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Nationals Sign Koyie Hill

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The Nationals announced that they signed catcher Koyie Hill and assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse (Twitter link). Hill elected free agency this past weekend after the Cubs designated him for assignment and outrighted him to Triple-A.

Hill appeared in 11 games for the Cubs this year, collecting six singles and a double in 39 plate appearances. The 33-year-old has experience in nine MLB seasons, but most of his professional career has been spent at the minor league level, where he has a .278 /.344/.410 batting line. Sandy Leon, Carlos Maldonado and Wilson Ramos are all on the disabled list, so the Nationals don't have much catching depth right now.

National League Notes: Guthrie, Rodriguez, Appel

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The Phillies (31-37), Brewers (30-36) and Diamondbacks (32-34), last year's division winners in the National League, have all lost more games than they've won to this point in the season. Here's some news from the NL…

  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post expects the Rockies to trade Jeremy Guthrie (Twitter link). The Blue Jays have some interest in Guthrie, so it’s a question of how quickly trade talks develop.
  • A Nationals official said Henry Rodriguez is “not going anywhere" even though the Nationals have a crowded bullpen, according to Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider.
  • In response to a reader question, Jim Callis of Baseball America explains that first round selection Mark Appel couldn’t necessarily become a free agent by refusing to sign with the Pirates then spending a season in Japan. MLB would likely attempt to ensure that Appel remained eligible for the 2013 draft. Callis suggests it's in Appel's best interest to sign with Pittsburgh for $3.5-4MM.

Draft Notes: Brewers, Padres, Nationals, Giolito

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Tonight's draft notes, with the latest news up top..

  • ‪The Brewers‬ signed third-rounder Zach Quintana for $325K, just under the suggested pick value of $385K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  The high school right-hander out of Nevada boasts a 90-95 mph fastball and a hard breaking ball.
  • The Padres‬ signed second-rounder Dane Phillips for $450K, significantly less than the pick value of $734K for the No. 70 pick.  The catcher/first baseman is said to have a sweet bat and has a chance to stay behind the plate.
  • The Nationals gave first-round pick Lucas Giolito a grand tour of Nationals Park earlier today, writes Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider.com.  The 17-year-old right-hander is a UCLA commit.

Quick Hits: Gio, Phillies, Rangers, Burnett

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Brayan Pena's attempt to stretch a single into a double in the 9th inning drew a throw from the outfield and allowed Jarrod Dyson to score from third with the game-winning run in the Royals' 4-3 result over the Brewers tonight.  It was Kansas City's second unusual walkoff victory in as many nights, as they won on a bases-loaded walk from Mike Moustakas on Wednesday.  The Royals picked up the sweep against Milwaukee, winning all three games by one run.

Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • The Nationals' trade for Gio Gonzalez was the "best deal anyone made last winter," a rival scout tells Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. "They didn't get him cheap, but he can dominate, and how many starters can you say that about?"  The Nats look like the big winners of the deal thus far, given Washington's first-place position and Gonzalez's Cy Young Award-caliber numbers since joining the team.
  • David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News breaks down what the Phillies could possibly receive for some of their top assets on the trade market.
  • The Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, Astros and Red Sox are positioned to dominate the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline, predicts Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
  • Despite injuries to Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara, Rangers GM Jon Daniels "still feels good" about his bullpen, reports Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest (Twitter link).
  • A.J. Burnett has brought both veteran leadership and quality pitching to the Pirates, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.  “It was important for our guys to see a guy that’s brought in and it’s not a trading-deadline deal where you have a guy for two months,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “We brought in a guy for two years. He can go ahead and unpack his bags. He’s going to be around, he can be involved, be engaged.”
  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski outlines his team's pursuit of Roy Oswalt to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.  Dombrowski said the Tigers were prepared to meet Oswalt's salary demands in the offseason but the veteran just didn't want to pitch in Detroit.  Oswalt's representatives contacted Dombrowski again once the season began and Oswalt was without a team, but the Tigers had already moved on with Drew Smyly in the rotation. 

Draft Signings: Mariners, Nats, Pirates, Royals, O’s

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Here are the latest draft signings from beyond the first round, with the most recent news at the top of the post….

  • The Mariners announced that third-rounder Edwin Diaz and third-round compensation pick Tyler Pike have agreed to terms.  Figures weren't announced but Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter) reports that left-hander Pike signed for an $850K bonus, well above the recommended slot value of $370.8K.  Diaz is a right-handed pitcher and, as the 98th overall pick, has a recommended bonus of $485.7K.
  • The Nationals paid second-round pick Tony Renda a $500K bonus, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis (via Twitter).  Renda, a second baseman from Cal, carried a recommended bonus price of $630K as the 80th overall pick.
  • The Pirates announced the signing of high school pitcher Jon Sandfort, the club's third-round selection.  Terms were not disclosed, but Jim Callis tweets that Sandfort signed for his exact recommended bonus of $462.9K.
  • The Royals have announced (Twitter link) the signing of Vanderbilt left-hander Sam Selman, the club's second-round draft pick.  Selman signed for a $750K bonus, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis, which is below the recommended $781.6K bonus price for the 66th overall pick.  The Royals have now signed 28 of 40 draft picks, including all of their picks from the first 11 rounds.
  • Another Royals draft signing, fourth-rounder Kenny Diekroeger, will receive a $500K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (Twitter link).  The recommended price for Diekroeger's draft position was $346.6K.
  • The Orioles have agreed to terms with more than 20 draft picks, reports Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.  The club is "in the very early or beginning stages" of negotiations with first-round pick Kevin Gausman and second-round pick Branden Kline.

Draft Signings: Beck, Thompson, Copeland, Renda

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In a Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Keith Law listed some interesting names for the 2013 draft. College players like Austin Wilson and Ryne Stanek headline the crop along with high schoolers Austin Meadows and Clinton Hollon. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here are the latest miscellaneous signings from this year's class…

  • The White Sox have signed second rounder Chris Beck for $600K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Full slot value for the right-hander from Georgia Southern was $670K.
  • In addition to Beck, the White Sox have agreed to terms with 23 other draft picks according to a release. Fourth rounder Brandon Brennan highlights the list.
  • The Tigers have signed second rounder Jake Thompson for a straight slot $532K bonus, reports Callis (on Twitter). The high school right-hander from Texas was Detroit's top pick after forfeiting their first rounder to sign Prince Fielder.
  • The Nationals announced the signing of 23 draft picks in a press release, including second rounder Tony Renda and fourth rounder Brandon Miller.
  • The Rays have signed third rounder Bralin Jackson for $325K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The high school outfielder from Missouri was slotted for a $216K bonus.
  • The Marlins have signed supplemental third rounder Kolby Copeland for a straight slot $367K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The pick was compensation for failing to sign the previous year's third rounder. Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA first reported the news (on Twitter).
  • The Twins have signed fifth rounder Tyler Duffey, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (on Twitter). Slot money for the pick is $267K.
  • The Astros have signed five more draft picks according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter), including sixth rounder Brett Phillips.

Quick Hits: Teahen, Soler, Ethier, Hamilton, Youkilis

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The Dodgers officially announced their five-year, $85MM extension with Andre Ethier this afternoon on a day that featured lots of draft news. Here are some of Tuesday’s non-draft-related links, starting in Los Angeles…

  • Mark Teahen can opt-out of his minor league contract with the Nationals if not called up by June 15th, MLBTR has learned. The 30-year-old has hit .293/.347/.404 with Washington's Triple-A affiliate while playing all four corner spots.
  • Jorge Soler is still in the process of securing a visa prior to officially signing with the Cubs, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). That could take about a week.
  • The Dodgers’ deal with Ethier could eliminate them from the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes after the season, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes (Twitterlinks). This could limit Hamilton’s leverage with the Rangers whenever the sides resume contract talks.
  • Olney points to the abundance of quality outfielders nearing free agency and suggests it makes sense for the players to accept deals now instead of waiting for what could be a buyer’s market.
  • There are no new developments in contract discussions between Cole Hamels and the Phillies or Zack Greinke and the Brewers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • GM Sandy Alderson told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post that the Mets haven't drawn up plans to buy or sell this summer. Davidoff suggests that the Mets could decide to stay the course at the upcoming trade deadline.
  • One scout watched Kevin Youkilis play and wasn’t impressed, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). "For what he costs, he can't do anything," the scout said.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Draft Signings: Orioles, Angels, Tigers

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Some significant signings from the second round and on…

  • Elliott Waterman, Washington’s 13th round selection, agreed to sign with the Nationals for $100K, MLBTR has learned.
  • The Orioles signed third round pick Adrian Marin for $481K, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). That’s precisely the bonus MLB recommends for the 99th overall selection. Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich said "significant number" of picks have signed and are undergoing physicals, Connolly reports.
  • The Angels announced they have agreed to sign 11 draft picks, including four of their first five selections. Right-hander R.J. Alvarez, the club’s third round selection, is one of the players to agree to terms. All of the 11 players are "at or very close to" their slotted amounts, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter).
  • Right-hander Jake Thompson told James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press that he expects to sign with the Tigers tomorrow. The Tigers selected the high schooler with the 91st overall selection last week.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Phillies, Bernazard

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Some notes from the National League East before the Nationals, Marlins and Braves suit up for three of the day's four MLB games…

Minor Moves: Kris Watts, Tim Sexton

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Keeping track of the day's minor moves…

  • The Nationals have acquired minor league catcher Kris Watts from the Pirates in exchange for cash, as announced on the Pirates' official Twitter feed.  Watts was Pittsburgh's 16th-round pick in the 2006 draft and has a .259/.357/.385 line in 1702 career minor league plate appearances.
  • The Royals signed right-hander Tim Sexton, according to MLB.com's transactions page. The 24-year-old pitched in the Dodgers' organization last year, posting a 5.48 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 162 2/3 innings at Triple-A and Class A. In five minor league seasons he has a 5.15 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.
  • Matt Eddy of Baseball America details the remainder of the week's minor transactions.
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