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Cardinals Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Rob Kaminsky

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Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Cardinals and first-round pick Rob Kaminsky have agreed to a $1,785,300 signing bonus. The prep left-hander out of New Jersey receives a signing bonus that matches the assigned pick value for his No. 28 overall selection that was reported by Baseball America earlier this year.

Kaminsky, who is advised by Excel Sports Management, ranked 21st on Baseball America's list of Top 500 draft prospects, ranked 33rd according to ESPN's Keith Law and ranked 38th according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. BA called him the "most advanced prep arm" in the draft, noting that his fastball sits 88-92 mph and touches 93-94. Kaminsky is just 5'11" and weighs 190 pounds, however, leading Mayo and to raise questions about his durability.

The Cardinals selected Kaminsky with the compensation pick they received for losing Kyle Lohse to the division-rival Brewers as a free agent, so his development will likely carry extra narrative within the NL Central. Interestingly, the Cardinals hadn't selected a left-handed pitcher in the first round since drafting Bret Wagner in 1994. In 2013, however, they took two within a span of nine picks, grabbing Gonzaga lefty Marco Gonzales with the 19th pick. Both southpaws have now signed, bumping the total of first-rounders to sign up to eight.

Cardinals Sign Marco Gonzales

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The Cardinals have signed first round pick Marco Gonzales, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  Marco GonzalesThe left-hander's bonus is worth $1.85MM, less than the recommended $2.056MM for the No. 19 pick on BA's list of assigned pick values.

The Gonzaga product is the most polished arm in the draft and boasts the best changeup of any pitcher in this year's class, in Callis' estimation.  Gonzales, who is advised by Randy Rowley of Rowley Sports Management, is a polished hurler but doesn't have a terribly high ceiling, according to BA.  There's no question that his changeup is his best attribute, and it grades as a 70 pitch on the 20-80 scale.

Gonzales ranked No. 28 on BA's top 500, 23rd on Keith Law of ESPN's top 100, and No. 14 on Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com's top 100.  Remarkably, Gonzales is also the first left-handed pitcher to be selected by the Cardinals in the first round since Wake Forest southpaw Bret Wagner all the way back in 1994.  St. Louis doubled up on lefties with their pair of first-round picks, selecting high school hurler Rob Kaminsky at No. 28 overall.  Gonzales is the fourth first-round pick to sign so far.

Photo courtesy of Gonzaga Athletics/Torrey Vail.

Draft Signings: Covey, Astin, Guillorme, Aper, Wade

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Over the next several weeks, signings from this year's MLB draft will be pouring in. Here's Monday's rundown of significant signings (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America's list of assigned pick values)…

  • The Athletics signed fourth-round pick Dylan Covey to a $370K deal, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  The San Diego right-hander was taken by the Brewers with the No. 14 overall pick in 2010 but ultimately didn't sign after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
  • BA's Jim Callis reports that the Brewers have signed third-round pick (No. 90 overall) Barrett Astin for a bonus of $584,300 (Twitter link), which is the exact amount of the assigned slot value. The Arkansas right-hander "was a force" as a reliever in 2012 but more average as a starter in 2013, Callis adds.
  • Mets tenth-round pick Luis Guillorme tweeted that he has signed with the team earlier today (hat tip: Adam Rubin of ESPN on Twitter). Callis adds that Guillorme signed for $200K, noting that the slick-fielding high school shortstop has drawn comparisons to Omar Vizquel (Twitter link). Guillorme's bonus is over slot, as the recommendation for that pick was $136,400.
  • Callis also tweets that the Marlins have signed sixth-round pick Ryan Aper for $225K. A junior college player from Illinois, Aper possesses a quick bat and has a plus arm and speed in center field. Aper signed about $30K under the slot recommendation of $257,400.
  • The Rockies have signed right-hander Konner Wade for a $198,500 bonus, tweetsCallis. Wade was a seventh-round pick out of Arizona and features a solid fastball/changeup combo when he's at his best, Callis notes. Wade signed for exactly slot value.
  • Callis also reports that the Cardinals have signed 16th-round pick Blake Higgins for a $100K bonus (Twitter link). Higgins attended Jackson Community College in Michigan and is forgoing a Michigan State commitment to sign. He's already had Tommy John surgery but was clocked at 95 mph prior to his injury.
  • One more from Callis, who adds (also via Twitter) that the Brewers have signed Fresno State left-handerTyler Linehan for $125K. Milwaukee selected the 6'4", 240-pound hurler in the ninth round, and Callis reports that he sits 88-93 mph with his fastball. Linehan came at a slight discount, asthe slot value of his pick was $144,100.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Adams, Cole, Twins, Rangers

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The 2013-2014 class of free agent pitching is "grim," says Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan. Hiroki Kuroda figures to be the best starting pitcher on the market, Passan says, but Kuroda is 38. A.J. Burnett is also pitching very well in his walk year, but he's 36 and has said he plans on staying with the Pirates or retiring. The likely recipient of the biggest free-agent contract for a pitcher next offseason is Matt Garza, who is 29. Garza ranks sixth, behind five hitters, in Tim Dierkes' recent 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings. Kuroda ranks seventh, and Burnett eighth. Here are more notes from around the league.

  • The Cardinals aren't interested in trading Matt Adams, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets. Adams, 24, is hitting .313/.352/.552 as a bench player this season, and he's blocked by Allen Craig, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday.
  • Pirates coaches have more to learn about top prospect Gerrit Cole, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Cole is set to make his big-league debut on Tuesday. "I'll talk to [Indianapolis pitching coach Tom Filer] and ask if (Cole) is a guy you can converse with during the middle innings of a game, during the down time, or if he's a guy you have to stay away from and let him be in his own little world," says Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage. Pirates GM Neal Huntington, meanwhile, says that the Pirates would have preferred to let Cole stay at Indianapolis for awhile, but injuries to Wandy Rodriguez, Jeanmar Gomez and others forced their hand. It's unclear whether Cole will stay in the Bucs' rotation after his start on Tuesday.
  • The Twins' selection of Kohl Stewart with the fourth overall pick in this weekend's draft marked the first time since 1992 that the Twins have taken a high-school pitcher with their first first-round pick, writes Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN. That 1992 pick was Dan Serafini, who struggled as a Twin and ended up a journeyman, with brief stints pitching for the Cubs, Padres, Pirates, Reds and Rockies, and also in Mexico and Japan. The Twins haven't had much more luck with other high-school pitchers taken in the early rounds, Mackey says, although it should help that Stewart was the fourth overall pick. "The odds are good that he's going to surface at the major leagues,"says Twins GM Terry Ryan. "Most of the first rounders surface at the major league level. Now, whether or not they become All-Stars or the types of guys that have the careers of a (Joe) Mauer, that is few and far between. But picking up at the 4-hole, certainly the odds are better than if you're picking at the 24-hole."
  • The Rangers have signed 12 draft picks, including their fourth- through ninth-round picks, according to a team release. One of those signed was catcher Joe Jackson of the Citadel, who is the great-great-great nephew of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.

Draft Notes: Appel, Red Sox, Shipley, Cardinals

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The Astros had scouted Mark Appel for two years before making the Houston native the first overall selection in the 2013 amateur draft, reports Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.  The Astros passed on the Stanford right-hander with the top pick in 2012, but Appel's stuff and performance were too much for the club to pass up this time around.  Here's some more notes from the draft..

  • The Red Sox expect to sign their first rounder Trey Ball (7th overall) and their second-round choice Teddy Stankiewicz (45th overall) to bonuses less than the slot recommendation, multiple industy sources have told WEEI.com's Alex Speier. This would allow the Red Sox to make an aggressive above slot offer to third-round selection Jon Denney, who was viewed as a likely first-round pick. Speier notes the high school catcher was invited to the day one broadcast of the draft on MLB Network and earned the distinction of being the only invited player not taken in the first two rounds. Denney, who has a commitment to Arkansas, was the 81st overall selection, which carries a slot recommendation of $671,200 (per Baseball America).
  • The Diamondbacks prioritized advanced pitching and athleticism with their selections, writes Tyler Emerick of MLB.com.  Diamondbacks scouting director Ray Montgomery was pleasantly surprised Braden Shipley was available when the club first picked at No. 15, since the Nevada right-hander was thought to go much earlier. 
  • The Cardinals focused on cost-certainty and upside, according to Chad Thornburg of MLB.com. The club approached the draft with a specific plan, and Cardinals scouting director Dan Kantrovitz was "thrilled" with the way things worked out, "Based on saving some money yesterday [Friday] through some more cost-certainty maneuvers, we could then translate that into some higher-upside guys early on [Saturday]."
  • Although the Brewers did not have a pick in the first round as compensation for signing Kyle Lohse, the club was still excited about the pitching they found in the draft, notes Kevin Massoth of MLB.com.  The Brewers selected high school right-hander Devin Williams with their first pick, No. 54 overall.
  • Meanwhile the Padres like the hitting the club was able to snatch up over the last three days, reports Jamal Collier of MLB.com.  The club used five of their first six selections on position players, including the 13th overall pick, Mississippi State outfielder Hunter Renfroe. 

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Ventura, Royals, Cardinals

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While the NL Central features three of baseball's best teams (Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds), only the Tigers have managed to keep above the .500 mark in the AL Central.  Here are some notes from around baseball's central divisions..

  • Robin Ventura reaffirmed his commitment to the White Sox, reports Doug Padilla of ESPN.com. Amid speculation over his desire, as well as the team’s possible seller status at the trade deadline, Ventura stated, "It's just one of those where I know I have my contract and it's going to go (to the end) and then you talk again. But because of this situation, I'm not going anywhere."
  • Joe Werner of ESPN.com takes a look at how the Royals have transformed as an organization.  While the club’s farm system was once highly regarded, because of trades and under performance, the Royals are still struggling at the big league level.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com weighed in on a host of topics, including the Cardinals hitting preparation, as well as steroids (Subscription Required).  Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday gave his opinion on the latter, stating that fans should not have to wonder which players are clean and "and players shouldn't, either."

Rosenthal On Roenicke, Freese, Ethier, Mets

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Here are some notes from a new video by FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal …

  • Despite the Brewers' 23-37 record, manager Ron Roenicke does not appear to be in immediate danger, Rosenthal says. The Brewers have struggled with injuries, and Rosenthal suggests that Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio and GM Doug Melvin don't like firing managers during the season.
  • Second baseman Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals is emerging as a top hitter for the Cardinals, who have another second baseman, Kolten Wong, waiting in the wings. That leads Rosenthal to wonder about the possiblity that the Cardinals could deal David Freese in the offseason and move Carpenter to third. Freese will make $3.15MM this season, and will almost certainly receive a raise in arbitration in the offseason.
  • The Mets would make sense as a destination for Andre Ethier of the Dodgers, Rosenthal says. With Johan Santana, Jason Bay and Frank Francisco coming off the books, the Mets could have the financial flexibility to deal for Ethier and a chunk of the four years and $71.5MM that will be left on his contract by the time this offseason rolls around.

Central Notes: Liriano, Carpenter, Berry, Kazmir

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From earlier today in the two Central divisions, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer sat down for a podcast with ESPN's Buster Olney, the Brewers are looking to the future and Jake Peavy is willing to be traded anywhere if the White Sox see fit to move him.  Here are some other items from both the AL and NL Central…

  • Francisco Liriano's 2014 option with the Pirates will vest for $6MM if the southpaw can avoid spending 120 days on the disabled list this season, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.  Liriano signed a complicated deal with the Bucs in February that only guaranteed him $1MM in 2013 but could've been worth as much as $12.75MM if Liriano stayed healthy.  His stint on the DL this season already cost him around $1.625MM this season and an extra $2MM for 2014.
  • Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter threw to live batters on Monday, The Associated Press reports, and may repeat the process if his shoulder doesn't become numb.  Carpenter was thought to be out for all of 2013 and was pondering retirement due to ongoing shoulder injuries, but the former Cy Young Award winner has taken several positive steps in his comeback.
  • The Twins had some interest in Quintin Berry before the Royals claimed the outfielder off waivers earlier today, 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson tweets.
  • Scott Kazmir credits his development of secondary pitches and better pitching strategies for his return to the Major Leagues, Howard Megdal of Sports On Earth writes.  Kazmir has a 5.13 ERA in eight starts with the Indians this season but his secondary numbers are good enough that MLBTR's Steve Adams believes he could earn a decent free agent contract this winter.
  • "Lots of changes figure to occur" with the Royals if the team can't get on track, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes as part of a reader mailbag.  If they make a big move like trading Ervin Santana, Dutton figures K.C. would look to acquire a slugging corner outfielder or a second baseman in return.
  • Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago covers several White Sox and Cubs topics and rumors in his live chat about Windy City baseball.  

Yanks, Red Sox, Rangers, O’s On Lee’s No-Trade List

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5:09pm: The Cardinals aren't on Lee's no-trade list, Morosi reports.  Lee has some interest in playing for the Cards (they're close to his Arkansas home, in the NL and consistent winners), but he didn't cite him on his list since he doesn't think the pitching-rich Cardinals would need to trade for an ace.  "It's not out of the question" that the Cards could pursue Lee due to his postseason record, Morosi writes, though they aren't in the market for pitching at the moment.

7:54am: As with most partial no-trade clauses, Cliff Lee and his agents at Frontline had the opportunity before the season to restructure his.  Lee can block trades to 20 teams, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, and Orioles.  Most of the 20 are projected trade deadline buyers, a source tells Morosi.  Keep in mind that the presence of these teams does not mean Lee will automatically block a trade to them; it just means he has leverage if the Phillies strike a deal with one.

Lee, 34, has been dominant for the Phillies in 2013.  His 88 1/3 innings rank second in the National League, his 2.45 ERA ranks eighth, and his 5.69 K/BB ratio ranks second.  The Phillies, winners of two in a row, are 7.5 games back in the NL East and faring about the same in the wild card.  Nonetheless, Clay Davenport's projections give them a 15.6% chance of making the playoffs.  On May 11th the Phils were five games back, and around that time, a "Phillies insider" told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "Every time I hear a Lee rumor, I don’t believe it. Don’t think we’d be that dumb unless what we got back in return was so overwhelming that we’d be dumb to pass it up. Will that happen? My gut is it won’t."  By Sunday, however, a couple dozen executives, scouts, and players polled by Cafardo named Lee the best starter expected to be available at the trade deadline this year.

Lee signed a five-year, $120MM deal with the Phillies in December 2010.  At the deadline he'll be owed about $6.25MM this year plus $62.5MM covering 2014-15, for a total of $68.75MM.  That's if the record-setting $12.5MM buyout is paid on his 2016 club option, which becomes guaranteed if Lee is not on the disabled list at the end of 2015 season with an injury to his left elbow or shoulder, and has 200 innings in 2015 or 400 in 2014-15 (according to Cot's Baseball Contracts).  If the option vests, it will probably be a good thing, but then the commitment would become $83.75MM through 2016.

At any rate, Cliff Lee needs to start checking MLB Trade Rumors.  A Lee quote from Morosi: "Every time I’ve been traded, before that every organization would say, ‘You’ll be the first one to know if we’re ever going to move you,’” Lee said, recalling that he learned of each trade while watching television. “I was the last one to know every time."  It's been an odd career for Lee since becoming an ace in 2008, as he's been traded three times since.  The difference this time is that he comes with a market-value financial commitment.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Feldman, Mujica, Francisco

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The Pirates' record sits at 33-20, and while Fangraphs' Dave Cameron doesn't think the Bucs will keep playing .623 ball for the rest of the season, the team's expected regression shouldn't be enough to keep them from playoff contention, or at the very least their first winning record since 1992.  Of course, last year's Pirates also looked good before completely falling apart after the All-Star break, so Pittsburgh fans shouldn't count their chickens until their club actually posts that 82nd victory. 

Here's the latest from the NL Central…

  • Cubs right-hander Scott Feldman could be a major trade chip this summer, ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine writes.  An AL scout tells Levine that Feldman is "one of those pitchers that you don't get that excited about unless you watch him over a period of starts.  He has really commanded his pitches this season and you see the confidence and consistent outings from him."  Feldman signed a one-year, $6MM contract with Chicago last winter and has rebuilt his value by posting a 2.82 ERA, 7.57 K/9, 2.68 K/BB and 50.6% ground ball rate through 10 starts.  (The advanced metrics indicate a bit of luck, as Feldman also has a 3.92 FIP, 3.78 xFIP and a .254 BABIP.)  The Cubs "may be reluctant" to move Feldman, Levine notes, though they would likely make a trade in exchange for a quality prospect.
  • The Cardinals' trade for Edward Mujica last July has turned into a steal, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  The Cards added Mujica as bullpen depth last year and he has surprisingly blossomed into an elite closer after the club's other end-game options all had injury or performance issues.  Zack Cox, a 2010 first-round draft pick, was sent to the Marlins for Mujica and is hitting .298/.398/.381 at Double-A Jacksonville.  MLBTR's Steve Adams recently looked at how Mujica's performance has greatly enhanced his free agent stock for the coming offseason.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link) doesn't see the Reds making a play for Juan Francisco now that the third baseman has been designated for assignment by the Braves.  Francisco was originally signed by the Reds and played three seasons in Cincinnati before being dealt to Atlanta for J.J. Hoover in April 2012.  The left-handed hitting Francisco makes sense on paper as a complement to Todd Frazier, though I'd suspect the Reds would prefer to keep Frazier playing every day.
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