NL East Notes: Heaney, K-Rod, Mets, Taylor
The Marlins have scratched top prospect Andrew Heaney from tonight’s start, but Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes that fans shouldn’t read too much into the move. Marlins VP of player development Marty Scott tells Spencer that the move is just a precaution against having to shut Heaney down in September and isn’t related to a current call-up. Heaney himself told Darrell Williams of the New Orleans Advocate that he feels he’s ready to pitch in the Majors but doesn’t want to be called up as a fill-in, but rather to help the team win: “They’re in first place,” said Heaney. “I don’t want them to bring me up as an experiment.”
Here’s more from the NL East…
- Francisco Rodriguez told Newsday’s Marc Carig that he and the Mets exchanged numbers shortly before New York signed Kyle Farnsworth and Jose Valverde, and following those two moves, he made his decision to return to the Brewers (Twitter link). K-Rod, signed to be a setup man in Milwaukee, has instead turned back the clock with his best season in years, pitching to a 2.01 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 20 saves to this point as the team’s closer.
- The Mets are “caught between the reality of needing patience and the desire to finally start winning again,” writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. Kepner spoke with Jon Niese, who said he’s not sure how Mets prospects such as Zack Wheeler, Rafael Montero and Travis d’Arnaud deal with the pressure and expectations placed upon them by fans and media alike. Niese, who didn’t break out until his fifth season with the Mets, added that he’s thankful that the team gave him, Daniel Murphy and Bobby Parnell time to develop, but he’s not sure the newest wave will be afforded the same opportunity.
- James Wagner of the Washington Post examines Nationals prospect Michael Taylor‘s breakout at Double-A Harrisburg. Taylor, not to be confused by the former Top 100 prospect of the same name, has worked with hitting coach Mark Harris to tweak his approach at the plate and is recognizing breaking pitches better and thriving at the plate. His strikeout rate is still a problem, but it dropped from April to May, and if he can continue that trend he could be on a fast track to Washington’s outfield.
Draft Signings: Orioles, Angels, Cousino, Ockimey, More
Here are the day’s draft signings, with slot bonus information by way of Baseball America:
- MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets that Connaughton, Baltimore’s third-rounder, signed for the slot value of $428,100. Callis and his colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Connaughton 112th prior to the draft and praised his 95 mph fastball.
- The Orioles have announced the signing each of the first three players selected by the club: lefty Brian Gonzalez (3rd round, 90th overall, $594.2K allocation), righty Pat Connaughton (4th round, 121st overall, $428.1K allocation), and righty David Hess (5th round, 151st overall, $320.5K allocation). Actual bonuses have not yet been reported. Of course, Baltimore gave up the rights to its original first three choices by signing two qualifying offer free agents and dealing away the club’s compensation round A choice.
- The Angels have signed 14 of the team’s selections to undisclosed bonuses, reports Jim Peltz of the Los Angeles Times. Among the players signed are junior righty Jeremy Rhoades (4th round, 119th overall, $436.5K allocation) and JuCo righty Jake Jewell (fifth round, 149th overall, $326.8K allocation).
- Austin Cousino, the third-round selection of the Mariners, has agreed to terms, reports Cotillo (via Twitter). The University of Kentucky outfielder was taken at 80th overall, which comes with a $693.2K bonus allocation, though financial terms are not yet known.Baseball America and MLB.com valued Cousino in the sixth-round range.
- Fifth-rounder Josh Ockimey has agreed to a $450K bonus with the Red Sox, tweets Cotillo. That represents a $167.2K overage against the slot value of the 164th overall choice. Ockimey is a high school first baseman from Pennsylvania.
Earlier Updates
- The Dodgers have agreed to an at-slot, $534.4K bonus with third-round choice John Richy, tweets MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. Richy, a junior righty from UNLV, was listed as Baseball America’s 203rd-best available player entering the draft.
- The Braves have also inked their third-round pick, Max Povse, to a below-slot $425K bonus, Mayo reports on Twitter. That delivers $89.2K in savings against the 102nd pick’s allotted bonus value. Baseball America rated the UNC-Greensboro righty at 142nd on its list of the top 500 draft prospects.
- Sixth-round pick Max George has been added by the Rockies with a well-above-slot $620K bonus, tweets Mayo. His slot value was just $259.2K. The Colorado high school shortstop, who did not appear on the draft boards of any major analysts, had been committed to Oregon State. That overage will account for a decent chunk of the team’s savings from signing first-rounder Kyle Freeland to a below-slot deal.
- Brewers third-rounder Cy Sneed has agreed to an under-slot $400K bonus, tweets Mayo. That represents a $241.8K savings against the 85th overall slot’s assigned value. Sneed, a junior righty from Dallas Baptist, checked in at 158th on Baseball America’s rankings.
- The Marlins have agreed to terms with third-round choice Brian Anderson at the below-slot mark of $600K, tweets Callis. Anderson’s 76th overall slot comes with a $737.2K allotment, meaning that Miami will save about $137.2K while adding a player that Baseball America listed as the 69th best available.
- Fourth-round choice Taylor Gushue will land a full-slot, $388.8K bonus with the Pirates, Callis reports on Twitter. Both Baseball America and MLB.com saw the University of Florida backstop as landing just outside the top 100 draft prospects.
- Milton Ramos, who reportedly agreed with the Mets yesterday, will receive a $750K bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). That represents a $98.3K overage against the slot assessment for the 84th overall pick. Helping to make up for that, the club has also added fifth-round choice Josh Prevost with a $100K bonus that will save $239.6K against the pick’s slot value, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com.
Draft Signings: Austin, Mardirosian, Ramos, Stokes
We’ll keep track of the day’s notable draft signings right here, with slot information courtesy of Baseball America:
- White Sox fourth-rounder Brett Austin agreed to a $450K bonus that is about $35K below slot, reports MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). Austin, a catcher out of NC State, caught Carlos Rodon in college, whom the Sox selected with the No. 3 overall pick. The $35K savings on Austin’s bonus covers the slight discrepancy between third-rounder Jace Fry‘s $760K bonus and the $726K slot value.
- Jim Callis of MLB.com reports that the Reds have agreed to a well-above-slot deal with seventh-round selection Shane Mardirosian (Twitter link). The high school infielder out of California received a $350K bonus despite the fact that the No. 215 slot’s assigned value was $173K. Callis describes him as a “sparkplug” with speed and a line-drive swing.
- Though bonus amounts are not known for all players, the White Sox have reached agreement with all of the players selected in the draft’s first ten rounds except for third-overall pick Carlos Rodon, tweets Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago, which has an overall available pool of just over $9.5MM, had already reached agreement with both of the high-school players it took from among those picks: second-rounder Spencer Adams (who reportedly signed at slot) and tenth-rounder Jake Jarvis (who was said to be a hard-sign choice).
- The Mets have agreed to sign their second pick (the 84th overall choice), high school shortstop Milton Ramos, tweets Cotillo. His third-round slot carries a $651.7K allotment, though it’s not yet clear whether the bonus falls at, above, or below that mark. Known for his advanced glove, Ramos landed at 46th on MLB.com’s pre-draft ranking and had been ticketed for Florida Atlantic University.
- The Brewers have agreed to sign fourth-round choice Troy Stokes for $400K, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). Milwaukee will get to apply $49.3K towards other picks, as the 116th draft slot carried a $449.3K pool figure. Stokes landed at 316th on Baseball America’s list of the 500 best draft prospects.
- Rockies fourth-rounder Wesley Rogers (113th overall) has agreed to a $360K bonus, tweets Cotillo. That represents a savings of $100.5K against the slot assignment. Rogers, a JuCo outfielder, did not crack any of the major top draft prospect lists.
- The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with third-rounder Nick Wells, reports Tariq Lee of the Washington Post (h/t to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun). Wells, a Virginia high school lefty who had been committed to the College of Charleston, will receive the full slot value of the 83rd overall pick ($661.8K). He landed at 119th on Baseball America’s list of the top available prospects.
- Click here to review MLBTR’s coverage of the flurry of recent draft signings. Remember that you can always find that category tag (“2014 Amateur Draft Signings”), and many more, right below the post.
NL Central Notes: Pirates, Martin, Mills, Cubs, Marmol
The Pirates announced today that Francisco Liriano has been placed on the disabled list with a left oblique strain. Liriano joins ace Gerrit Cole on the market and gives Pittsburgh’s rotation a very different look than it had at the end of the 2013 season when that duo was teaming up with A.J. Burnett to shut down opposing lineups. ESPN’s Jayson Stark spoke with officials from several other teams who expect the Bucs to try to trade for a starter with Cole and Liriano now on the shelf (Twitter link).
Here’s a bit more on the Pirates and the rest of the NL Central…
- Pirates president Frank Coonelly told Joe Starkey of 93.7 The Fan and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the team’s level of interest in re-signing Russell Martin is “very high” (Twitter link). Of course, that doesn’t mean the Pirates will be able to afford Martin, who is coming off a strong season and hitting .269/.409/.394 in 30 games this year.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Brewers lefty Brad Mills can opt out of his minor league deal on Sunday and is having a strong season at Triple-A. Mills has pitched to a 1.57 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 69 innings of work. Rosenthal wonders if the veteran 29-year-old could be of interest to teams looking for a starter.
- Cubs GM Jed Hoyer spoke with David Kaplan of CSN Chicago (Twitter link) and said it’s “likely and definitely possible” that the team will spend on veteran players in free agency this offseason. Said Hoyer: “We need to add veterans to the kids that are coming.”
- Earlier today, the Reds placed Carlos Marmol on the minor league restricted list after he left the team without permission. MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo spoke with Marmol’s agent, Paul Kinzer, about the move (All Twitter links). Said Kinzer: “He decided to take a break and just focus on getting back on track. He’s still healthy and should still be in his prime. His velocity was still in the mid-90’s. I don’t believe the Reds want to release him. He wants to get his confidence back and take a break mentally.”
Draft Signings: Mader, Strahan, LaValley, Johnson
Here are today’s draft signings, with a tip of the hat to Baseball America for providing the assigned bonus values for every pick in the first 10 rounds…
- Marlins supplemental third-round choice Michael Mader has agreed to sign for the slot bonus of $499.5K (plus a college scholarship), tweets Cotillo. The JuCo lefty, who landed at 185th on Baseball America’s list of the draft’s top prospects and 186th on MLB.com’s version, had been ticketed to throw for FSU.
- The Reds have announced the signing of thirteen picks, including third-rounder Wyatt Strahan and fourth-rounder Gavin LaValley, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. That pair were taken with choices carrying $558.7K and $411.9K slot values, respectively, though signing terms are not yet known. Strahan, a junior righty from USC, cracked the top 100 prospects in the view of Baseball America. LaValley, a Canadian high-school first bagger, landed at 118th on MLB.com’s ranking.
- High school righty Cobi Johnson, the 71st overall prospect in the draft according to Baseball America, has tweeted that he will honor his commitment to Florida State rather than agreeing to terms with the Padres. Johnson was obviously viewed as a hard-sign player, as San Diego chose him in the 35th round (seven rounds after taking Jonny Manziel).
- J.D. Davis, the first player taken on the draft’s second day (75th overall), has agreed to an at-slot, $758.6K bonus with the Astros, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. A two-way player for Cal State-Fullerton, Davis will start his career at third base for the Houston organization.
- The Brewers have agreed to terms with their third round selection, right-hander Cy Sneed, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Contract details aren’t known, though the slot price for the 85th overall pick is $641.8K.
- The Brewers signed their sixth-rounder, high school right-hander David Burkhalter, Tabby Soignier of the Monroe News Star reports. Burkhalter’s bonus was worth $200K, a below-slot signing for Milwaukee given that the 176th overall pick has a $251.9K assigned value.
- White Sox tenth-rounder Jake Jarvis confirmed via his Twitter account that he had signed with the club. MLB.com’s Joe Popely notes that there was a perception that Jarvis was possibly unsignable due to the high school second baseman’s commitment to Texas A&M. Terms of Jarvis’ deal are unknown, though the 288th overall pick has a $141.3K slot value.
Brewers To Sign Jacob Gatewood
The Brewers have inked 41st overall choice Jacob Gatewood to a deal that includes a $1.83MM bonus, reports John Manuel of Baseball America (via Twitter). That means that Milwaukee will need to make up about $445K in savings, as the pick’s slot value is just under $1.4MM.
Gatewood’s agreement is the second over-slot deal for the Brewers. Earlier today, the club agreed to sign second-round pick Monte Harrison for $1.8MM, well over his slot value of $1.1MM. Combined, Milwaukee is now about $1.145MM over budget. While MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth noted at that time that an under-slot bonus for first-rounder Kodi Medeiros (12th overall) could make up the difference for the splurge on Harrison, the team may need to save money elsewhere to fit both slot busters.
As things stand, at-slot agreements with the team’s remaining choices from the first ten rounds would leave the club more than 15% over the $7.6MM total pool it enjoyed entering the draft. At that level of spending, Milwaukee would be penalized with the loss of their first pick in the next two Rule 4 drafts as well as a 100% tax on the overage. Needless to say, the Brewers will work hard to avoid that outcome.
Brad Johnson contributed to this post.
Brewers Agree To Terms With Monte Harrison
The Brewers have agreed to terms with second-round pick Monte Harrison for a bonus of $1.8MM, well above the bonus pool value of $1.1MM, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. Harrison, a high school outfielder from Missouri, was committed to play both baseball and football at Nebraska.
The Brewers took high school lefty Kodi Medeiros with the No. 12 overall pick, slightly higher than many draft analysts thought he would go. It’s possible the Brewers could sign Medeiros for somewhat less than his pool value of $2.81MM in order to free up money for the Harrison deal. They also drafted four college seniors between the fifth and tenth rounds, and they could free up some pool money there. In addition to Harrison, the Brewers took another high-upside high school talent, infielder Jacob Gatewood, in Competitive Balance Round A.
NL Notes: Dodgers, Brewers, Morales, Zimmerman, Welker
Tyler Stubblefield was stuck at low-A ball last year for the Padres at age 25. This year, writes MLB.com’s Corey Brock, he played a key role in recommending the team’s first-round draft choice, N.C. State shortstop Trea Turner, as San Diego’s area scout for eastern George and North and South Carolina.
Here’s the latest from the National League:
- It is time for the Dodgers to initiate a shake-up, opines Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider link). While the team undeniably has talented pieces, they have not fit together well, says Olney, who recommends that the team consider bringing up top prospect Joc Pederson to play center and installing the defense-first Erisbel Arruebarrena at short. Of course, those moves would have repercussions involving key veterans Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez, among others, but Olney says that dramatic action may be necessary with the club still sitting well back of the Giants in the NL West.
- The Brewers do not seem like a good fit for Kendrys Morales, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes on Twitter. McCalvy says that two key questions — Morales’s ability to handle first and the team’s ability to fit him in the payroll — make a signing unlikely.
- Ryan Zimmerman says that he is not sure that he will ever return full-time to third base for the Nationals, as Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. “I don’t know if I’m the best option over there anymore,” he said. “I’ve always said I’ll play until someone is better than me, or I’m not the best option at that position.” It will be fascinating to see how the Nats proceed when Bryce Harper returns, which is expected to occur around the turn of the month. While the team would have several options heading into 2015 — Zimmerman could stay in left and the team could deal Denard Span, or he could move to first if Adam LaRoche leaves town — the mid-season calculus is even more complicated. It seems hard to imagine that the team would leave second base in the hands of Danny Espinosa while taking away significant at-bats from any of the other players just mentioned. It seems at least possible that the Nationals could explore some creative trade possibilities to right-size the everyday lineup.
- Pirates righty Duke Welker underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday, reports Tom Singer of MLB.com (via Twitter). The towering 28-year-old was the player to be named later in last year’s Justin Morneau deal, but later returned to Pittsburgh in exchange for lefty Kris Johnson.
Kendrys Morales Expected To Sign Soon
The Major League Baseball amateur draft is just hours away, and once it commences, free agent Kendrys Morales will no longer be burdened by the weight of draft pick compensation. While fellow draft-pick free agent Stephen Drew returned to the Red Sox recently, Morales elected to remain on the market and become the first free agent under the current CBA to wait beyond the draft to shed his associated compensation. He may not be waiting long, however, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Morales is likely to find a new home within the next day or two.
The Yankees have been connected to Morales of late, but Heyman reports that the team asked agent Scott Boras and Morales to wait on signing as they evaluate the health of injury-plagued switch hitters Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira. Morales isn’t inclined to play that waiting game, however, which makes other clubs more likely to end up with Morales.
Heyman lists the Brewers and Mariners as more likely destinations than the Yankees, noting that another team or two is in the mix at this time. The Rangers have indeed shown interest, he adds, but they aren’t as likely to sign Morales as Milwaukee, Seattle or the alleged “mystery team”(s). Morales has generated some interest on two-year deals, according to Heyman, but he may prefer a one-year deal to hit unencumbered free agency next winter.
Of course, many other reports have indicated that the Mariners simply don’t have the financial flexibility to add Morales after the large amounts they spent this offseason. The Orioles were said to have interest at one point, but executive VP Dan Duquette essentially closed those doors in an on-record interview with ESPN’s Buster Olney. Heyman also reported recently that the Royals could join the Morales bidding, though they’d likely need to clear some payroll first in order to make that happen.
Quick Hits: Wrigley, Blue Jays, Arenado, Iglesias, Opt-Outs
In case you missed it, the Cubs‘ efforts to renovate Wrigley Field have run into some snags that have stirred up controversy in Chicago. That project has frequently been cited by the team as a key factor in future payroll expansion. Club executive Crane Kenney discussed the latest in an interview with David Kaplan on The Game 87.7 FM (audio link). Kaplan also released a copy of the agreement with the neighboring rooftop owners that is at the center of the dispute (on CSNChicago.com). Today, first baseman Anthony Rizzo expressed frustration over the delays, saying that players had been told to expect significant clubhouse renovations, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Here’s the latest from around the league to finish up the night …
- With the Blue Jays seemingly more interested in adding a short-term rental arm than a player who comes with more control (and a higher price), Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says that James Shields of the Royals could be a possible target for Toronto. Heyman says that the Jays hope to avoid “gutting” the team’s prospect pool in adding a pitcher, and like that Shields has proven himself in the AL East. Of course, unless Kansas City is well out of the race by the time the trade deadline comes around, Shields may not even be available. And even if he is shopped, he would draw lots of interest from other contenders and should command a substantial prospect haul himself. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos said earlier today that he is confident the club can take on salary to add an impact pitcher; in discussing that news, MLBTR’s Steve Adams listed several possible free agents-to-be that could become available and attractive to the Jays.
- Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado will not require surgery on his broken left middle finger, reports Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. That is good news for a suddenly-reeling Colorado club, though Arenado still figures to miss at least six more weeks. It will be interesting to see whether an anticipated mid-to-late July return for Arenado could help encourage the Rockies to buy at the trade deadline, if they can stay afloat in the meantime.
- The Reds were among the many clubs on hand to watch Cuban righty Raciel Iglesias throw today in Haiti, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Cinci pen has struggled to the league’s third-worst ERA through the first third of the season. Iglesias is said to have the potential to be a legitimate big league relief contributor right away.
- One aspect of the Mariners‘ decision to purchase the contract of outfielder Endy Chavez today was his June 1 opt-out date, tweets Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. The 36-year-old was carrying a .272/.346/.289 triple-slash in 134 plate appearances at Triple-A.
- Other opt-out situations around the league are coming to a decision point. In addition to attempting to address the clause of rehabbing starter Johan Santana, the Orioles are waiting to find out whether reliever Luis Ayala will opt out of his deal tomorrow, with the expectation that he will, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). The veteran righty has allowed three earned runs (with five strikeouts against two walks) in 5 1/3 innings at Double-A thus far in 2014.
- Meanwhile, Brewers lefty Brad Mills has been excellent at Triple-A and is nearing a June 15 opt-out date, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. The 29-year-old has a 1.74 ERA in 57 innings (including nine starts), with 9.0 K/9 against just 1.9 BB/9.