Twins To Sign Jelfry Marte
The Twins and 16-year-old Jelfry Marte have reached agreement on a deal that will pay the Dominican shortstop a $3MM bonus, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (Twitter link).
Marte was ranked as the third-best prospect in the 2017-18 international signing class by MLB.com, with Baseball America slotting him 13th in their top 50 ranking. Scouting reports from both outlets praise Marte’s defense, tabbing him as a potential everyday shortstop at the big league level with good range and a good throwing arm.
The difference of opinion seems to come with Marte’s hitting, as while MLB.com feels Marte has some raw hitting potential that could improve under regular tutelage from minor league coaching, BA’s subscriber-only scouting report notes that many scouts see Marte as a hitter best suited near the bottom of a batting order. Marte has little power right now, though at 5’10” and just 140 pounds, more pop could come as he matures and adds some more weight. On the plus side offensively, Marte is seen as a good baserunner with potential to be a good base-stealer.
Minnesota entered the 2017-18 July 2nd period with $5.25MM available in bonus pool money, though the Twins and other teams are allowed to acquire more bonus pool space.
Red Sox To Sign Daniel Flores, Danny Diaz, Antoni Flores
The Red Sox have reached agreement with 16-year-old Venezuelan prospects Daniel Flores, Danny Diaz and Antoni Flores, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Daniel Flores, a catcher, will receive a bonus worth $3.1MM. Diaz and Antoni Flores, both shortstops, will respectively get bonuses worth $1.6MM and $1.4MM, as per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (all Twitter links).
The flurry of signings marks Boston’s return to prominence in the international signing market, as the Sox were restricted to signings of $300K or less in the last two July 2 classes as punishment for exceeding their bonus pool limit in the 2014-15 class (which saw them splurge on the likes of Yoan Moncada and Anderson Espinoza). The Flores/Diaz/Flores signings put the Red Sox in excess of their $4.75MM pool for this year’s international class, and since the new collective bargaining agreement strictly forbids teams from spending beyond their pool limit, the Sox have already made some minor trades to acquire more pool space. Teams are allowed to acquire as much as 75 percent of their original draft pool, so the Red Sox could have slightly more than $8.25MM to spend if they traded for the maximum amount of additional pool money.
Daniel Flores is the centerpiece of Boston’s signings, and possibly of the entire 2017-18 class, as most scouts consider Flores or Wander Samuel Franco (who agreed to sign with the Rays) as the top names within this international signing period. Both MLB.com and Baseball America rated Flores as the second-best prospect of this year’s class.
Flores has drawn raves for his defense, and he is described many scouts as perhaps the best defensive catcher they’ve seen for a 16-year-old player. Between his strong work behind the plate and an outstanding throwing arm, MLB.com and Baseball America both use the phrase “elite defender” as Flores’ potential ceiling as a big league catcher. He is still something of a work in progress at the plate, showing some raw power as a switch-hitter who performs better as a right-handed bat. BA’s scouting report (subscription required) noted that Flores received mixed reviews for his work against live pitching, though in game action last summer Flores displayed “a sound approach and a high contact rate.”
Diaz was rated 7th by Baseball America and 13th by MLB.com, while Antoni Flores checked in at 20th on MLB.com’s list and 35th on BA’s list. Diaz has a strong bat with a lot of power potential, as Baseball America feels Diaz should eventually merit a 60 in power on the 20-80 scouting scale. On defense, Diaz will likely move off shortstop to third base or possibly even first as he keeps growing; interestingly, MLB.com lists Diaz as 6’1″ and 170 pounds, while BA pegs him at 6’3″ and 200 pounds. Flores is said to possess good defensive tools at shortstop though a position change could be possible in the future; MLB.com’s scouting report says some scouts feel Flores could be “the next Alcides Escobar.”
Rays To Sign Wander Franco
The Rays have reached agreement to sign 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Wander Samuel Franco, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (Twitter link). Franco will receive a bonus worth $3.825MM.
Franco was regarded as the top prospect in this year’s international prospect class by both MLB.com and Baseball America. Franco is a 5’10”, 170-pound switch-hitter from a baseball family — Erick Aybar is his uncle, and Franco’s two older brothers are prospects in the Royals and Astros organizations. According to BA’s scouting report (available to subscribers), Franco is described as having excellent bat control, “premium bat speed,” and an overall very polished approach to hitting for a prospect of his age, with many scouts calling him the best hitting prospect of this year’s July 2 class. Defensively, Franco seems to grade out as a sturdy but unspectacular shortstop, though his body type may require a move to second base (where he could become an above-average defender) down the road.
The Rays have long been linked to Franco, and he immediately becomes an important prospect for a team that relies so heavily on low-cost player development. Flores’ deal marks Tampa Bay’s return to July 2 prominence, as the team has been limited to signings of no more than $300K for the last two international signing periods as punishment for exceeding their draft pool in the 2014-15 market. Franco’s bonus alone accounts for a major chunk of Tampa’s $5.25MM overall draft pool, though the Rays can trade for as much as $3,937,500 in additional pool funds in deals with other teams.
Nationals Designate Jacob Turner For Assignment
The Nationals announced that they’ve designated right-hander Jacob Turner for assignment and activated left-hander Sammy Solis from the disabled list.
[RELATED: Updated Nationals Depth Chart]
Turner, an offseason minor league signing, cracked the Nationals’ rotation in early May but ended up doing most of his work out of the bullpen before his designation. The 26-year-old wasn’t part of the solution for the Nats’ beleaguered relief corps, though, as he pitched to a 5.20 ERA and yielded a .288/.355/.545 batting line in 27 2/3 innings from their bullpen. All told, Turner has recorded a 5.08 ERA, with 5.31 K/9 and 3.46 BB/9, in 39 frames, making this the latest disappointing major league season for the 2009 first-round pick of the Tigers and former high-end prospect.
Meanwhile, if his output from 2015-16 is any indication, Solis’ return actually could be a significant boon to Washington’s bullpen. Solis was especially brilliant last year, when he registered a 2.41 ERA, 10.32 K/9 and 4.61 BB/9 in 41 innings, though he got off to a rough start this season before going on the DL in late April with elbow inflammation. The 28-year-old has given up four earned runs on four hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings in 2017, but that’s obviously a small sample and he still owns a 3.11 ERA in 66 2/3 career frames. That type of run prevention would be a godsend for the Nats, whose relievers rank second last in the majors in both ERA and fWAR.
Royals Designate Seth Maness For Assignment
The Royals have designated reliever Seth Maness for assignment, tweets Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Maness’ 40-man spot will go to right-hander Luke Farrell, who will start the first game of the Royals’ doubleheader against the Twins on Saturday.
[RELATED: Updated Royals Depth Chart]
Prior to his designation, the 28-year-old Maness threw 9 2/3 innings with the Royals and surrendered a whopping 16 hits, but he somehow only allowed four earned runs. The soft-tossing right-hander has struggled even more this season at Triple-A, where he has logged a 9.77 ERA on 25 hits in 15 2/3 frames.
Although the 2017 campaign hasn’t gone well for Maness, it’s somewhat remarkable that he has even been able to take the mound at all. While with the Cardinals last August, Maness suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, but he managed to avoid undergoing Tommy John surgery. Maness instead opted for a newer “primary repair” surgery, one that came with a shorter recovery period, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch detailed in January.
The Royals signed Maness in February, undoubtedly hoping he’d resemble the quality reliever he was in St. Louis. Maness was never a strikeout artist as a member of the Cardinals, with whom he punched out just 5.76 batters per nine innings from 2013-16, but he still pitched to a 3.18 ERA over 237 1/3 frames. Maness’ success came from limiting walks (1.76 per nine) and inducing ground balls at a 59.4 percent clip.
Farrell, 26, is the son of Red Sox manager John Farrell. The longtime skipper will miss Boston’s game Saturday to watch his son’s major league debut. Luke Farrell entered the pro ranks when the Royals chose him in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. He’s now in his second season at Triple-A, where he has combined for a sub-4.00 ERA in 173 1/3 innings (including a 3.83 ERA, with 8.42 K/9 against 2.95 BB/9, in 82 1/3 frames this year).
Blue Jays Designate Ian Parmley, Select Lucas Harrell
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve designated outfielder Ian Parmley for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Lucas Harrell.
Parmley, whom the Blue Jays chose in the seventh round of the 2012 draft, made his major league debut last week but failed to reach base in any of his four plate appearances. The 27-year-old has spent nearly the entire season at Triple-A Buffalo, where he has hit .289/.332/.369 with one home run and 11 stolen bases in 205 PAs.
Unlike Parmley, Harrell has a fairly extensive big league track record. The 32-year-old is now set to put on his fifth major league uniform since debuting with the White Sox in 2010. The majority of Harrell’s action has come in Houston, where he pitched from 2011-14 and turned in two seasons of 150-plus innings. At his best, Harrell registered a 3.76 ERA, 6.51 K/9, 3.62 BB/9 and a 57.2 percent ground-ball rate across 193 2/3 frames in 2012.
After his run with the Astros ended, Harrell spent 2015 with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization. He resurfaced stateside last season and pitched in both the majors and minors with the Rangers and Braves organizations. In nine starts and 47 big league innings, Harrell logged a 4.21 ERA, 6.89 K/9, 4.79 BB/9 and a 44.3 percent grounder rate. He signed a minor league deal with the Jays over the winter and has combined for 27 2/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A this season.
Athletics Sign Third-Rounder Nick Allen To $2MM Bonus
The Athletics have gone way over-slot to sign third-round pick Nick Allen, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (Twitter links). He’ll land a $2MM bonus, well north of the $697,500 allotted to the 81st overall selection.
Allen entered the draft as a consensus top-30 prospect. The diminutive high-school shortstop had been committed to USC before deciding to join the Oakland organization.
Prospect analysts generally viewed Allen as a top-30 talent, with Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs ranking him the highest at 25th. MLB.com placed him in the No. 30 slot. Generally, scouts are said to be enamored of his overall defensive abilities at short, quality baserunning, and strong hit tool.
To make the math work, of course, Oakland had to sign other drafted players for less — particularly after giving slot money to top pick Austin Beck and going $89,500 over slot for fifth-rounder Santi Sanchez. The A’s saved $233,500 against the pool in signing 33rd overall pick Kevin Merrell while also keeping at least $632,600 dry though deals with several other players who went in the first ten rounds.
The team still has yet to reportedly agree to terms with second-rounder Greg Deichmann, a junior from LSU, but will seemingly need to come under the $1,597,300 slot value for the 43rd overall pick to avoid the penalty of losing future draft picks (which no organization has ever done since the current system went into effect).
Yankees To Promote Clint Frazier
The Yankees will promote top outfield prospect Clint Frazier in time for tomorrow’s game. Brendan McGair of the Pawtucket Times first caught wind of the news (Twitter link), with George A. King III of the New York Post reporting on Twitter that Frazier is indeed en route.
New York has engaged in a flurry of moves involving intriguing young players of late. It had seemed Gleyber Torres might earn a mid-season call-up, but he ended up suffering a season-ending injury. Miguel Andujar had a stellar debut, but was optioned back immediately thereafter. Then, Dustin Fowler came to the Bronx only to suffer a stunning, season-ending injury of his own, leading both to the return of Andujar and this latest promotion.
Now, it’s Frazier’s turn. Like Torres, he came to the Yanks last summer as the team engineered big returns for relief aces Andrew Miller (the deal that brought Frazier) and Aroldis Chapman. While the club will need to wait to see what it has in the elite infield prospect, Frazier is now set to debut.
Expectations were and are quite high for the 22-year-old. Selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2013 draft, he has rated as a consensus top-fifty prospect since his first showing as a professional.
But Frazier had only just cracked Triple-A when he changed organizations — he then moved over to New York’s top affiliate — and success did not come right away. In his 108 plate appearances for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Frazier posted a .228/.278/.396 batting line with thirty strikeouts.
The talent has expressed itself anew in 2017, however. Over 319 plate appearances, again at Triple-A, Frazier carries a .257/.345/.474 slash line with a dozen long balls. He has also restored the plate-discipline numbers hecarried previously in his minor-league career, with a 21.3% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate on the year.
With Aaron Hicks on the 10-day DL and Fowler hitting the shelf for the rest of the season, the Yankees will now get their first look at Frazier at the game’s highest level. An active roster opening will be needed — perhaps leading to another debate over Andujar and beleaguered first baseman Chris Carter. And a 40-man spot will as well, though that can presumably be found by making a 60-day DL placement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Angels Acquire Nick Franklin
The Angels have acquired infielder/outfielder Nick Franklin from the Brewers, per a team announcement. He had been designated for assignment; the deal sends cash or a player to be named later to Milwaukee.
The Halos’ plans for the versatile Franklin aren’t immediately clear, though he will be heading to the active roster as he is out of options. That will most likely be easier to assess when the club makes a corresponding move to open a roster spot, which hasn’t yet occurred.
Franklin, who’s still just 26, hasn’t hit much this year, with a .195/.258/.317 slash in his 89 plate appearances for Milwaukee. But he hit much better (.270/.328/.443) in reserve duty last year and was long regarded as a quality prospect before he reached the majors.
Rockies Designate Chad Qualls, Reinstate Jon Gray
The Rockies have announced a series of interesting transactions. Reliever Chad Qualls was designated for assignment, making way for the return of top righty Jon Gray from the DL. And veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan was recalled, with Tom Murphy optioned back to Triple-A.
It’s not terribly surprising to hear that the Rockies are moving on from Qualls. The 39-year-old has produced a typically strong 57.4% groundball rate on the year, but has managed just 5.9 K/9 to go with 2.7 BB/9. He has coughed up 1.6 home runs per nine, helping to explain his ugly 5.40 ERA.
That said, there are some signs that there could be something left in the tank. Qualls is still generating a 10.3% whiff rate and has probably been somewhat unlucky only to strand 61.8% of opposing baserunners.
Still, there’s little denying that Qualls has fallen shy of hopes since arriving in Colorado on a two-year, $6MM deal. (Fellow veteran Jason Motte followed a similar course.) It seems unlikely any rival organizations will take over the rest of the $3.25MM total that Qualls is owed this year. The Rockies will pay the remainder unless they are able to find a team that will take some cash in a trade or Qualls makes it to the majors elsewhere after signing a minors deal (in which case he’d earn a pro-rated portion of the league-minimum salary from his new team).
Gray, meanwhile, will hope to provide a much-needed boost to a Rockies team that has dropped eight straight ballgames. He has only managed three starts this year, exiting the last of those with what proved to be a stress fracture in his left foot. The prized righty has been sharp in his rehab outings and returns with big expectations.
Meanwhile, the Rox effectively reversed the move they made a few weeks ago in activating Murphy from the DL. The 26-year-old, considered quite a talented hitter for his position, is off to a miserable 1-for-22 start to the season. While Hanigan doesn’t offer nearly the same offensive ability, the veteran will hopefully help to settle the pitching staff while allowing Murphy to work back into form at Albuquerque.