Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blue Jays Rumors

Blue Jays Sign Daniel Norris, Kevin Comer

By | at

The Blue Jays did not sign top pick Tyler Beede, but they did come to terms with two other high picks on substantial deals. They signed left-hander Daniel Norris for $2MM, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (on Twitter) and they signed right-hander Kevin Comer for $1.65MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). The Blue Jays have confirmed the move via press release and noted that they also signed infielder Christian Lopes and third baseman Matt Dean.

You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.

Blue Jays Do Not Sign Tyler Beede

By | at

The Blue Jays did not sign first round pick Tyler Beede, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Octagon Sports represents the right-hander, who will head to Vanderbilt next year. The recommended bonus for the 21st overall pick was $1.332MM, but Beede appeared to be a tough sign even before Toronto scouting director Andrew Tinnish selected him in June. Beede turned down an offer of $2.3MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter).

You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.

Blue Jays Sign Dwight Smith Jr.

By | at

10:59pm: Smith received an $800K bonus, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis.  That's about $125K over slot.  Smith is represented by Wasserman Media Group.

7:09pm: The Blue Jays announced they've signed supplemental first round draft pick Dwight Smith Jr.  Smith, a high school outfielder, was drafted 53rd overall as compensation for the loss of Miguel Olivo.  The Jays essentially purchased the draft pick for $500K (the cost of declining Olivo's option) as well as the cash sent to the Rockies in that deal.

Smith's father had a nice career in the Majors, beginning with a second-place Rookie of the Year finish for the Cubs in 1989.  Junior doesn't have the speed his dad did, reports Baseball America, but his pure batting stroke "ranks among the best in the draft class."

The Blue Jays have until tomorrow's 11pm central time deadline to sign their first draft pick, Tyler Beede.  There was a report Friday that Beede is likely to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt.  For MLBTR's list of all first round and supplemental draft picks to sign so far, click here.

Quick Hits: Marquis, Aaron Hill, Ellis, Matsui

By | at

Dan Uggla's incredible 33-game hitting streak came to an end today. The Braves' slugger batted an insane .377/.438/.762 over that stretch with 15 homers, good for an even 1.200 OPS. Remarkably though, he still falls 23 games short of Joe DiMaggio's immortal record. Here are your Sunday links:

  • After fracturing a fibula today, new Diamondbacks acquisition Jason Marquis will miss four to six weeks.  SI's Jon Heyman tweets that it sounds like the team's inclination is to replace Marquis internally.  The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro doesn't think the team will go with top draft pick Trevor Bauer for the rotation spot, but notes that it's not crazy to suggest it.  The 20-year-old Bauer tossed five scoreless innings today in his Double-A debut.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, "We’re always open minded for Aaron [Hill] still being a long-term part of this team."  Anthopoulos notes that Hill has flashed his talent at times this year.  It's tough to picture the Jays picking up Hill's $8MM club option, but maybe they can work something out.
  • Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post tweets that he would be surprised if the Rockies don't re-sign second baseman Mark Ellis.  The 34-year-old had a .267/.304/.382 line in 139 plate appearances heading into tonight's action.
  • If Bob Melvin is managing the Athletics again in 2012, he wants them to bring Hideki Matsui back, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Matsui had just a .617 OPS in the season's first half, but has risen from the ashes to post a .410/.470/.630 slash line in 26 games since the All-Star Break.
  • Similarly, the Cubs and Carlos Pena both seem to be open to working out a new deal, writes Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com.  On a related note, ESPN's Buster Olney hears that "in some important corners of the Cubs' front office, there is concern about investing huge money in one player this winter."  In other words, the Cubs' brass might be wary of signing Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder to play first base.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if the Pirates can follow the path to prominence that their division rivals, the Brewers, followed to escape a similar tradition of losing.
  • Olney tweets that in three days, Drew Pomeranz can officially become the player to be named later from last month's Ubaldo Jimenez trade with the Indians. Pomeranz is expected to report to the Rockies' Double-A affiliate in Tulsa.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

Draft Links: Angels, Purke, Nimmo, Blue Jays, Cubs

By | at

We're closing in on Monday night's deadline to sign picks from the 2011 Draft. Remember you can see our updated list of first and supplemental round picks who have signed on MLBTR's sidebar, and here's some more of the latest news:

  • Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Angels signed fourth-rounder Michael Clevinger for a $250K bonus — about $50K over slot. Clevinger is a junior college right-hander who throws 93-95mph.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo spent the weekend in Houston, negotiating with Peter Vescovo, the representatitve for third-round pick Matt Purke, writes the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Purke was originally drafted by the Rangers 14th overall in 2009 but elected to pitch at TCU and had some shoulder troubles this year.
  • A Mets official told ESPN's Adam Rubin that the organization is confident a deal with first-rounder Brandon Nimmo will be completed prior to the deadline. The Mets selected Nimmo, a high school outfielder from Wyoming, 13th overall.
  • The Blue Jays announced in a press release that the club has agreed to terms with three right-handers: third-round pick John Stilson, sixth-round pick Anthony Desclafani, and eighth-round pick Matt Biggs.
  • Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Cubs agreed to terms with their 41st-round pick, Austin Urban, on a $100K bonus. 

Draft Signings: Blue Jays, Indians, Red Sox, Pirates

By | at

The draft signing deadline is now less than three full days away, and the signing status of all first and supplemental first round picks can be found right here. We'll keep track of all the day's notable signings right here, with the latest up top…

  • The Blue Jays have signed third rounder Josh Stilson for $500K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. MLB's slot recommendation was just about $290K. Stilson, a right-hander from Texas A&M, was expected to be a first round pick before injuring his shoulder this spring. 
  • The Indians have signed 19th round pick Shawn Morimando, according to the Reynolds Sports Twitter feed. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports (on Twitter) that the high school left-hander from Virginia Beach received a $350K signing bonus.
  • The Red Sox have signed 29th rounder Matt Spalding for $275K, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Spalding is a high school right-hander from Kentucky.
  • The Pirates announced that they have signed 12th rounder Candon Myles in a press release. He's a high school center fielder from Texas, and his signing bonus was undisclosed.

Draft Signings: D’Backs, Indians, Blue Jays, A’s

By | at

The latest draft signings from around MLB…

  • The Diamondbacks have signed tenth rounder Kyle Winkler for $240K, tweets Callis. Winkler, a right-hander out of TCU, was expected to be drafted in the supplemental first round before suffering a stress fracture in his elbow the weekend before the draft.
  • The Indians have signed seventh rounder Eric Haase for $580K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The high school catcher obtained the highest bonus of any player selected after the fifth round so far this year. He's more athletic than most catchers and was the best high school position prospect in Michigan this spring, according to Callis.  Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Sports represents Haase.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they have signed 17th round right-hander Brady Dragmire and 27th round outfielder Derrick Loveless. They also confirmed the signings of 35th overall pick Jacob Anderson and fourth rounder Tom Robson.
  • The A's formally announced that they have agreed to terms with third round selection B.A. Vollmuth (Baseball America heard about the $304K agreement last night). The third baseman earned First Team All-Conference USA honors for the second consecutive season at Southern Mississippi this year.

Draft Notes: Meo, Braves, Blue Jays

By | at

The latest draft signings, with the deadline for deals just four days away…

  • Lou Nero of Octagon Sports reports that second rounder Anthony Meo has signed with the D'Backs (Twitter link). Meo obtained an above-slot bonus of $625K, according to Callis, who notes that MLB's recommended bonus was 580K (Twitter link).
  • The Marlins have signed second rounder Adam Conley, a left-handed pitcher out of Washington State, for $625K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter).
  • The Athletics have signed third rounder B.A. Vollmuth, a third baseman out of Southern Miss, for $304.2K, according to Callis (via Twitter).
  • The Royals have signed fifth rounder Patrick Leonard, a high school outfielder from Texas, for $600K, writes Callis. It's the highest bonus awarded to a player outside the first four rounds this year, according to Callis. The MLB commissioner's office slot recommendation for that selection, No. 156 overall, is $161K.
  • The Cubs have signed seventh-rounder Trevor Gretzky, a high school first baseman out of California, for $375K, according to Callis (on Twitter). Trevor is the son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky and was a San Diego State recruit.
  • The Yankees have officially signed 25th round pick Adam Smith for $157.5K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The third baseman will be converted into a right-handed pitcher.
  • The Braves signed 14th round pick Navery Moore for $400K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Vanderbilt right-hander can throw 92-96 mph and has now obtained the second-highest known bonus after the second round so far this year.
  • The Blue Jays signed 17th rounder Brady Dragmire, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).

Jays Unlikely To Sign First Rounder Beede?

By | at

It's "nearly certain" that the Blue Jays will not sign first rounder Tyler Beede, a right-handed high school pitcher out of Massachussets and the 21st overall pick, who will instead honor his commitment to Vanderbilt, a source tells Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

Beede was expected to be a tough sign, according to Mayo, and was considered an aggressive selection at No. 21 overall. If the Jays do not sign Beede, he would not be eligible for the draft again till 2014, and Toronto would receive a compensation selection in next year's draft, the 22nd overall pick.

A source tells Jim Callis of Baseball America that the situation is "not that dire" (Twitter link), while Keith Law of ESPN.com wonders (via Twitter) whether this is a ploy by Toronto to thwart an MLB investigation, as the Jays were suspected of having an illegal pre-draft agreement in place with Beede.

Click here for our comprehensive list of the signing status for each first and supplemental rounder.

AL East Notes: Ripken, O’s Draft, Wells

By | at

A few items of note out of the AL East, as we get word that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will soon begin a minor league rehab assignment in his return from hip surgery …

  • The time is right for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. to return to the Orioles in some kind of executive role, writes Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun. Ripken has expressed an interest in assuming such a position with Baltimore in the past, and the O's could be looking for new leadership this offseason, as president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail's contract expires at season's end. Owner Peter Angelos said this spring that he expects MacPhail to return, but MacPhail has not yet discussed his plans.
  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com that Baltimore scouting director Joe Jordan thinks the team will sign first rouder Dylan Bundy, second rounder Jason Esposito and sixth rounder Nicky Delmonico. Melewski guesses the O's will ink Bundy and Delmonico but not Esposito, though he framed that as speculation.
  • Angels outfielder Vernon Wells will make his first appearance in Toronto on Friday since the offseason trade that sent him from the Jays to the Halos, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. Chisholm wonders what the reception will be like for Wells, who signed a questionable seven-year, $126MM extension with the Jays that turned out to be one of the defining moves of former GM J.P. Ricciardi's tenure in Toronto. Just for kicks, here's a comprehensive list of all of Ricciardi's moves as Jays GM, courtesy of MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top