Brady Aiken In Houston To Sign Contract
JUNE 23: Aiken arrived in Houston today to sign his contract, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports. Aiken acknowledged to Berman that the deal is done, and he’s set to begin his pro career.
JUNE 7, 7:17pm: The sides are “on the same page” regarding the bonus, though the deal still has pieces left to be negotiated, tweets Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.
5:24pm: The Astros are in agreement with top overall choice Brady Aiken on a $6.5MM bonus, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. As Callis notes, Aiken — who is advised by Excel Sports Management — ties Jameson Taillon (Pirates, 2010) for the largest-ever bonus agreed to by a high school pitcher.
More importantly for Houston, that number falls well shy of the pick’s allotment of just over $7.9MM, leaving the club with ample additional funds to apply to other draft choices. The rest of the team’s day one haul consisted of seven college juniors, one college senior, a JuCo choice (Brock Dykxhoorn, sixth round), and one high-schooler (Jacob Nix, fifth round). One player who could see some money dangled is Mac Marshall, who appears set to attend LSU but was taken by Houston in the 21st round.
Aiken established a clear consensus as the best overall player heading into the draft, though many have noted the shaky recent history of prep arms chosen at the very top of the draft. Of course, focusing only on the players that happened to go at the top of the draft would mean ignoring success stories like that of Clayton Kershaw, who Aiken seems reasonably comparable to at this (early) stage of his development.
Certainly, draft observers agreed that Aiken was worth the top choice. He landed at the head of the final draft boards of Baseball America, ESPN’s Keith Law, and Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. Those experts credit him with a heater that ranges into the mid-90s, plus secondary offerings (curve and change), fluid mechanics, and outstanding command.
East Notes: Ortiz, Price, Yankees, Nationals
Five years removed from what seemed like his demise, David Ortiz remains the Red Sox‘s foremost game-changer, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “I couldn’t even watch TV, any sports channel at the time, because it was nothing but, ‘He’s done.’ You’re struggling and people are saying that you’re done, it doesn’t help,” recalled Ortiz. “That’s when your mind has to start processing that and next thing you know, ‘I’m out.‘ ” Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..
- The Rays need to trade David Price as soon as possible, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays, of course, can’t afford to keep their ace long term and Price has grown increasingly frustrated with the team’s losing. Meanwhile, Topkin doesn’t see a trade within the division as an impossibility, but he says that it will require an additional premium for the Rays to even consider it.
- The Yankees have to explore their options for starting pitchers on the trade market, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Bombers have the phenomenal pitching of Masahiro Tanaka and a strong late-game bullpen working in their favor, but they feel they are one more rotation injury or significant dip in production from being in trouble.
- There’s no indication that the Nationals would trade someone like Denard Span to make it possible, but Ryan Zimmerman says that his preference is to stay in left field rather than move back to one of the corner infield spots, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Red Sox Sign First-Rounder Michael Chavis
JUNE 23rd: Chavis’ deal is now official after the infielder passed his physical, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
JUNE 16th: The Red Sox have agreed to a full-slot bonus with first-rounder Michael Chavis, reports Ryan Hannable of MetroBoston (via Twitter). Chavis, taken with the 26th overall pick, will get $1,870,500 to forego his commitment to Clemson.
Chavis, a shortstop in high school ball who could transition to third (if not the outfield or even catcher) as a pro, is said to impress with his overall abilities more than any single tool. Reports say that he has a strong arm, solid power, good contact skills and bat speed, and decent running ability. That package, along with his reputed effort and work ethic, led Chavis to be rated the 21st overall prospect by MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, 26th by Baseball America, and 28th by ESPN.com’s Keith Law.
The signing of Chavis wraps up a notable day for Boston’s system. The club landed an at-slot deal with second-rounder Sam Travis. Meanwhile, we also learned that compensation round A choice Michael Kopech would indeed sign for just under his slot allocation.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Sabean, Buehrle, Duffy
On this date in 2012, Jim Thome set a major league mark with his 13th career walk-off home run, a solo shot over the left-field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Phillies a dramatic 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay. Before that, the 41-year-old shared the record with Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, and Frank Robinson. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- National League Theory talks Giants GM Brian Sabean.
- Birds of BABIP sees Mark Buehrle as the Blue Jays’ biggest surprise this season.
- Pine Tar Press discusses Royals extension candidate Danny Duffy.
- FanDuel remembers some of Tony Gwynn‘s greatest career achievements.
- Baseball Hot Corner looks at Ben Zobrist as a fit for the Giants.
- Blue Jays Plus talks Zobrist in Toronto.
- Inside The Zona wants to know where the D’Backs go from here.
- The Giants Cove isn’t surprised by the SF’s recent skid.
- Call To The Pen wonders if Coco Crisp will ever hit 20 homers again.
- Camden Depot appreciates Steve Pearce.
- Beisbol’s Blog examines Jimmy Rollins‘ Hall of Fame credentials.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Red Sox Aren’t Targeting Matt Kemp
The Red Sox have been linked to Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp in the past and a recent report indicated that Boston was spending “significant time” watching him. However, a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI that there’s nothing brewing between the two sides regarding the two-time All-Star.
General Manager Ben Cherington & Co. continue to explore options to improve their outfield’s offensive production but the source insists that there’s no momentum towards a deal for Kemp. For his part, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the 29-year-old isn’t going anywhere.
In 261 plate appearances this year, Kemp owns a slash line of .274/.333/.460. That’s not quite the performance from his All-Star seasons in 2011 and ’12 (.315/.387/.567) but its an uptick from his injury filled 2013. Kemp has also been on an absolute tear over the last ten games.
Fellow Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier was mentioned as a possibility for the BoSox in the spring but Bradford reported in late May that Boston wouldn’t be pursuing him either.
Jimmy Rollins Wants To Stay With Phillies
Things haven’t gone has planned for the Phillies so far this season, so there has been a great deal of speculation that they could turn into sellers this July. In a complete fire sale, a mainstay like Jimmy Rollins could be made available, but a trade is the furthest thing from the shortstop’s mind right now. The former National League MVP says that he plans on sticking around for the long haul in Philadelphia
“I’m not going to volunteer to go anywhere,” Rollins told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “Even if somewhere else was the perfect spot, this is what I know. You weigh that against the instant gratification of winning right now. You leave, and there’s no guarantee you’re going to win anyways. You pack up to leave for a different organization, a different city, and it feels temporary. I can tell you that I have never honestly thought about waiving my no-trade clause.”
That doesn’t mean that Rollins would use his no-trade clause to block a deal, however. If the Phillies want him to go, the shortstop says that he doesn’t have to be told twice to do so. The 35-year-old has full no-trade rights and will be under contract for 2015 once his option vests with the necessary number of plate appearances. Rollins also told Nightengale that he hopes to play beyond this current contract.
In 311 plate appearances this season, Rollins owns a .244/.330/.387 slash line with eight homers. While that line is below his career average, it’s a marked improvement from last season’s performance. Rollins is also playing above average defense at shortstop, as evidenced by his 3.7 USR/150.
Diamondbacks Sign First-Rounder Touki Toussaint
MONDAY, 7:18am: Toussaint’s bonus is $2.7MM, well over the pick value of $2.338MM, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
FRIDAY, 6:27pm: The Diamondbacks have officially announced a deal with first-round selection Touki Toussaint. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that a deal was close (via Twitter). His bonus is expected to exceed the $2,338,200 slot allocation that came with the 16th overall pick, though precise details remain unknown.
The high school righty, who is still just 17 years old, was rated as high as the eighth-best prospect available entering the draft. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, who gave him that top-ten billing, say that Toussaint has a quick, loose arm and big curve ball. It sounds as if he still has work to do in commanding his offerings, repeating his delivery, and developing his third pitch (a change), but MLB.com’s experts feel that his raw stuff and athleticism give him an ample chance at success as a professional.
Baseball America (12th) and ESPN.com’s Keith Law (13th) both had Toussaint somewhat lower down their boards, but still agreed that Arizona received a good talent at its place in the draft. Indeed, in the view of Law, Toussaint arguably has more upside than any other high school right-hander in this year’s draft.
Arizona entered the draft with up to $7,228,300 in total pool space. According to Piecoro, via Twitter, the club has now inked all of its first twelve choices. Checking in at MLB.com’s bonus tracker, it appears that the Diamondbacks have saved $430.8K on their post-Toussaint picks, leaving a good deal of room to accommodate the over-slot spending needed to lure him away from Vanderbilt.
Quick Hits: Cardinals, Sizemore, Murphy, Dodgers
The Cardinals are down not one but two pitchers, Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia, after losing them both to shoulder injuries, MLB.com’s Jen Langosch writes. Wacha has what GM John Mozeliak called a “stress reaction,” and will miss several weeks. “He has been dealing with a little bit of shoulder irritation going back [four to five starts],” said Mozeliak. “Up to this point, we always thought it was manageable.” Garcia could not complete his regular bullpen session Sunday. The Cardinals are placing both pitchers on the disabled list, and they will announce corresponding moves on Monday. Here are more notes from throughout the big leagues.
- Grady Sizemore is likely to decide on a new team early this week, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. Sizemore became a free agent Friday after the Red Sox designated him for assignment. In his first big-league action since 2011, Sizemore hit .216/.288/.324 in 205 plate appearances in Boston.
- The Blue Jays and Giants have had interest in Daniel Murphy, but the most likely outcome is that the Mets keep him, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. In a “mediocre” NL East division, Martino writes, the Mets do not seem to view themselves as sellers. That doesn’t mean the Mets won’t deal Murphy, of course — GM Sandy Alderson sent Marlon Byrd to the Pirates last year soon after indicating the Mets wouldn’t deal him, so his actions can be hard to predict.
- The Yankees need a starting pitcher, but they probably won’t be able to get top trade possibilities like David Price or Jeff Samardzija, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Rays won’t want to trade Price to a divisional opponent. For Samardzija, the Cubs want a highly-rated young pitcher who’s close to being ready for the big leagues, and the Yankees don’t have that type of player. That means the Yankees could get someone like John Danks of the White Sox, Jason Hammel of the Cubs or Ian Kennedy of the Padres.
- As the trade deadline approaches, the Dodgers‘ greatest need is in their bullpen, but that doesn’t mean they can’t count on improvements from relievers they already have, ESPN Los Angeles’ Mark Saxon writes. Kenley Jansen, in particular, has been working on his mechanics, and he pitched very well on Saturday and Sunday. In any case, Saxon notes that the Dodgers likely won’t let guaranteed contracts for relievers they already have (presumbably, players like Brian Wilson and Chris Perez, who have struggled) prevent them from adding talent on the trade market.
- The Tigers‘ bullpen has an unexpected look recently, with the additions of minor league veterans Pat McCoy, Chad Smith and Blaine Hardy. Hardy, 27, has pitched well in four appearances so far even though he hadn’t pitched in the big leagues before last week. “You’ve got to stick with it, and that’s exactly what I tried to do. Just keep playing, hopefully get the opportunity, and here I am,” the lefty told MLive.com’s Chris Iott. The Royals drafted Hardy in the 22nd round out of college, then released him during spring training in 2013. He pitched three scoreless innings against them in his first two big-league appearances last week.
Minor Moves: Despaigne, Wolf, Stinson, Escalona
Here are today’s minor transactions from around baseball, with the newest moves at the top of the post…
- The Padres are set to promote Odrisamer Despaigne, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes tweets. They’ll need to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to make space for him. Despaigne, a Cuban pitcher who the Padres signed to a minor league deal in May, had two good starts for Double-A San Antonio before posting a 7.61 ERA in five starts for Triple-A El Paso. He did, however, post 11.0 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 23 2/3 innings there. Despaigne will start in place of Andrew Cashner on Monday, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman suggests (via Twitter). (The Padres are merely being “conservative” in scratching Cashner, Heyman says, although he does not give an exact reason why Cashner won’t be starting.)
- The Orioles have signed Randy Wolf to a minor league contract and he will pitch three innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, tweets David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot. The deal is pending a physical, tweets MASNsports.com Roch Kubatko.
- Right-hander Josh Stinson has accepted his outright assignment by the Orioles to Triple-A Norfolk, tweets Kubatko and MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli.
- The Orioles have outrighted right-hander Edgmer Escalona to Triple-A, tweets Hall. In a separate tweet, Hall reports Escalona is still processing the move and will consult his agent as to whether to accept the outright or declare free agency. The 27-year-old has appeared in six games (three starts) for Norfolk this year posting a 6.10 ERA, 6.1 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings.
- The Cubs added left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada to their 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, the club announced. Wada has been pitching for Iowa all season but, as Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald tweets, the Japanese southpaw had an opt-out clause in his contract, so putting Wada on the 40-man allows the Cubs to keep him. Signed to a minor league deal in the offseason, Wada has an impressive 2.81 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 3.61 K/BB rate in 14 Triple-A starts in 2014.
- The Phillies released outfielder Tyson Gillies, the team announced. A career .284/.364/.411 hitter over 2060 minor league PA, Gillies struggled at the Triple-A level over the last two seasons. Gillies joined the Phillies from the Mariners organization in December 2009 as part of the trade package (along with J.C. Ramirez and Phillippe Aumont) that Philadelphia acquired from Seattle in exchange for Cliff Lee.
- The Tigers shifted right-hander Luke Putkonen from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL in order to create a 40-man roster spot for the newly-recalled Pat McCoy, the team announced. In another corresponding move, Ian Krol was put on the 15-day DL to make room for McCoy on the 25-man roster. Putkonen only pitched 2 2/3 innings for Detroit and five total minor league innings this season due to elbow problems, and he is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks after recently undergoing surgery.
- Per MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker, there are six players in DFA limbo: Kevin Slowey (Marlins), Josh Outman (Indians), Evan Reed (Tigers), J.J. Putz (Diamondbacks), Jake Dunning (Giants), and Roger Bernadina (Reds).
Edward Creech and Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
West Notes: Correa, Ibanez, Hawkins
Top Astros prospect Carlos Correa awaits medical evaluation in Houston after an ankle injury Saturday, as Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle notes. “I hit an RBI triple and then my spike got stuck at the bag,” Correa explains. GM Jeff Luhnow says Correa is expected to miss time due to the injury, although it’s not yet clear how much. Correa, the top pick in the 2012 draft, was hitting .325/.416/.510 for Class A+ Lancaster, and the Chronicle guesses he might have been in line for promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi. In any case, losing him to a serious injury would be a significant blow to the Astros, even with their strong farm system. Here are more notes from the West divisions.
- Raul Ibanez is not a good fit for the Mariners, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune tweets. Ibanez hit 29 homers for the Mariners in 2013, but the Angels released him yesterday after he hit a mere .157/.258/.265 in 190 plate appearances for them.
- Rockies closer LaTroy Hawkins is 41, but he has no plans to stop playing, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. “If I stay healthy, I can pitch forever,” says Hawkins. “That’s my thought process. I have been blessed with a right arm that has definitely defeated all of the odds.” The Rockies signed Hawkins last winter to a deal that pays him $2.25MM in 2014, with a $2.25MM option and a $250K buyout for 2015. Hawkins’ 2.77 ERA suggests the Rockies will pick up that very cheap option, although Hawkins’ peripherals have been underwhelming, with 3.8 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 26 innings so far.