Reds To Sign Second-Rounder Antonio Santillan
The Reds have agreed to a slightly-above-slot $1.35MM bonus with second-round pick Antonio Santillan, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. He was taken 49th overall, which came with a $1,227,800 pool allocation.
Santillan rated as high as 63rd on pre-draft boards, with MLB.com giving him that slot. His fastball can reach the upper nineties at times and he possesses a big breaking ball, giving the high school righty plenty of upside. But MLB.com says Santillan has a long way to go in smoothing and repeating his delivery, as well as adding a legitimate third pitch.
The big hurler ranked somewhere within the top 100 on all major draft pundits’ lists, but only barely: Baseball America pegged him right at the century mark. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs had Santillan at 69th overall while ESPN.com’s Keith Law rated him 84th, noting the high ceiling but adding that Santillan is most likely to end up a reliever.
Santillan was committed to Texas Tech, but Cincinnati reached a bit over $100K over slot to nab him. The Reds had racked up some savings with lower-round choices, and still appears to have some additional space to work after signing its first four picks. Fifth-rounder Miles Gordon and sixth-rounder Ian Kahaloa — both high schoolers — are the highest Cinci picks whose bonus agreements remain unreported.
Indians Sign Brady Aiken
JUNE 22: The bonus is for $2,513,280, Callis tweets.
JUNE 19: 5:25pm: The precise bonus value is not yet known but will be above the slot allotment, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter.
11:10am: The Indians announced the signing of Aiken, noting that he’s already completed a medical evaluation with the team and is rehabbing at the club’s Spring Training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
11:00am: The Indians have signed left-hander Brady Aiken, the No. 17 overall pick in this year’s draft, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (on Twitter). Terms of the bonus are unknown, although the 17th overall slot comes with a value of $2,393,600, according to Baseball America.
Aiken, of course, has been in baseball headlines for more than a year. Selected with the first overall pick by the Astros in the 2014 draft, Aiken was widely expected to sign and even headed to Houston to take a physical and finalize his contract. However, the Astros came away from the physical feeling uneasy about the status of the ulnar collateral ligament in Aiken’s left elbow and reduced their bonus offer from roughly $6.5MM to $5MM. Aiken elected not to sign and in the offseason enrolled at the IMG Academy in Florida in order to be eligible again for the 2015 draft.
Aiken’s season at IMG didn’t last long, however. He left his first start of the season, stating afterward that “something felt a little wrong” in his throwing elbow, and further tests revealed that he had torn the UCL that had given the Astros pause. Aiken underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter.
The injury naturally caused Aiken’s draft stock to drop a bit, but the mystery surrounding his elbow may have caused his stock to slip a bit further. Multiple reports headed into the draft indicated that there was general concern surrounding Aiken’s elbow because his Tommy John surgery and UCL were both said to be abnormal. Houston was said last summer to be concerned by general size of Aiken’s UCL — said to be smaller than a standard elbow ligament — and the difference from that of a straightforward Tommy John case created genuine befuddlement among draft experts as to where he might be selected and which team might take the gamble on Aiken’s highly talented left arm.
Cleveland stepped up and took that gamble, and the potential reward they face if Aiken is fully healthy and can have a normal career moving forward is sizable. Aiken was widely labeled as one of the top talents in each of the past two draft classes. Despite the injury, Aiken was ranked 17th in this year’s draft by Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, 22nd by Baseball America, 24th by MLB.com (Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis) and 27th by Keith Law of ESPN.com.
Aiken sits in the low 90s with his fastball and has topped out at 96-97 mph, and McDaniel labels three of his pitches — fastball, curveball and changeup — as future plus pitches, giving each an average-or-better grade at present despite his age. Mayo and Callis praised his advanced command and a curveball that added more power and depth late in Aiken’s prep career. BA termed Aiken a “standout athlete,” noting that the former high school quarterback also comes with an ideal 6’3″, 210-pound frame. ESPN noted that as good as Aiken’s pure stuff is, his delivery is one of the cleanest they’ve seen out of a high school pitcher in quite some time (making the injury concerns all the more confounding).
Diamondbacks Option Addison Reed To Triple-A
The Diamondbacks announced today that they’ve optioned former closer Addison Reed to Triple-A Reno. His spot on the roster will go to right-hander Enrique Burgos, who has been activated from the disabled list.
The option is the latest event in what has been a stark decline for Reed, who was acquired from the White Sox two offseasons ago in exchange for well-regarded third base prospect Matt Davidson. Reed’s first season with the D-Backs didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, but the San Diego State product held the closer’s job all season and saved 32 games, albeit with a mediocre 4.25 ERA.
Though Reed’s ERA wasn’t stellar, stats like xFIP (3.26) and SIERA (2.68) loved Reed’s skill set in 2014. He averaged a career-best 10.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 last season, creating some reason for optimism heading into the 2015 campaign. However, things have gone worse in just about every facet for Reed this year. In 24 1/3 innings, he’s sporting a 5.92 ERA, and while in 2014 he was plagued by an elevated homer-to-flyball ratio, he’s actually been lucky in terms of home runs allowed this season. Reed is averaging just 7.4 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9, and while he’s had his share of bad luck on balls in play (.363 BABIP), Reed’s skills seem to have genuinely taken a step back in 2015.
The D-Backs and Reed agreed to a one-year, $4.875MM salary to avoid arbitration this offseason. Even with a poor season likely holding down a potential raise, Reed’s already-notable salary will make him a non-tender candidate this winter if he’s unable to right the ship and rediscover the form that made him an attractive trade chip to Arizona in the first place.
The amount of time that Reed spends in the minors will also be worth keeping an eye on. The 26-year-old entered the year with three years, 27 days of Major League service time, meaning he needed an additional 145 days to stay on track to hit free agency following the 2017 season. To this point, he’s accrued 77 of the necessary 145 but still needs 68 days in the Majors to reach four full years of service. Entering play tonight, there are 106 days of the Major League season remaining. That seems like plenty of time for Reed to be recalled and accumulate the necessary service time, but an extended stay in the minors could theoretically impact his timeline to six-year free agent status.
With Reed no longer in the ninth inning, closing duties have fallen to Brad Ziegler, who has performed well in his limited time in the role. Since being called upon for his first save on May 21, Ziegler has worked to a 2.31 ERA and saved 10 games in 11 2/3 innings, although an even 4-to-4 K/BB ratio in that span leaves something to be desired.
Braves Release Wil Nieves
The Braves have released veteran catcher Wil Nieves from their Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, according to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy.
Nieves was designated for assignment by the Padres in early May and elected free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A. He signed a minor league pact with the Braves that reportedly had a July 1 opt-out date, though his release comes in advance of that day.
The 37-year-old Nieves batted .238/.324/.286 in 71 plate appearances with the Braves’ top minor league affiliate. Atlanta passed him over when selecting the contract of a replacement for the recently-optioned Christian Bethancourt, adding Ryan Lavarnway to the 40-man roster and calling him up instead.
A client of MDR Sports Management, Nieves will now presumably look to join a third organization this season, with the hope of returning to the Majors in the near future. He’s a career .241/.280/.317 hitter at the Major League level.
Mariners Release Rickie Weeks
The Mariners have released Rickie Weeks, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Weeks was designated for assignment by Seattle last week.
Weeks, 32, signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Mariners in the offseason as the club was looking to use him as Robinson Cano‘s backup as well as in a utility role around the diamond. As it turned out, Weeks never played anywhere besides left field and DH over his 37 games with the team, and he contributed very little at the plate, hitting .167/.263/.250 with two homers in 95 plate appearances.
Once one of the game’s better-hitting second basemen in his prime with the Brewers, Weeks has hit only .228/.323/.389 over the last four seasons. He did deliver an .809 OPS over 286 PA in a part-time role with Milwaukee in 2014, though that production was certainly aided by a .355 BABIP. Always a dangerous hitter against left-handed pitching over his career, Weeks hit only .234/.308/.383 in 52 PA against southpaws this season, and contributed just a .290 OPS in 43 PA against righties.
The Mariners are responsible for the approximately $1.1MM remaining on Weeks’ deal, minus the pro-rated MLB minimum salary he might earn over the rest of the season if he signs with another team. Weeks’ track record will probably earn him some looks from other clubs, not to mention the belief that his bat could pick up away from Safeco Field. While neither sample size is large enough to be definitively, Weeks managed only a .278 OPS in 41 home plate appearances this season, as opposed to a .690 OPS in 54 PA.
Draft Signings: Hale, Red Sox, Cleavinger
Here are some of the latest notable signings from the amateur draft. All slot value information is courtesy of Baseball America…
- Mariners ninth-rounder Conner Hale has announced he has signed with the club via his Twitter page. The M’s have their other nine picks from the first 10 rounds of the draft already signed at a total cost of just over $4.113MM according to MLB.com’s draft bonus tracker. This leaves $73.8K remaining in their draft bonus pool (which was slightly less than $4.187MM) and Hale’s 275th overall draft placement carries a slot value of $158.3K. Since he’s a senior, it’s perhaps unlikely he signed for full slot, giving Seattle a bit of breathing room should they spend extra on any of their post-10th round draftees.
- The Red Sox announced the signings of Ben Taylor (7th round), Tucker Tubbs (9th) and Mitchell Gunsolus (10th) last week, and according to the MLB.com bonus tracker, all three college seniors signed for well below their assigned slot values. Taylor signed for $10K despite a $212.5K slot value for the 201st overall pick, Tubbs for $5K ($163.5K as 261st overall) and Gunsolus for $10K ($152.7K as 291st overall).
- This combined $503.7K in savings helped the Red Sox ink eighth-rounder Logan Allen, whose signing was officially announced today by the club. Allen said last week that he had verbally agreed to a bonus worth over four times more than his $175.1K slot value as the 231st overall pick, and MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports that Allen received $725K.
- The Red Sox also announced the signings of three other draft picks today, including outfielders Tate Matheny (4th round) and Jagger Rusconi (5th). Callis reports that Rusconi signed for a full-slot value of $384K. It isn’t yet known what Matheny (son of Cardinals manager Mike Matheny) signed for, though his draft placement carries a $512.7K slot value.
- The Orioles announced that they have signed third-round pick Garrett Cleavinger. MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports that Cleavinger will receive a $500K bonus, less than the $559.3K slot value assigned to the 102nd overall pick. The Oregon left-hander was ranked as the No. 185 prospect in the country by Baseball America prior to the draft. If Cleavinger continues to strike out batters as he has in college, BA says that he might need much minor league time.
- The O’s also confirmed the signing of seventh-rounder Gray Fenter, and surely Cleavinger’s below-slot deal helped Baltimore to sign Fenter to an above-slot $1MM deal while remaining within the limits of its bonus pool.
Minor Moves: Nelson, Grube, Moreno, Rumbelow
Here are today’s minor transactions from around baseball, with the newest moves at the top of the post…
- The Nationals signed free agent third baseman Chris Nelson to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. Nelson, 29, was released by the Brewers just last week. He has moved around quite a bit since his promising run with the Rockies in 2012 as he also saw time with the Yankees, Angels, Padres, and Phillies. This year, Nelson posted a .202/.256/.290 slash line in 133 plate appearances at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
- Also from MLB.com’s transactions page, the Indians signed right-hander Jarrett Grube to a minor league deal. Grube has spent 2015 pitching in the Mexican League, where he has a 2.98 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and a whopping 8.33 K/BB rate over 60 1/3 innings (11 starts). The 33-year-old Grube was a 10th-round pick of the Rockies in the 2004 draft and he’s also spent time in the Mariners and Angels farm systems. He made his MLB debut last season, appearing in one game for the Angels.
- The Yankees have selected the contracts of right-handers Diego Moreno and Nick Rumbelow, the club announced. In corresponding moves, Jose De Paula and Danny Burawa were optioned to Triple-A while Sergio Santos was placed on the 60-day DL. Moreno reaches the Show after eight pro seasons in the minors with the Pirates and Yankees, and the 27-year-old has a 2.27 ERA, 3.63 K/BB rate and 7.3 K/9 in 35 2/3 Triple-A innings this season. LSU product Rumbelow was a seventh-round pick for New York in the 2013 draft and he’s posted a 2.79 ERA, 4.73 K/BB rate and 142 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings in the minors, all as a reliever.
Outrighted To Triple-A: McGowan, De La Rosa
Today’s outright assignments…
- The Phillies outrighted Dustin McGowan to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to the MLB.com transactions page. The 33-year-old has struggled with his control this season, leading to a 6.94 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. McGowan’s 21 strikeouts in that time are a solid mark, but he’s also walked 20 hitters, and his ground-ball rate is down significantly from its peak — a trend that began last year in Toronto and has continued in 2015.
- Padres left-hander Eury De La Rosa cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A El Paso, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). De La Rosa, 25, has pitched exclusively at Triple-A this year, working to a 4.03 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 5.6 BB/9 over 22 1/3 frames. That represents a career-worst K:BB ratio in his professional career.
- As we passed along earlier today, Mets pitcher Dillon Gee was also placed on outright waivers. As the DFA Tracker shows, that leaves six players in DFA limbo: Jhonatan Solano, Phillippe Aumont, Andy Parrino, Hector Noesi, Jeff Bianchi, and Rickie Weeks.
A’s Claim Jake Smolinski From Rangers
The A’s have claimed outfielder Jake Smolinski off waivers from the Rangers, according to Texas PR man John Blake (on Twitter). Smolinski was designated for assignment by Texas on Friday.
Smolinski, 26, had hit just .133/.270/.200 in 74 plate appearances at the big league level this year. But he’s had plenty of success in other recent stints. Smolinski has obliterated Triple-A pitching in 2015, putting up a 1.280 OPS in 50 turns at bat, and slashed a strong .349/.391/.512 over 92 trips to the plate in his first run at the majors last year.
Both of those big state lines were fueled by huge BABIP numbers, however, and Smolinski’s history is more of sturdy reliability than significant pop. He has never finished a full campaign in the upper minors with an OPS over the .800 mark.
So far this afternoon, we have seen Smolinski claimed by Oakland, Royals catcher Erik Kratz claimed by the Red Sox, and Dillon Gee outrighted by the Mets. As the MLBTR DFA Tracker shows, that leaves eight players in DFA limbo: Jhonatan Solano, Phillippe Aumont, Eury De La Rosa, Andy Parrino, Dustin McGowan, Hector Noesi, Jeff Bianchi, and Rickie Weeks.
Red Sox Claim Erik Kratz Off Waivers
12:56pm: The Red Sox announced that they have claimed Kratz off waivers. Kratz will provide the team with depth now that Blake Swihart is listed as day-to-day with a sprained left foot.
12:28pm: Erik Kratz has been claimed off waivers by an unknown team, MLBTR has learned. The catcher was designated for assignment by the Royals on June 11th.
The claiming team is currently unknown, but the Mets and Red Sox both saw catchers leave the game with injury yesterday. The Mets, however, already have depth behind the plate in Kevin Plawecki and Anthony Recker, so the Red Sox might be the more probable destination.
Most of Kratz’s career has been spent with the Phillies, but he’s also had brief stints in Toronto and Kansas City. All told, Kratz has shown nice power but low batting average and on-base capabilities, as evidenced by a .217/.270/.400 batting line. He’s also a skilled pitch-framer, however, and he’s thrown out 32 percent of attempted base-stealers in his big league career.
Kratz was scheduled to return from the 15-day disabled list earlier this month but was designated for assignment before he could be called back into action for KC. Kratz would have served as Salvador Perez‘s backup in Kansas City had he stayed on board, but that job has gone to Drew Butera instead.