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Rays To Sign Nick Ciuffo

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The Rays will announce the signing of first-round pick Nick Ciuffo on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Ciuffo, a high school catcher from South Carolina, was the No. 21 overall pick in the draft. Ciuffo is advised by Frontline.

Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets that Ciuffo's deal will be for slot value, which would be $1.97MM for the No. 21 pick. ESPN's Keith Law ranked Ciuffo the No. 18 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America had him at No. 22 and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him No. 23. Mayo noted Ciuffo's potential to hit for power and average, and suggested he also had the defensive tools to remain behind the dish. Law, meanwhile, praised Ciuffo's receiving and notes that Ciuffo's power potential should at least make him a backup, though his upside is much higher than that.

AL East Notes: Cashman, Red Sox, Myers, Orioles

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With the Dodgers beginning a history-rich interleague series with the Yankees tomorrow in the Bronx, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal looks back at how Vin Scully was offered a chance to be the voice of the Yankees in 1964.  Here are some more items revolving around the AL East…

  • Brian Cashman expects to continue to be busy leading up to the trade deadline, the Yankees GM told reporters (including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch) today.  "I’m always open for business, if it feels like they’re incremental upgrades or significant ones," Cashman said.  "Listen, because of the injuries that have hit us from the winter and March, we’ve been active and open to try to do something that would make sense for us. I think we’ve done a lot and we’re going to continue to try to do a lot."
  • MLB.com's Ian Browne addresses a number of Red Sox trade deadline possibilities in a reader mailbag.  Browne "highly doubts" that Jon Lester would be moved despite his current struggles, Stephen Drew could be brought back for next season depending on Will Middlebrooks' development and the Sox wouldn't have to give up much in a potential trade for Jonathan Papelbon though they would have to take on most of the remaining $33.6MM on Papelbon's contract.
  • In another MLB.com fan mailbag piece, Bill Chastain looks at Wil Myers' callup to the Rays and how the heavily-touted prospect could fare in the Major Leagues.
  • Orioles first round pick Hunter Harvey could come to terms with the club before their remaining two unsigned draftees from the first 10 rounds, a team source tells Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.  It could take the O's right up until near the July 12 deadline to sign supplemental first-rounder Josh Hart.

Rays Promote Wil Myers

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The Rays have announced they will promote Wil Myers on Tuesday and he will join the team in Boston. Adam Berry of MLB.com first tweeted the news of the call up. The Rays will clear a spot on the 25-man roster by optioning Ryan Roberts to Triple-A Durham, but a corresponding 40-man roster move is not necessary since they had one opening. USATSI_7191452

Rays' Executive VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link), Myers is "going to fit right in and help us win games." Friedman says Myers' recent hot streak (hitting .354 with ten home runs, and 32 RBI's in his last 32 games) "accelerated the conversation" about being promoted and what stood out to him was how well the 22-year-old has improved defensively. (Twitter links)

Myers will play regularly, mostly in right field, according to Friedman. Manager Joe Maddon concurred with his boss, as quoted by Smith, "He's going to play a lot. Of course you don't bring somebody like that up to sit around." 

Myers is the consensus choice as the game's fourth-best prospect as ranked by ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required), Baseball America, and MLB.com. Law evaluates Myers as "a patient hitter who needs to work on bat control and might struggle to hit for average at first, producing via walks and power, with an eventual ceiling as a high-average, high-power player." Prior to the season, Baseball America wrote "Myers combines outstanding raw power with an advanced approach at the plate and excellent hand-eye coordination" and fits best defensively in right field. MLB.com says Myers "profiles as a run-producer in the middle of any big league lineup and he can drive the ball to all fields with the ability to leave the yard consistently."

Myers, hitting .286/.356/.520 in 289 plate appearances at Triple-A Durham after being removed prior to the third inning of the Bulls' game this afternoon, was the centerpiece of the James Shields–Wade Davis trade the Rays made with the Royals last December. The 2009 third-round draft pick will accrue 104 days of service time, if he remains with the Rays for the rest of the season, and is on the cusp of missing Super Two status based on the current projection. Nevertheless, the Rays will control Myers through the 2019 season. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Signings: Tarpley, Dixon, Bellinger, Smith

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Here are Thursday's notable signings from Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America) …

  • The Orioles have agreed to terms with Scottsdale Community College lefty Stephen Tarpley, the team's third-round choice, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (via Twitter). Tarpley, who reportedly touches 95 with his fastball, was signed for just $500 under the recommended $525,500 bonus for the 98th overall choice.
  • Third-round draft choice Brandon Dixon has signed with the Dodgers for the slot recommendation of $566,500, tweets Callis. The University of Arizona third baseman could become a corner outfielder, according to Callis, and is noted for his power potential.
  • The Dodgers have signed fourth-round choice Cody Bellinger, a high-school first baseman, for $700k, tweets Callis. Los Angeles pried Bellinger away from the University of Oregon with the largest over-slot signing to date (by percentage), nearly doubling the recommended $409k bonus. Bellinger is being advised by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
  • The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with their fourth round pick, left-handed high-schooler Evan Smith, according to Callis (on Twitter). Smith, who stands at 6'5", has reportedly touched 93 with his fastball. $96.1k 
  • Cody Dickson, a "projectable" left-hander out of Sam Houston State, will sign with the Pirates for $375k, Callis says on Twitter. The fourth-round pick's bonus falls $54,200 under the slot recommendation.
  • The Reds have signed fourth-rounder Ben Lively for $350k, Callis tweets. The righty mixes four pitches, including a 90-93 MPH heater. His signing bonus comes in at a modest $17.9k under slot. 
  • The Rockies inked fifth-rounder Blake Shouse for $353,900, his exact slot allocation, according to a Callis tweet. Per Callis, the two-way player sits in the low-to-mid 90's with his fastball and also features a hard curve.
  • Third round pick Patrick Murphy signed with the Blue Jays for $500K, Callis tweets.  The Arizona high school right-hander missed the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.  In the past, he has displayed a 93 mph fastball and solid curveball.  Murphy is advised by Jonathan Pridie of Sosnick Cobbe.
  • The Yankees signed third-rounder Michael O'Neill for $501K, according to Callis (via Twitter). The Michigan outfielder is quick and could wind up in center field.
  • Rangers fourth-round pick Isaiah Kiner-Falefa signed for $202K, per Callis (on Twitter). The Hawaiian high school shortstop is a solid defender with a contact-oriented approach. He signed for nearly $184K under slot.
  • Catcher/right-hander Tanner Murphy, a fourth-round pick of the Braves, agreed to a $250K bonus to forego his commitment to Southern Illinois, Callis tweets. Murphy has power in his bat and a strong throwing arm behind the dish, and he's also been clocked at 92 mph on the mound. He signed for a healthy $125K below slot.
  • The Angels have signed third-round pick Kenyan Middleton for a bonus of $450K, tweets Callis. Middleton is a two-sport athlete out of junior college in Oregon who touches 95 mph with his fastball and features a tight slider as well. He signed $91K under slot.
  • The Rays have signed fifth-round selection Johnny Field for a bonus of $250K, Callis reports (on Twitter). Field, an outfielder out of the University of Arizona, will convert to second base and provides most of his value with his bat. He signed for nearly $45K under slot.

Rays Sign Riley Unroe

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6:29pm: The deal will be above-slot, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.

5:53pm: The Rays have signed second-rounder Riley Unroe, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.  Terms of the deal are unknown but the suggested slot value for the No. 60 pick is just under $928K.  Unroe is advised by Jason St. Clair of Lagardere.

The high school shortstop committed to USC but will instead begin his professional career with the Tampa Bay organization.  Baseball America had Unroe ranked as the 53rd best prospect in the draft while Keith Law of ESPN and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com had him ranked at No. 90 and 92, respectively.

In their profile of Unroe, BA estimated that it would take a seven-figure bonus to pry him away from the Trojans and a deal that meets the suggested value of his pick will put him right on the doorstep of that.  

East Notes: Myers, Red Sox, Zambrano

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Earlier this weekend, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden suggested that the Rays would promote outfielder and top prospect Wil Myers sometime in the next 10 days. The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, though, says Myers wouldn't have a place to play. Kelly Johnson, Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist have all performed well at the corner outfield spots for the Rays this year. The Rays could drop Luke Scott and create a rotation of players for the DH spot in order to clear space for Myers, but if they don't, Myers is a man without a position. Topkin also says that Rays manager Joe Maddon has not recently had discussions about Myers with executive vice president Andrew Friedman. The 22-year-old Myers was the key player acquired from the Royals in the James Shields trade last offseason. Myers is hitting .286/.359/.515 for Triple-A Durham. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • One reason for the Red Sox's success this year, as compared to last, is improvements in their advance scouting, says Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. Manager John Farrell was hired earlier in the offseason than his predecessor, Bobby Valentine, had been, and so Farrell had a stronger pool of coaches from which to hire. Farrell and GM Ben Cherington both say interest in advance preparation was an important criterion as they hired their coaching staff. Brian Butterfield, the Sox's third base coach, prepares the team's infield shifts and is a key figure in the team's advance-scouting efforts.
  • Veteran pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies in mid-May, does not enjoy relieving, Mike Still of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. "I signed here to be a starter," says Zambrano. "Last year was miserable when I went to the bullpen, I didn't enjoy it." Still notes, however, that Zambrano is willing to pitch in any role with the Phillies. Youngsters Tyler Cloyd and Jonathan Pettibone have helped keep the Phillies' rotation steady in the absence of Roy Halladay, and the Phils also have a rehabbing John Lannan waiting in the wings. Their plans for Zambrano are unclear. Zambrano has a July 1 opt-out date.

Quick Hits: Myers, Hamilton, Span, Hawpe

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The Rays are likely to promote Wil Myers in the next ten days, says ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter). Myers has not yet appeared in the Majors. Myers, 22, is currently hitting .279/.354/.486 for Triple-A Durham. He is rated as the No. 4 prospect in baseball by Baseball America, Keith Law and Jonathan Mayo. The cutoff point for Super Two eligibility is not entirely clear, but we're now at a point in the season where it's unlikely Myers would be eligible for Super Two status if he were to earn a callup and stick. Regardless, the Rays would maintain his rights through 2019. Here are more notes from around the Majors.

  • David Ortiz thought the Red Sox would sign Josh Hamilton this offseason, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. "I thought it was going to happen," says Ortiz. "It didn’t happen, but I thought it was going to happen. We let some guys go that was like $300 million, so I thought there was a chance." Bradford cites a source who says Hamilton and the Red Sox never came close to an agreement. Hamilton later signed with the Angels for five years and $125MM.
  • Denard Span was surprised when the Twins traded him to the Nationals for Alex Meyer last offseason, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports (via Twitter). "I thought I was one of the cornerstones of the team. When I signed my contract, I thought I’d be there for five years," says Span, who's hitting .267/.318/.360 for the Nats this season.
  • Brad Hawpe of the Angels is back in the big leagues after nearly two years away, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez notes. The Angels promoted Hawpe from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday after he hit .305/.405/.504 in 131 at bats there. His last appearance in a big-league game was June 18, 2011 with the Padres. Hawpe says he had resigned himself to the idea that he might not play in the Majors again. "I was OK with it," he says. "I've had a bunch of good memories in this game. I've been very fortunate and blessed. It doesn't mean I wouldn't like to make some more memories, but I've been very blessed, and if that was the end of it, I was OK with it."

Draft Links: Rockies, Smith, Orioles, Rays, Manaea

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Every team would love to find a gem like Matt Harvey in today's amateur draft, and CBS Sports' Jon Heyman breaks down how the Mets scouted and eventually selected the promising right-hander with the seventh pick in 2010.  "At the end of the day, we were hoping [Harvey] was going to be there," said Rudy Terrasas, then the Mets' scouting director. "There was a lot of luck involved….That's the guy we were hoping to get to us, and he fell into our laps. We weren't real happy with the other options."

There are the first of many of today's draft-related items…

  • The Astros and Cubs seem to be "in quandaries" over who they will select with the first two picks, Peter Gammons reports.  According to several GMs and agents, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow may wait until at least 3pm CST (three hours before the draft begins) before deciding between Mark Appel, Jonathan Gray or Colin Moran as the first overall selection.  (Both links are to Gammons' Twitter feed.)
  • Also from Gammons, the Rockies could be preparing to take high school first baseman Dominic Smith with the third overall pick.  ESPN's Keith Law (Twitter link) has also heard rumors to this effect.  It would be something of a surprise pick given that Smith hasn't been projected as a top-ten talent in most major rankings of draft prospects — Law ranks Smith 11th (ESPN Insider subscription required), Baseball America ranks him 14th and MLB.com ranks him 15th.
  • Heyman chimes in with CBS Sports' ranking of the top 30 draft prospects, with Appel topping the list (Smith, incidentally, sits at #20 in this ranking).  One AL scouting director has faint praise for this year's draftee, telling Heyman that the draft class “is not as bad as most folks are saying.''
  • The Orioles like high school catcher Nick Ciuffo, MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko writes, though the club usually tends to look for pitchers in the draft.  The O's have the 22nd overall pick in the first round.
  • The Orioles' draft needs are discussed by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo in conversation with Daniel Gallen of the Baltimore Sun.  In general, Mayo says the Orioles are looking for players who can help them at the Major League level relatively quickly, with Kevin Gausman serving as "probably the best case scenario" in this regard.
  • The Rays are the only team who has yet to produce a Major League player from their last five amateur drafts, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times illustrates.  The main reason could be that the Rays tend to pursue players with the highest upside, rather than players who could make it to the Majors sooner but in less-impactful roles.
  • Baseball America's Jim Callis' final mock draft predicts that the Astros will take Gray with the first overall pick.  This is very much in flux, however, as Callis doesn't think Houston has yet decided on who it will select with the top pick.
  • Also from Callis, left-hander Sean Manaea's medical records indicated a labrum tear in his hip.  This latest injury concern causes Callis to drop the Indiana State product out of his first round mock entirely, though Callis has heard that teams with mid-first round picks like the Pirates or Phillies could potentially take Manaea.
  • Law's final mock draft (ESPN Insider-only) and Mayo's final mock draft for MLB.com offer differing choices for the Astros' top pick.

Rays Sign Jesus Flores

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The Rays have signed catcher Jesus Flores to a minor league deal, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Tribune reports (Twitter link).  Flores, 28, will report to Triple-A Durham. 

Flores posted a .451 OPS in 80 plate appearances for Triple-A Albuquerque this season after the Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal in January.  The catcher hit .241/.289/.375 over 1014 career PA in the Major Leagues with the Nationals since 2007.

Minor Moves: Mitch Atkins, Alex Burnett

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Today's minor moves…

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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