Angels Sign First-Rounder Matt Thaiss
10:15pm: Thaiss will receive a $2.15MM bonus, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. That leaves just over $500K in added funds for the club to dedicate to other draftees.
9:51pm: The Angels have signed first-round pick Matt Thaiss, the backstop himself tweeted. His bonus remains unknown, but the 16th overall selection came with an assigned value of $2.661MM.
Likewise, the Halos have an agreement in place with third-rounder Nolan Williams, with MLB.com’s Jim Callis reporting (via Twitter) that he’ll earn $950K. The shortstop was taken 96th, which had an assigned $620,100 slot amount.
A catcher at the University of Virginia, the smooth-swinging Thaiss may move around defensively as a professional. Halos amateur scouting director Ric Wilson suggested that his team’s top selection isn’t tied to the position, and many evaluators question whether he’ll be able to stick behind the dish.
Certainly, his bat is good enough that it could play elsewhere. Thaiss has impeccable command of the strike zone, which led ESPN.com’s Keith Law to rank him 21st among eligible prospects. Placing him in the 28th slot, Baseball America noted that he delivers above-average, line-drive pop. MLB.com listed Thaiss 36th on its board.
It’ll be interesting to see where the bonus landed for Thaiss. The Halos went on to select high schoolers with its next three selections, including Williams, though it’s not yet clear just how much extra cash will be needed to round out the team’s draft class.
David Wright Considering Neck Surgery
Mets third baseman David Wright is weighing the options with his injured neck and a surgical option is on the table, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among those to report. Replacement of a herniated disk would likely come with at least a three-month recovery timeline, quite possibly ending Wright’s season.
The tough-luck star was already battling through a chronic back condition when the neck problem arose. While the team has suggested that the two issues are unrelated, it’s obviously especially difficult for Wright to deal with yet another injury.
It’s not yet clear that surgery will be chosen. But last we heard, surgery wasn’t a near-term consideration. Wright was instead slated to rest for six to eight weeks before trying to ramp things back up. It appears that the possibility of a procedure is at least on the rise at this pont.
GM Sandy Alderson didn’t sound a particularly promising tone. “I always prefer certainty over uncertainty, so having some resolution will be helpful,” he said. “False hope is never useful, or not often useful. We like to be pragmatic.”
Alderson suggested that New York is beginning to look at fill-in options while relying on Wilmer Flores in the interim. He appeared at least to be open to the possibility of Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel, who was recently declared a free agent, though that would likely require a fairly significant outlay since there’ll be competition.
“I don’t feel that there’s any immediate timeline for necessity to know one way or the other, in part because the availability of replacements is so limited-to-nonexistent at this point,” Alderson said. “This is not the time of year when full-time third basemen, other than [Gurriel], are typically available. So we march on.”
Speaking more generally about the club’s plans earlier today, Alderson largely demurred when asked about Gurriel, as ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin was among those to report. He did note that the organization isn’t quite as flush with prospect talent now as it was this time last year, raising questions about what the team could accomplish via trade. “There’s no question, though, our farm system is not quite as healthy today as it was then in part because of all the trades we made,” said Alderson. “So to the extent that we’re active, it may hurt us a little more this year than it did last year.”
It appears that the organization will wait to decide upon a future course until Wright has decided whether or not to undergo surgery. DiComo writes that the veteran will make the call this week.
It’s important to note that Wright is playing on a $20MM salary this year and is under contract for another $67MM through 2020. A good piece of those obligations could be covered by insurance, though, potentially creating some flexibility if it becomes clear that Wright won’t be able to return in 2016.
Athletics To Sign Comp A Pick Daulton Jefferies
The Athletics have agreed to terms with competitive balance Round A selection Daulton Jefferies, MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets. He’ll receive a $1.6MM bonus, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter).
Jefferies, a righty out of the University of California, faced medical questions after dealing with shoulder problems this year. MLB.com still rated him 56th among draft prospects, explaining that Jefferies holds plenty of promise for a shorter (6’0) hurler. He was able to restore some of his draft stock by returning late in the year, and will bring a solid three-pitch mix with him to Oakland.
Other prognosticators were slightly more concerned, but had him in the same general range. Baseball America placed Jefferies 61st on its list, noting that his change-up grades as a plus pitch with a slider rating as an average or better offering. Jefferies also features a low-90s fastball that at times touches 95 mph. He fell to 74th on the board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law.
Oakland will save $145,700 against the slot value for the 37th overall selection. The club also drafted collegiate starters with its other two top selections, both of whom played at the University of Florida: A.J. Puk (first round, 6th overall) and Logan Shore (second round).
Athletics Place Sean Manaea On 15-Day DL
6:38pm: The belief after an MRI is that the injury is “muscular and minor,” manager Bob Melvin told reporters including MLB.com’s Jane Lee (Twitter link). The hope is that Manaea will be back after the minimum (or close to it).
6:15pm: The Athletics have placed young southpaw Sean Manaea on the 15-day DL, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). He has been diagnosed with a pronator strain in his left forearm.
Things could be worse, as it was scary to see the 24-year-old walk off with an apparent injury in his most recent start. Forearm troubles often precede more serious elbow issues, and it’s promising that there’s no current evidence of a problem further up the arm. On the other hand, as Carson Smith showed earlier this year, a preliminary assessment of a forearm injury doesn’t mean that the ulnar collateral ligament is safe.
Manaea represents an important part of Oakland’s present and future plans. He has struggled a bit early in his debut season, surrendering 33 earned runs and eight long balls in 49 1/3 innings. But Manaea has also shown promise, putting up 7.3 K/9 (with a 10.7% swinging strike rate) against 2.9 BB/9.
[Related: Updated Oakland Athletics depth chart]
It’s unclear at present how long the youngster will be out, but odds are that the club will take things slow. And it’s still possible that further assessment will reveal further cause for concern — or, at least, caution. For the time being, Erik Surkamp has been recalled to take Manaea’s spot on the active roster.
Padres Designate Hector Sanchez
The Padres have designated catcher Hector Sanchez for assignment, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. Infielder/outfielder Ryan Schimpf was selected to take his roster spot.
[Related: Updated San Diego Padres depth chart]
Sanchez, 26, was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in mid-May. He saw only 18 plate appearances for San Diego, though he did manage five hits (including a double and a homer). Long a reserve for the division-rival Giants, Sanchez owns a career .240/.276/.348 bating line over 663 plate appearances at the major league level.
As for Schimpf, this represents the first MLB opportunity after eight seasons in the minors. The 28-year-old utilityman has had some impressive stretches at the plate, none moreso than his recent run at Triple-A El Paso. Over 190 plate appearances on the year, Sanchez owns a .355/.432/.729 slash with 15 long balls.
Dodgers Sign Will Venable
The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with outfielder Will Venable, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick first reported (via Twitter). He has been signed directly onto the major league roster, with Los Angeles optioning Austin Barnes to free a roster spot.
[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers depth chart]
Venable previously signed deals with the Indians and Phillies, neither of which were willing to give him a crack at the majors. The 33-year-old did compile 149 plate appearances at Triple-A in the Philadelphia organization, hitting just .205/.304/.307 in that span before opting out of his deal.
A left-handed hitter, Venable could step into the role vacated by Carl Crawford, who was released recently. Venable is generally viewed as a quality defender and good baserunner, and while his bat has been inconsistent, he does have a strong .256/.324/.422 batting line against right-handed pitching.
Blue Jays Designate Scott Diamond
The Blue Jays have designated lefty Scott Diamond for assignment, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm reports on Twitter.
Diamond, 29, had appeared in only a single game for Toronto, surrendering three earned runs in one inning. That represents his first big league action since 2013, when Diamond wrapped up a three-year run with the Twins. Over 343 innings with Minnesota, all as a starter, Diamond worked to a 4.43 ERA with 4.2 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
The Jays had been using Diamond as a starter at the Triple-A level prior to his call-up. Over a dozen starts, he compiled a 3.16 ERA while striking out 4.5 and walking 1.7 batters per nine innings.
Rangers Sign Top Picks Ragans, Speas, Enright
4:12pm: Second-rounder Alex Speas and third-rounder Kole Enright are also under contract, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Speas gets an at-slot bonus of $1,024,900, while Enright lands just over his pick’s allocation at $675K.
11:59am: The Rangers announced today that they’ve agreed to terms with first-round pick (No. 30 overall) Cole Ragans and will formally announce him at a 3pm CT press conference. The Rangers added that they will announce the signing of several other top draft picks at the presser, though they did not disclose names. Devan Fink first tweeted that Ragans signed at slot value ($2.003,400), and MLB.com’s Jim Callis hears the same (Twitter link), noting that the prep lefty out of Florida has three solid pitches in his arsenal already.
Ragans rated 49th on MLB.com’s list of Top 200 draft prospects, while ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball America each rated him 55th overall. Callis and Jonathan Mayo note in their scouting report for MLB.com that each of Ragans’ fastball, curveball and changeup can be a tick above average and give the 6’3″, 190-pounder credit for pitchability and a projectable frame. Eric Longenhagen’s scouting report at ESPN.com notes that his changeup has become an increasingly projectable offering that many scouts believe will ultimately be his best weapon, but his curve is thrown too slow to project to more than average. BA, on the other hand, feels the curve is his best offspeed pitch and projects the changeup at average down the line.
At $5,358,500, Texas has one of the smallest bonus pools in the league, having forfeited its first-round pick to sign Ian Desmond. A comp pick of their own for the loss of Yovani Gallardo, though, gave the Rangers this No. 30 selection that was used to add Ragans. The Rangers have about $3.35MM to sign their remaining selections.
Padres Sign Top Pick Cal Quantrill
TODAY: The idea that Quantrill would free the Pads to sign other choices was apparently misplaced, as MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tweets that he’ll actually command an over-slot bonus. His agreed-upon bonus is $3,963,045, per Mayo, which landss $332,145 above the slot value at #8.
It appears that the team cut its deal with 24th overall selection Hudson Sanchez, who agreed to a $1MM bonus that leaves plenty of meat left on the bone of his $2,191,200 slot value, per Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). The remainder of that cash appears to have been redirected to Mason Thompson, who agreed to an above-slot deal yesterday.
YESTERDAY: The Padres have agreed to terms with top draft pick Cal Quantrill, per a team announcement. The son of long-time big league reliever Paul Quantrill, Cal was selected eighth overall out of Stanford University.
It’s possible that Quantrill would have gone even higher, but he’s still working back from Tommy John surgery. That didn’t stop San Diego from betting on his top-tier talent, though there were other motivations at play for the organization, too.
With multiple early-round picks in their pocket, the Padres were looking for someone to cut a deal at that selection. It offered just over $3.6MM in bonus spending, and expectations are that some of that will go to other players — though Quantrill’s bonus remains unreported at present.
Among San Diego’s top selections were several high-schoolers — including shortstop Hudson Sanchez (#24) and righties Reggie Lawson (#71) and Mason Thompson (#85). In between, the club grabbed Kent State lefty Eric Lauer (#25) and Florida outfielder Buddy Reed (#48).
As for Quantrill, publications such as MLB.com and ESPN.com (Insider link) rated him just outside the top twenty draft-eligible prospects. His stock might’ve been higher had he returned to pitch this year — his surgery took place in March of 2015 — though some clubs were able to get a look at the talented righty in workouts. Obviously, San Diego felt that the talent was worth its top pick in a critical draft for the organization.
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