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Badler Examines July 2nd Class

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Less than thrilled by your team's draft haul?  Don't forget about the July 2nd class of international players.  This year's group is an improvement on the 2011 class, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America.  He names the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, and Reds as teams that could be active in the international market.  Badler's info on a few of the top prospects:

  • Outfielders Ronald Guzman, Elier Hernandez, and Nomar Mazara could challenge Miguel Sano's $3.15MM record for a Dominican hitter, writes Badler.  The Rangers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays have been connected to Guzman and the Royals are the frontrunner for Hernandez.
  • Speedy Venezuelan shortstop Wilmer Becerra has been linked to the Cardinals, Twins, and Athletics, says Badler.  Becerra is projected by many to move to the outfield.
  • Mexican righty Roberto Osuna, nephew of Antonio, is a top prospect who is currently pitching in the Mexican League.  The 15-year-old is battling all kinds of former big leaguers.  Venezuelan righty Victor Sanchez is another one to watch, according to Badler.
  • Key MLBTR posts are translated into Spanish at our Rumores De Béisbol site, which has a unique Latin American focus with features such as Hits Latinos.  Tell your Spanish-speaking friends!

Quick Hits: Indians, Beede, D’Backs, Giants

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On this day in 2005, the Rangers released Andres Torres, a 27-year-old outfielder who had compiled a .534 OPS in parts of four big league seasons. While things looked bleak for Torres at the time, he eventually worked his way back to the bigs four years later with San Francisco. Since then, he has hit .266/.345/.477 and played a key role on the Giants' World Champion squad in 2010. Here are today's links:

  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti isn't ready to make additions via trade, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The club is reluctant to part with prospects like Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis, but the solution may ultimately be to turn to those two as they did with Cord Phelps last week. Chisenhall and Kipnis were ranked 25th and 54th, respectively, on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list entering 2011.
  • ESPN's Keith Law tweets that he expects the Blue Jays to sign their first-round pick, Tyler Beede, for around $3MM. Beede, selected out of high school, has said his decision will come down to the money.
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has targeted "about 20 guys" who could be on the trade market over the next few weeks, according to the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro. While most teams aren't ready to deal yet, Towers says "that doesn't mean I don't do my due diligence and still call."
  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News argues that, while the Giants need to acquire a catcher at some point, there's no urgency to do so immediately.
  • Bartolo Colon's trip to the DL is a reminder that the Yankees likely won't be a championship-caliber team in 2011 without at least one more starting pitching acquisition, says John Harper of the New York Daily News.
  • All the 40-man roster moves the Cardinals have made recently could suggest there's need for a trade, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • With labor uncertainty surrounding many other professional sports, Bud Selig is proud that baseball is avoiding similar issues, as the commissioner tells Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hummel's piece includes a rundown of a few key items on the table during CBA talks.

Blue Jays Sign Joe Musgrove

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FRIDAY: Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that Musgrove received a $500K bonus, which would be below slot (Twitter link).

THURSDAY: The Blue Jays have signed supplemental first round pick Joe Musgrove according to information relayed by MLB, reports Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). MLB says Musgrove is the first 2011 draft pick to sign a professional contract.

Musgrove, a high school right-hander from California, was selected with the 46th overall pick on Monday.  The Blue Jays received the pick after Type B free agent John Buck turned down their arbitration offer and signed with the Marlins.  Baseball America's Draft Database (subs. req'd) says "it's easy to dream on him becoming a big league workhorse starter" because of a heavy sinking fastball and a hammer curveball. Musgrove's signing bonus is unknown, but MLB's slot recommendation for the 46th overall pick is approximately $750K.

Blue Jays Release DeWayne Wise

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The Blue Jays have released Dewayne Wise, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter). The move was first reported by John Lott of The National Post (on Twitter). GM Alex Anthopoulos told Lott that this move is similar to Scott Podsednik's release, in that Wise didn't fit into the team's plans and was allowed to seek a job elsewhere.

Wise, 33, signed with the Jays back in April and played for their Triple-A affiliate after a brief tune up in A-ball. He hit a more than respectable .333/.382/.562 with five homers in 134 total plate appearances, though the ballpark for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas is very hitter-friendly. The Nationals are known to be seeking a center fielder, so perhaps there's a fit there.

East Notes: Phillies, Lawrie, Fox, Uggla

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Some items from the eastern divisions….

  • "You will not see a major move this year," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com about his team's trade deadline plans.  Amaro feels the Phils are already good enough to compete and it's just a matter of the club finding its peak form.  He also notes that the team has very little payroll flexibility, but "for $170 MM-plus, we should be good enough to be a World Series contender.”
  • Blue Jays prospect Brett Lawrie will be out for two-to-four weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, tweets Rogers Sportsnet's Arash Madani.  Lawrie was tentatively scheduled to make his Major League debut last week before being hit by a pitch in a Triple-A game.
  • Jake Fox was put on waivers by the Orioles earlier today and he might get some attention from the Pirates.  Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that the Pirates had some interest in Fox during Spring Training, and the Bucs might have need for a catcher since Chris Snyder left today's game with a back injury.  (Twitter link)
  • The Dan Uggla trade hasn't panned out well for either the Braves or the Marlins thus far, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

Draft Notes: Brewers, Astros, Bell, Beede, Braves

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Let's take a look at some draft-related items as Day 2 wraps up:

  • The Brewers took just one Scott Boras client across the first two days: his son, Trent Boras.  The younger Boras is a USC commit, but the club will try to convince him otherwise, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
  • The Mets could have gone the safe route and taken players that would help them in the immediate future, but instead they went for high-risk, high-reward types, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.
  • Astros first-round pick George Springer sounds as though he's very signable, tweets Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.
  • The Pirates are hoping that they will be able to sign high school outfielder Josh Bell, just as they were able to come to terms with pitcher Stetson Allie last year, writes MLB.com's Laura Myers.  Allie was a UNC commit, but the Pirates got him to sign with a $2.25MM bonus.
  • Blue Jays top pick Tyler Beede says that the decision on whether to sign will be based on money, tweets Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.  Toronto selected Beede with the 21st overall pick in the draft.
  • The Braves didn't take a high schooler until the 11th round (Seth Morando, an infielder from Buchanan High School in California), but that doesn't mark a shift in philosophy for the club, writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • With pick No. 685, the Reds selected left-hander Amir Garrett, a left-handed pitcher out of Findlay College Prep in Nevada, who has committed to play basketball for St. John's.  The chances of him signing, however, are "infinitesimal", according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter).  A source close to the family told Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated that Garrett would sign if he were selected in the first seven rounds and offered a bonus of around $1.5MM.

Rockies Release Jose Lopez

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JUNE 7TH: The Rockies officially released Lopez, according to their Twitter page.

MAY 26TH: The Rockies designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding (on Twitter). It has been a busy night for the Rockies, who sent Felipe Paulino to Kansas City earlier this evening.

Lopez, 27, has played second and third base for the Rockies this year, posting a .210/.234/.290 line. His .264/.295/.396 career line reflects his limited on-base skills and modest power. The 2006 All-Star averaged 15 homers per season for the 2006-10 Mariners.

Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Rockies were looking to add athleticism to their bench. Lopez, who earns $3.6MM this year, was generating minimal trade interest, according to Rosenthal. Jon Heyman of SI.com notes that the Blue Jays and Indians had some interest in Lopez over the winter (Twitter link).

Minor Deals: Brazoban, Reds, Rangers, Astros, Phillies

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Once in a while, a minor move becomes more than just a footnote.  For example, about six years ago the Rangers released outfielder Andres Torres, who found his way back to the Majors in '09 after several more stops and put up some big numbers for the Giants.  Today's minor deals:

  • Yhency Brazoban signed with the Diamondbacks after exercising his out clause with the Rangers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The 30-year-old former Dodger posted a 3.42 ERA, 10.6 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and 1.7 HR/9 in 26 1/3 innings for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate. 
  • The Reds acquired righty Chris Mobley from the Rangers for future considerations, writes Baseball America's Matt Eddy.  The 27-year-old reliever has a 4.61 ERA in 27 1/3 innings across Double and Triple-A this year.
  • The Astros signed righty Brad Hennessey, reports Eddy.  The 31-year-old, who was drafted by the Giants in '01 17 spots before David Wright, has a 4.69 ERA in 360 2/3 career innings.  He last pitched in the Majors in '08.
  • The Giants released outfielder Terry Evans, notes Eddy.  Evans quickly signed with the Phillies, tweeted Reading Royals beat writer Jason Guarente yesterday.  Back in July of '06, the Cardinals sent Evans to the Angels for eventual World Series hero Jeff Weaver, plus cash.
  • Eddy reports that the Mariners signed lefty Tony Butler, one of the players they sent to the Orioles for Erik Bedard back in February of '08.
  • The Blue Jays released righty Chris Malone, writes Eddy.  Malone was the player the Jays acquired from Colorado for Brad Emaus in April, and they only needed eight innings to decide they didn't need him.  Emaus, meanwhile, is hitting .355/.419/.645 in 87 plate appearances for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, playing mostly second base.
  • Andrew Miller has a June 15th out clause in his contract with the Red Sox, so Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox will consider calling him up to replace Rich Hill, especially given Miller’s recent success (Twitter link).  Brian McPherson of The Providence Journal talked to Miller, who isn't thinking about his opt-out.

Rockies Claim Josh Roenicke

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The Rockies announced that they claimed right-hander Josh Roenicke from the Blue Jays and optioned him to Triple-A (Twitter link). They also confirmed that they claimed infielder Ryan Rohlinger from the Giants and optioned him to Triple-A.

The son of longtime big leaguer Gary Roenicke and the nephew of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, Josh has appeared in parts of three big league seasons. The 28-year-old has a 5.60 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 53 total innings for the Reds and Blue Jays. Acquired in the 2009 Scott Rolen trade, he had a 6.04 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 22 1/3 innings of relief for the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate in 2011.

Before the 2010 season, Baseball America ranked Roenicke seventh among Blue Jays prospects. The publication praised his mid-90s fastball and suggested he could become a big league closer.

Jays Look Forward To Drafting Early & Often

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Thanks to the departures of former players like Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, John Buck and, yes, Miguel Olivo, the Blue Jays will be picking early and often this Monday when the MLB draft takes place. No one’s ever accused baseball’s draft pick compensation system of being simple, but the Blue Jays’ amateur scouting director isn’t about to complain about selecting seven of the first 78 players in a talented, top-heavy draft. 

“To me it’s an advantage,” Andrew Tinnish told MLBTR. “I think the more picks you have up high, if you scout well and sign the players, you’ve got a better chance of getting more quality big leaguers.” 

Some would argue that successful drafts correlate better with dollars spent than number of picks, and if that's the case, the Blue Jays may be in an especially enviable position. If last year is any indication, ownership will provide the Jays with the finances to pursue ‘tough signs’ like high schoolers with college commitments, two sport stars or players with over-slot bonus demands. 

In 2010, the first full year under GM Alex Anthopoulos, the Blue Jays spent $11.6MM on bonuses – the third highest amount in draft history, according to Baseball America. When the signing deadline approaches in mid-August, the Blue Jays will again be prepared to sign top players, as long as their asking prices match up with Toronto’s assessment of their potential.

“The way we look at it is we place a value on the player and if we select a player and our value matches what he’s willing to sign for, then we feel like we’re going to be able to be successful and sign a handful of players,” Tinnish said, pointing out that the Blue Jays signed all of their top selections last year. “We’re fortunate in the sense that we have a supportive ownership group that understands that we place value on players in specific areas.”

Last year Tinnish selected Deck McGuire, Aaron Sanchez, Noah Syndergaard and Asher Wojciechowski – a quartet of right-handed pitchers – with his first picks as an MLB scouting director. The Blue Jays say they expect to select the top players available again instead of drafting based on positional need.

“When you draft a player – whether it’s a high school player or a college player – they’re further from what they’re ultimately going to be than in most sports,” Tinnish said. “This isn’t the NBA; this isn’t the NFL where you can draft a player out of college and they can have an immediate impact on your franchise.”

Blue Jays scouts are meeting this week to rank hundreds of players they’ve watched over the course of the last year-plus and they hope to wrap up the discussions with some time to spare. Tinnish says he’s more comfortable running the draft as a second-year scouting director, but that doesn’t make balancing reports, stats and video any easier. 

"You’re trying to weigh what six, seven, sometimes maybe even eight or nine people saw on different days," Tinnish said. "You’re looking at performance, you’re looking at health, you’re looking at makeup and ultimately it’s our job as scouting directors to in the end make a call on who goes ahead of whom."

The Blue Jays select 21st, 35th, 46th, 53rd and 57th on Monday, then twice more before the end of the second round. Though Tinnish sees it as a “top-heavy” draft with many impact prospects available early on, that doesn’t mean the ones the Blue Jays end up with will be close to Major League-ready. 

“I’m realistic and I understand that it takes time,” he said. “Am I excited about players? Absolutely, I’m very excited about players that we took in last year’s draft, but I also understand that this is a long process that takes time and hopefully they do end up making a difference for us some day.”

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