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Reds To Sign No. 2 Overall Pick Nick Senzel

By Steve Adams | June 13, 2016 at 1:08pm CDT

The Reds have reached an agreement with No. 2 overall draft pick Nick Senzel and will sign the Tennessee third baseman for a $6.2MM bonus later today, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter). The second pick came with a value of $7,762,900 this season, meaning that Cincinnati will save $1,562,900 on the pick. That money can be reallocated to other picks further down the team’s draft board.

Callis refers to Senzel as the best college hitter in this year’s draft class, and he’s not alone in that thought. as ESPN’s Keith Law called him the “most advanced college hitter in the draft” while ranking him eighth among draft prospects. Callis and his colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Senzel seventh in the draft, while Baseball America had him ranked sixth on their Top 500 list. All of the scouting reports agree that Senzel quieted defensive concerns in 2016 and turned himself into a solid enough defender at the hot corner that scouts now believe he can stick their as a professional. Callis and Mayo rate his hit tool, power, speed, arm and glove all average or better, though both Law and BA note that his power, to this point, is more apparent in batting practice than in game settings. Senzel’s penchant for hard contact and his improved work at third base seemingly give him something of a high floor, even if his power never comes around to allow him to turn into a star.

Cincinnati entered the 2016 draft with the largest pool of any Major League team due to the size of that No. 2 overall slot and because they won the top pick in Competitive Balance Round A (No. 35 overall) in last summer’s lottery. That slot came with a $1,837,200 value and was used on outfielder Taylor Trammell — a two-sport star (football) in high school that some had projected to go in the first round and as such may require an over-slot deal to break his commitment to Georgia Tech. Overall, Cincinnati carried a pool of $13,923,700, meaning they now have $7,723,700 remaining to spend on Trammell and their picks in rounds two through 10. (Players selected after the 10th round do not count against a team’s pool unless the bonus exceeds $100K, in which case only the overage is subtracted from the pool.)

Yulieski Gurriel Declared Free Agent

By Steve Adams | June 13, 2016 at 10:58am CDT

Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gurriel has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball and is now free to sign with any team, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Gurriel, who just turned 32 last Thursday, is widely considered to be one of the top talents on the international market (if not the top talent). Because of his age and extensive professional experience in Cuba, Gurriel will not be subject to international spending limitations. He’s free to sign a Major League deal with the highest bidder, and Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers have expressed interest.

In parts of 15 professional seasons between Cuba and Japan, Gurriel is a .335/.417/.580 hitter with 250 home runs in 5491 plate appearances. Baseball America’s Ben Badler rated Gurriel as the No. 1 player in Cuba last spring, calling him an above-average defender at third base that had plus raw power as well as the ability to get on base at a high clip and hit for average. Badler noted that Gurriel has a 70-grade arm (on the 20-80 scouting scale) and is also capable of playing second base, even if he profiles best at the hot corner. While Gurriel is an MLB-ready talent, the lengthy layoff he’s had from playing in a game setting makes it likely that he’d require a tune-up at the minor league level before jumping into a Major League lineup.

While Gurriel’s advanced age may limit his earning power to some extent, as he’s most likely in the late stages of his prime, it seems that he should be able to secure a lucrative multi-year deal in free agency. Because he hasn’t been eligible to sign, there’s been very little talk about what type of contract his representatives at the Wasserman Media Group will pursue in negotiations with MLB teams, but today’s news should again bring Gurriel’s name to the forefront of the rumor mill. For some context, Hector Olivera inked a six-year, $62.5MM contract with the Dodgers at the age of 30, so there’s certainly precedent for a very significant payday for a Cuban free agent even if his 20s have passed. While Gurriel may not be able to challenge that type of contract length, there’s certainly reason to believe that he could look to achieve a similar, if not greater average annual value than Olivera ($10.41MM) or Jose Abreu ($11.33MM), though that’s purely my own speculation.

The timeline for Gurriel’s younger brother, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., to be declared a free agent remains unclear. The 22-year-old reportedly left Cuba at the same time as his older brother and hired the same representation, but there has yet to be any report that he’s secured free agency from MLB as well. Unlike his older brother, Lourdes would be subject to international spending limitations, although if he signs after his 23rd birthday (October 19), that would no longer be the case. There’s been some talk in the past about the possibility of the brothers signing as a package deal, but Yulieski’s earlier timeline to free agency could conceivably make that less realistic.

Yankees, Ike Davis Agree To Major League Deal

By Connor Byrne | June 12, 2016 at 1:55pm CDT

The Yankees and free agent first baseman Ike Davis have agreed to a major league contract, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). The lefty-swinging Davis will soon join the Yankees and team with right-handed hitter Rob Refsnyder to form a platoon at first, tweets Heyman.

Davis’ agreement with the Yankees means he’s returning to New York, where he began his career with the Mets and where his father, Ron, pitched for the Bombers from 1978-81. The Rangers released the 29-year-old from his minor league deal earlier today and he became an obvious fit for the Yankees, who have dealt with major injury issues at first base going back to Greg Bird’s offseason shoulder surgery. The team has also lost starter Mark Teixeira and a pair of reserves – Chris Parmelee and Dustin Ackley – to the disabled list in recent weeks, and will now hope to draw production from Davis. The Yankees courted Davis over the winter before he elected to sign with the Rangers, eventually leading New York to bring back veteran Nick Swisher on a minor league deal. Swisher hasn’t fared well at the Triple-A level this year, though, which is why the Yankees are turning to Davis.

In 2,377 major league plate appearances, Davis has slashed .239/.332/.416 with 81 home runs, a career-high 32 of which came in 2012. Most of the damage he’s done has come versus right-handed pitchers, against whom he owns a quality 122 wRC+. The Yankees’ hope is that Davis will be able to take advantage of the short right field porch at their stadium and post respectable production in a platoon with Refsnyder, thereby helping the club stay in the playoff hunt.

Mariners Sign First-Rounder Kyle Lewis

By Jeff Todd | June 11, 2016 at 11:23pm CDT

The Mariners have signed first-round pick Kyle Lewis, whom they took 11th overall in this year’s draft. That selection comes with a $3.287MM slot value, which is what the outfielder will receive.

Lewis chatted with MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom before the draft, discussing his late commitment to the game of baseball. He also explained all the work he’s done and confidence he’s gained since turning his attention away from hoops late in his high school career.

MLB.com prospect gurus Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis called Lewis the third-best player available entering the draft. That was based in large part on his “easy pop to all fields,” but the duo credited him also with a strong overall skillset to go with the power.

That was largely the same assessment of the Baseball America team, which rated him fourth. ESPN.com’s Keith Law pegged Lewis as the tenth overall draft prospect, suggesting that he’s slightly more concerned than others with the 20-year-old’s need to refine his hitting mechanics — though that was a common issue raised by all of these evaluators.

While Lewis is a center fielder by trade, the consensus appears to be that he’ll eventually settle in at a corner spot. A strong arm could land him in right field, per the reports. Perhaps due in part to his lack year-round baseball before heading to college, Lewis’s game speed is said to lag his raw velocity on his feet.

Seattle has to be pleased with the way things broke with its first pick. The club was somewhat hamstrung last winter because it fell out of the top 10 with a win in its final game last year — meaning that it possessed the top unprotected pick in the draft for purposes of signing players who declined qualifying offers. After holding on to the choice rather than punting it to add a high-profile free agent, it was surely gratifying to see an elite name not only fall to them, but also sign in short order.

Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune first reported the deal. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation had the financial details.

Austin Jackson Out At Least 6 Weeks With Torn Meniscus; Petricka, Webb Out For Season

By Steve Adams | June 10, 2016 at 4:20pm CDT

The White Sox announced today that they’ve placed center fielder Austin Jackson on the 15-day disabled list with a medial meniscus tear in his left knee. Jackson will undergo surgery to repair the injury and will miss a minimum of six weeks, GM Rick Hahn told reporters, including Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Beyond that, Hayes tweets that Hahn informed the media that relievers Jake Petricka and Daniel Webb have undergone season-ending surgery. Webb had Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, while Petricka required surgery to repair an impingement in his right hip. Outfielder Jason Coats has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take Jackson’s spot on the roster.

The loss of Jackson won’t subtract an overly productive bat from the club’s everyday lineup — Jackson is hitting .254/.318/.343 through 204 plate appearances — but it will thin the team’s outfield depth and deprive the Sox of their primary center fielder. Adam Eaton shifted over to center field for tonight’s contest and could very well take the reins at the position he frequented for the first four seasons of his big league career. Jackson had posted below-average defensive metrics in center this season, but Eaton rated as arguably the best defender in all of baseball while playing right field, so moving him off that position could be a detriment to the club’s overall outfield defense even if his work in center is a small step up from that of Jackson. Eaton, after all, also carries below-average Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating marks in center field for his career.

Petricka, 28, is a particularly big loss for the Chicago bullpen. While he’s hardly a shutdown reliever, the former second-round pick tallied 144 1/3 innings of 3.24 ERA ball across the 2013-15 seasons for the ChiSox and had averaged 64.5 appearances over the past two seasons. He’s been limited to eight innings this year, however, as a result of the hip injury that ultimately required surgery. Webb, meanwhile, opened the season in Triple-A and pitched just one inning in late April before landing on the disabled list with right flexor inflammation. While he struggled through the 2015 campaign (6.30 ERA in 30 innings), Webb was better in 2013-14, pitching to a 3.87 ERA in a combined 79 innings out of the bullpen. The hard-thrower averaged nearly 96 mph on his fastball in that 2013-14 span, but his heater was sitting at 92 mph in his lone big league appearance of the 2016 season (though he still managed to strike out the side).

While the Sox can stick with Coats and Avisail Garcia and cover right field internally, the team has shown a very proactive approach in attempting to right the ship after a hot start disintegrated into a .500 record. The South Siders have already picked up James Shields in a trade and designated Mat Latos for assignment, and earlier today the team promoted top shortstop prospect Tim Anderson from Triple-A and designated veteran Jimmy Rollins for assignment. The Sox have already been connected to both left-handed bats and bullpen help, so it’s reason to believe that these significant hits to their depth could push Hahn and his staff into further action on the trade market. Jay Bruce and, to a lesser extent, Carlos Gonzalez stand out as reasonable options on that would satisfy Chicago’s desire for a left-handed bat and fill the right field void left by Eaton. Alternatively, they could pursue a left-handed bat with center field experience such as San Diego’s Jon Jay. Petricka and Webb, while neither are exactly cornerstone relievers for the Sox, further deplete the organizational depth and could lead the Sox to pursue any of the considerable amount of relievers that are currently available or could become available on the trade market.

Phillies Select Mickey Moniak With First Overall Pick

By Jeff Todd | June 9, 2016 at 6:12pm CDT

The Phillies have made it official, taking high school outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first overall selection of the 2016 draft. That makes him the first draft choice of GM Matt Klentak.

Philadelphia had been connected with several other players in recent months, including southpaws Jason Groome and A.J. Puk. But the rebuilding organization ended up going with the youngster out of Carlsbad, California, as had seemed increasingly likely in recent weeks. He is currently committed to play at UCLA.

Moniak doesn’t wow with off-the-charts physical prowess, but ESPN.com’s Keith Law says he “appears to have the best hit tool in the high school class.” Baseball America and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis join Law in rating Moniak the fifth-best overall talent in the draft.

While some question whether he’ll ever develop significant power to match his 6’2 frame, the evaluators agree that Moniak ought to be capable of manning center field in the long run, with his good wheels aiding him both in the field and on the basepaths. The 18-year-old draws universal praise for his instincts on the field as well as his work ethic.

It seems likely that the Phils are angling to preserve some of their spending power with the choice. That’s not to say that Moniak isn’t a top talent — by all accounts he is. Rather, somewhat like the Astros did in going with Carlos Correa over Byron Buxton back in 2012, the idea would be to take a more affordable player with hopes of adding yet more talent later in the draft. (Lance McCullers, Rio Ruiz, Brett Phillips, and Preston Tucker were among the other early-round choices that year by Houston.)

Philadelphia has $9.015MM to put towards signing Moniak, but it can allocate any savings to other selections. The club’s total pool adds up to just over $13.4MM, ranking second to the Reds — who just top their National League foes thanks to landing the first overall competitive balance Round A selection.

Cubs Acquire Chris Coghlan

By Jeff Todd | June 9, 2016 at 4:19pm CDT

The Cubs have brought back veteran infielder/outfielder Chris Coghlan in a trade with the Athletics, per an announcement from Oakland. Young utilityman Arismendy Alcantara will go back in return.

Chicago had shipped Coghlan to the A’s over the winter in exchange for pitcher Aaron Brooks. That move proved to be a precursor to the Cubs’ signing of Dexter Fowler.

In the interim, though, the Cubs lost Kyle Schwarber for the season and recently saw Jorge Soler go down with a hamstring injury of unknown severity. Also hitting the DL with a hammy issue is infielder Tommy La Stella.

Those losses have reduced the club’s depth somewhat, though it still has a nice group of outfield talent in reserve (including just-promoted prospect Albert Almora) as well as a fully healthy infield that includes two outstanding players (Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist) who are also capable of playing in the outfield.

The 30-year-old Coghlan will likely see time at the corner outfield, but has also been an option at second base (where Zobrist is entrenched). He had two highly productive seasons with the Cubs over 2013-14, posting a combined .265/.346/.447 batting line with 25 home runs and 18 steals over 935 plate appearances. Coghlan has scuffled thus far in Oakland with an ugly .146/.215/.272 slash, but those results and eroding plate discipline — he owns an uncharacteristic 27.3% strikeout rate against a diminished 7.6% walk rate — didn’t deter his former club.

There was a time when it would have seemed that Alcantara was the perfect player to plug into just such an opening. A middle infielder by trade, he saw ample time on the outfield grass upon his promotion in 2014. But the 24-year-old has never quite blossomed at the big league level, and wasn’t showing any signs of resolving his strikeout issues at Triple-A.

Still, he’s an interesting wild card for the A’s. Though he’s yet to show consistent on-base skills, Alcantara is generally regarded as a quality fielder and has loud tools on offense, with a history of double-digit home runs and steals. Indeed, over 213 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors this year, he has already swiped twenty bags.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

White Sox Sign Justin Morneau

By Jeff Todd | June 9, 2016 at 3:04pm CDT

The White Sox have signed veteran first baseman Justin Morneau, the club announced. It’s a one-year, $1MM contract.

Morneau will head straight onto the 15-day DL as he continues to work back to form after undergoing elbow surgery. His timeline remains unclear at present, but perhaps the club will have a chance to evaluate him before weighing other moves at the trade deadline.

The 34-year-old figures to play a role roughly analogous to what the team had expected from Adam LaRoche, who was a heavily-used DH and also spelled Jose Abreu at first. When LaRoche shocked the baseball world with his sudden retirement this spring, the club saved a boatload of money but also lost a source of left-handed pop (although he had disppointed to that point).

Morneau will step into that void once he’s ready to be activated. While he doesn’t come with the same kind of power ceiling that LaRoche carried — Morneau hasn’t hit more than twenty home runs since 2009 — he’s arguably a better overall hitter and certainly had better results last year.

Though Coors Field certainly provides a boost, Morneau’s .310/.363/.458 slash over 182 plate apperaances last year went for an above-average 109 OPS+. And he was even better the season prior, leading the league in batting average and hitting at a strong .319/.364/.496 clip.

It remains to be seen how much action Morneau will receive in the field, but it doesn’t hurt that he remains well-regarded with the glove. The team will also see how he holds up with a long history of medical concerns even before his recent procedure.

Chicago has been the most aggressive team in the league thus far in making mid-season additions. It already added James Shields, knocking pre-2016 free agent Mat Latos out of the rotation. And now the organization has moved on the free agent market to fill its need for a left-handed bat.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see whether GM Rick Hahn has more acquisitions in mind. There’s been chatter that the South Siders could look at a left-handed reliever, and there are several other positions that are probably susceptible of an upgrade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Yordano Ventura

By Jeff Todd | June 8, 2016 at 10:59pm CDT

1:32pm: A source strongly contested the report that Ventura had been shopped, telling MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that it was “complete and utter nonsense.” GM Dayton Moore declined to address the matter, saying that “it’s highly inappropriate and reckless to discuss any specific trade talks about players with the media.”

Passan, meanwhile, stands by his report, which he says has since been corroborated by additional sources (Twitter link).

8:25am: Last night’s plunking of Manny Machado was the latest in a line of questionable actions from Royals righty Yordano Ventura, and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes that his attitude is wearing thin on the Kansas City organization. Indeed, per the report, executives from at least two other teams say that the Royals have offered to deal Ventura away within the last month.

Expectations had been that the now-25-year-old with the high-octane fastball would be entrenched in the K.C. staff for years to come. After all, the club inked him to a five-year, $23MM extension before the start of the 2015 season. That deal also includes two option years valued at $12MM apiece.

There always seemed to be a bit of injury risk, but otherwise the pact seemed a nice bargain for a quality young arm. While he’s been healthy and still delivers mid-90s heat, however, Ventura has arguably been more provocative than productive on the mound over the last two years.

Ventura took a step back last year in the earned run department, seeing a year-over-year ERA shift from 3.20 to 4.08. But his peripherals all seemed in line with his prior work. It’s been different thus far in 2016, as Ventura has retired just six batters per nine innings via strikeout while issuing free passes at a rate of 4.8 BB/9. He’s allowing less groundballs to go with more contact and home runs. After last night’s outing, Ventura owns a 5.32 ERA in 66 innings over a dozen starts this year.

The extension once seemed an asset, but now may no longer have surplus value. Though we’re now one and a half years into the contract, the vast majority of the guarantee remains to be paid. Ventura has received just over $1MM of what he’s owed so far, with an escalating structure that mimics the arbitration process still to come. And there’s no doubt that other organizations will have concerns about Ventura’s questionable reputation and on-field antics.

It’s not exactly clear what Kansas City would be looking to accomplish via trade. Contenders would certainly hesitate to add Ventura to a rotation, and it’s a big commitment even if a club hoped to utilize his live arm in the pen. A swap that would allow the Royals to fill a need at the major league level without adding payroll could make some sense, though that’s just generalized speculation on my part.

Mets Acquire Kelly Johnson

By Jeff Todd | June 8, 2016 at 4:38pm CDT

4:38pm: The Braves sent about $450K to the Mets in the trade as well, tweets the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff. That will help offset the remaining $1.268MM on Johnson’s 2016 contract. The Braves, then, are saving about $818K in the trade.

10:56am: The Mets have officially struck a deal to acquire utilityman Kelly Johnson from the Braves, as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com first reported on Twitter. Minor league righty Akeel Morris heading back in return.

New York and Atlanta are division rivals, but that didn’t stop them from linking up last summer on a deal that brought Johnson and fellow veteran Juan Uribe to the Mets. Johnson returned to Atlanta after playing a limited but important role for the eventual National League champs, only to be sent north once again.

The contending Mets have seen some holes open up this year due to injuries. In particular, first baseman Lucas Duda, third baseman David Wright, and catcher Travis d’Arnaud are in various stages of lengthy absences, while outfielder Juan Lagares is limited by a thumb injury.

Johnson, 34, figures to provide a stopgap at any number of positions. Over 11 years with eight organizations, he’s lined up at second base, all four corner infield and outfield spots, and even shortstop (albeit only for one game). The left-handed-hitting Johnson looks like a particularly good fit at third base, where he could share time with Wilmer Flores, though it’s fair to note that Johnson has never carried much of a platoon split.

At his best, Johnson is a reasonably solid defender and an average or better hitter with some pop. The question is how much is left in the bat. Over 132 plate appearances this year, he’s slashed a meager .215/.273/.289 with a single home run. That’s a good ways off of his lifetime .250/.330/.420 slash and double-digit annual long ball output.

In Morris, the Braves are getting a 23-year-old reliever who has just a single MLB appearance under his belt. Heading into 2016, he had posted three straight seasons of sparkling results while steadily climbing the ladder. Over his first 25 1/3 innings this year, all coming at the Double-A level, Morris has surrendered 13 earned runs and issued 16 free passes — though he’s also allowed only 19 hits while racking up 36 strikeouts.

Jon Morosi of FOX Sports first reported that a trade between the teams was close (Twitter link).

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