Braves Sign No. 3 Overall Pick Ian Anderson
SATURDAY, 8:00pm: The signing is official, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
3:33pm: The Braves have announced that they’ve agreed to terms with Anderson. Heyman tweets that Anderson will receive exactly $4MM.
MONDAY: The Braves and No. 3 overall draft pick Ian Anderson are finalizing a deal that’ll pay the high school right-hander about $4MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Heyman adds that Anderson will not officially sign until he has graduated. That bonus represents a savings of about $2.5MM on his slot value of $6,510,800 (via MLB.com’s Jim Callis) — money that will help the Braves afford later picks such as Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller and Drew Harrington — each of whom has already reportedly agreed to an over-slot deal.
Anderson, who just turned 18 last month, was rated most highly entering the draft by ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 7 overall), but Baseball America (No. 12) and MLB.com (No. 13) each had him as a top-half-of-the-first-round talent as well. Shortly before the draft, rumors surfaced indicating that Atlanta may tab Anderson in order to save some funds which would be allocated tough signs, and that indeed is how their draft played out.
Scouting reports on Anderson from the three outlets above praise his fastball that sits in the low 90s but can reach 95-96 mph, and BA calls his changeup “devastating” while giving him credit for an above-average curve as well. At 6’4″ and 180 pounds, there’s certainly reason to think that Anderson can continue to fill out his frame. Anderson’s stock might’ve been higher this season if he hadn’t been slowed by an oblique injury and a bout of pneumonia. Ultimately, his deal will allow the Braves to add four high-upside arms to their ranks. While three of them (Anderson, Wentz and Muller) will be a ways off because they are of the high school variety, landing three arms that both BA and MLB.com rated within the top 25 draft prospects seems like a strong haul that should only further bolster an impressive Braves farm system.
The Braves were $2,584,700 over-slot on the combination of Wentz, Muller and Harrington, so the savings from Anderson alone appear to be enough to ensure that Atlanta avoids the loss of a future first-round pick. That wouldn’t happen until the Braves exceeded their bonus pool by more than five percent, although Atlanta will pay a 75 percent luxury tax on any overages up to five percent. That, however, hasn’t been a deterrent for teams in the past and should be of fairly marginal consequence to the Braves should they be required to do so this year.
Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Jordan Sheffield
The Dodgers have signed first-round pick Jordan Sheffield, the right-hander announced on Instagram. Los Angeles selected Sheffield 36th overall, the competitive balance pick it received for not signing Kyle Funkhouser – whom it took 35th a year ago. Sheffield will land a $1.85MM bonus, which is more expensive than the value of the pick ($1.79MM), tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.
Sheffield, 21, garnered solid pre-draft rankings from prospect experts, with Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo placing him 19th, Baseball America (subscription required) 23rd and ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider required) 31st. Law actually had Sheffield ending up with the Dodgers in his June 9 mock draft, but with the 32nd pick instead of the 36th. Sheffield is perhaps the likeliest pitcher in this year’s draft to develop three plus offerings, according to Callis and Mayo, who praised his high-velocity fastball (94 to 96, with the ability to hit 98), breaking ball and circle change. However, the 6-foot, 185-pounder’s size, past Tommy John surgery and high-effort delivery are red flags, per Callis and Mayo.
Sheffield, the brother of Indians left-handed prospect Justus Sheffield, was previously a 13th-round pick of the Red Sox in 2013 after his stock fell because of his Tommy John procedure. However, in lieu of signing with the Sox, he chose to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt. He recovered from the surgery to rebuild his stock at the college level and will now join the Dodgers. With Sheffield locked up, the Dodgers have their first 12 picks – and 16 of their initial 17 selections – under contract, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.
Dodgers Outright Will Venable
SATURDAY: Venable has cleared waivers and has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.
FRIDAY: The Dodgers have designated outfielder Will Venable for assignment, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the roster by Nick Tepesch, whose contract was selected so he can start tonight.
Venable was with Los Angeles for only about a week after signing directly onto the major league roster. He contributed a single in 11 plate appearances. Venable has a track record of league-average or better hitting and brings a reliable glove to the outfield. While he has put up middling offensive numbers in each of the last two seasons, he could still contribute at the major league level at 33 years of age.
Meanwhile, Tepesch will get the nod for at least one start for L.A. He also recently joined the organization after opting out of his deal with the Rangers earlier this year. The 27-year-old righty contributed some useful frames to Texas at the major league level, but has been derailed recently by injury.
Dodgers Designate Nick Tepesch For Assignment
The Dodgers have announced that they’ve designated righty Nick Tepesch for assignment. The move clears space for infielder Chris Taylor, who has been promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers selected Tepesch’s contract yesterday, and he started last night against the Pirates, allowing five runs in four innings and throwing in the high 80s. The start was his first big-league action since 2014, when he was in the Rangers’ rotation. He’s spent the bulk of the 2016 season at Triple-A, where’s he’s posted a 3.66 ERA, 5.2 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 83 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers acquired Taylor from the Mariners for righty Zach Lee last week. The 25-year-old shortstop has spent almost the entire 2016 season so far at Triple-A, where he’s batted .320/.392/.471.
Astros Designate Alfredo Gonzalez For Assignment
The Astros have designated catcher Alfredo Gonzalez for assignment, as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The move clears 40-man roster space for first baseman A.J. Reed, whose promotion is now official.
The 23-year-old Gonzalez earned a spot on the Astros’ 40-man with a .321/.409/.378 season split between three levels in 2015, and he has a reputation for having a good arm. He has little power, however, and has batted just .158/.236/.205 in 162 plate appearances at Double-A Corpus Christi this year. He appears to be a good bet to sneak through waivers.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/25/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The Reds have announced that they’ve released righty Steve Delabar, who allowed six runs and ten walks in eight innings of work this season before being outrighted in May. Had Delabar been successful in helping the Reds’ beleaguered bullpen, his return to the big leagues with Cincinnati might have become a feel-good story, due to his roots in nearby Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Unfortunately for Delabar and the Reds, Delabar struggled with his control not only at the big-league level, but at Triple-A Louisville as well. The 32-year-old Delabar was an All-Star with Toronto in 2013 but has fallen on hard times since, with increased walks, decreased strikeouts and a decline in average fastball velocity from about 95 MPH to about 93.
- The Rockies have selected the contract of lefty Yohan Flande and optioned righty Miguel Castro to Triple-A Albuquerque, Nick Groke of the Denver Post tweets. Flande made 35 appearances, including 20 starts, for the Rockies in 2014 and 2015, but was non-tendered last offseason before returning to the organization via a minor-league deal. Since then, he’s posted a 4.25 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 while pitching multiple-inning stints in relief at the Triple-A level. He hasn’t pitched in five days, and should therefore provide a fresh arm for a bullpen that has been taxed in a string of high-scoring games against the Yankees and Diamondbacks, including a four-and-a-half-hour game against Arizona yesterday.
Mets Sign Jose Reyes To Minor League Deal
The Mets have announced that they’ve officially re-signed infielder Jose Reyes to a minor league deal. Reyes is represented by the Legacy Agency.
The move was widely expected, with various reporters writing Friday evening and Saturday morning that the Mets were set to acquire Reyes. Earlier this week, the Rockies requested release waivers on Reyes after designating him for assignment, and he officially cleared those waivers at noon Central time today. Reyes had been placed on administrative leave and then suspended after an offseason domestic violence incident, and he has not yet played in the big leagues this season.
Andy Martino of the Daily News tweets that Reyes is expected to play in the minors for a week or two before being promoted. Reyes will report to short-season Brooklyn on Sunday. He is in the midst of a long-term deal he initially signed with the Marlins, but the Mets will have to pay him only a prorated portion of the league minimum (a bit over $250K for the rest of the season), with the Rockies assuming the bulk of what’s left of his deal.
It’s unclear how the Mets plan to use Reyes. Asdrubal Cabrera has performed reasonably well at Reyes’ usual position of shortstop for the Mets this season, and Reyes has not graded well there defensively in recent years. Third base could be a possibility, or the Mets could play Reyes at second, with Neil Walker heading to the hot corner. Either scenario would bump Wilmer Flores from the lineup, at least occasionally. The team could also simply use Reyes to spot various regulars. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweeted yesterday that the team has even considered using Reyes as an outfielder. Via Newsday’s Marc Carig (on Twitter), Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that the team has talked with Reyes about him playing a number of positions.
It’s far from clear, at least from the numbers, that Reyes would be an upgrade as a starter for the Mets, since he batted just .274/.310/.378 last year despite spending part of the season with Coors Field as his home park. Reyes’ advancing age (he’s now 33) and apparently declining skills raise questions about why the Mets are interested in him, particularly given the domestic violence incident, in which he allegedly grabbed his wife’s throat and pushed her into a door. The Mets also have a young second baseman in Dilson Herrera who is batting .290/.337/.496 for Triple-A and would appear to fit in well if the Mets do decide to move Walker to third. Despite significant injuries to infielders David Wright (neck) and Lucas Duda (back), the Mets could certainly have found a path forward without Reyes.
As James Wagner of the New York Times explains, though, the Mets see Reyes as family after he spent 12 years in their organization. Despite the domestic violence issue, then, they appear to see him as being worth a second chance.
“We made the decision to offer a contract to Jose after extensive consideration and discussion with Jose, his representatives, Major League Baseball and various departments at the Mets,” said Mets GM Sandy Alderson in a team statement. “We are convinced that Jose has accepted responsibility for his actions and their consequences and have confirmed he is taking steps beyond those prescribed by MLB, including ongoing counseling.”
Reyes himself expressed remorse for his off-field behavior.
“As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred,” he said. “I have completed the counseling required by MLB, have been in ongoing therapy, and will continue with counseling going forward.”
Purely from the standpoint of his on-field performance, Reyes might have something left — he produced at least 2.2 fWAR in every season from 2010 through 2014, frequently ranking among his league’s leaders in stolen bases and generally producing good on-base percentages. The Mets currently rank 24th in the Majors with a .308 OBP, and a revitalized Reyes certainly would help with that figure.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mets To Promote Brandon Nimmo, Will Option Michael Conforto
The Mets will promote outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo, Jeremiah Johnke of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle (Nimmo’s hometown paper) tweets. He will take the roster spot of Michael Conforto, who will be optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets.
[Related: Updated Mets Depth Chart]
Nimmo, the 13th overall pick in the 2011 draft, has moved slowly through the minor leagues, but he’s done well in his second season at Las Vegas this year, batting .328/.409/.508 — solid numbers even in a very good environment for hitters. MLB.com currently ranks Nimmo the Mets’ fourth-best prospect, praising his batting eye (he has 290 career minor league walks against 454 strikeouts) but noting that it remains to be seen whether the power he’s demonstrated in batting practice will begin to turn up in games. (He has just five homers this season, although he does have 16 doubles and seven triples.) Nimmo might require a move to a corner spot eventually, but for now he’s a center fielder, having played 48 games there so far in 2016. It’s unclear how the Mets will use him, although their current primary center fielder, Yoenis Cespedes, hasn’t rated well at that position this season and has more career games in left.
Conforto’s demotion, meanwhile, must come as a disappointment for both player and team. He burst onto the scene last year as a rookie and actually hasn’t hit terribly this season overall, with his 24 extra-base hits mostly compensating for his poor .222 average. He has struggled horribly of late, however, with just a .399 OPS in the last 28 days, and could perhaps use a stay in Las Vegas to fix what isn’t working. Conforto skipped Triple-A completely on his way to the big leagues last year, so he’ll get his first experience at the level in the coming weeks.
Yankees Activate Mark Teixeira, Designate Ike Davis
The Yankees have activated Mark Teixeira, per several media reports. They’ve also designated Ike Davis for assignment in a corresponding move, as Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN tweets.
Teixeira is making a quick return after hitting the DL earlier this month with a cartilage tear in his knee. It was initially believed that the injury could require surgery, but Teixeira returns to the Yankees after just three weeks.
The quick return is fortuitous for the Yanks, too, even though Teixeira has struggled this season, batting just .180/.271/.263 so far. The Yankees struggled to find first base help after a series of injuries to Teixeira, Greg Bird, Dustin Ackley and Chris Parmelee, leading them to sign Davis two weeks ago. The veteran played sparingly, batting 3-for-14. As Murti notes, a key to the decision to let Davis go was the play of Rob Refsnyder, who has now appeared in 16 games at first and has batted .286/.339/.393 in 63 plate appearances this season. Via Newsday’s Erik Boland (on Twitter), Davis indicates he might be willing to accept an assignment to Triple-A if he clears waivers.
Brewers Sign Fifth Overall Pick Corey Ray
The Brewers have announced that they’ve signed fifth overall draft pick Corey Ray, an outfielder from Louisville. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports tweets that Ray will receive $4.125MM, giving the Brewers a modest savings against the $4,382,200 slot value of the fifth overall pick.
MLB.com ranked Ray the sixth-best talent available in this year’s draft, with Baseball America rating him seventh. MLB.com noted that he provided the “best combination of hitting and athletic ability” available in this year’s draft, praising his combination of power and speed, which resulted in 15 homers and 44 steals in a .310/.388/.545 junior season at Louisville. He mostly played right field in college, although he seems likely to get a shot at center field as a pro.
In April, MLBTR’s Chuck Wasserstrom spoke to Ray, who said he imagined himself as a future leadoff hitter. He also described being selected by the Mariners in the 33rd round in 2013 and ultimately deciding to go to college. “That dream was knocking on my door, and those were some pretty tough conversations with my father. He told me I wasn’t ready. All I was seeing was the dollar amount and not the big picture,” Ray said. As it turns out, it looks like he made a good decision, as he’ll now get a multimillion-dollar bonus and an immediate spot near the top of the Brewers’ list of top prospects.