Cubs Sign First-Round Pick Ed Howard
June 22: The Cubs have formally announced the signing. Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago tweets that Howard’s exact bonus is $3.7455MM (the full slot value for the No. 16 pick).
June 21: The Cubs have agreed to terms with first-round draft choice Ed Howard, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Howard will receive a $3.75MM bonus, on par with the slot value for the 16th overall pick with which he was chosen. The Cubs entered the draft with an overall pool of $6,721,600.
In Howard, the Cubs got not only the best high-school shortstop in this year’s draft class, but a hometown product as well, with Howard playing his high-school ball in Chicago. He’d been committed to continue his career at the University of Oklahoma, but as a surefire first-rounder, there was little doubt that Howard would instead play affiliated baseball.
Howard’s calling card is his steady, fluid defense at shortstop. With a strong throwing arm and smooth footwork, scouts almost universally think he’ll be able to stick at shortstop in the Majors. There’s less certainty about his offensive game, but evaluators laud his bat speed and believe there’s room for more power with a refined approach and some physical development.
At just 18 years old, Howard and the Cubs will have plenty of time to work on his game before he’s a finished product. Make no mistake, his selection likely has nothing to do with Javier Baez’s future in a Cubs uniform; Howard is an outstanding prospect regardless of the Cubs’ situation at shortstop, and we’ll look forward to seeing him make an impact at the Major League level in the near future.
KBO’s Hanwha Eagles Sign Brandon Barnes, Waive Jared Hoying
The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization have waived outfielder Jared Hoying and signed another former big leaguer, Brandon Barnes, to replace him on the roster, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. The 34-year-old Barnes can earn up to $200K on his midseason deal, though only have that sum is guaranteed (with the rest available via incentives).
Barnes last popped up in the Majors back in 2018, when he hit well in a late-season cup of coffee with the Indians (.261/.333/.421 in 21 plate appearances). However, he hasn’t been a mainstay on a big league roster since his 2012-16 run between the Astros and Rockies. The former sixth-round pick (Astros, 2005) is a career .242/.290/.357 hitter in nearly 1300 Major League plate appearances and a .264/.329/.444 hitter in his Triple-A career. He split last season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Indians and Twins, connecting on 30 homers while adding 30 doubles and 11 steals. He’s capable of playing any of the three outfield slots.
Hoying, 31, was in his third season with the Eagles. He briefly saw MLB action with the 2016-17 Rangers but received only 126 plate appearances. He took the KBO by storm in 2017, erupting with a .306/.369/.573 slash, 30 home runs, 47 doubles, two triples and 23 stolen bases in his debut campaign. That easily earned him another contract with the Eagles, but Hoying hasn’t reached those height since. He still logged a solid .284/.340/.460 line last season, but he’s off to a dismal .194/.254/.323 start through 134 plate appearances this season.
Barnes isn’t expected to join the roster until July, Yoo details. He’ll complete a physical and go through a 14-day quarantine process before being added to the active roster. He’ll hope to help turn the tide for a last-place Eagles club that has slumped to a disastrous 10-32 record to begin the season.
Manny Banuelos Signs With CPBL’s Fubon Guardians
Left-hander Manny Banuelos has signed a deal with the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, according to several reports out of Mexico (hat tip to the CPBL Stats website). Banuelos had most recently been a member of the Mariners organization, before Seattle released him from his minor league contract at the start of June.
2019 marked Banuelos’ return to the majors, after he hadn’t pitched in the Show since tossing 26 1/3 innings as a rookie for Atlanta in 2015. Those interim years saw Banuelos bounce from the Braves to the Angels to the Dodgers before being dealt to the White Sox in November 2018. Banuelos tossed 50 2/3 innings for Chicago last season, starting eight of 16 appearances and posting a 6.93 ERA, 1.33 K/BB rate, and 7.8 K/9.
Once a very highly touted prospect coming up in the Yankees’ farm system, Banuelos’ career has been stalled by injuries (particularly a Tommy John surgery that kept him from pitching in 2013) and a lack of consistency at Triple-A, let alone during his brief Major League career. Still only 29 years old, Banuelos will now head to the New Taipei City-based Guardians to try and carve out a niche for himself in the CPBL. Chin-lung Hu, Henry Sosa, and Fu-Te Ni are other former big leaguers also playing on Fubon’s roster.
Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes To Sign Addison Russell
In a surprise move, longtime Cubs infielder Addison Russell has found a landing spot in Korea’s top league. He’s joining the Kiwoom Heroes on a $530K contract, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (via Twitter).
Once a top prospect and promising young big leaguer, Russell is best known now for off-field malfeasance. Russell was suspended under the league’s domestic violence policy after his ex-wife detailed serious allegations of abuse.
The Cubs still gave Russell another shot, keeping him through arbitration in 2019 and bringing him back to the majors after the suspension was served. But Russell was not able to take advantage of the second chance, as he continued to produce middling offensive numbers.
All told, since the start of the 2017 season, Russell carries only a .243/.310/.379 batting line. While he’s a quality defensive performer, that wasn’t enough output to merit another trip through arbitration this past offseason.
Though the Cubs had already absorbed the public relations hit of retaining Russell, other organizations declined to bring him aboard this past winter. He was waiting for an opportunity even while Spring Training neared completion.
The lack of a big league deal may ultimately have helped Russell secure his next chance. Unlike most players of his ability levels, the 26-year-old was not under contract when the Heroes went looking for another foreign player. Russell will have a chance to get his career back on track in the KBO, which is playing at full tile (albeit still sans fans) while MLB tries to get its own season underway.
Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Bobby Miller
The Dodgers have agreed to terms with first-round draft choice Bobby Miller, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports on Twitter. He’s slated to receive a $2.2MM bonus, a bit under the $2,424,600 slot allocation that came with the 29th overall pick.
Miller, a standout righty out of Louisville, drew late first-round grades from several pundits. They generally cited his big frame, loud fastball, and generally promising mix of secondary offerings. Baseball America, for instance, lauds Miller’s “size and explosive stuff” while also acknowledging some concern he could end up in the bullpen over the long haul.
Other observers weren’t convinced, viewing Miller as more of a second-round talent. The concern, as Keith Law of The Athletic put it, is that Miller has “a pretty high-effort delivery” and “hasn’t shown average control at any point in his college career.”
The Dodgers obviously feel they can mold Miller’s physical tools into a compelling package. The Los Angeles organization has now reached agreement with its first and its final selected players, but still has four unsigned draftees to negotiate with.
Rays Sign Comp A Selection Alika Williams
The Rays have announced a deal with their second-highest draft choice, Arizona State shortstop Alika Williams. He’ll earn a $1.85MM bonus, per Robert Murray (via Twitter).
Williams was taken 37th overall, with the Rays’ competitive balance round A selection. That pick came with a $2.00MM pool allocation, meaning the organization has kept a bit of extra draft capital to apply to other chosen players — in particular, first rounder Nick Bitsko, whom the Rays will try to lure away from a commitment to U.Va.
Most draft observers expected Williams to be taken in this range. Baseball America had the loftiest grade on him, placing him 31st among this year’s draft-eligible prospects.
Williams is viewed as a quality glove man at one of the game’s premium defensive positions. While he’s not necessarily expected to become an explosive offensive performer, Williams looks to have a strong hit tool with at least some remaining potential to build into some power.
Blue Jays Sign 2nd & 3rd-Round Picks
The Blue Jays have made some important strides in sealing up their draft class. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) and Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link) report, the Toronto organization has agreed to terms on slightly over-slot bonuses with its second and third-round choices.
Both of the newest Jays are right-handed college hurlers. The former, CJ Van Eyk of Florida State, gets a $1.8MM bonus. The latter, Jacksonville’s Trent Palmer, went for $850K.
While the Blue Jays had to go a bit over the respective pick allocations to get these deals done, it seems fair to assume the club won’t have any trouble finding the extra availability. The club saved quite a bit with its fifth and final selection, Zach Britton, and still has some of that available to use as needed to structure deals with top choice Austin Martin and fourth rounder Nick Frasso.
Van Eyk was viewed by most major pundits as a top-fifty overall prospect. Keith Law of The Athletic was especially bullish, ranking him 23rd among all draft-eligible players. While it sounds as if there are still some things to iron out, the FSU standout is said to possess three promising pitches and a real chance at carving out a career in a MLB rotation.
It so happens that Law was also the chief proponent of Palmer. All other major rankings graded him in the 100+ range, but Law placed him 76th. The enthusiasm is dampened by Palmer’s lack of a projectable frame and occasionally wavering command. Even if he ends up in a relief role, it sounds as if Palmer will warrant a long look as a starter on the Jays’ farm.
Braves Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Jared Shuster
The Braves have agreed to a a $2,197,500 bonus with first-round selection Jared Shuster, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link). The Wake Forest southpaw was selected 25th overall, which came with a $2,740,300 pool allocation.
The Atlanta organization has also locked up its third-round choice, Jesse Franklin, Callis tweets. The Michigan outfielder also came in underslot, with a $497,500 bonus that’s six figures shy of the $599,100 price point.
These savings will likely be put to use on the Braves’ lone remaining unsigned draftee. Fifth-rounder Bryce Elder will presumably absorb most or all of the team’s available bonus resources.
Shuster was a rising prospect when the college season was suspended, with his velocity and command both trending in the right direction. He drew an array of ranking placements from draft pundits. Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription link) ultimately gave him the highest grade, putting him in the 26th spot on the board.
As for Franklin, he didn’t get a chance to put his best foot forward in 2020 owing to an injury. He had some ups and downs over his time in college. The Braves obviously believe in the toolset and will trust that Franklin can find his stride in the professional ranks.
Gorkys Hernandez, Christian Friedrich Among White Sox Releases
Former big leaguers Gorkys Hernandez and Christian Friedrich were among the White Sox’ wave of minor league releases, per Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. Both had signed minor league deals with the South Siders over the winter.
Hernandez, 32, has logged time in the big leagues in each of the past five season — mostly with the Giants. He’s appeared at all three outfield spots and generally been a solid defender, but he’s mustered only a .237/.296/.361 batting line in 918 plate appearances during that time. Hernandez’s deal didn’t include a Major League Spring Training invite, so he’d been signed purely for depth purposes.
Friedrich, also 32, joined the Sox in hopes of returning to the Majors for the first time since 2016. The former first-round pick (No. 25 to the Rockies in ’08) was once considered to be among baseball’s very best pitching prospects but never found any success with the Rockies (5.81 ERA in 167 1/3 innings) before being released in 2016.
Friedrich latched on with the Padres and tossed 123 1/3 frames with a career-best 4.80 ERA that season. Lat injuries wiped out his 2017-18 seasons, though, and he split the 2019 season between the independent Atlantic League’s New Britain Bees and the Korea Baseball Organization’s NC Dinos. Friedrich actually threw quite well for both teams (3.00 ERA in 11 starts with the Bees and 2.75 in 12 starts with the Dinos).
Undrafted Free Agent Signings: 6/17/20
Here are the latest undrafted free agent signings from around the majors. Reminder: $20K is the maximum an unpicked player can receive this year…
- Lamar infielder J.C. Correa will sign with the Astros, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He’ll join his brother, star shortstop Carlos Correa, in the Houston organization. The Astros drafted J.C. Correa in 2018 (33rd round) and ’19 (38th), but he decided not to sign on those occasions because he wanted to earn his degree first. He slashed .315/.368/.469 and swatted 10 home runs over 304 plate appearances at Lamar.
- Indiana University outfielder Elijah Dunham announced Wednesday that he has signed with the Yankees. Dunham, who didn’t sign after the Pirates selected him in the 40th round in 2019, cracked the top 250 pre-draft rankings of ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel this year and checked in at No. 186 on Baseball America’s list. BA writes that Dunham carries a “balanced offensive profile in a corner outfield spot.”
- The Braves have added a local product in University of Georgia shortstop Cam Shepherd, Baseball America tweets. He was BA’s top available undrafted senior, and the outlet ranked him as the 298th-best prospect entering the draft. His stock has fallen in BA’s eyes from a year ago, though, as it had Shepherd as the 97th-rated pre-draft prospect then. The Rays took Shepherd in the 20th round in 2019, but he opted against signing.
- The Indians have signed Fresno State left-hander Jaime Arias for $20K, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com tweets. Primarily a reliever in college, Arias pitched to a 3.56 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 139 innings.
- The Red Sox have added Grand Canyon University first baseman Cuba Bess, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Bess slashed .313/.425/.517 with 12 home runs in 348 PA as a collegian.
- The Marlins have picked up Air Force outfielder Ashton Easley, per Craig Mish of Sports Grid. Easley was a .301/.364/.512 hitter with 17 homers across 619 PA in school. The club has also signed VCU infielder Brett Norwood, who batted .303/.425/.440 with seven HRs in 299 college PA.
- The Twins have inked UNC-Wilmington southpaw Zarion Sharpe, La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune writes. Sharpe stayed in school despite going to the Cardinals in the 19th round a year ago, and he tossed 20 2/3 frames of 2.18 ERA ball with 8.7 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 this season.