Draft Signings: Austin, Mardirosian, Ramos, Stokes
We’ll keep track of the day’s notable draft signings right here, with slot information courtesy of Baseball America:
- White Sox fourth-rounder Brett Austin agreed to a $450K bonus that is about $35K below slot, reports MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). Austin, a catcher out of NC State, caught Carlos Rodon in college, whom the Sox selected with the No. 3 overall pick. The $35K savings on Austin’s bonus covers the slight discrepancy between third-rounder Jace Fry‘s $760K bonus and the $726K slot value.
- Jim Callis of MLB.com reports that the Reds have agreed to a well-above-slot deal with seventh-round selection Shane Mardirosian (Twitter link). The high school infielder out of California received a $350K bonus despite the fact that the No. 215 slot’s assigned value was $173K. Callis describes him as a “sparkplug” with speed and a line-drive swing.
- Though bonus amounts are not known for all players, the White Sox have reached agreement with all of the players selected in the draft’s first ten rounds except for third-overall pick Carlos Rodon, tweets Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago, which has an overall available pool of just over $9.5MM, had already reached agreement with both of the high-school players it took from among those picks: second-rounder Spencer Adams (who reportedly signed at slot) and tenth-rounder Jake Jarvis (who was said to be a hard-sign choice).
- The Mets have agreed to sign their second pick (the 84th overall choice), high school shortstop Milton Ramos, tweets Cotillo. His third-round slot carries a $651.7K allotment, though it’s not yet clear whether the bonus falls at, above, or below that mark. Known for his advanced glove, Ramos landed at 46th on MLB.com’s pre-draft ranking and had been ticketed for Florida Atlantic University.
- The Brewers have agreed to sign fourth-round choice Troy Stokes for $400K, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). Milwaukee will get to apply $49.3K towards other picks, as the 116th draft slot carried a $449.3K pool figure. Stokes landed at 316th on Baseball America’s list of the 500 best draft prospects.
- Rockies fourth-rounder Wesley Rogers (113th overall) has agreed to a $360K bonus, tweets Cotillo. That represents a savings of $100.5K against the slot assignment. Rogers, a JuCo outfielder, did not crack any of the major top draft prospect lists.
- The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with third-rounder Nick Wells, reports Tariq Lee of the Washington Post (h/t to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun). Wells, a Virginia high school lefty who had been committed to the College of Charleston, will receive the full slot value of the 83rd overall pick ($661.8K). He landed at 119th on Baseball America’s list of the top available prospects.
- Click here to review MLBTR’s coverage of the flurry of recent draft signings. Remember that you can always find that category tag (“2014 Amateur Draft Signings”), and many more, right below the post.
Minor Moves: Rowland-Smith, Hill, Marmol, Pina
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the Blue Jays have released left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith from Triple-A Buffalo (Twitter link). The Australian lefty worked his way back to the Majors earlier this season with the D’Backs — his first big league action since 2010. After being released by Arizona, Rowland-Smith caught on with the Jays and allowed eight runs in 14 innings with a solid 11-to-3 K/BB ratio.
- The White Sox have acquired righty Shawn Hill from the Blue Jays, according to the International League transactions page. Hill, 33, has seen time in seven MLB seasons, working to a 4.69 ERA in 242 innings, almost entirely as a starter. He last reached the majors in 2012 with the Jays, when he made his first and only relief appearance. Hill made three starts for the Expos back in 2004, and had his best season with the Nationals in 2007, when he worked to a 3.42 ERA in 97 1/3 frames.
- Reliever Carlos Marmol has been placed on the restricted list by the Reds after leaving the club without permission, according to Jamie Ramsey, the club’s Assistant Director of Media Relations (Twitter link). Marmol came to Cincinnati recently on a minor league deal after he was released by the Marlins, and had allowed three earned runs (with six walks and six strikeouts) through just 3 2/3 frames at Triple-A.
- The Tigers have acquired catcher Manny Pina from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later, according to the MLB transactions page. Detroit has released fellow backstop Luis Exposito in a corresponding move, via the International League transactions page. Pina, 27, has had two brief MLB stints with the Royals. He is hitting .267/.337/.413 through 83 plate appearances at Triple-A Tacoma. Exposito is also a 27-year-old with minimal MLB experience under his belt; he owns a .177/.252/.313 line in 107 plate appearances for Toledo.
- Brian Barden will continue his career with the indy league Somerset Patriots, reports ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). The 33-year-old infielder has seen action in four MLB campaigns with the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Marlins, most recently in 2010. He spent last year at Triple-A for the Dodgers before moving to the Mexican League at the start of 2014.
- MLBTR’s DFA Tracker shows six players in limbo: Jordan Pacheco (Rockies), David Huff (Giants), Jason Kubel (Twins), Trevor Cahill (Diamondbacks), and Wilton Lopez (Rockies).
NL West Links: CarGo, Winkler, Street, Billingsley
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez had a tumor removed from his left index finger Tuesday, writes Nick Groke of the Denver Post. Head athletic trainer Keith Dugger tells Groke that a biopsy will be performed on what they’re hoping is a benign tumor, adding that such a finding isn’t necessarily uncommon. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes that Gonzalez could miss as much as five weeks after having what Dugger described as a “fatty mass with tentacles” removed. Here’s more on the Rox and their division…
- The Rockies have had injury problems of late, with Michael Cuddyer, Jordan Lyles, Eddie Butler, Boone Logan, Nolan Arenado, Tyler Chatwood and Brett Anderson all on the DL (in addition to Gonzalez), but they’re not done with bad news on that front. Groke’s colleague Patrick Saunders reported this morning that top pitching prospect Daniel Winkler is heading for Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old Winkler — a former 20th-round gem in the draft — had posted a 1.41 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 70 innings at Double-A Tulsa this season.
- ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke with Padres closer Huston Street about the possibility of being traded this summer — a concept that is far from foreign to Street. “I’ll give the same answer I have year after year,” Street told Crasnick. “I have no control over it. I don’t have a no-trade clause, so there’s nothing for me to consider.” Street added that he likes the group in San Diego and doesn’t want to be traded, believing they can win there. Crasnick notes that his $7MM salary and $7MM club option are affordable enough that teams will have interest, but not so steep that the Friars feel they have to move him.
- Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley had another setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and is expected to be reevaluated by the team doctor, reports Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Billingsley recently hit 93 mph in a rehab outing, but he felt weakness in his surgically repaired elbow following a 31-pitch bullpen session yesterday.
NL Central Notes: Pirates, Martin, Mills, Cubs, Marmol
The Pirates announced today that Francisco Liriano has been placed on the disabled list with a left oblique strain. Liriano joins ace Gerrit Cole on the market and gives Pittsburgh’s rotation a very different look than it had at the end of the 2013 season when that duo was teaming up with A.J. Burnett to shut down opposing lineups. ESPN’s Jayson Stark spoke with officials from several other teams who expect the Bucs to try to trade for a starter with Cole and Liriano now on the shelf (Twitter link).
Here’s a bit more on the Pirates and the rest of the NL Central…
- Pirates president Frank Coonelly told Joe Starkey of 93.7 The Fan and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the team’s level of interest in re-signing Russell Martin is “very high” (Twitter link). Of course, that doesn’t mean the Pirates will be able to afford Martin, who is coming off a strong season and hitting .269/.409/.394 in 30 games this year.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Brewers lefty Brad Mills can opt out of his minor league deal on Sunday and is having a strong season at Triple-A. Mills has pitched to a 1.57 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 69 innings of work. Rosenthal wonders if the veteran 29-year-old could be of interest to teams looking for a starter.
- Cubs GM Jed Hoyer spoke with David Kaplan of CSN Chicago (Twitter link) and said it’s “likely and definitely possible” that the team will spend on veteran players in free agency this offseason. Said Hoyer: “We need to add veterans to the kids that are coming.”
- Earlier today, the Reds placed Carlos Marmol on the minor league restricted list after he left the team without permission. MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo spoke with Marmol’s agent, Paul Kinzer, about the move (All Twitter links). Said Kinzer: “He decided to take a break and just focus on getting back on track. He’s still healthy and should still be in his prime. His velocity was still in the mid-90’s. I don’t believe the Reds want to release him. He wants to get his confidence back and take a break mentally.”
Rangers Sign Luis Ortiz
WEDNESDAY: The Rangers announced that they have officially signed Ortiz. Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that Ortiz’s bonus is $1.75MM, which is very slightly below the $1.76MM slot value.
MONDAY: The Rangers have reached agreement on an approximately $1.76MM bonus with first-round choice Luis Ortiz, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Ortiz is scheduled to finalize his deal and take a physical in the next two days.
That figure is the slot value for the 30th overall choice, where Ortiz was taken. Grant adds that the team has also reached agreement for an unreported sum with third-round pick Josh Morgan (who came with a $550.1K slot).
Ortiz, a high school righty out of California, came in as MLB.com’s 24th best draft-eligible prospect while landing at 28 on Baseball America’s list. But Keith Law of ESPN.com saw things rather differently, placing Ortiz at tenth in his final rating. Law explains that Ortiz had returned well from an early-season forearm strain and could be a nice get for a team (like Texas) at the back of the first round.
The best news for the Rangers is that they appear set to draw the high-upside righty away from Fresno State without borrowing against the team’s overall pool. Texas agreed to an over-slot deal earlier today with second choice (59th overall) Ti’quan Forbes and did the same recently with fourth-rounder Brett Martin. The Rangers’ total available pool, assuming it inks all its picks from the first ten rounds, is $4.82MM.
Yankees Acquire David Huff, Designate Wade LeBlanc For Assignment
6:11pm: The Yankees officially announced both moves, noting that the team sent cash considerations to the Giants in exchange for Huff.
5:52pm: The Yankees have acquired left-hander David Huff from the Giants and designated fellow lefty Wade LeBlanc for assignment in order to create roster space, according to Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal (on Twitter). Huff had been designated for assignment by the Giants last week. He will be with the Yankees for tonight’s game.
This will mark Huff’s second stint with New York, as he finished the 2013 campaign in Yankee pinstripes. Huff posted a 4.67 ERA with a 26-to-8 K/BB ratio in 34 1/3 innings for the Yanks last season and found himself traded to San Francisco in exchange for cash considerations in late January. With the Giants, Huff pitched to a disappointing 6.30 ERA with 11 strikeouts and six walks in 20 innings. He did manage a career-best 50.7 percent ground-ball rate in his 20 innings with San Fran, in part due to the introduction of a cut-fastball into his repertoire.
LeBlanc pitched just an inning for the Yankees, allowing two runs in his lone appearance. He’s allowed six runs in 7 1/3 innings this season between the Angels and Yankees, and he has a career 4.56 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 35.4 percent ground-ball rate in 424 1/3 innings between the Padres, Marlins, Angels, Yankees and Astros.
Tigers To Sign Derek Hill
The Tigers are in agreement with No. 23 overall pick Derek Hill, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (on Twitter). Hill will receive a $2MM bonus, according to Callis, which is slightly higher than the $1.953MM value assigned to that slot.
Callis praises the California prep center fielder’s speed and bat in his tweet, and a look at the scouting report put together by him and colleague Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com shows that the duo feel that Hill is one of the fastest players and best defenders in the high school class. He’s run sub-6.4 second times in the 60-yard dash and also has a stronger arm than most of his peers. MLB.com ranked him 20th among draft prospects, while ESPN’s Keith Law ranked him 11th and Baseball America ranked him 22nd. Law noted that there’s a chance Hill ends up as a fourth outfielder, but he has the potential to be an impact leadoff hitter that can steal bases and play elite defense in center. There doesn’t appear to be much power projection with Hill, though BA likes his quick right-handed stroke and notes that he rarely swings and misses within the strike zone.
The Tigers entered the draft with $4.892MM to spend, and they’ve allocated more than 40 percent of that budget to Hill by signing him over slot. They’ve also agreed to a full-slot deal with third-rounder Grayson Greiner that will pay him $549,200.
White Sox Sign Jace Fry
The White Sox announced today that they have agreed to terms with nine of their top 10 picks in this year’s draft and 28 picks overall, including a new agreement with third-rounder Jace Fry. MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (via Twitter) that Fry, a left-hander out of Oregon State that was selected 77th overall, agreed to an above-slot bonus of $760K. The assigned pick value for that slot had been $726K, per Baseball America.
Fry didn’t crack the Top 100 draft prospects of ESPN’s Keith Law, but he did rank 91st according to Baseball America and 93rd according to Callis and his colleague Jonathan Mayo on MLB.com’s Top 200. Fry underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012 but was healthy and effective in 2014, featuring a fastball that tops out in the low 90s, a curveball that he changes speeds on, and a changeup that will feature good sink when it’s at its best, per MLB.com’s scouting report. BA noted that he repeats his delivery well and has the chance to be a rare sinker/slider left-hander, adding that his fastball is effective more due to its late life than its straight velocity.
The Sox have yet to come to terms with No. 3 overall pick Carlos Rodon, the NC State left-hander and Scott Boras advisee that many felt had a chance to go No. 1 overall. Today’s release included the formal announcement that second-rounder Spencer Adams has been signed — a deal that reportedly guarantees him the full slot value of $1.282MM.
Cubs Sign First-Rounder Kyle Schwarber
1:38pm: The team has officially announced Schwarer’s signing.
11:20am: The Cubs have agreed to a below-slot bonus with first-round selection Kyle Schwarber, reports MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat (via Twitter). He will sign for $3.125MM, which is nearly $1.5MM shy of the $4.621MM allotment that came with the fourth overall choice.
Arguably the best college bat available, Schwarber was nevertheless something of a surprise choice at fourth overall. While he is said to have good hit and power tools at the plate, the real question is whether or not the Indiana University product can stay behind it defensively. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo wrote in rating Schwarber as the 16th-best available prospect, he could ultimately move to the outfield (or, presumably, first base) since his throwing and receiving skills are considered below average.
Baseball America, ranking him 17th overall, noted that Schwarber had improved his work at catcher over time and likely has the athleticism needed to shift to left field if he can’t continue that trajectory. ESPN.com’s Keith Law, meanwhile, placed the 6’0, 240lb left-handed swinger at 26th on his final board.
As Callis notes (Twitter links), the deal with Schwarber works to the advantage of both parties. Schwarber will take down a bigger bonus than he would have if taken in the middle of the draft, while the Cubs can put the slot savings towards other choices. In particular, the club selected a series of high school arms with its fourth through sixth-round choices — Carson Sands, Justin Steele, and Dylan Cease — who could require above-slot bonuses to forego college. Callis opines that the Cubs are likely to land each member of that trio. Chicago entered the draft with $8.35MM and change in available slot space.
Rangers Agree To Above-Slot Bonus With Josh Morgan
The Rangers have agreed to sign third-round choice Josh Morgan to an above-slot $800K bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). Even Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported on Monday that the sides were in agreement for an unknown amount.
Morgan’s bonus will result in just under a $250K overage for Texas, as the 95th overall slot with which he was taken came with a $550.1K allotment. That’s what it took to lure him away from UCLA, where he had been slated to enroll this fall.
The California high school shortstop was rated as high as the 63rd-best player available (by Baseball America). As BA explains, Morgan is an all-around performer who is most noted for his outstanding hands up the middle. The biggest questions surround his bat, which figures to be average at best, and whether or not he can avoid a move to second base.