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Pirates Break Draft Records

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The Pirates spent $30.6MM on the 2008-10 drafts, more than any other team.  This year they upped the ante, spending over $17MM on 24 players – the largest draft expenditure in baseball history.  Yesterday, the Bucs inked first overall pick Gerrit Cole for a record $8MM bonus, and then surprised the industry by succeeding in signing second round pick/first round talent Josh Bell for $5MM.  Bell, who had a strong commitment to the University of Texas, more than doubled the record for a player drafted outside of the first round.  Both players are represented by Scott Boras, as our agency database shows.  Today's Pirates draft links…

  • Talking to Karen Price of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, GM Neal Huntington explained the team's pursuit of Bell: "His family is obviously strong, they're intelligent and hard-working people, and we had nothing but respect for their perspective.  We wanted the opportunity to explain who we were, how we do things, and we were hoping Josh was ready to take the step to professional baseball if we were to find a common financial ground, and we were able to do that."
  • Cole can make more than $9MM in guaranteed money if he reaches the Majors by 2013, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.  Price has Huntington explaining that Cole's record minor league deal was the way to go: "There are times where a pure minor league contract and minor league signing bonus, paid out over nine months, is better than a major league contract paid out over five-plus years, depending on how the deals are structured."
  • Just for good measure, the Pirates also set a ninth-round record by signing high school righty Clay Holmes for $1.2MM, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Holmes was one of many over slot deals for the Pirates.

National League Over Slot Signings

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Though MLB would prefer to keep a lid on it, many signings exceeding their slot recommendations will be revealed by reporters today.  The latest from the National League:

  • The Mets signed 11th rounder Christian Montgomery for $250K, according to Callis. They also signed third rounder Logan Verrett for $425K, according to Callis (Twitter links). Earlier today, the Mets signed high school shortstop Brad Marquez for $325K, reports Callis.  Since Marquez also plays football, his bonus will be spread over three years.  The Mets also signed 15th round pick and high school middle infielder Philip Evans for $650K, reports Callis.
  • Reds 22nd rounder Amir Garrett obtained a $1MM two sport deal that will be spread over five years, Callis tweets.
  • The Giants signed second rounder Andrew Susac for $1.1MM according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. They also signed sixth rounder Josh Osich for $450K, according to Callis on Twitter.
  • The Phillies signed fifth rounder Mitch Walding for $800K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). The Phillies have also signed second rounder Roman Quinn for $775K, reports Baseball America's Conor Glassey (Twitter links). Callis says the high school outfielder was the fastest legitimate prospect in the draft.
  • The Cubs signed 11th rounder Shawon Dunston Jr. to a $1.275MM deal, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Cubs also agreed to sign second rounder Dan Vogelbach for around $1.6MM, according to Rogers (Twitter links). The Florida high schooler has lots of power from the left side, according to Callis.
  • The Nationals signed fourth round left-hander Kylin Turnbull for $325K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Reds signed 23rd rounder Sal Romano for $450K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). The Reds also signed 43rd rounder Ty Washington, according to Rogers (on Twitter). Callis reports that the second baseman obtains a $300K bonus (Twitter link).
  • The Pirates signed ninth rounder Clay Holmes, who was asking for a $1.2MM bonus, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals signed second rounder Charlie Tilson for $1.275MM, according to Callis (Twitter link). The high schooler is a speedy leadoff type who plays center field.
  • The Dodgers signed fourth rounder Ryan O'Sullivan for $100K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers signed 18th rounder Chris McFarland for $315K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The high school infielder has solid tools across the board.
  • The Cubs signed hard-throwing college reliever Tony Zych, a fourth rounder, for $400K, tweets Callis.  The Cubs also signed 25th round pick Rock Shoulders for $294K, tweets Callis.  The first baseman came out of a Florida junior college.
  • The Diamondbacks signed fifth round pick Michael Perez for $235K, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Perez is a high school catcher out of Puerto Rico.

Pirates Sign Gerrit Cole

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Gerrit Cole - UCLA

The Pirates have signed first overall pick Gerrit Cole, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Cole obtains an $8MM deal, according to John Manuel of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Boras corporation represents the hard throwing UCLA product.

Cole stands 6'4" and doesn't turn 21 until the fall. He throws a slider and change-up, plus a fastball that regularly reaches the mid 90s. However, his stuff didn’t translate into the statistical success you’d expect for a first overall pick (teammate Trevor Bauer posted more impressive numbers). Cole finished the season with a 3.31 ERA, 119 strikeouts and 24 walks in 114 1/3 innings – impressive numbers, but certainly not Strasburg-esque. 

Cole has experience as a first rounder. The Yankees selected him out of high school in 2008. He declined to sign, even though he’s a Yankees fan who counts Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera among his role models.

I spoke to Cole earlier this year; here's my interview transcript.

You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.

Quick Hits: Marquis, Aaron Hill, Ellis, Matsui

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Dan Uggla's incredible 33-game hitting streak came to an end today. The Braves' slugger batted an insane .377/.438/.762 over that stretch with 15 homers, good for an even 1.200 OPS. Remarkably though, he still falls 23 games short of Joe DiMaggio's immortal record. Here are your Sunday links:

  • After fracturing a fibula today, new Diamondbacks acquisition Jason Marquis will miss four to six weeks.  SI's Jon Heyman tweets that it sounds like the team's inclination is to replace Marquis internally.  The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro doesn't think the team will go with top draft pick Trevor Bauer for the rotation spot, but notes that it's not crazy to suggest it.  The 20-year-old Bauer tossed five scoreless innings today in his Double-A debut.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, "We’re always open minded for Aaron [Hill] still being a long-term part of this team."  Anthopoulos notes that Hill has flashed his talent at times this year.  It's tough to picture the Jays picking up Hill's $8MM club option, but maybe they can work something out.
  • Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post tweets that he would be surprised if the Rockies don't re-sign second baseman Mark Ellis.  The 34-year-old had a .267/.304/.382 line in 139 plate appearances heading into tonight's action.
  • If Bob Melvin is managing the Athletics again in 2012, he wants them to bring Hideki Matsui back, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Matsui had just a .617 OPS in the season's first half, but has risen from the ashes to post a .410/.470/.630 slash line in 26 games since the All-Star Break.
  • Similarly, the Cubs and Carlos Pena both seem to be open to working out a new deal, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com.  On a related note, ESPN's Buster Olney hears that "in some important corners of the Cubs' front office, there is concern about investing huge money in one player this winter."  In other words, the Cubs' brass might be wary of signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder to play first base.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if the Pirates can follow the path to prominence that their division rivals, the Brewers, followed to escape a similar tradition of losing.
  • Olney tweets that in three days, Drew Pomeranz can officially become the player to be named later from last month's Ubaldo Jimenez trade with the Indians. Pomeranz is expected to report to the Rockies' Double-A affiliate in Tulsa.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Draft Signings: Blue Jays, Indians, Red Sox, Pirates

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The draft signing deadline is now less than three full days away, and the signing status of all first and supplemental first round picks can be found right here. We'll keep track of all the day's notable signings right here, with the latest up top…

  • The Blue Jays have signed third rounder Josh Stilson for $500K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. MLB's slot recommendation was just about $290K. Stilson, a right-hander from Texas A&M, was expected to be a first round pick before injuring his shoulder this spring. 
  • The Indians have signed 19th round pick Shawn Morimando, according to the Reynolds Sports Twitter feed. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports (on Twitter) that the high school left-hander from Virginia Beach received a $350K signing bonus.
  • The Red Sox have signed 29th rounder Matt Spalding for $275K, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Spalding is a high school right-hander from Kentucky.
  • The Pirates announced that they have signed 12th rounder Candon Myles in a press release. He's a high school center fielder from Texas, and his signing bonus was undisclosed.

Pirates Designate Tim Wood For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they designated right-hander Tim Wood for assignment to create space for Ross Ohlendorf on the 40-man roster. The Pirates recalled Ohlendorf from rehab, reinstated him from the 60-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A.

Wood, 28, has appeared in 13 games for the Pirates this year. He has spent most of the season with Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate, where he has a 2.84 ERA with 23 saves, 6.5 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 44 1/3 innings. The former Marlin has a 4.50 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in nine minor league seasons. It won't be surprising if he gets claimed within ten days.

Pirates Re-Sign Michael Crotta

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The Pirates re-signed Michael Crotta to a minor league contract, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). Pittsburgh designated the right-hander for assignment at the end of July and appear to have released him since.

Crotta, 26, made his MLB debut in April, but hasn't pitched in the Majors since May. The 2006 draft pick appeared in 15 games for the Pirates this year, posting a 9.28 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 10 2/3 innings. He appeared in 12 minor league games for the Pirates' top two affiliates and has spent considerable time on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.

Quick Hits: Tigers, Angels, Rhodes, Pirates

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Ubaldo Jimenez makes his Cleveland debut tonight as the Indians look to gain more ground on the division leading Tigers. Here are today's links…

Heyman On Reyes, Ortiz, Cole, Twins

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The market for Jose Reyes should still be strong after the season, Jon Heyman writes at SI.com. MLB executives tell Heyman that the Giants, Cardinals, Tigers, Angels, Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees and Mets could be fits for the shortstop in terms of finances and positional need. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors…

  • Yankees people suggest they’re unlikely to pursue Reyes and Red Sox people say they don’t expect to spend big on a position player this winter.
  • The Red Sox haven’t discussed a new deal with David Ortiz, though they’re confident that they’ll be able to re-sign him after the season. Ortiz has expressed interest in a multiyear deal for a while, but the Red Sox don’t want to guarantee more than one year.
  • First overall draft pick Gerrit Cole is looking to approach Stephen Strasburg’s $15.1MM bonus and top Mariners pick Danny Hultzen is looking for $13MM plus money for school, Heyman reports. Keep track of which top picks have signed here.
  • The Twins appear to want to keep Joe Nathan when he hits free agency after the season, but they’ll probably let Matt Capps sign elsewhere.
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