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Central Notes: Jed Lowrie, Jorge Soler, Cardinals

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It was on this day in 1973 that Cardinals infielder Joe Torre hit for the cycle in a 15-4 rout of the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium. The future Yankees manager would complete the feat by hitting a single with two outs in the ninth inning. Torre would go on to play in the All-Star Game for the ninth and final time a few weeks later. Let's check in on the latest news and headlines out of the National League Central…

  • The Astros have benefited greatly from buying low on shortstop Jed Lowrie as he's found his groove with Houston after injuries plagued his time with the Red Sox, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. New general manager Jeff Luhnow made the trade to get Lowrie upon being hired by the Astros and in his mind, he's acquired a player who can be one of the top five shortstops in the league on an annual basis. 
  • Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com expects the Cubs to add Jorge Soler to the team's 40-man roster upon his official signing after designating Randy Wells for assignment on Wednesday. Soler has until July 1 at 11:59 p.m. to sign the deal with Chicago or he stands to lose approximately $27MM as any international deal signed after that date can only be for a maximum of $2.9MM.
  • The Cardinals are nearing their draft pool bonus cap and don't want to put themselves in a position where they lose a 2013 draft pick as two players remain unsigned, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Central Links: Liriano, Carpenter, Hernandez

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On this date in 1999, the Royals tore off a 10-run eighth inning en route to an 11-7 win over the Indians, according to Baseball-Reference. Kansas City's only homer in the barrage was a two-out solo shot by Johnny Damon, now of the Indians. On with the Central Links:

  • The Twins will see "robust interest" in left-hander Francisco Liriano as the trade deadline nears, a club official tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (Twitter link). Liriano has pitched better of late after a terrible start to the season, though his ERA sits at 5.30 and his SIERA at 4.10.
  • The Cardinals' pursuits leading up to the trade deadline will largely be shaped by Chris Carpenter's attempt to return from a shoulder injury, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. GM John Mozeliak is targeting July 1 as a yardstick for Carpenter's progress, although the right-hander recently suffered a setback. The Redbirds plan to seek a starting pitcher.
  • Indians pitcher Roberto Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, likely won't have to serve an eight-week suspension similar to the one being served by the Marlins' Juan Carlos Oviedo for playing under a false identity, GM Chris Antonetti told reporters, including Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Hernandez will probably be excused from the suspension because he restructured his contract this offseason.

Draft Signings: Fontana, Benincasa, Amaral, Foody

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Let's keep track of the day's non-first and supplemental first round signings here…

  • The Astros have signed second rounder Nolan Fontana, the team announced. Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter) that he signed for $875K, slightly above the $844K slot for the 61st overall pick.
  • The Nationals have signed seventh rounder Robert Benincasa, the team announced (on Twitter). The right-hander from Florida State was slotted for approximately $145K.
  • The Reds have signed seventh rounder Beau Amaral according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Slot money for the pick is $146K.
  • The Cardinals have agreed to terms with 12th rounder Max Foody on an above slot $385K bonus according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The high school left-hander hails from Florida.
  • The Orioles have signed 26th rounder Lucas Herbst, reports Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Baltimore has signed 23 draft picks all together.

Cardinals Reach Agreement With James Ramsey

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8:17pm: Ramsey's deal is for a below-slot $1.6MM, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (on Twitter). The $1.6MM bonus represents the fifth-largest bonus ever for a college senior, says Callis (clarifying an earlier mistake). Only Matt LaPorta ($2.07MM), Kenny Baugh ($1.8MM), Casey Weathers ($1.8MM), and Josh Fields ($1.75MM) have signed for more after spending four years in college.

7:20pm: The Cardinals have a deal in place to sign first round selection James Ramsey, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Ramsey, an outfielder from Florida State University, was eligible to sign once the Seminoles were eliminated from the College World Series. He'll need to pass a physical before signing, but could finalize the deal as soon as Friday. The Cards selected Ramsey with the 23rd overall pick in the draft, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.775MM.

Following the draft, Baseball America wrote that Ramsey has average to above-average tools across the board but lacks a standout tool. Scouts are split on whether or not he can stick in center field; some feel he's better suited for right field or second base. The Twins selected Ramsey in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft, but he elected to return to FSU for his senior year.

Cafardo On Garza, Lowrie, Greinke, Red Sox, Liriano

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The rest of the baseball world is waiting for the Yankees to get old, but so far that hasn't happened, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  "They’ve been saying that ever since I’ve been around," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "They said it after 2001. They said it after we were reshuffling in 2003, and in 2004, my therapist said I wasn’t supposed to talk about it. After 2009, we can’t be winning with older guys…So I’ve always heard it. As long as we’re winning, people can keep saying it."  Here's more from today's column..

  • About six teams have been in contact with the Cubs consistently regarding Matt Garza: the Braves, Tigers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Jays, and Royals.  Epstein is looking for a great package to part with Garza as he is the club's biggest chip.  However, teams have some concern over whether the pitcher can control his emotions.
  • The Tigers could be heavily in the mix for Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie and Detroit would likely move him to second to fill a need.  Cafardo wouldn't be shocked if he is on the Phillies’ radar as well. Houston has a few other chips in Brett Myers, Brandon Lyon, and Wandy Rodriguez that could help contenders.
  • When teams ask about Zack Greinke's availability, they are getting "not yet" from the Brewers.  However, Cafardo writes that he'll be available as soon as they get the right offer because there doesn’t seem to be any chance of Milwaukee signing him long-term. 
  • There has been a lot of talk about Scott Podsednik being used as a trade chip but Cody Ross and Daniel Nava could also be made available by the Red Sox.
  • Francisco Liriano's recent pitching has made him a viable trade chip for the Twins.  It would still be hard for a contender to trust him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be moved.
  • A National League talent evaluator thinks the Mets should give some thought to trading R.A. Dickey while his value is skyhigh.  The Mets don't have the money to make the deadline upgrades that they need, so they could instead continue with their three- or four-year plan by making the right-hander available.

Cardinals Sign Wisdom, Bean

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June 17th: Bean received a $700K bonus from the Cardinals, more than $170K under MLB's recommendation, reports Callis.

June 9th: Wisdom signed for $693K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. The Cardinals save approximately $277K of draft pool money with the below slot deal.

June 7th: The Cardinals have agreed to terms with supplementary first round selection Patrick Wisdom, scouting director Dan Kantrovitz told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wisdom is represented by Adam Karon and Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Sports. Steve Bean, another one of the Cardinals' supplementary first round selections, is also nearing an agreement with the team.

The Cardinals selected Wisdom with the 52nd overall pick, which they obtained as compensation for losing Octavio Dotel. They selected Bean with the 59th overall pick, which they obtained as compensation for losing Edwin Jackson. MLB recommends a bonus of $970K for the 52nd selection and a bonus of $870K for the 59th selection, according to Baseball America.

Mike Axisa and Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

Cardinals To Sign Stephen Piscotty

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The Cardinals‬ will sign supplementary first-round pick Stephen Piscotty to a contract within the hour, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).  The 36th overall pick will receive a $1.4MM bonus, right in line with the recommended value for that selection.

The Stanford product will report to the Cardinals' Quad Cities affiliate where he will be the starter at third base, Goold tweets.  Piscotty has shown the ability to hit for average but many scouting reports note that his power potential isn't on the same level.

Cardinals Sign Michael Wacha

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The Cardinals officially signed first-round draft pick Michael Wacha to a contract today.  Terms weren't announced, but Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported (on Twitter) that Wacha received a $1.9MM bonus, which matches MLB's recommendation for the 19th overall draft selection.  Wacha himself tweeted that he was flying to St. Louis for his physical on Wednesday. 

The Texas A&M right-hander was touted by Baseball America as one of the year's top draft-eligible college pitchers. Wacha's repertoire includes the best changeup in the draft and a fastball that sits in the 90-93 mph range, according to the publication.

Cardinals Agree To Sign Carson Kelly

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The Cardinals have agreed to sign second-round pick Carson Kelly to a $1.6MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (Twitter link).  Kelly's bonus is almost triple the recommended $574.3K bonus for the 86th overall pick and, as Callis notes, is the highest any team has gone over a slot price to sign a pick from this year's draft crop.  Kelly will take his physical in St. Louis tomorrow, tweets B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest.

Kelly, a high schooler who had committed to the University of Oregon, is regarded as both a third baseman and as a right-handed pitching prospect.  The Cardinals indicated they will develop Kelly as a third baseman, as noted by MLB.com's Mike Still in his profile of Kelly following the draft.

Quick Hits: Peter Bourjos, Cardinals Draft, Jim Crane

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The Nationals are 12 games over .500 for the first time since July 23, 2005 after sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway Park over the weekend. The 2005 Washington squad would go on to finish the season 81-81 with a starting lineup featuring the bats of Vinny Castilla and Brad Wilkerson. Here's the latest odds and ends from around the league…

  • The emergence of rookie Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo's increased presence in the outfield has cost Peter Bourjos significant playing time, but that doesn't mean the Angels center fielder is in danger of losing his spot on the roster or being traded, writes Trey Scott of MLB.com. Count manager Mike Scioscia among Bourjos' supporters as he believes the second-generation big leaguer can aid the team even while playing in a limited capacity. "It's difficult for a young player that has the ability to play every day but isn't in there," Scioscia said. "But Peter is going to help us win games."
  • The starting point for recently signed draft picks in the Cardinals organization is less about potential and more about current ability, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While not all of the 44 players drafted by the Cardinals will ultimately sign with the franchise, the ones who do will begin their careers across three Class-A short-season affiliates. It's not unheard of for a top pick to make it to a full-season club in his first year like Kolten Wong in 2011, but the likelihood of doing so stems from how quickly the player signs his contract after being drafted.
  • The subtle, confident nature of new Astros owner Jim Crane should prove to benefit both his franchise and the city of Houston, contends Chris Baldwin of CultureMap Houston. Crane's decision to hire Jeff Luhnow as the Astros' general manager has paid immediate dividends as the team signed first overall pick Carlos Correa for $2.4MM below slot value, giving them a stronger chance to sign Lance McCullers, selected 41st overall. The decision to draft Correa was a surprise to many and speaks to the organization's belief system in which the Astros will take calculated risks that are swiftly executed once a decision is reached. 
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