Dodgers Sign 2nd-Rounder Landon Knack
The Dodgers have signed second-round right-hander Landon Knack for $715K, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports. It’s an under-slot deal for the 60th overall pick – whose selection carried a recommended value of $1,157,400 – but may be a record bonus for a fifth-year college senior, Callis notes.
The 22-year-old Knack was previously at East Tennessee State, where he logged a 2.29 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 122 innings from 2018-19. Despite the dominant numbers he posted in school, Knack did not rank among the top 100 draft prospects available at MLB.com, Baseball America, ESPN.com, FanGraphs or The Athletic. BA, which placed Knack at No. 113, writes that he possesses a high-90s fastball but only “fringy” offspeed offerings.
Although he’s just a couple weeks removed from coming off the draft board, it’s possible Knack will make his major league debut sometime this year. At the very least, there’s a good chance Knack will end up in the Dodgers’ 60-player pool, Callis suggests.
Minor Leaguers Left Out Of Player Pools May Be Able To Play Indy Ball
8:31pm: Cooper now tweets that minor-league players will need to receive authorization from their team before joining an indy ball roster. But he adds that the expectation is that many teams are amenable to doing so.
7:12pm: Wondering what’ll happen to those minor-league players who weren’t named to MLB teams’ 60-man player pools? While teams are paying stipends to those minor-leaguers they’ve retained, those players’ contracts were formally suspended.
Accordingly, as J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reports, Major League Baseball has determined that clubs lack grounds to prevent minor-leaguers from signing on with independent league outfits. The inverse is also true: MLB teams can’t encourage players to sign on with indy clubs. The situation is different for 40-man players, as MLB contracts were never declared suspended.
As a practical matter, relatively few players will likely end up landing new gigs. The independent leagues aren’t generally rolling in cash, needless to say, and their revenue stream faces even greater challenges than those of MLB teams since in-person attendance is the whole ballgame. Those that are cobbling together 2020 seasons obviously won’t be at full tilt.
That said, the appeal is obvious for players, many of whom would surely make a buck for playing ball rather than sitting dormant and losing a year of development. The calculus would obviously change if there’s some sort of minor-league season to speak of — a decision that could soon be made.
At the same time, there’s obviously some risk in playing outside the affiliated ranks. The controlling MLB team wouldn’t necessarily be on the hook for any injuries or health issues that may arise. And it’s an open question whether an otherwise available team stipend would be withheld from a player earning money for playing baseball in an unaffiliated uniform.
Minor League Baseball’s 2020 Fate Could Be Decided Tuesday
Because of COVID-19, odds are there will not be a minor league baseball season in 2020. No official decision has come down, but that may be on the verge of changing. Minor League Baseball’s board of trustees are scheduled to meet Tuesday, when they could make an official announcement on whether a season will take place, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports.
“I think in the next 24 hours we’re going to find out what we’ve known for a month and a half now,” a minor league owner told Drellich.
A canceled season seems likely as a result of multiple key factors, as Drellich explains. For one, in the improbable event of a season, minor league teams would have to provide their own players because Major League Baseball suspended its agreement with the minors amid a national emergency. Additionally, from a financial standpoint, the minors would not be able to sustain a season with no fans in their ballparks.
It goes without saying that not having a season would have a detrimental effect on many individuals and teams throughout minor league ball. There may be an increase in furloughs and layoffs of employees, Drellich writes, and it’s possible some teams will have to file for bankruptcy if they’re unable to play this year. Notably, even before the coronavirus reared its head, MLB was exploring a “radical restructuring” that could eliminate about a quarter of minor league clubs. A season off (or a truncated campaign with empty stands) wouldn’t do those teams any favors.
Giants’ Hunter Bishop Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Giants outfielder Hunter Bishop has become the first member of the team to test positive for COVID-19, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Bishop is exhibiting “mild symptoms” and “was not in contact with any of our players and staff subsequent to when he believes he was infected,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi announced.
The plan was for Bishop to be part of the Giants’ initial player pool, but they left him off as a result of this positive test. Bishop will be back under consideration if he returns to full strength, per Pavlovic, though it will be at least a couple weeks before he can join the team in camp. Manager Gabe Kapler said Bishop will “do nothing for the next 14 days.” He’ll also have to test negative for the virus twice before he’s eligible to participate.
The 22-year-old Bishop, whom the Giants drafted 10th overall in 2019, registered strong production during his first season in the organization. In 146 plate appearances divided between the rookie and Low-A levels, Bishop slashed .229/.438/.429 with five home runs, and though he did strike out 39 times, he also drew 38 walks. MLB.com ranks Bishop as the game’s 71st overall prospect, while FanGraphs credits him for his “rare physical tools.”
Mets To Sign Second-Rounder J.T. Ginn
The Mets have inked second-round draft pick J.T. Ginn, Tim Healey of Newsday reports on Twitter. He’ll receive a $2.9MM bonus, per Joe DeMayo of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
This puts a bow on the Mets’ 2020 draft class. The club had already inked their other five draftees, with its four selections after Ginn all going for well under the slot values attached to their picks.
The New York org needed every penny to reel in Ginn. He was taken 52nd overall, a position that came with a $1,403,200 pool allocation. Clearly, he wasn’t willing to turn pro for that amount.
Ginn, a draft-eligible sophomore out of Mississippi State, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. But the Mets obviously feel the talent is compelling enough to roll the dice on a full recovery.
Most draft watchers graded Ginn as a first-round talent, in spite of the obvious risk. He was already selected there once before, but spurned the Dodgers back in 2018. Ginn is said by some to possess a potentially front-of-the-rotation arsenal — a big heater, compelling slider, and promising change-up — though others anticipate he’ll settle in more as a back-of-the-staff starter or late-inning reliever.
Athletics Sign Tyler Soderstrom
The Athletics have announced a deal with top pick Tyler Soderstrom. It includes a $3.3MM signing bonus, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reported yesterday that Soderstrom would sign today and is expected to be added to Oakland’s 60-player pool.
Also going under contract was fifth rounder Stevie Emanuels. The University of Washington righty receives a $400K bonus. With his signing, the A’s have completed all of their draft business.
Soderstrom, a high school catcher out of California, received a bonus that weighed in about $646K north of his slot value at No. 26. Emanuels also went over-slot, with both players getting an extra payout from the cash the Athletics saved in signing second-rounder Jeff Criswell and third-rounder Michael Guldberg to below-slot deals.
The A’s obviously had their eyes on Soderstrom entering the draft. All major draft pundits rated him among the 25 best players available. ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel was particularly bullish, grading the youngster as the tenth-best player available due to his promise as a hitter.
While it’s awfully tempting to imagine Soderstrom as a bat-first catcher, there’s concern with his ability to develop defensively while also maximizing his offensive potential. It remains to be seen what course the A’s will take, but most scouts seemingly believe Soderstrom is athletic enough — and sufficiently talented with the bat — to man other areas of the diamond (third base or the corner outfield, most likely).
Each MLB Team’s 60-Man Player Pool
Teams had until Sunday at 4:00 pm EST to report their initial 60-man player pools to MLB. Note that these pools can contain up to 60 players but were not required to be full upon their first submission. Teams can — and in some cases already have begun to — make additions at any time, so long as they have an open spot in the pool. If their pool is full and they wish to sign someone, claim a player off waivers or acquire a player via trade, they’ll need to either release, waive or trade a 60-man player of their own.
While a handful of teams waited until Monday to make their player pools public, all 30 have now been announced. Here are the initial lists submitted by all 30 teams…
AL East
AL Central
AL West
NL East
NL Central
NL West
Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross Opt Out Of 2020 Season
Neither Ryan Zimmerman nor Joe Ross will suit up to play for the Nationals in 2020, according to respective reports from Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. The D.C. pair joins Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake among the first of what figure to be many players choosing not to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health and safety of themselves and their loved ones,” general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed in a statement. “We are one hundred percent supportive of their decision not to play this year. We will miss their presence in the clubhouse and their contributions on the field.”
Zimmerman outlined his reasoning last week in a guest piece for the Associated Press, candidly discussing his concern with having a newborn daughter and a mother who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Those understandable family concerns have prompted Zimmerman to forgo the year of service time and the prorated $2MM salary he’d have collected in 2020 had he indeed played. Zimmerman released the following statement today, via his agents at CAA Baseball:
After a great deal of thought and given my family circumstances — three young children, including a newborn, and a mother at high risk — I have decided not to participate in the 2020 season. Everyone knows how much it means to me to be a part of a team, and I will miss that camaraderie dearly this year. Of course I would love to pursue back-to-back titles. I cannot speak for anyone else, but given the unusual nature of the season, this is the best decision for me and my family, and I truly appreciate the organization’s understanding and support. To be clear, I am not retiring at this time. I have not decided on my future in baseball past 2020. But this year, I’ll be staying safe at home and pulling as hard as anyone for the guys to defend our championship.
Zimmerman likely wouldn’t have been the everyday lineup cornerstone that he’s been for much of his career in D.C., but the 35-year-old was in line to serve as a part-time first baseman and (under this year’s altered rules) designated hitter. His decision to sit out should lead to more at-bats for both Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, among others.
As for Ross, his decision was surely difficult. Not yet established as a surefire big league starter, he was in line to serve as the Nationals’ fifth starter. Playing out the 2020 season would’ve given the 27-year-old Ross a share of a prorated $1.5MM salary and pushed him north of five years of MLB service, bringing him within a year of free agency. Now, unless Ross himself has been deemed a high-risk player by team medical personnel, he’ll waive both that salary and service time. That can’t be an easy decision to make, and it serves as a reminder of the concerns that many players harbor — particularly if they live with or are in close proximity to at-risk loved ones.
With Ross now on the sidelines for the season, it’s likely that right-handers Austin Voth (profiled here as an intriguing rotation candidate himself earlier this spring) and Erick Fedde will get a look at the back of the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez.
Marlins Sign Nick Vincent, Add No. 3 Pick Max Meyer To 60-Man Pool
The Marlins have signed veteran right-handed reliever Nick Vincent to a minor league contract and will add him to the team’s 60-player pool, president of baseball ops Michael Hill told reporters Monday (Twitter link via the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson). They’ll also add infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez once a minor league deal to re-sign him has been wrapped up. Perhaps of most interest to Fish fans, though, is that No. 3 overall pick Max Meyer will be added to the pool as well. That trio of moves will fill the Marlins’ initial pool.
Vincent, 33, had some uncharacteristic struggles with the Giants a year ago when he posted an ugly 5.58 ERA in 30 2/3 innings. A strained pectoral muscle may have been to blame, though, as Vincent was sharp for his first six weeks with San Francisco (2.25 ERA in his first 24 frames) before imploding over the next two weeks and eventually landing on the injured list. By the time he was healed up, the Giants opted to simply cut him loose. He caught on with the Phillies and yielded just three runs in 14 innings with a 17-to-4 K/BB ratio to close out the year.
From 2012-18, Vincent was quietly a very effective reliever. Over the life of 332 innings with the Padres and Mariners in that time, he compiled an impressive 3.17 ERA and 3.09 FIP with 9.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 0.78 HR/9. Soft-tossing, extreme fly-ball righties aren’t exactly en vogue these days — Vincent averages 89.7 mph on his fastball and has a career 33.9 percent grounder rate — but there’s no denying Vincent’s solid track record. And if he does make his way to the Miami ‘pen, their spacious home park should help to keep those airborne balls in the yard.
The 35-year-old Rodriguez can play virtually anywhere on the diamond and has typically been a solid, albeit unspectacular bat against left-handed pitching. That makes him a nice potential bench bat for a club with an expanded roster in 2020, though. Rodriguez’s 2017-18 seasons were ruined by an offseason car accident in 2016 that ultimately led to shoulder surgery, but he turned things around to an extent last year. After batting .167/.277/.305 in the wake of that car crash, he logged a .233/.348/.375 line with Philadelphia in 2019.
Meyer, 21, is one of the best pitchers in the history of the University of Minnesota. The now-former Gopher ace was long expected to be a top 10 pick, but the Marlins still surprised some pundits by passing over fellow college arms like Asa Lacy and Emerson Hancock as well as Vanderbilt third baseman Austin Martin in order to scoop up Meyer third overall earlier this month. With a triple-digit fastball, a plus slider and a career 2.13 ERA and 187-to-41 K/BB ratio in 148 college innings, it’s easy to see why the Marlins were so enamored of Meyer though.
Many scouting reports on Meyer picked him to be among the fastest players to reach the Majors from this year’s draft — if not the fastest. The Athletic’s Keith Law even suggested that some clubs might be bullish enough to think that Meyer could pitch in the Majors as soon as this season, although that accelerated timeline would burn a year of control and service for the Marlins despite the fact that they’re not expected to contend. Anything can happen in a shorter season, though, so if the Fish do get out to a torrid start, perhaps they’ll be emboldened to bring Meyer up to the big leagues in an effort to bolster their staff.
Giants Announce Initial Player Pool
The Giants on Monday announced their initial player pool for the 2020 season. Pools can contain up to 60 players, and only players in a team’s pool will be eligible to participate in summer training camp or regular/postseason games. Teams are free to change the makeup of the pools as they see fit, but once a team’s pool reaches 60 players, a player must be removed (released, traded, waived, etc.) in order to make a new addition. That player becomes ineligible to return to that same team in 2020.
Not all players within a team’s pool are ticketed for MLB playing time, of course. Most teams will include well-regarded but still far-off prospects as a means of getting them training reps with no intention of running them onto a major league diamond this season. A comprehensive review of 2020’s unique set of rules can be found here.
Here are the 51 players in the Giants’ initial pool (* indicates player not on 40-man roster)…
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Shaun Anderson
- Trevor Cahill*
- Sam Coonrod
- Johnny Cueto
- Tyler Cyr*
- Rico Garcia*
- Kevin Gausman
- Trevor Gott
- Dany Jimenez
- Luis Madero*
- Carlos Navas*
- Trevor Oaks*
- Dereck Rodriguez
- Tyler Rogers
- Jeff Samardzija
- Andrew Triggs*
- Logan Webb
Left-Handed Pitchers
- Tyler Anderson
- Jarlin Garcia
- Conner Menez
- Wandy Peralta
- Sam Selman
- Drew Smyly
- Andrew Suarez
- Tony Watson
Catchers
Infielders
- Abiatal Avelino
- Brandon Belt
- Brandon Crawford
- Mauricio Dubon
- Wilmer Flores
- Zach Green*
- Evan Longoria
- Marco Luciano*
- Darin Ruf*
- Yolmer Sanchez*
- Pablo Sandoval*
- Donovan Solano
Outfielders