Knocking Down The Door: Burnes, Granite, Mahle, Moya, Smith
“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.
Corbin Burnes, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (Double-A Biloxi)
The Brewers’ starting rotation has been much better than expected and, arguably, the biggest reason why they’re sitting atop the NL Central with a 41-37 record. But while their five starters are healthy and performing well at the moment, the team’s rotation depth has taken a hit as of late. Top prospect Josh Hader was moved to a relief role in order to balance out a right-handed heavy bullpen, and Brandon Woodruff landed on the disabled list when he suffered a strained hamstring just before his MLB debut. All of a sudden, Burnes is not only rocketing up the prospect lists with his impressive performance in 2017, he could actually help a playoff-contending Brewers team at some point.
A fourth-round pick in last year’s draft, Burnes posted a 1.05 ERA in 10 High-A starts before a June promotion to Double-A. The 22-year-old right-hander hasn’t slowed down one bit, allowing two earned runs and 10 hits over 23 2/3innings in his four Southern League starts. He threw close to 140 innings in 2016 between the NCAA and the Minor Leagues, so it’s realistic that he can exceed 150 innings this year—he’s currently at 83 2/3—and that some of those innings might actually be thrown at the Major League level.
—
Zack Granite, OF, Minnesota Twins (Triple-A Rochester)
The Twins’ patience with Byron Buxton paid off as he was productive over a 146 plate appearance stretch (.746 OPS from April 21-June 14) after a slow start. But he’s gone ice cold again—he’s 5 for his last 38 with no extra bases and 13 strikeouts—while the Twins have been one of the worst offenses in baseball this month. If they’re looking for a spark, and a player who can at least spell Buxton occasionally in center field, it’s becoming clear that Granite could be a solution.
After his third consecutive two-hit game on Monday, the 24-year-old has a Triple-A slash line of .365/.419/513 in 48 games. His 17 walk-to-22 strikeout ratio might be his most enticing stat considering that Buxton and left fielder Eddie Rosario have combined for 34 walks and 127 strikeouts.
—
Tyler Mahle, SP, Cincinnati Reds (Triple-A Louisville)
Mahle is the first player to earn “Knocking Down The Door” honors for a second time in 2017, although he was dominating at the Double-A level when I pegged him as a potential call-up in early May. This time around, he’s coming off of an impressive Triple-A debut in which he pitched four-hit ball over six innings with no earned runs allowed and nine strikeouts.
A struggling Reds’ rotation was hoping for a shot in the arm with Homer Bailey and Brandon Finnegan both back from the disabled list. But Bailey’s 2017 debut was disastrous (1 2/3 IP, 8 ER) and Finnegan is headed back to the DL with a shoulder injury. The Reds have already used an NL-leading 12 starting pitchers and are certain to dip into their farm for reinforcements again at some point. Will the 22-year-old Mahle be the 13th?
—
Gabriel Moya, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Double-A Jackson)
Fernando Rodney and Archie Bradley have been the keys to solidifying what appeared to be a very suspect Diamondbacks bullpen heading into the season. But, will it hold up down the stretch as they try to lock down their first playoff berth since 2011? It would be a surprise if general manager Mike Hazen didn’t acquire some late-inning help prior to July 31st, but they could also take a look at some potential in-house options prior to the deadline. Moya, a 22-year-old who has been close to unhittable as the Double-A closer, should be considered.
The left-hander out of Venezuela has allowed a run in only two of his 26 appearances while holding opponents to a .139 batting average and walking only 12 hitters with 52 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. Right-handed hitters have a .107 batting average against him, which is at least an indication that he could be more than a situational reliever.
—
Caleb Smith, SP, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)
With Chance Adams still waiting for a much-deserved and much-anticipated MLB call-up, Smith’s work in Triple-A has gone relatively unnoticed. The 25-year-old lefty has made 14 starts in 2017 and has allowed two earned runs or less twelve times, including back-to-back gems (13 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 13 K) to lower his ERA to 2.84 with impressive peripherals across the board (6.5 H/9, 2.3 BB/9, 8.5 K/9).
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/24/17
We’ll track the latest minor moves from around baseball in this post…
Newest Moves
- The White Sox signed Grant Green to a minor league deal on Wednesday, the team’s Triple-A affiliate announced (on Twitter). The veteran infielder signed a minors contract with the Nationals over the winter and appeared in two games for the team before being outrighted off the 40-man roster in April and released in mid-June. Picked 13th overall by the A’s in the 2009 draft, Green has played for four teams over parts of five seasons in the big leagues, posting a .248/.283/.336 slash line in 353 PA.
- The Athletics signed left-hander Patrick Schuster last week, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Schuster joined the A’s organization just a couple of days after being released from his minor league deal with the Dodgers. This is Schuster’s second stint in Oakland, as he made his MLB debut last July before being claimed on waivers by the Phillies in September. Still just 26 and in his ninth year as a pro, Schuster has a 3.38 ERA over 474 2/3 IP in the minors (mostly as a reliever) as well as 11 big league games with the A’s and Phillies.
- The Tigers released southpaw Mike Zagurski earlier this month, Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times-News reports (via Twitter). Zagurski signed a minor league deal with Detroit last winter, making his return to North American baseball after spending the previous two seasons in Japan. The lefty posted a 3.29 ERA, 5.38 K/BB rate and 14.2 K/9 over 27 1/3 combined innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, including a 5.06 ERA in 10 2/3 IP at Toledo despite those impressive peripherals. Zagurski will now look to catch on with another team in hopes of making it back to the majors for the first time since 2013.
Earlier Today
- Veteran Phillies players Michael Saunders and Jeanmar Gomez were each released, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Both were designated at the same time recently, and the Phils evidently couldn’t find takers in trade — which isn’t terribly surprising given their pronounced struggles and big salaries. Saunders, 30, had a strong 2016 season and has mostly been a better-than-average hitter in the big leagues, so he’ll surely find a new opportunity elsewhere. The same holds for Gomez, who always seemed miscast as a closer but might provide some solid innings in a middle-relief role. Though both can now be had for the league minimum, it would perhaps be a surprise were either to sign directly only a MLB roster at this stage of the season.
- Likewise, the Royals announced that release waivers have been requested on veteran right-hander Chris Young, who was just designated. It’s not clear whether the 38-year-old will continue pitching after losing his job with Kansas City. He overcame significant arm injuries to make it back to the majors, and had a few good years upon his return, but has struggled mightily over the past two campaigns.
- The Twins have released lefty Adam Wilk, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). He had been designated for assignment after making a few fill-in outings for Minnesota. Wilk has allowed 14 earned runs on 24 hits in his 14 MLB innings this year, while recording just eight strikeouts against nine walks. He’ll likely end up finding a new organization on a minors deal.
Draft Signings: Pirates, Twins, Blue Jays, Cubs, Orioles, Marlins, Angels
Here are the latest notable signings from the 2017 amateur draft. You can check out scouting reports and analysis of all these players via the draft prospect rankings from MLB.com, Fangraphs, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law (the latter two links are subscription-only).
- Pirates second-round pick Steven Jennings will receive a $1.9MM bonus, according to MLB.coms Jim Callis (via Twitter). The high-school hurler was taken 42nd overall, which comes with a $1,635,500 allocation.
- The Twins will save a bit of cash on 37th overall pick Landon Leach, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). He’ll take home just under $1.5MM, per the report, below the $1,846,100 assigned slot price.
- Some of the Twins‘ savings will be directed toward third-rounder Blayne Enlow, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link). Reports after the draft suggested that Enlow would receive a bonus in the $2MM range to entice him away from a commitment to LSU. Callis reports that Enlow will receive $2MM on the dot, a major increase from the slot price ($755.5K) for the 76th overall selection.
- Blue Jays second-rounder Hagen Danner is in agreement on a bonus that will land right around $1.5MM, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. The deal is pending a physical. Danner’s bonus represents a healthy bump over the $1,043,200 slot value for the 61st overall pick. Davidi notes that once Danner’s deal is finalized, Toronto will have signed all of its picks from the first ten rounds except for first-round selections Logan Warmoth and Nate Pearson.
- Cubs second-rounder Cory Abbott lands a slot-value, $901.9K bonus, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (via Twitter). The Loyola right-hander was drafted 67th overall.
- The Orioles will pay a $1.3MM bonus to Adam Hall, according to Mayo (on Twitter). It’s an above-slot deal for Hall, who had a slot value of $1,068,700 as the 60th overall pick.
- The Orioles will also add supplemental second-round selection Zac Lowther for the $779.5K slot value of the 74th overall pick, Callis tweets.
- Marlins second-rounder Joe Dunand will take home a $1.2MM bonus, Callis tweets. The N.C. State shortstop was taken 51st overall, so Dunand’s bonus lands a bit blow the $1,326,800 assigned price.
- The Angels have agreed to a $1MM bonus with third-rounder Jacob Pearson, Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America reports on Twitter. Pearson, another LSU commit, will instead begin his pro career after receiving a bonus well beyond the $656.3K assigned to the 85th overall pick.
Navigating Life Post-Surgery: When Your Right Arm and Left Leg Don’t Work
It’s the second installment of the Trevor May MLB Trade Rumors experience y’all, let’s get to it! (Those who missed the first one can check it out here.) Before I get into the meat of my “week of woe” post-surgery guide, let me start with some good news:
- I was on a mound the other day! Well, kind of. No arm motions yet, but footwork was on point. And, as you can imagine, I looked cool as hell.
- Those boys in Minnesota can play some baseball! Two games over .500 and right in the division hunt. As someone who is able to witness the combination of talent, work ethic and character on a daily basis, take my word when I tell you that special things are happening.
Moving on! Anyone who has had major surgery knows that life is a little bit more difficult when you wake up. Tommy John is no exception. There’s a lot that you may already assume, like “everything hurts,” pain meds that leave you loopy, and leaving in wheelchairs. (I’m sure many of you are imagining this.)
Tommy John surgery, the gift that keeps on giving, checks all of these boxes, but there’s plenty you may not know. For example, the first location for the IV was my hand. This did not work. Ten minutes on the table, my hand is already swollen. When I woke up from surgery on March 20 in my woefully under-sized hospital gown (no, I won’t prove it), the nurse asked me how I feel.
“Yeah my arm is sore, but my knee is KILLLLLLLLING ME!”
Medical context (Warning: I am not a doctor and am only 40% sure that I’ve accurately spelled the words in the following paragraph. Time to test the surprisingly friendly MLBTR editors!):
In order to repair your ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament must be replaced by another healthy piece of connective tissue from somewhere else in your body. Commonly, the tendon used is from one of your wrists. Unfortunately, some of us don’t possess that option. Like me. Option two then becomes a harvest of your gracilis tendon, which wraps from the front of your knee to the hamstring. I’ve been told it regenerates to some extent, like a salamander’s tail. Cool!
Well folks, NOT cool. The knee is far and away the suckiest part of the surgery. I fancy myself a tough hombre, but being rendered unable to move myself was new. No stair is easy, no car is accessible, no bed is comfortable.
So, having had the experience, I’ve designed my own guide to Navigating Life Post-Surgery: When Your Right Arm and Left Leg Don’t Work.
- Brushing your teeth. Invest in a Sonicare or some other type of electric toothbrush and practice using it for some time before surgery.
- Showering. You’re not allowed to get your incisions wet, so invest in a nice, high-quality roll of plastic wrap and trash bags. (Glad works well and smells nice! *Thumbs up*) Also, it helps to have a low expectations for what you’re going to be able to reach. Just do your best.
- Stairs. Try not to count them. Just take it one step at a time, leading with your immobile leg. The good leg is better for pushing off. This applies to descending stairs as well.
- Putting on Socks. Well, I cheated. My wife did it for me. Invest in slip-ons that don’t need socks (New Balance makes some solid options). As always, take your time.
- Combing/Styling your hair. I have two new hats. Lululemon to the rescue.
- Eating. Chopsticks are out, anything handheld is in. This might have been the best part. Seriously, I had Culver’s like, six times.
Note: If you know anyone at these companies, I know a guy that is fairly shameless and loves making commercials. *Wink*
These six things, approached correctly, keep life moving right after surgery. Here I am, 13 weeks out, typing all of this out a full speed (24 words per minute). Heck, I ran for 30 minutes yesterday! Improvement is a daily phenomenon, and the process is in full swing. One finally-not-so-painful step at a time.
Let me finish with a short off-field update. I’ve recently formed two companies that are going to revolutionize E-Sports analytics. I’m also working to build several tournament series for competitive gamers to begin increasing their income, and I have several charity events planned involving both gaming and baseball! On the charity side of things, the next step will be a live-streamed marathon of MLB: The Show, where I challenge five players to take on me and the Twins! More details on that are here for those that are interested.
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch for updates on all of that and, of course, for great conversation!
Twins Designate Alex Wimmers, Mason Melotakis
The Twins announced that they’ve designated left-handed reliever Mason Melotakis and right-handed reliever Alex Wimmers for assignment on Friday. The moves will clear way for the the team to select the contracts of veteran righty Dillon Gee and right-hander Trevor Hildenberger, one of the organization’s top bullpen prospects.
The DFA of Melotakis comes as something of a surprise, as he entered the season rated as one of the better relief prospects in the Twins system and has pitched well thus far in 2017, working to a combined 2.28 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate a bit north of 50 percent. Certainly, the Twins’ front office either saw something it didn’t like or feels there’s a good chance he’ll clear waivers, but it’s nonetheless a surprise to see him cut loose with the Twins in obvious need of bullpen help at the Major League level.
Wimmers, 28, has previously been outrighted by the Twins before, so he’ll have the option to elect free agency if he clears waivers. The former first-round pick was touted as a fairly safe bet to eventually join a big league rotation back in the 2010 draft, but his career has been derailed in large part by injuries. He’s tossed 7 1/3 inning with the 2017 Twins and walked more batters (nine) than he’s struck out (eight), though he’s posted a 3.72 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 in 67 2/3 career innings at Triple-A.
Twins Sign Dillon Gee
10:55pm: In a change of course, the Twins are actually set to select the contract of Gee prior to tomorrow’s game, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (via Twitter). Minnesota was pummeled in a 9-0 loss to the White Sox today, as starter Nik Turley didn’t escape the first inning. Given the excess work required of the ‘pen, Gee will be immediately summoned to the Majors.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN also tweets that the Twins will select the contract of Trevor Hildenberger, who ranked among the team’s top 20 or so prospects entering the season and has turned in a 2.05 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 with a 54.4 percent ground-ball rate through 30 2/3 innings in Triple-A.
JUNE 22, 5:29pm: The Twins have announced the signing, noting that Gee will pitch for Rochester tomorrow. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that Gee has a July 15 opt-out date in his contract and will earn a pro-rated $1MM salary if he’s called up to the Majors.
JUNE 20: The Twins have agreed to a minor league pact with free-agent right-hander Dillon Gee, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN was the first to report that the two sides were in talks, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweeted soon after that the two sides were “very close” to an agreement. Gee is a client of SSG Baseball.
Gee, 31, elected free agency after being outrighted by the Rangers over the weekend. The longtime Mets righty had pitched to a 4.15 ERA through 13 big league innings as well as a 3.88 ERA in 51 Triple-A innings with the Rangers this season. That follows up the 4.68 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 41 percent ground-ball rate that Gee logged in 125 innings as a member of the Royals in 2016.
Gee underwent thoracic outlet surgery back in October but hasn’t shown any lasting effects from that operation thus far in 2017. Gee will head to Triple-A as a starter, though it would seem likely that he’d emerge as a viable option for the big league rotation before long. Outside of Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios, Minnesota starters have struggled through a disastrous 2017 season. Despite the strong work of the team’s top two starters, the Twins’ rotation currently owns a 4.79 ERA that is the eighth-highest of any team in the Majors.
[Related: Minnesota Twins depth chart]
Phil Hughes, Hector Santiago and Trevor May are all on the disabled list, while longtime rotation member Kyle Gibson had to be optioned to Triple-A earlier this season as a result of his early struggles. (Gibson has shown some improvement since returning from Rochester, though he’s yet to rediscover his 2015 form.) Promising young lefty Adalberto Mejia has made a handful of starts thus far, but he hasn’t yet replicated his solid minor league numbers as a big leaguer.
All of that has contributed to a revolving door in the back of the Minnesota rotation, which has led to starts from journeymen Adam Wilk and Nik Turley — both of whom took the hill in a critical weekend series that resulted in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Indians. With that sweep, Cleveland leapfrogged Minnesota and took hold of the division lead.
Agency Changes: Delgado, Ramirez, Robles, Polanco
Here at MLBTR we do our best to cover notable agency changes while keeping tabs on player representation through our Agency Database. Here are a few recent moves:
- D-backs right-hander has hired Dan Lozano of MVP Sports as his new representative, writes FanRag’s Jon Heyman as part of his weekly NL Notes column. Once one of baseball’s top prospects, Delgado didn’t pan out as a starter but has become a solid piece in the Arizona bullpen in recent years. He’s made four starts this year and fared nicely, but he’s back in the ‘pen and is on his way to perhaps his best season. Through 51 2/3 innings, Delgado has a 3.48 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent ground-ball rate. Delgado, 27, is controllable for one more year before hitting the open market after the 2018 campaign.
Earlier Notes
- Indians utilityman extraordinaire Jose Ramirez will move his representation to the Wasserman Media Group, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. It seems that Ramirez is sticking with agent Rafa Nieves, who just joined Wasserman. Ramirez has only just embarked upon a new, four-year deal with Cleveland that was inked late in Spring Training. With two options included, the contract covers all of Ramirez’s potential arbitration eligibility and allows the organization to control the switch-hitting 24-year-old through his age-31 season. He had earned the deal after a strong 2016 season, but his stock has risen yet further after opening the 2017 campaign with a .322/.376/.557 slash through 290 plate appearances. Notably, Ramirez has already swatted 11 long balls, matching last year’s tally in less than half the trips to the plate.
- Also moving to Wasserman is top Nationals prospect Victor Robles. Though he only just reached his twentieth birthday and hasn’t yet reached the upper minors, Robles received consensus top-ten leaguewide prospect billing entering the current season. He hasn’t disappointed, slashing .296/.393/.505 with six home runs and 13 steals through 233 plate appearances at the High-A level. While it seems unlikely that Robles will make it to D.C. before the 2018 season, he could be a foundational piece for the organization.
- Meanwhile, Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco will take his business to Octagon and agent Ulises Cabrera, according to 1500ESPN.com’s Darren Wolfson (via Twitter). The 23-year-old switch-hitter entered the current season with 105 days of MLB service, meaning he won’t be able to qualify for arbitration until at least 2020 and can’t qualify for free agency until 2023. Polanco was a highly regarded prospect who raised expectations with a solid performance in his first extended MLB stint last year. He has struggled thus far in 2017, though, with a .242/.294/.338 batting line through 219 plate appearances.
Free Agent Notes: Gee, Jepsen, Morneau
A few notes on some currently unsigned players…
- The Twins are in talks with right-hander Dillon Gee, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Gee elected free agency over the weekend after he cleared waivers following his DFA by the Rangers. The 31-year-old veteran posted a 4.15 ERA and a 10-to-6 K/BB ratio in 13 innings with the Rangers this season and turned in a 3.88 earned run average with 7.6 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 over the life of 51 innings with Triple-A Round Rock this season. Gee had thoracic outlet surgery back in October but has been healthy throughout the 2017 season thus far. He pitched to a 4.68 ERA in 125 innings for Kansas City last season and has a 4.13 ERA in 817 1/3 innings as a Major Leaguer, working mostly out of the rotation. Minnesota is in dire need of rotation help as it fights to maintain a surprising early run as the AL Central leader.
- Right-hander Kevin Jepsen had a workout for teams today, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Jepsen was cut loose by the D-backs at the end of Spring Training and has since been rehabbing a quadriceps injury before looking for another club. Jepsen, 32, had a terrible season in 2016, pitching to a 5.98 ERA in 49 2/3 innings between the Twins and the Rays. However, Jepsen was terrific as recently as the 2015 season, when he posted a 2.33 ERA through 69 2/3 innings between those same two clubs and even served as Minnesota’s closer following an injury to Glen Perkins.
- Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire told Jon Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB Network recently that Justin Morneau is in excellent condition and feels that the former American League MVP could help an AL club in 2017 (Twitter link). The 36-year-old Morneau spent the second half of the 2016 season with the White Sox and hit .261/.303/.429 through 218 plate appearances. It’s not immediately clear how aggressively Morneau and his agents are pursuing a deal, though Morneau was linked to a few clubs over the course of the offseason and played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. He’s never made any indication that he plans to retire, either.
Health Notes: Pollock, Smith, E-Rod, Villar, Hughes, Zobrist, AGon, Semien, Werth, Flaherty
Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock has suffered a new injury while on a rehab assignment, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. Pollock, who is working back from a groin strain, is now said to be day-to-day with tightness in his right quad. The severity isn’t yet known, though the presence of another lower-body muscle issue will surely cause the organization to proceed with caution. With the Snakes locked in a surprising and increasingly fascinating battle in the NL West, they will be anxious to get Pollock back, though clearly the long view is required for such an important player with such a checkered injury history.
Let’s check in on a few more injury situations from around the game:
- The Blue Jays placed righty Joe Smith on the 10-day DL before today’s game, per a club announcement. He is dealing with shoulder inflammation. That’s a big loss for a Toronto club that has made huge strides after a woeful start to the year. Smith has been quite effective while maintaining a heavy workload; through 34 appearances, he carries a 3.41 ERA. More impressively, Smith has nearly doubled last year’s strikeout rate (13.4 K/9) while maintaining a 13.0% swinging-strike rate that dwarfs any of his prior single-season marks.
- While the Red Sox wait to learn more about the status of second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who took a pitch to the ribcage on Sunday, the club has continued to receive good news on lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets, skipper John Farrell says that Rodriguez will face live hitters this week and possibly head out for a rehab assignment thereafter.
- Things are clearing up for Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar as well, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. Villar, who has struggled in the wake of a breakout 2016 season, says that his lower back is feeling so much better that he might be ready for a rehab stint soon. Milwaukee may well need a healthy and more effective Villar if it hopes to continue to outpace the rest of the NL Central.
- In other forthcoming rehab stints, Twins righty Phil Hughes is scheduled for a start at Triple-A on Wednesday, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. It seems that he has avoided the worst-case scenario after experiencing some symptoms akin to those that led to thoracic outlet surgery. Minnesota is also giving a rehab start to lefty Hector Santiago, who seems likely to avoid a lengthy DL stint for his shoulder issue.
- Veteran Cubs infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist got some good news, as Jeff Arnold of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. An MRI came back clean, leaving the club hopeful that the veteran will be able to return as soon as Friday. That said, Zobrist acknowledged that he still needs to test out the wrist at full speed, noting that “we’re not going to push it.”
- Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts provided an update on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was among those to tweet. The veteran has received an epidural to treat his lower back issues, says Roberts, with the organization hopeful that Gonzalez will be able to return sometime around the All-Star break next month.
- The Athletics will send shortstop Marcus Semien out on a rehab assignment later this week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. He has been participating in baseball activities to test his surgically repaired wrist, and it seems the progress is sufficient to allow him to take the next step.
- Meanwhile, the going is somewhat slow for Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth. As Dan Kolko of MASNsport.com tweets, manager Dusty Baker says that the veteran is still not ready for baseball activities. Instead, he’s still focused on taking care of his bruised left foot.
- The Orioles don’t appear likely to welcome back infielder Ryan Flaherty any time soon, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. His balky shoulder didn’t respond well to an attempt to ramp up a throwing program, so the team will slow things down. Were it not for the injury, Flaherty would likely have represented part of the plan for dealing with the more recent DL placement of J.J. Hardy.
Twins Sign Royce Lewis
5:50pm: The Twins have announced the signing. Lewis’ deal is worth $6.725MM, per Heyman, who notes that it’s a record for a high school player in the new system (Twitter links).
4:34pm: The Twins have agreed to a deal with first overall draft pick Royce Lewis, Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman tweets. Lewis will receive a bonus of a bit over $6.7MM. Lewis, a high school shortstop from California, will forgo his commitment to UC-Irvine, as expected.
It was reported late last week that Lewis would soon take a physical with the Twins and that he was expected to receive a bonus slightly higher than the $6.5MM 2015 first overall pick Dansby Swanson got from the Diamondbacks, so today’s news does not come as a major surprise. It appears Lewis’ bonus will not be the biggest overall in this year’s draft, however — that honor could go to Braves No. 5 overall pick Kyle Wright, who received $7MM, or Rays No. 4 overall selection Brendan McKay, who could receive slightly more.
The first overall pick had a pool value of $7,770,700 this year, so it appears that when Lewis’ signing is complete, the Twins will save around $1M against their total draft pool of $14,156,800. Notably, they’ve already struck a deal with third-rounder Blayne Enlow for $2MM, a little over $1.2MM more than the value of the No. 76 pick. The Lewis and Enlow deals, then, will essentially balance one another out.
The Twins were reportedly interested in both Lewis and McKay with the first overall pick, and Lewis’ willingness to accept the Twins’ bonus offer was reportedly a key factor in their decision to select him. Lewis, though, did rate as one of the premium talents in this year’s draft. MLB.com rated him the No. 5 prospect available, noting that he has excellent athleticism and good range either in the infield or center field. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen rated Lewis similarly, noting his feel for hitting, projectable body and the likelihood he could become a plus center field if he’s eventually moved off shortstop. Baseball America (subscription required) noted Lewis’ plus makeup, speed and raw power.
Lewis will join a collection of young Twins talent that includes big-leaguers Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios, along with prospects Nick Gordon, Stephen Gonsalves and Enlow. Lewis only turned 18 the week before the draft and could require ample time to develop, but he’ll immediately become one of the crown jewels of the Twins’ system.