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Latest On Federal Investigation Into Latin American Signings

By Connor Byrne | October 2, 2018 at 5:10pm CDT

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported last week that a grand jury had been convened as part of a federal investigation into Latin American amateur signings by Major League Baseball clubs. Now, Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated writes that the Department of Justice has undertaken “a sweeping probe into possible corruption tied to the recruitment of international players, centered on potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.” Multiple alleged victims of smuggling and human trafficking violations have either provided evidence to law enforcement or testified before a federal grand jury, according to Wertheim.

The DOJ’s investigation “could get interesting,” a top baseball official told SI, which “obtained a thick dossier of documentation that was provided to the FBI at the beginning of the probe,” Wertheim writes. That dossier features “videotapes, photographs, confidential legal briefs, receipts, copies of player visas and passport documents, internal club emails and private communications by franchise executives in 2015 and 2016,” Wertheim adds.

Per Passan’s report, the Dodgers have come under scrutiny for their signing of infielder Hector Olivera out of Cuba for six years and $62.5MM in 2015. While Olivera’s name isn’t mentioned in SI’s report, it notes that the Dodgers “figure most prominently in the dossier” it obtained. The Dodgers, according to SI, “went so far as to develop a database that measured the perceived “level of egregious behavior” displayed by 15 of their own employees in Latin America.” The Dodgers used a 1-5 scale to measure whether an employee was an “innocent bystander” or a “criminal,” per Wertheim, who adds that five of their 15 employees received a criminal rating. One of those employees, whose focus was on the Caribbean and Venezuela, was “unbelievably corrupt,” SI relays.

Wertheim’s must-read piece sheds more light on potentially corrupt behavior from the Dodgers, though neither president Andrew Friedman nor ex-director of player development Gabe Kapler (now the Phillies’ manager) returned messages to SI seeking comment. Dodgers outside counsel David Schindler told SI he has “no knowledge” of a DOJ investigation, meanwhile. For its part, “Major League Baseball has not been contacted by federal authorities regarding an investigation,” MLB spokesman Pat Courtney informed the magazine. However, it’s “likely” that will change, according to Wertheim.

White Sox Outright Dustin Garneau

By Connor Byrne | October 2, 2018 at 3:08pm CDT

The White Sox have outrighted catcher Dustin Garneau to Triple-A Charlotte, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. The club now has one open spot on its 40-man roster.

Chicago claimed Garneau off waivers from the Athletics in late May, and he went on to collect just three plate appearances with his new team. The 31-year-old spent the majority of the season in Charlotte, where he hit a solid .252/.340/.468 with seven home runs in 160 plate appearances. That continued a strong Triple-A run for Garneau, a career .262/.332/.494 hitter in 1,101 PA at the minors’ highest level.

While Garneau has hit well in the minors, his bat has been decidedly less impressive in the majors. Garneau owns a .194/.269/.321 line in 280 trips to the plate in MLB.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Steve Adams | October 2, 2018 at 1:57pm CDT

Click here to read a transcript of this week’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.

Silver Linings: American League West

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | October 2, 2018 at 1:10pm CDT

In our Silver Linings series, we’re checking in on the most promising developments for non-contending teams during an otherwise disappointing 2018 season. We’ll finish it out with the American League West.

[Previous “Silver Linings” Posts: AL Central, NL Central, NL East, AL East, NL West]

With the Astros back on top on the American League West and the Athletics gearing up for a Wild Card date with the Yankees, that leaves three clubs nursing their wounds. Here are the silver linings from the division…

Mariners – A promising core

And no — not the core they once boasted, which featured an in-prime Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Felix Hernandez and an aging-but-still-productive Nelson Cruz. This Mariners team won 89 games largely in spite of that group (Cruz being the exception), as Cano was suspended 80 games while Seager and Hernandez had the worst seasons of their still-excellent careers.

Instead, it was Mitch Haniger, Jean Segura, Edwin Diaz, James Paxton and Marco Gonzales who carried the Mariners for much of the season. At 30 years old next month, Paxton is by far the oldest of that bunch, meaning the Mariners should have a good chunk of each player’s prime left.

Haniger and Segura turned in star-caliber performances on the season as a whole (even if each slumped late in the year). Both were deserving All-Stars. Diaz set a franchise record with 57 and posted a preposterous 15.2 K/9 mark with a 1.96 ERA that fielding-independent metrics actually felt was indicative of some poor luck (1.61 FIP, 1.78 xFIP, 1.49 SIERA). Paxton pitched a career-high 160 1/3 innings with career-best K/BB numbers. Gonzales’ 4.00 ERA doesn’t immediately stand out, but he showed excellent control and was credited with a more encouraging 3.43 FIP and 3.59 xFIP through 166 2/3 innings.

General manager Jerry Dipoto has been widely panned for some of his trades — there’s no getting around the Chris Taylor/Zach Lee swap, for instance — but that’ll come with the territory for virtually any top-level executive (especially one who trades so prolifically). To this point, though, Dipoto & Co. deserve credit for the acquisitions of Haniger, Segura, Gonzales, James Pazos and even veteran Mike Leake (4.36 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 4.15 xFIP in 185 1/3 innings). Each has yielded positive results thus far. There are payroll problems and aging veterans that complicate things in Seattle, but the Mariners have a nice foundation in place — especially if either Seager or Hernandez can bounce back to some extent.

Angels – Co-Stars

Remember those quaint days this spring when many were wondering if Shohei Ohtani would deliver anything close to the hype — both on and, especially, off the mound? The 24-year-old has laid waste to the doubters of his offensive abilities, even as his season as a pitcher ended in disappointment and the Halos’ team effort crumbled.

It’s hard to overemphasize just how impressive Ohtani has been. He hit .285/.361/.564 with 22 homers and 10 steals in just 367 plate appearances, which was 52 percent more productive than a league-average bat when adjusting for park and league (152 wRC+). Among players with 350 PAs, that wRC+ ranked Ohtani eighth in all of baseball. Still, he won’t be on the mound next year after undergoing Tommy John surgery this week, meaning he’ll be limited to providing impressive work from the plate. That leaves a direct conundrum — how to manage the situation with Albert Pujols — along with gaping hole at the top of the rotation.

Fortunately, the Halos have stockpiled some other star performers to place around centerpiece Mike Trout like the side stones in a ring. Andrelton Simmons is now providing enough offense to rate not “just” as one of the league’s top defenders, but rather as one of the its best overall players. Justin Upton’s .257/.344/.463 slash rated more than 20 percent better than the league-average hitter by measure of stats like OPS+ (122) and wRC+ (124). And 24-year-old rookie David Fletcher held his own with the bat while providing terrific defense at both second base and third base.

The rotation is mired with question marks, to be sure, but the makings of a solid relief corps are there with Blake Parker, Jose Alvarez, Cam Bedrosian and up-and-coming Ty Buttrey all giving reason for optimism.

Rangers – Young players on the rise

Frankly, it feels like Jurickson Profar should be older than 25 at this point. The switch-hitting infielder was the Baseball America’s No. 1 overall prospect way back in the 2012-13 offseason — and that was already his third consecutive season drawing Top 100 fanfare. After shoulder injuries wiped out two seasons for the Curacao native, he delivered a forgettable 2017 campaign that called his upside into question. Fast forward a year, and Profar hit .254/.335/.458 with a career-high 20 homers and 10 steals while appearing at five different positions.

It’s not just Profar, either. Rougned Odor signed a $49.5MM extension prior to the 2017 campaign and promptly faceplanted with an abysmal .204/.252/.397 slash last season. This year, however, Odor rebounded to the tune of a .253/.326/.424 with 18 homers, a dozen steals and radically improved defensive numbers at second base — all while nearly doubling his previous career-high walk rate.

Perhaps no Texas youngster shined brighter than emergent closer Jose Leclerc, though. The 24-year-old reined in last season’s ghastly 7.9 BB/9 mark and managed to up his strikeout rate in the process. Leclerc posted 57 2/3 innings of 1.56 ERA ball in 2018, averaging 13.3 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 while allowing just one home run along the way. His 17.2 percent swinging-strike rate ties him with Craig Kimbrel for the fifth-best among qualified relievers, trailing only Josh Hader, Edwin Diaz, Blake Treinen and Ryan Pressly. Controlled through 2022, Leclerc could either be a long-term piece or, if he can sustain his success a bit longer, the the type of power arm for which opposing teams would surrender a king’s ransom on the trade market.

Joey Gallo, meanwhile, clubbed 40 homers with his typical brand of absurd strikeout totals. Ronald Guzman swatted 16 home runs in an uneven debut season. Nomar Mazara had his best season to date, even if he’s yet to achieve the stardom many expected. The Rangers’ 2019 rotation looks like a disaster waiting to happen, but their bats — even veteran Shin-Soo Choo turned back the clock with an excellent 2018 — and their otherworldly young closer give fans something to look forward to next year.

Paul Molitor Out As Twins Manager, Could Remain In Organization

By Steve Adams | October 2, 2018 at 12:40pm CDT

Just one year into a three-year contract, Paul Molitor is out as the Twins’ manager, according to a team announcement. He’s been offered a different job in the team’s baseball operations department.

“I would like to thank Paul for his tremendous dedication to the Minnesota Twins over his last four years as manager of this club,” said Twins executive vice president/chief baseball officer Derek Falvey in a statement issued via press release. “Paul’s roots here run deep and his commitment to the organization, his staff, and the players is special. I have every hope and desire that he remains a part of this club for many years to come.”

The Twins will immediately begin the search for a new manager, considering both internal and external candidates, per the team’s announcement. The new manager will work with Falvey and Levine to set the 2019 coaching staff.

Molitor, 62, was never the first choice of Twins Falvey and general manager Thad Levine after they were appointed at the start of the 2015-16 offseason. The Hall of Famer and St. Paul, Minn. native was hired by former general manager Terry Ryan as a successor to longtime skipper Ron Gardenhire. After Minnesota dismissed Ryan from his post as GM, owner Jim Pohlad stipulated as part of the new front office search that whoever he hired to oversee the baseball operations department would do so with the understanding that Molitor was the Twins’ manager.

At the time, Molitor was only under contract for one more season. The common expectation was that Falvey and Levine would let Molitor manage the final season of that contract and then make their own hire, but the Twins’ shocking 2018 playoff berth and Molitor’s Manager of the Year nod left the newly minted executives with little choice but to extend him. The optics of firing a manager whose team had gone from 100 losses to an American League Wild Card play-in would’ve been astoundingly poor, and so Molitor was rewarded with a new three-year pact.

The 2018 season, however, was nearly as disappointing as the 2017 season was surprising. Minnesota entered the year with expectations of contending — if not for the division then surely for a second straight Wild Card appearance. Instead, they spent nearly the entire year without projected top starter Ervin Santana (finger surgery) and watched two of their should-be cornerstones, Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, struggle through nightmarish seasons that surpassed even the most pessimistic expectations for the pair. Brian Dozier, meanwhile, played through a knee injury early in the season and never regained his footing, while offseason pickups Logan Morrison (hip impingement/labrum tear, eventual surgery) and Addison Reed (elbow impingement) each saw their seasons hampered by physical ailments as well.

The end result of it all was a 78-84 team that only finished anywhere near .500 by virtue of a September surge that came mostly against poor competition and was capped off by a six-game winning streak against the rebuilding Tigers and White Sox.

Minnesota will now set out in search of what will be just its fourth manager since Tom Kelly took over as a 35-year-old rookie manager at the tail end of the 1986 season. Kelly’s Twins went on to win the World Series in both ’87 and ’91, and he remained at the helm until ceding the reins to Gardenhire, already a long-time Twins coach at that point, following the 2001 season. A lengthier search and full slate of interviews figures to follow, though 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson tweets that Indians bench coach Brad Mills, with whom Falvey is familiar from his time as an AGM in Cleveland, was of interest to the Twins last year before the decision to extend Molitor’s contract was made.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan broke the news that the Twins were calling a press conference and suggested that it was to announce Molitor’s dismissal (Twitter link). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale definitively reported that Molitor was out as manager (Twitter link). ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported that Molitor was being offered another position within the organization rather than strictly being fired (Twitter links).

NL East Notes: Hoskins, Phillies, Mets, Marlins

By Steve Adams | October 2, 2018 at 9:42am CDT

Rhys Hoskins’ move from first base to left field in 2018 didn’t exactly prove to be smooth, as the young slugger turned in one of the worst statistical seasons of any outfielder in baseball (-24 Defensive Runs Saved, -19 Outs Above Average, -11.3 Ultimate Zone Rating). Hoskins has already spoken about a desire to continue to improve, though he did admit when asked by Matt Breen of Philly.com that he’d prefer to be back at first base in an ideal world. Hoskins emphasized that he’s told both GM Matt Klentak and manager Gabe Kapler that he’ll play wherever he’s asked but spoke about the comfort level he feels at first base as opposed to in the outfield.

In his season-end press conference, Klentak acknowledged that moving Hoskins back to first base is “something we’ve thought a lot about,” Breen writes, though clearly there are numerous moving parts in that scenario. The Phils experimented with Carlos Santana at third base in September, though he comes with his own defensive shortcomings there, and that shift would render Maikel Franco without a spot. Expected offseason pursuits of marquee free agents Bryce Harper and/or Manny Machado also figure to factor into the calculus. Though there are dozens of roads the Phils could take to get there, Klentak stressed that “there is no question” that the team needs to improve its defense.

Billy Eppler Discusses Angels’ Offseason Plans

By Connor Byrne | October 1, 2018 at 10:00pm CDT

Thanks in part to a host of injuries – including to right-hander Shohei Ohtani – the Angels’ pitching staff turned in a below-average performance in 2018, ranking 18th in the majors in ERA (4.15) and 22nd in fWAR (11.0). Now, with the offseason around the corner, the Angels are turning their focus to improving their pitching, general manager Billy Eppler revealed Monday (via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register).

“We are going to be in the pitching market, both in the starting and relief market,” Eppler said. “What that’s going to yield, that’s hard to predict, but we’re going to have a lot of conversations.”

The Halos already know their staff will go without Ohtani next year after he underwent Tommy John surgery Monday. Realistically, the Angels may not be able to replace Ohtani’s per-inning production, as the two-way star put up a 3.31 ERA/3.57 FIP with 10.97 K/9 and 3.83 BB/9 in 2018, though injuries limited him to 10 starts and 51 2/3 frames. He was among several Angels starters who endured injury-shortened seasons, with Tyler Skaggs, Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Parker Bridwell, Nick Tropeano, Alex Meyer and J.C. Ramirez also among the team’s rotation possibilities who were shelved for most or all of the campaign.

Looking ahead to 2019, Eppler said the Ohtani-less Angels have three “locks” for their starting staff, according to Fletcher, who writes that Skaggs and fellow southpaw Andrew Heaney are surely among them. The other choice could be one of three righties – Shoemaker, Jaime Barria or Felix Pena – though each member of that trio comes with concerns. Injuries weighed down Shoemaker from 2017-18; Barria posted a 3.41 ERA in his 129 1/3-inning rookie year, but uninspiring peripherals accompanied his quality run prevention; and Pena, 28, carries a limited track record of major league success.

With multiple question marks in their rotation and, in Fletcher’s estimation, around $30MM to spend, the Angels could dip into free agency to augment the group. Richards will be among the league’s free agents, and there’s no word on whether the Angels want him back. Even if they do, he underwent TJ surgery in July and may miss most or all of 2019. Richards won’t be part of the Angels’ season-opening plans no matter what, then, though they could look to other free agents for help. The top options available are expected to be Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who seems likely to opt out of the remaining two years and $65MM on his contract, as well as fellow southpaws Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel. There will be several other capable, less expensive arms out there, too – including Hyun-Jin Ryu, J.A. Happ, Gio Gonzalez, Nathan Eovaldi and Matt Harvey, to name just a few. There’s also C.C. Sabathia, a California native whom the Angels pursued last winter and whom Eppler knows from his time as an executive with the Yankees.

Sabathia and some of the other hurlers named above would likely improve the Halos’ rotation without coming at premium prices, which would give them room to upgrade elsewhere. That includes their bullpen, which Eppler cited as an area of interest. With the exception of free agent-to-be Jim Johnson, all of the Angels’ innings leaders from their 2018 relief corps are under control heading into next season. Further, all of Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian, Jose Alvarez, Justin Anderson, Hansel Robles, Taylor Cole and Ty Buttrey performed at least reasonably well this season, and the club could welcome back Keynan Middleton – yet another TJ patient – sometime next year. It’s not a dire-looking situation in the Halos’ bullpen, then; however, considering the group only turned in a middling statistical performance this year, it could stand to improve.

Like the Angels’ bullpen, their position player group was more decent than great in 2018, as it finished 11th in wRC+, 12th in fWAR and 15th in runs. Those rankings factor in yet another otherworldly performance from center fielder Mike Trout, who’s sure to lead the group again in 2019. The rest of the Angels’ outfield may also be set, with Justin Upton a lock to continue in left and right fielder Kole Calhoun having bounced back in the season’s second half after a dreadful first few months. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons figures to continue starring in the Angels’ infield, meanwhile, though the rest of it looks decidedly less promising. Zack Cozart – signed to a three-year, $38MM contract last winter – endured an injury-shortened, down season, and Eppler said Monday he should spend the winter preparing to play either second or third. That means the Angels could shop for a help at either spot in free agency, where there will be quite a few veteran infielders looking for jobs, or turn one of those positions over to another player who’s already in the organization.

At first base, the club will continue to be stuck with the soon-to-be 39-year-old Albert Pujols, an all-time great who’s amid a sharp decline and who’s still due $87MM over the next three seasons. Pujols may once again see the majority of time at the position in 2019, though Jose Fernandez, Matt Thaiss and Jared Walsh could also get some action there, per Fletcher, who writes that Eppler hasn’t ruled out adding external help at first or behind the plate.

Eppler mentioned Fernandez, Thaiss, Walsh, fellow infielders David Fletcher, Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, outfielder Michael Hermosillo, and catchers Jose Briceno and Francisco Arcia as in-house options who could help the Angels’ offense in 2019. Aside from Thaiss, Walsh and Rengifo, each of those players saw action with the Angels in 2018, though none registered eye-popping production. There is clear promise in at least some of those cases, however. The 24-year-old Fletcher dominated at Triple-A Salt Lake before earning a promotion to the majors in June, where he racked up 1.9 fWAR in 307 plate appearances on the strength of a combined nine Defensive Runs Saved and a 10.2 Ultimate Zone Rating between second and third. Briceno, 26, is also a well-regarded defender, and he managed a respectable 91 wRC+ in his 128-PA audition in Anaheim this year. And Baseball America (subscription required) has Thaiss, Rengifo and Ward among the Angels’ top 10 prospects in a system that has taken significant steps forward under Eppler.

All things considered, Eppler believes the Angels “have a lot of answers internally” with respect to their position player group. Consequently, it seems the lion’s share of Eppler’s offseason attention will go to the Angels’ pitching staff as he works to snap the team’s four-year playoff drought in 2019.

West Notes: Hosmer, D-backs, Mariners, Ichiro

By Connor Byrne | October 1, 2018 at 8:19pm CDT

On paper, Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer had a trying 2018 in the first season of an eight-year, $144MM contract, though he did impress the team with his leadership, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune details. As for Hosmer’s production – he hit a below-average .253/.322/.398 in 677 plate appearances – the 28-year-old remarked: “I know I’m going to go back and be the player I know I can be. This isn’t the impression I wanted to make the first year, but there’s nothing I can say to make it any better. Just, I’ll be ready to go next year.” Hosmer added that not having to deal with the free-agent process this winter and knowing he’ll be a Padre for the long haul will help him “have a clear mind this offseason.” And the executive who signed Hosmer, general manager A.J. Preller, suggested that the ex-Royal may have been pressing in his first year of a big contract, adding: “We have a lot of faith we’re going to look up next year and it’s going to be an All-Star caliber season for him. Just because of the type of person he is. That’s what gave us the comfort in signing him and a lot of comfort going forward he’s going to be that guy.”

Hosmer’s on-base percentage was just above the National League mean of .318, but the Padres as a whole struggled in that department, posting a league-worst .297 mark. The Padres have now recorded the majors’ lowest OBP five times in a row, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com notes, and that’s a trend they’d obviously like to break. “It starts with getting guys who’ve shown a history of being on base,” Preller said. “From a talent and personnel standpoint we’ll continue to look at changing the mix a little bit. … And then from a messaging standpoint we’ll continue to hammer it home every possible way for guys to understand: Getting on base is probably the most important thing in the game.”
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen spoke to the media Monday on the heels of an 82-80 season in which the club went 8-19 in September to fall out of contention. While the offseason’s only about a month from beginning in earnest, Hazen’s not sure yet which direction the club will go, as he suggested (via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that it may take until November for a decision to come. It seems unlikely the club will go all in toward contention or launch a full rebuild, though, as Hazen told Zach Buchanan of The Athletic: “I think realistically it’s probably more narrow than that, than the spectrum you portrayed.”
Although Ichiro Suzuki moved from the Mariners’ outfield to a front office role in May, the future Hall of Famer’s agent, John Boggs, insisted at the time he wasn’t retiring. That hasn’t changed, as Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said Monday (via Corey Brock of The Athletic) that the team will give Ichiro a chance to win a job on its 2019 Opening Day roster, if he’s healthy. Notably, the Mariners will begin their season in Ichiro’s homeland of Japan, where he thrived as a professional before immigrating to Seattle in 2001.
More on the Mariners, who “hope” reliever Sam Tuivailala will return by next June, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. The M’s acquired Tuivailaila from the Cardinals in late July, only to see his season end a couple weeks later on account of a right Achilles injury. The 25-year-old Tuivailala pitched to a 3.41 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.92 BB/9 and a 49.2 percent groundball rate before undergoing surgery in August.

Dansby Swanson Diagnosed With Partially Torn Ligament In Left Hand

By Ty Bradley | October 1, 2018 at 7:19pm CDT

Oct. 1: Swanson didn’t take any swings Monday, Bowman tweets, adding it “seems highly unlikely” he’ll end up on the Braves’ NLDS roster.

Sept. 30: Swanson felt discomfort while taking dry swings on Saturday, manager Brian Snitker said (Twitter link via Bowman). The Braves will further evaluate Swanson on Sunday, though they may not know until Wednesday whether he’ll be available to play, per Bowman.

Sept. 28: Swanson’s hand has improved in the past couple of days, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. There’s no determination yet on whether he’ll be healthy enough for postseason play, but he could hit off a tee this weekend. The organization remains hopeful that Swanson will indeed be ready for the NLDS.

Sept. 26: Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson has been diagnosed with a partially torn ligament in his left hand, the team announced today on Twitter. He’ll receive daily treatment over the season’s last few days before being reevaluated prior to the start of the National League Division Series. It’s the same hand that sent Swanson, 24, to the Disabled List for two weeks this May.

Swanson, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft, was in desperate need of a rebound following his disastrous 2017 campaign, which saw him post below replacement-level marks in nearly a full season’s worth of time. For the most part, he eased concerns, upping his ISO from .092 to .157 and posting career highs across the board defensively, where his 11 DRS was good for 6th among all Major League shortstops.

His bat, though, projected by many to deliver perennially above-average marks in the average and on-base departments, has again failed to deliver on its promise. Swanson slumped to a miserable .213/.296/.376 over the season’s second half, struggling mightily against left-handed pitching and striking out nearly 23% of the time. His .283 xWOBA ranks 198th out of 205 players with at least 400 PA in 2018, which certainly doesn’t augur well for seasons to come.

Despite the struggles, though, Swanson has established himself as a legitimate regular in the middle of the diamond for the NL East-Champion Braves, who rode a coterie of hype-exceeding prospects to their first division title (and winning season) in five years. Swanson, to be sure, will be afforded ample opportunity to right the ship, what with his four years of team control remaining and not-too-distant status as a former #1 overall prospect.

In the interim, the Braves will almost surely turn to a mix of Charlie Culberson – he of the startling .279/.330/.484 line this season – and Johan Camargo, whose 117 wRC+ has wildly surpassed any available preseason projections, to man the position, with the other figuring to receive the bulk of the time at the hot corner.

First-Round Order For 2019 MLB Draft

By Connor Byrne | October 1, 2018 at 6:31pm CDT

Both the National League Central and NL West were decided Monday, a day later than expected, with the Brewers defeating the Cubs and the Dodgers upending the Rockies in Game 163s. As a result, not only is this year’s playoff picture clearer, but we now know the full first-round draft order for 2019. The Orioles were the runaway “winners” for the top choice, setting them up to pick No. 1 for the first time since they chose right-hander Ben McDonald in 1989, but things were more tightly contested thereafter. For teams that finished with the same record this past regular season, the higher selection will go to the club which finished with the worse mark in 2017.

Here’s the full order:

1.) Orioles (47-115)
2.) Royals (58-104)
3.) White Sox (62-100)
4.) Marlins (63-98)
5.) Tigers (64-98)
6.) Padres (66-96)
7.) Reds (67-95)
8.) Rangers (67-95)
9.) Braves (comp pick for not signing 2018 first-rounder Carter Stewart)
10.) Giants (73-89)
11.) Blue Jays (73-89)
12.) Mets (77-85)
13.) Twins (78-84)
14.) Phillies (80-82)
15.) Angels (80-82)
16.) Diamondbacks (82-80)
17.) Nationals (82-80)
18.) Pirates (82-79)
19.) Cardinals (88-74)
20.) Mariners (89-73)
21.) Braves (90-72)
22.) Rays (90-72)
23.) Rockies (91-72)
24.) Indians (91-71)
25.) Dodgers (92-71)
26.) Diamondbacks (comp pick for not signing 2018 first-rounder Matt McLain)
27.) Cubs (95-68)
28.) Brewers (96-67)
29.) Athletics (97-65)
30.) Yankees (100-62)
31.) Dodgers (comp pick for not signing 2018 first-rounder J.T. Ginn)
32.) Astros (103-59)
33.) Red Sox (108-54)

This round appears to be etched in stone. Under the rules of the current collective bargaining agreement, which the owners and players agreed to prior to 2017, a team can’t lose its highest first-round selection if it signs a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer. A club with two first-rounders would lose the second of those picks if it’s not a revenue sharing recipient, pays the competitive-balance tax and signs a qualified free agent, as Jim Callis of MLB.com points out, but that likely won’t apply to any of the Braves, D-backs or Dodgers – all of whom are slated to have a pair of firsts in 2019.

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