 13 holds and two saves of his own on the season. He’s averaged a sizzling 97.7 mph on his four-seamer and 97.9 mph on his sinker.

Command troubles have plagued Dominguez at times in his career, however, and that’s never been truer than in 2025. This year’s 14% walk rate is far and away the worst of his career, and he’s also tossed nine wild pitches. That’s clearly far from ideal, but Chicago’s combined 20.1% strikeout rate from their relievers is fourth-lowest in MLB, so adding some swing-and-miss is an understandable focus — particularly given how important that ability tends to be in the postseason.

Fairbanks is earning a bit more than $3.8MM this season and has a club option for the 2026 campaign. That option comes with a $7MM base value, but Fairbanks has already boosted that to to $8MM as he begins reaching escalator milestones. So long as he remains healthy, he’ll likely increase that option value considerably more.

The 31-year-old Fairbanks has already finished 29 games and boost next year’s option value by $500K for each of 30, 35 and 40 games finished in 2025. The option also climbs by $1MM apiece when Fairbanks reaches 135, 150 and 165 total appearances from 2023-25 combined. He’s currently at 134 games total between those three seasons. There’s a strong chance that option winds up valued at $11.5MM.

In the past, Fairbanks has missed bats at comparable levels to Dominguez, but his 20.3% strikeout rate in 2025 is a career-low. He’s dealt with shoulder, lat, forearm and hip injuries over the past five seasons, and a four-seamer that once averaged a blistering 99 mph has accordingly dropped off, sitting at 97.3 mph in each of the past two seasons.

Fairbanks’ swinging-strike rate has unsurprisingly dropped as he’s lost some zip on that heater, though his velocity is still well above average and he’s continued to remain effective. In 38 innings this season, he’s sporting a 2.84 earned run average and has gone 17-for-20 in save opportunities. With the exception of 21-inning rookie debut, Fairbanks has never posted an ERA north of 3.59 in a season. This year’s 2.84 ERA is almost a dead match for the 2.88 mark he’s compiled dating back to the 2020 season.

Dominguez and Fairbanks are surely just two of many targets the Cubs are eyeing as they look to bolster a relief corps that ranks 10th in the majors with a collective 3.78 ERA but 27th in strikeout rate, 15th in FIP (4.05) and 24th in SIERA (3.98). Emerging closer Daniel Palencia and resurgent veteran Brad Keller are both showing plus velocity, with the former sitting at a whopping 99.5 mph with his fastball and Keller sitting 97.1 mph. The rest of Chicago’s bullpen — aside from the currently injured Porter Hodge — has average to below-average velocity (and, in many cases, sub-par strikeout rates to match).

Blue Jays, Rays Among Teams Showing Interest In Dylan Cease

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Earlier this week, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Padres had discussed Dylan Cease with multiple AL East teams in addition to the Mets and Cubs. It seems the interest from the AL East has come from every contending club in that division. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees have all checked in with the Friars to express interest.

The Cease rumors have picked up steam over the past few days. It’d be unconventional for a team that presently occupies the National League’s final playoff spot to trade one of its two best healthy starters. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller has never shied away from big swings, though, and they’re seemingly considering the idea of trading Cease for young talent while reallocating payroll room and prospects to different available starters. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported last night that they’re among the teams that have been in touch with the Marlins regarding Sandy Alcantara, for instance.

Cease is an impending free agent who is playing on a $13.75MM salary. He’s a lock to receive and reject a qualifying offer if the Padres hold him all season. As a luxury tax payor, they’d only receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round in the 2026 draft. That’s worth far less than they’d receive if they traded him, though they need to balance that against the hit it’d deal to the rotation for the stretch run.

The 29-year-old Cease is incredibly durable and has pitched at a top-of-the-rotation level in previous seasons. His near-30% strikeout rate and 97 MPH average fastball still point to that ceiling, but he hasn’t managed particularly strong results this year. He carries a 4.59 earned run average across 113 2/3 innings. Some of that can be traced to a nine-run drubbing at the hands of the A’s in their extremely hitter-friendly park in Sacramento back in April. That’s hardly the sole factor, though. Cease got on a decent run after that outing but has allowed a 5.21 ERA over his most recent seven starts.

Even if this hasn’t been a banner year, Cease’s track record and stuff would make him an extremely desirable trade target. He’d be the best rental rotation arm available, and teams would still view him as a surefire playoff starter. The Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are all known to be in the starting pitching market. New York has a strong 1-2 in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, but Luis Gil is a health question mark and they lost Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery. Boston would certainly benefit from adding another high-end starter to pair with Cease’s former White Sox teammate, Garrett Crochet. Toronto’s veteran-laden rotation lacks a true top-end starter, and they’ve already been tied to some of the higher upside trade candidates like Edward Cabrera and Mitch Keller.

The Rays would be the most surprising entrant into this group, though Tampa Bay tends to at least kick the tires on big names even if they don’t often land them. They’re a game and a half back of Boston in the Wild Card race. They’d have little hope of re-signing Cease, and a big push for a rental when they’re a bubble team seems unlikely. Tampa Bay could trade a starter like Taj Bradley or Zack Littell in the coming days; they’re also hopeful of getting Shane McClanahan back in the final two months.

San Diego awaits the return of one of their own top starters. Michael King has been out for more than two months with a nerve injury in his shoulder. He’s targeting a mid-August comeback. As of now, he’d team with Cease, Nick Pivetta and potentially Yu Darvish in a playoff rotation. That’s not a terrible group, but both Cease and King are months from free agency. Pivetta can opt out after next season, and Darvish is approaching his 39th birthday. Even with Joe Musgrove returning from Tommy John surgery next year, the long-term rotation picture is cloudy. They could try to thread the needle of acquiring a controllable arm while shipping Cease out.

Draft Signings: Schoolcraft, Watson, Russell, Quick, Flemming, Root

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There were a handful of draftees who signed for between $2MM and $4MM on Wednesday. All signings were first reported by Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. View pre-draft scouting reports from Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN and Keith Law of The Athletic.

  • The Padres reached agreement with first-rounder Kruz Schoolcraft on a $3.6066MM bonus that matches the slot value for the #25 overall pick. A 6’8″ left-handed prep pitcher from Oregon, Schoolcraft was committed to Tennessee. Evaluators credit him with a potential plus changeup and the ability to run his fastball into the upper 90s on occasion, though his velocity varies between starts. Schoolcraft was a two-way player in high school and would have been a legitimate prospect as a first baseman, but scouts agree that he has greater upside on the mound. He placed between 19th and 41st on the linked pre-draft rankings.
  • The Reds went well above slot with a $2.75MM bonus for second-round pick Aaron Watson. The 51st overall selection comes with a slot value around $1.89MM. Watson is a 6’5″ prep right-hander who had been committed to Florida. He sits in the low-90s at present and has advanced command and feel for manipulating a potential above-average slider. The Reds saved a bit of money by going below slot for first-rounder Steele Hall, allowing them to reallocate some money to Watson.
  • The Rangers have a $2.6MM agreement with second-rounder A.J. Russell against an approximate $1.85MM slot value. A University of Tennessee product, he’s a 6’6″ righty who missed parts of the 2024-25 seasons recovering from elbow surgery. Russell had dominated as a reliever during his freshman year but only managed 70 innings in his college career. Evaluators suggest he has a potential mid-rotation ceiling, but he’ll face questions about his ability to stick as a starter until he builds more of a track record.
  • The Twins signed supplemental first-rounder Riley Quick for $2.692MM, matching the 36th selection’s slot value.  Quick is a 6’6″ righty from the University of Alabama with a power arsenal but a limited college track record because of Tommy John surgery.
  • The A’s signed second-round pick Devin Taylor. He’s an Indiana University product who hit .374/.494/.706 with 18 homers and 52 walks against 30 strikeouts in his draft year. The lefty-hitting Taylor is viewed as one of the best offensive players in the college class but projects as below-average left fielder who might be limited to designated hitter.
  • The Rays have an overslot deal with second-round pick Cooper Flemming. The California high school infielder receives a $2.2975MM bonus that comes in above the $1.8MM slot value. A left-handed hitter who was committed to Vanderbilt, Flemming ranked around 50th on Law’s and McDaniel’s boards but placed as low as 102nd at Baseball America. He projects to third base and has a well-rounded skillset with advanced hitting ability but doesn’t project for many plus tools.
  • The Dodgers signed 40th overall selection Zachary Root for $2.2MM, a little below the $2.43MM slot. They signed 41st selection Charles Davalan for exactly $2MM, also below slot. Root, a 6’1″ lefty from Arkansas, is viewed as a likely back-end starter on the strength of his secondary stuff. He posted a 3.62 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 19 starts this past season. Davalan was Root’s teammate with the Hogs. He hit .346 with 14 homers in his junior season. A short left-handed hitter, Davalan has plus contact skills with some bat speed and could project as an above-average defensive left fielder.

Note: This post initially called Taylor a Minnesota draft pick. MLBTR apologizes for the error.

Rays Option Taj Bradley

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The Rays optioned Taj Bradley to Triple-A Durham after tonight’s rough start against the White Sox, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. They’ll presumably announce that decision and a corresponding roster move tomorrow. Joe Boyle, who has been working in long relief, stands as the obvious candidate to step into the rotation.

Bradley didn’t make it out of the second inning tonight. He gave up four hits and three walks, allowing four runs in an inning and two-thirds. That promptly erased a four-run lead that the Rays had built in the bottom of the first. They took the lead back in the middle frames before an eighth-inning implosion by setup man Kevin Kelly led to an 11-9 defeat to the American League’s worst team.

This pushed Bradley’s season earned run average to 4.61 across 111 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old righty has a slightly below-average 20.2% strikeout rate against a 9.3% walk percentage. Leading up to tonight, he was coming off two of his best outings of the season. Bradley blanked the Orioles over six innings with as many strikeouts in his first start out of the All-Star Break. He’d closed the first half with six innings of one-run ball against Boston.

Bradley has been in Kevin Cash’s rotation all season. This is his first optional assignment since the end of 2023. Boyle, who was one of five relievers called upon tonight, worked three innings of one-run ball. He carries a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings over five MLB appearances. Acquired from the A’s in the Jeffrey Springs trade, Boyle has a huge arm but has struggled with command throughout his career.

The 25-year-old has seemingly taken a step forward in that regard this year. He walked 10.8% of batters faced across 15 Triple-A outings. That’s still higher than average but much more tolerable than the 17-20% range at which he’d sat for most of his minor league career. Boyle fanned 33% of Triple-A opponents with a 1.85 ERA while working from Durham’s rotation.

Bradley’s demotion one week before the deadline is interesting. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported a couple weeks ago that the club was open to offers on Bradley. ESPN’s Jeff Passan similarly wrote this morning that the one-time top pitching prospect is available in trade discussions. Bradley is likely still a season away from arbitration and under club control for four years beyond this one. If the Rays don’t trade him, they’ll need to keep him in Durham for at least 15 days unless he’s brought up to replace someone who is going on the injured list.

Rays Prefer To Keep Pete Fairbanks

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The Rays “strongly prefer” to hold closer Pete Fairbanks, report Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic. Tampa Bay is one of many bubble teams, holding a 53-50 record that has them right on the edge of the Wild Card chase.

While the Rays are generally open to offers on almost everyone at any time, it’s understandable that they’re reluctant to deal Fairbanks this summer. They’ve had a middle-of-the-pack bullpen overall. They added to that group by acquiring Bryan Baker from the Orioles before the draft. At the same time, setup man Manuel Rodríguez will be out for an extended stretch with a forearm injury.

Garrett Cleavinger is an excellent left-hander, but they’re already short on high-leverage options from the right side. Even with Baker in the fold and Edwin Uceta racking up strikeouts this month, they’re better off acquiring another righty rather than trading one away. The Athletic reports that the Rays would indeed prioritize the bullpen if they buy in the next week.

The 31-year-old Fairbanks is operating as Kevin Cash’s primary closer for a third straight season. He’s 17-20 in save chances with a 2.84 earned run average across 38 innings. That comes with a career-low 20.3% strikeout rate that is cause for some alarm. The bottom line results nevertheless make Fairbanks one of their most trusted relievers.

Fairbanks is in the final guaranteed season of his three-year extension. He’s playing on an affordable $3.667MM salary. Fairbanks is guaranteed at least a $1MM buyout on a club option that is currently valued at $8MM but is likely to end up in eight figures by season’s end as he triggers escalators based on his appearances and games finished. That might be rich for Tampa Bay’s taste, but they’re under no financial pressure to move Fairbanks this season and could reevaluate their 2026 payroll situation once the offseason arrives.

Royals To Acquire Joey Krehbiel

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10:26am: The Royals are sending cash to the Rays, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

10:16am: The Royals are acquiring right-handed reliever Joey Krehbiel from the Rays, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 32-year-old Krehbiel is not on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster. He’s been pitching with their Triple-A affiliate in Durham after signing a minor league deal back in January.

Krehbiel has a 3.65 ERA in 74 big league innings spread across parts of four seasons. He most recently pitched in the majors for the 2022-23 Orioles. He’s posted an ugly 6.11 earned run average with Durham this season but has far more encouraging rate stats: 20.6% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate, 53.8% ground-ball rate. Krehbiel has been dogged by a .371 average on balls in play and a 57% strand rate, both of which seem ripe for positive regression. Fielding-independent metrics feel he’s been far better than his ERA would otherwise indicate (3.99 FIP, 3.96 xFIP).

Krehbiel is averaging 93.8 mph on his four-seamer this season and has coupled that pitch with a cutter sitting 89.6 mph, a sinker at 92.6 mph and a changeup that’s averaged 85.4 mph. Unsightly earned run average notwithstanding, he’s done a nice job avoiding hard contact, limiting opponents to an 88.3 mph average exit velocity with just a 33.3% overall hard-hit rate.

Since Krehbiel isn’t on the 40-man roster, the Royals don’t need to make a corresponding move — unless the plan is to immediately select him to the majors. If that’s the case, they’d need to open a 40-man spot. Krehbiel has one minor league option year remaining and is technically controllable for another five seasons, though that’s not much of a consideration at this time, given his age and lack of track record.

Draft Signings: Wood, Fauske, Moss, Hartshorn

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Tuesday featured a handful of draft signings with a $2MM+ bonus. All signings were first reported by Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted. View pre-draft scouting reports from Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN and Keith Law of The Athletic.

  • The Phillies announced the signing of 26th overall pick Gage Wood. Callis reports that the University of Arkansas product received a $3MM signing bonus that comes in a little south of the approximate $3.49MM slot value. Wood, a 6’0″ right-handed pitcher, is most famous for throwing a 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State in this year’s College World Series. Wood pitched out of the bullpen for his first two seasons in Fayetteville. A shoulder injury limited him to 37 2/3 innings during his only year as a starter. He struck out 69 hitters with a 3.82 ERA. Evaluators credit Wood with a fastball that can touch 98 MPH and has huge life at the top of the strike zone, while he has an above-average to plus curveball. His injury history and the lack of a present third pitch leave some scouts to point to a bullpen future.
  • The White Sox have a $3MM deal with second-round pick Jaden Fauske, as first reported by James Fox of Future Sox. The bonus for the Illinois prep outfielder comes in a good amount above the $2.22MM slot value of the 44th selection, signing him away from an LSU commitment. Fauske is listed at 6’3″ and has a well-rounded skillset and a lefty swing that impresses evaluators. He’s viewed as a slightly above-average runner and probably projects to a corner outfield spot.
  • The Rays went above slot to sign supplemental second-rounder Dean Moss to a $2.1MM bonus, Callis reports. He’s a Florida prep outfielder who’d also been committed to LSU. The 67th overall pick comes with a slot value around $1.29MM. Moss is a left-handed batter whose carrying trait is his advanced hit tool. He’s viewed as an average runner who’d be stretched in center field but doesn’t have prototypical power for a corner outfielder.
  • The Cubs signed sixth-round pick Josiah Hartshorn to a $2MM bonus that represents the highest ever for that round, Callis reports. The slot value was around $355K. Hartshorn is a high schooler from California. He’s a 6’2″ switch-hitter who projects as a corner outfielder. Most pre-draft reports had him outside the top 100, but ESPN placed him as the #53 prospect in the class. The Cubs were able to sign him away from a Texas A&M commitment in large part because they saved roughly $1.2MM against their bonus pool with an underslot deal for first-round pick Ethan Conrad.

Rays Notes: Caballero, Diaz, McClanahan

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Rays utilityman José Caballero has gotten trade attention from some other clubs, reports Francys Romero. The versatile infielder is operating as a backup behind Tampa Bay’s typical starting infield of Jonathan Aranda, Brandon Lowe, Junior Caminero and Ha-Seong Kim. Lowe went on the injured list this morning with ankle tendinitis, so Caballero drew into tonight’s lineup at second base. Taylor Walls will probably get the bulk of the playing time in place of Lowe, yet he was needed at shortstop today because Kim is day-to-day with lower back discomfort.

Caballero, 28 next month, has a light bat but provides value on defense and as a baserunner. He led the American League with 44 stolen bases last season, though he was also caught an MLB-high 16 times. Caballero is 32-39 as a basestealer this year. FanGraphs has graded him as an above-average overall baserunner in each of his three big league seasons. Caballero has also rated as a plus defender at each of second base, third base and shortstop.

The secondary skills have made Caballero an above replacement level performer in each of his three seasons. He has never provided much at the plate, however. The righty hitter owns a .218/.315/.310 slash with two home runs and an elevated 30.3% strikeout rate in 251 plate appearances this year. Caballero has never reached double digits in home runs nor hit above .230 in a season. He’ll qualify for arbitration for the first time this offseason as a Super Two player.

Tampa Bay wouldn’t get a huge return for Caballero. It nevertheless stands to reason they’d be open to offers, as he’s arguably a bit superfluous with Walls also on the roster. Whether to trade designated hitter/corner infielder Yandy Díaz is a much bigger question for the front office.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested last week that the Rays are likely to hold Díaz, who is signed for another year and a half on a deal that also includes a 2027 club option. Romero hears similarly, posting that they intend to keep Díaz as they compete for a playoff spot. The Rays are half a game behind the Red Sox for the AL’s last Wild Card spot. Díaz has popped 16 homers with a robust .293/.352/.474 batting line this year.

Even as they’re in position to add before next week’s deadline, the Rays could hear teams out on their rotation depth. Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot make for a strong top two. It seems unlikely that they’d move Shane Baz. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has reported that the Rays could consider offers on Taj Bradley, while Zack Littell is a potential trade candidate as an impending free agent. Dealing a starter would open a rotation spot for hard-throwing Joe Boyle, who is currently operating in a multi-inning relief capacity.

The Rays still await a return from ace Shane McClanahan. The two-time All-Star has not pitched in an MLB game since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. He sustained a triceps nerve injury during Spring Training that cost him the first half. McClanahan had a setback last month and has now hit another speed bump — albeit one that seems fairly minor.

According to the MLB.com injury tracker, his minor league rehab assignment has been halted after he felt biceps soreness in his most recent appearance. Manager Kevin Cash told team reporter Ryan Bass that the biceps discomfort is unrelated to the triceps problem. Cash suggested McClanahan could resume a throwing program within a few days, but he won’t take the ball for his previously scheduled rehab start at Triple-A Durham on Thursday.

Rays Acquire Stuart Fairchild, Place Brandon Lowe On Injured List

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The Rays announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Braves in exchange for cash. Tampa Bay also placed infielder Brandon Lowe on the 10-day injured list with tendinitis in his left ankle. Right-hander Manuel Rodriguez goes from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot for Fairchild on the 40-man roster.

Atlanta designated the 29-year-old Fairchild for assignment just yesterday morning. He’s primarily been a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement in the Braves’ outfield. Fairchild has played in 28 games but only come to the plate 55 times this year. He’s hit .216/.273/.333 in that tiny sample and is a career .223/.305/.384 hitter in 670 major league plate appearances overall.

Fairchild, a former second-round pick, has totaled 277 major league games split between the Diamondbacks, Reds, Giants, Mariners and Braves. He has well above-average speed (87th percentile, per Statcast) and can handle all three outfield spots, which has led to him carving out a frequent role as a fourth outfielder. He’s a right-handed bat who offers slightly above-average production against lefties but has struggled considerably in right-on-right matchups. Fairchild is out of options, so the Rays will have to carry him on the big league roster or else designate him for assignment once again.

Lowe exited the Rays’ game on Saturday with what was described at the time as plantar fasciitis. He hasn’t appeared in a game since. As such, the move can be backdated to July 20. That leaves the veteran second baseman time to be reinstated prior to the July 31 trade deadline.

In 350 plate appearances this season, Lowe is hitting .269/.320/.480 with 19 home runs, 11 doubles, three stolen bases, a 6.9% walk rate and a 25.4% strikeout rate. He’s in the final guaranteed season of his contract, though Tampa Bay holds an $11.5MM club option (with a $500K buyout) that seems overwhelmingly likely to be exercised.

The Rays aren’t clear-cut sellers, but there’s always a possibility of them moving some veteran pieces whose club control is dwindling. In that sense, Lowe is a speculative trade candidate who’d presumably appeal to clubs with second base needs (e.g. Giants, Astros). He can be traded even if he’s on the injured list, and as already mentioned, there’s a chance he’s back before the deadline has passed. There’s no guarantee Rays brass will even make Lowe available, but they do have several infield alternatives on the roster (e.g. Jose Caballero, Ha-Seong Kim, Curtis Mead, Taylor Walls).

Rodriguez, 28, has been a key setup arm for Tampa Bay when healthy, tallying 11 holds and a 2.08 ERA in 30 1/3 innings this season. He landed on the injured list due to a forearm strain in early June, and president of baseball operations Erik Neander indicated last week (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that Rodriguez isn’t expected back anytime soon. It’s still not entirely clear what his prognosis is, but the shift to the 60-day IL leaves him shelved into at least mid-August. Based on Neander’s comments and the fact that Rodriguez isn’t yet throwing, it’s fair to presume it’ll be a good bit longer than that.

Notable Draft Signings: July 18-19th, 2025

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Here’s a roundup of players from the recent draft who were signed or agreed to terms in the past two days. For an arbitrary cutoff, this post will focus on players taken before the second round or any later picks who signed a bonus of $2MM or more. Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

  • The Cubs have signed outfielder Ethan Conrad to a bonus of $3,563,100, per Jim Callis of MLB.com. Conrad was selected 17th overall, a pick that comes with a $4,750,800 slot. Since the Cubs are saving over a million on their first-round pick, they should have lots of leeway to lock up the remaining players in their class.
  • The Tigers have signed shortstop Jordan Yost with a $3.25MM bonus, per Callis. Yost went 24th overall, a pick that comes with a slot value of $3,726,300. Per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit has also agreed to terms with their second pick, catcher Michael Oliveto. Selected in the competitive balance A round, 34th overall, his $2.45MM signing bonus is below his $2,827,300 slot value. Between Yost and Oliveto, the Tigers have saved close to a million bucks, which can be redirected to the other guys they drafted.
  • The Orioles have signed catcher Caden Bodine with a $3,113,300 bonus, per Callis. Callis also relays that shortstop Wehiwa Aloy has signed for $3,042,800. Bodine and Aloy were taken 30th and 31st respectively, with the compensation picks the O’s received for Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander rejecting qualifying offers and signing elsewhere. Both bonuses were full slot value for their respective picks. The O’s also signed first-rounder Ike Irish to a bonus right around slot value, so they’ve played things pretty straight-up with their top three picks.
  • The Brewers announced that they have signed shortstop Brady Ebel, the son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel. The younger Ebel was selected 32nd overall, the pick the Brewers received for Willy Adames rejecting a qualifying offer and signing elsewhere. That pick comes with a $2.97MM slot value. The signing bonus has not yet been publicly reported. [UPDATE: Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports that Ebel signed for a below-slot $2.75MM bonus.]
  • The Mariners have agreed to terms with 19 of their draft picks, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Top pick Kade Anderson’s bonus was previously reported. The M’s also gave catcher Luke Stevenson a bonus of $2.8MM and shortstop Nick Becker $2.75MM. Stevenson was taken in the competitive balance A round, 33rd overall. This bonus comes in just barely above the $2.76MM slot for that pick. Becker was selected in the second round 57th overall, a pick that comes with a slot of $1.64MM. Anderson’s bonus was about $700K under slot and it seems the M’s redirected those savings to get Becker to sign. Callis reported the Stevenson bonus earlier today.
  • The Yankees have signed shortstop Dax Kilby to a $2.8MM bonus, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. Kilby was selected 39th overall, though that was actually the club’s top pick. Their first-rounder was pushed back ten spots because they went over the third competitive balance tax threshold last year. Slot for the pick was $2,509,500, so they went a bit over to get him to sign.
  • The Rays signed outfielder Brendan Summerhill to a $1,997,500 bonus, per Callis. He was selected 42nd overall, in competitive balance round A. Slot value for that pick was $2,331,000, so the Rays saved a bit on this one. The Rays also went below-slot to sign first-round Daniel Pierce, so they have lots of extra powder for the rest of their class.
  • The Cardinals signed shortstop Ryan Mitchell to a $2.25MM bonus, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Mitchell was taken in the second round, 55th overall. The slot for that pick is $1,720,300, so the Cards went about half a million above to get this one done. They saved close to a million when signing first-rounder Liam Doyle, so it seems some of those savings were used to ink Mitchell.

Photo courtesy of Dylan Widger, Imagn Images

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