Indians, White At A ‘Standstill’
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports that negotiations between the Indians and first round pick Alex White have "remained at a standstill as of 5 p.m."
"It wouldn't do me any good to say [how the negotiations are progressing]," amateur scouting director Brad Grant said. "We have about eight hours left. One way or another, we'll know by then."
Castrovince mentions that White is believed to be seeking a signing bonus north of $2MM. Drafted 15th overall, MLB's recommended bonus is approximately.$1.557MM.
Odds & Ends: Draft, Moyer, Cubs
Links for Thursday…
- RotoAuthority looks at the worst closers in baseball.
- Indians first-round draft pick Alex White is "seeking top five money," according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hoynes says the Indians are optimistic about signing him before Monday's deadline.
- As you might expect, Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Stephen Strasburg talks between the Nationals and Scott Boras will go down to the wire. MLBTR will be covering the signing deadline intensely, as we did last year.
- Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a source saying the Phillies' bullpen demotion of Jamie Moyer was "not in any way influenced by money." The team's timing of the move was impeccable, regardless.
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times talked to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who isn't anticipating any waiver moves for his team.
- ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider link) speculates on a handful of teams that could use recently-designated third baseman Bill Hall.
- Reliever Justin Speier was gracious about his release from the Angels, according to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times.
Odds & Ends: Bruce, Ozzie, Indians
Another round of links for those still hanging around on Saturday evening…
- Reds outfielder Jay Bruce broke his right wrist sliding for a ball tonight, and is heading back to Cincinnati to be examined according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. The Reds were looking to add a bat before the injury, so it stands to reason that they'd ramp up those efforts now.
- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he doesn't "think we’re going to give up three or four players, key players, for the future, just to rent a player for year," according to Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune. Ozzie then admitted that GM Kenny Williams is the one calling the shots when it comes to trades.
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer rounds up the signing bonuses for the Indians second through tenth round draft picks. First rounder Alex White remains unsigned.
Indians Rumors: Wedge, White, Draft
MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says the chatter about Eric Wedge's job security is premature. The Indians aren't on the verge of firing him and are more likely to consider a change after the season. Here are some more Indians notes:
- The Indians are expected to begin negotiations soon with first rounder Alex White.
- As Castrovince pointed out on draft day, White is a 20-year-old righty reliever out of UNC who could make an impact in the majors sooner than most players in the draft.
- The team has now signed 18 of the players drafted earlier in the month, including 13 of their top 16 picks.
Draft Roundup: White, Tejada, Fuentes
Here are some updates on the draft as we enter its final day…
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians will develop their first round pick, Alex White, as a reliever.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that the team's selection of shortstop Jiovanni Mier doesn't mean Miguel Tejada's about to be moved. Mier had said a scout told him the Astros would get rid of Tejada.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo points out that more high school arms were selected than usual. Seven of the first 19 picks were prep pitchers.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports "indications" that the D'Backs will be able to sign their second and third highest picks, A.J. Pollock and Matt Davidson, soon.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Brewers could sign first round pick Eric Arnett soon with a bonus of about $1.2MM.
- As Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP reports, Carlos Beltran has high hopes for his cousin, Reymond Fuentes, who was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round.
Possibilities For Pirates At No. 4
The Pirates have the fourth pick in the June draft. Who are they considering?
According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, GM Neal Huntington scouted pitcher Alex White, first baseman/outfielder Dustin Ackley, and catcher Tony Sanchez yesterday. White and Ackley are considerations for the Bucs at #4, though Ackley has a good chance of being picked by the Mariners at #2. Scott Boras will be advising Ackley and White.
In yesterday's mock draft, Baseball America projected righty Kyle Gibson as Pittsburgh's pick. ESPN's Jason Churchill linked the Pirates to Ackley as well as pitchers Shelby Miller, Jacob Turner, Aaron Crow, and Tanner Scheppers.