Jameson Taillon

Pirates Sign Jameson Taillon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 16, 2010 at 11:55pm CDT

12:03am: Taillon's bonus is worth $6.5MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).

9:14pm: Taillon and the Pirates agreed on a deal worth slightly more than $5MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

7:52pm: The Pirates signed second-overall pick Jameson Taillon, the pitcher's father told to Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The tall Texas right-hander has drawn comparisons to other power pitchers such as Roger Clemens and Josh Beckett. Back in May, MLBTR's Mike Axisa profiled Taillon in detail.

The specifics on Taillon's deal aren't yet known, but MLB recommended a $3.25MM bonus for the second overall pick last year. The Mariners, who chose second overall in 2009, signed Dustin Ackley to a $6MM bonus and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Pirates pay Taillon considerably more than slot, too. They already appear to have signed second-rounder Stetson Allie.

With less than three hours remaining between now and the deadline to sign picks, 13 first-rounders have yet to sign.

Pirates Notes: Heredia, Taillon, Allie

By Zachary Links | August 15, 2010 at 10:00pm CDT

Let's check out some Pirates tidbits, courtesy of Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette..

The Pirates remain the favorites to land 16-year-old Mexican pitcher Luis Heredia. Veracruz, the Mexican team that holds his rights, is allowed by the Mexican Baseball League to begin entertaining offers on Thursday. Early last month, the Pirates and Blue Jays were said to be the favorites for his services. Toronto reportedly offered $2.8MM while Pittsburgh offered $2.5MM. The Yankees were said to be gaining interest in the prospect as of a month ago.
Jameson Taillon's father Michael expects his son and the club to reach agreement prior to tomorrow's deadline. Michael mentioned that there remained a "variable" for the two sides to work out. The variable, Finder says, could be a spot on the 40-man roster. It appears that the Pirates are reluctant to oblige, though the father of the second overall selection doesn't see it as a potential stumbling block. The slot recommendation for Taillon is $3.25MM, though he will likely receive more.
As for the Pirates and second-round choice Stetson Allie, there's optimism on both sides that a deal can be reached. Both Allie and Taillon are represented by the Hendricks brothers.

Odds & Ends: Glaus, Orioles, Figgins, Papelbon

By Luke Adams 2 | August 15, 2010 at 1:48pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as Jeremy Hellickson aims for his third win in his third career start….

Troy Glaus earned an additional $350K for making his 450th plate appearance last night, tweets Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Glaus will earn another $350K for his 500th plate appearance.
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tells us that the Orioles are unlikely to sign a pair of pitchers: sixth and seventh round picks Dixon Anderson and Matthew Bywater. The club is still working toward a deal with #3 overall pick Manny Machado, but expect to get a deal done.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (Twitter link) hears that, although a deal is unlikely, the Braves will probably "kick the tires" on Chone Figgins. Baker reported on Friday that Atlanta had yet to ask the Mariners about Figgins.
John Tomase of the Boston Herald argues that moving Jonathan Papelbon and making Daniel Bard the closer before 2012 would be a mistake for the Red Sox. In yesterday's MLBTR poll, only about 20% of you said the Sox should keep Papelbon past this season.
The New York media is always tough on the Mets, but today's coverage seems especially harsh: Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News breaks down the ways in which the Mets have wasted the last four seasons, while the New York Post's Joel Sherman says the club's future doesn't look much better.
Talking to the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan, Derrek Lee discusses his decision to veto a trade to the Angels.
Jeremy Hermida tells Rob Bradford of WEEI that he was "kind of surprised" to be designated for assignment by the Red Sox.
A couple updates on top draft picks: Reds' first-rounder Yasmani Grandal has already taken a physical, while the Pirates met with the agents for Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie for nearly seven hours yesterday. MLB.com's Mark Sheldon and Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have the details.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Harper, Canseco, Figgins

By Mike Axisa | August 14, 2010 at 4:33pm CDT

Saturday afternoon linkage..

Boston sent catcher Michael Thomas to Texas to complete the trade for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.
Dusty Baker has no interest in becoming a general manager, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
A former teammate of Bryce Harper's doesn't see the first overall pick going back to school, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The Laredo Broncos, an independent minor league team, say they have signed Jose Canseco to a short-term contract, according to the Associated Press. Canseco will serve as a bench coach and designated hitter during two Laredo homestands.
Chuck Finder of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates GM Neal Huntington and scouting director Greg Smith are expected to sit down with agents Randy and Alan Hendricks in Houston this weekend to discuss a contract for second overall pick Jameson Taillon. MLB's slot recommendation for that pick is $3.25MM, though Taillon is expected to receive more than that.
We know the Braves have not asked the Mariners about the availability of Chone Figgins in the wake of Chipper Jones' injury, but ESPN's Buster Olney says a deal is unlikely anyway. It would be pretty tough for GM Jack Zduriencik to tell ownership they have to eat tens of millions of dollars to move a player they just signed this past offseason.
Ken Fidlin of The Toronto Sun says that Blue Jays' second round pick Griffin Murphy and his father were on the field at Angels Stadium talking with club officials, "a surefire sign that a deal is done." MLB's slot recommendation for the 61st overall pick is just short of $600K.
The Yankees have come to terms on well-overslot bonuses with a pair of draft picks. Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that they signed ninth rounder Taylor Morton for $450K while Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports reports an agreement with tenth rounder Ben Gamel (Mat's brother) for $500K. Both deals are more than three times over MLB's recommendation, and Gamel's is the largest given to a player selected in a double digit round so far.

Odds & Ends: Bell, Giants, Lowell, Maine, Indians

By Mike Axisa | June 13, 2010 at 6:06pm CDT

Sunday linkage..

Heath Bell told Ephraim Fischbein of New York Baseball Digest that he's happy in San Diego, but would like to return to the Mets if the Padres decide to go in a different direction.
Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News (via Twitter) applauds the Giants' signings of Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff, who cost the club roughly $3MM each.
Mark Tracy is excited to be a part of the Rockies along with his father, manager Jim Tracy, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Colorado selected the skipper's son in the 22nd round of the 2010 Draft.
Contrary to a report late last night, the Angels and Red Sox did not agree to a swap of Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Lowell over the winter, a major league source told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
David Lennon of Newsday (via Twitter) writes that it's an 80% possibility that the Mets non-tender John Maine after this season.
ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Indians are likely to move some veterans in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, but they could be a dangerous team to face until then because of Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, and Jake Westbrook (Insider req'd).
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch says to expect negotiations between the Pirates and their top draft picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie to go right down to the August 16th signing deadline.
The Pirates had a long debate about who to take with the second overall pick in last week's draft according to Chuck Finder of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and it wasn't until last weekend that they decided on Jameson over Manny Machado.
Meanwhile Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says the Pirates won't rush their top prospects. Once those prospects are promoted to the big league team, their minor league roster spots will be filled by players currently on ML roster (after they're optioned down) or by "signing low-cost, minor league free agents."
Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer doesn't see the Indians offering anyone but Shin-Soo Choo a multi-year deal, including the resurgent Austin Kearns.
Newsday's David Lennon thinks it might make sense for the Mets to "consider opening extension talks" with catcher Rod Barajas before the season ends and he hits the free agent market.

2010 MLB Draft Results

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 7, 2010 at 8:59pm CDT

Ever since the A's called Rick Monday's name 45 years ago, teams have relied on the MLB draft to stock their systems with talented young players. Today, teams have the chance to draft the next Joe Mauer (1st overall, 2001), the next Carl Crawford (52nd overall, 1999) or the next Albert Pujols (13th round, 1999). Or, they could end up with the next Matt Bush (1st overall, 2004).

Here's this year's draft order, from River Ave. Blues, to be updated after each selection (links go to MLB.com):

Nationals – Bryce Harper
Pirates – Jameson Taillon
Orioles – Manny Machado
Royals – Christian Colon
Indians – Drew Pomeranz
Diamondbacks – Barret Loux
Mets – Matt Harvey
Astros – Delino DeShields Jr.
Padres – Karsten Whitson
Athletics – Michael Choice
Blue Jays – Deck McGuire
Reds – Yasmani Grandal
White Sox – Chris Sale
Brewers – Dylan Covey
Rangers – Jake Skole
Cubs – Hayden Simpson
Rays – Josh Sale
Angels – Kaleb Cowart
Astros – Michael Foltynewicz
Red Sox – Kolbrin Vitek
Twins – Alex Wimmers
Rangers – Kellin Deglan
Marlins – Christian Yelich
Giants – Gary Brown
Cardinals – Zack Cox
Rockies – Kyle Parker
Phillies – Jesse Biddle
Dodgers – Zach Lee
Angels – Cam Bedrosian
Angels – Chevez Clarke
Rays – Justin O'Conner
Yankees – Cito Culver

Click here for the results of Compensation Round A, picks #33-50.

Pirates Expected To Draft Jameson Taillon

By Tim Dierkes | June 7, 2010 at 10:35am CDT

The Pirates have the second pick in today's draft, and ESPN's Buster Olney reports that they are expected to take high school pitcher Jameson Taillon. This matches predictions made this morning by Baseball America's Jim Callis and ESPN's Keith Law, though an earlier note by Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggested they were leaning toward Manny Machado. Talking to Finder, Bucs GM Neal Huntington explained that "we passed on some high school pitchers last year because, quite candidly, we didn't think they had the stuff that allowed [some] to be the exceptions."

For more on Taillon, check out Mike Axisa's post from May 29th.

Draft Links: Machado, Blue Jays, Dodgers

By Tim Dierkes | June 7, 2010 at 8:38am CDT

The first round of the MLB draft kicks off at 6pm CST today. Links to start you off, with new ones being added to the bottom of the post:

MLB.com's Mark Newman prepares you for the festivities by outlining MLB's many facets of draft coverage. Here's a reminder of the draft order.
The Pirates pick second, and Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes they're leaning toward shortstop Manny Machado over pitcher Jameson Taillon. GM Neal Huntington explained that they will have no problem selecting a Scott Boras client. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says the Orioles would then take Taillon, who they favor anyway. Jim Callis of Baseball America has a different point of view, saying the Pirates lean toward Taillon.
The Blue Jays have the #11 pick. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun suggests they have a big draft budget and an eye on Delino DeShields, Jr., Josh Sale, and Deck McGuire as potential first-round picks. Scouting director Andrew Tinnish is emphasizing athleticism and upside, as well as up-the-middle positions.
Dodgers assistant GM Logan White hinted that they could again take a high school pitcher, writes Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The Dodgers have the #28 pick in the first round.
The Tigers start at #44, having given #19 to the Astros for Jose Valverde. John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press quotes scouting director David Chadd: "We have a history of being aggressive. I don't see that changing."
Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever told Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the team will take the best available player early and will lean toward catching, lefthanded pitching, and middle infielders later. The Phils' first pick is #27.
The Rockies are at #26, and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says they've scouted Aaron Sanchez, Nick Castellanos, and Kevin Gausman heavily. Links on player names in this post go to MLB.com scouting reports.
John Maffei of the North County Times deduced that the Padres might take a center fielder like Michael Choice or Kolbrin Vitek, but MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets his opinion that they will take a pitcher such as Karsten Whitson. The Padres have the #9 pick.

Draft Links: Pirates, Brewers, Red Sox

By Zachary Links | June 6, 2010 at 9:38pm CDT

More draft news from around the web..

The Pirates will take either shortstop Manny Machado or righthander Jameson Taillon with the second overall pick, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Earlier today, it was reported that the Bucs were looking at Machado, or Taillon but were also considering a "college pitcher".
The Brewers' have had countless "what if" moments in the draft in recent years, including almost nabbing Wade Davis in 2004, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Several Red Sox shared their memories of draft day with Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal.
A pair of Illinois prospects should go in the early rounds of the draft, writes Mike Helfgot for the Chicago Tribune. Mike Foltynewicz, a Texas commit ranked amongst the top 50 prospects in this class by Baseball America, will likely be the first.

Draft Links: Cox, Nats, Tigers, White Sox, Mets

By Luke Adams 2 | June 6, 2010 at 7:12pm CDT

As Mike Rizzo recently suggested, for baseball's general managers and scouting directors, the Super Bowl isn't eight months away — it's tomorrow. Here are a few more links in anticipation of the 2010 draft….

Zack Cox is looking for "[Pedro] Alvarez money" which could cause him to slip in the draft, multiple sources tell Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter). Alvarez, taken second overall by the Pirates in 2008, signed a four-year deal worth $6.355MM. On top of that, Cox is said to be seeking a major league deal, tweets ESPN's Keith Law.
The Nats will take Bryce Harper No. 1, barring any drastic changes, GM Mike Rizzo told MASN's Debbi Taylor. If they do take Harper, Washington will move him to the outfield, according to a baseball source who spoke to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Despite not having a first round pick, the Tigers are confident they can find talent in the later rounds, writes MLive.com's Steve Kornacki.
The Pirates have narrowed their choices to include Manny Machado, Jameson Taillon, or a college pitcher, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
Don't be surprised to see the White Sox draft a college pitcher with the 13th pick, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson spoke with Rizzo, who once again said that they know who they'll select first overall. Rizzo says the player doesn't know he'll be selected, though it's tough to see them passing up consensus top pick Bryce Harper. Rizzo says the second through fifteenth rounds will determine the strength of a draft, and the Nats are "fired up" about it.
The latest updates from Fanhouse's Frankie Piliere include the Mets' and Yankees' first-round targets, and more details on the deal the Royals are working toward with Yasmani Grandal. Industry sources tell Piliere it'll be worth "upwards of" $3MM.
The Rangers own four of the top 50 picks in the draft, but they'll be on a budget, says Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
With the sixth pick, the Diamondbacks could be the wild card of the draft, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider-only). Their top two choices appear to be Barrett Loux and Chris Sale, who MLBTR's Mike Axisa profiled last week.
A potential first-round pick could have already been a Phillie, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Karen Smith of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review conducts a brief Q&A with Pirates director of scouting Greg Smith.

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