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Draft Reactions

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If the owners have their way, we won't see the heavy over slot spending we did in yesterday's draft for a long time: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that a draft slotting system is the top priority of MLB in the current labor talks.  However, Olney's colleague Keith Law notes that the majority of scouts and directors he's spoken to are opposed to hard slotting.  That's a major issue for the near future, but for now let's focus on yesterday's signings…

  • Baseball America's John Manuel provides a nice summary of the major events of yesterday's deadline.  He praises the big-spending Pirates, Royals, and Nationals, but expressed surprise at the dollar amounts the Nats committed to Brian Goodwin and Matt Purke.  Manuel notes that other clubs must be surprised the Pirates managed to sign Josh Bell for $5MM.  Overall, Manuel opines that baseball's August 15th deadline is not suppressing bonuses as intended, and should be moved earlier.  He also advocates dropping the idea of a slotting system, trusting teams to evaluate and price talent.
  • Law looks at Tyler Beede's decision to turn down Toronto's offer, and also examines strong drafts from the Cubs, Pirates, Nationals, and Padres.  Like Manuel, Law questions Washington's Purke deal.
  • Beede was one of six players not to sign within the first three rounds; BA's Jim Callis has details on the compensation picks the Jays, Padres, Yankees, Mariners, Marlins, and Rockies will receive next year.
  • Law wrote that he's "surprised by how little [Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley] got relative to their talent levels."  It may have had no bearing on the contracts of those two players, but I confirmed today that their agency BBI Sports Group is dealing with some turmoil, having recently fired Jeff Frye and another agent.
  • Speaking of agencies, I've updated our database to include pretty much all major draft picks from this year.
  • ESPN's Jim Bowden has an interesting article showing how the D'Backs, Padres, Rays, and Nationals re-allocated money from unsigned draft picks, and also discusses his Jeremy Sowers situation from '01 with the Reds.

Nationals Spend Big In Draft

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The Nationals committed almost $17MM to their top six draft picks this year: $7.2MM to Anthony Rendon, $2MM to Alex Meyer, $4.15MM to Matt Purke, $3MM to Brian Goodwin, $325K to Kylin Turnbull, and $161,100 to Matt Skole.  The figures for Rendon and Purke reflect the guarantees on their Major League deals.  Links for the team's record draft bonanza:

  • "We're the talk of the industry right now," GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  Rizzo said he finalized deals with Scott Boras advisees Rendon, Meyer, and Goodwin "at the buzzer" last night.  Rizzo said that for the first time in his career, he signed four draft picks that he considers to be first-round talents.  Yesterday was "a huge day in the history of the Washinton Nationals," in the opinion of vice president of player personnel Roy Clark.
  • The Nationals had the parameters of a deal with Purke by late Saturday into Sunday morning, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  The southpaw dropped to the third round due to a shoulder injury and his expected asking price, but was willing to allow the Nationals to fully evaluate his health.  Rendon will start his professional career at third base, notes Ladson.   
  • The Nationals' farm system now has depth and star power, writes Kilgore.

National League Over Slot Signings

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Though MLB would prefer to keep a lid on it, many signings exceeding their slot recommendations will be revealed by reporters today.  The latest from the National League:

  • The Mets signed 11th rounder Christian Montgomery for $250K, according to Callis. They also signed third rounder Logan Verrett for $425K, according to Callis (Twitter links). Earlier today, the Mets signed high school shortstop Brad Marquez for $325K, reports Callis.  Since Marquez also plays football, his bonus will be spread over three years.  The Mets also signed 15th round pick and high school middle infielder Philip Evans for $650K, reports Callis.
  • Reds 22nd rounder Amir Garrett obtained a $1MM two sport deal that will be spread over five years, Callis tweets.
  • The Giants signed second rounder Andrew Susac for $1.1MM according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. They also signed sixth rounder Josh Osich for $450K, according to Callis on Twitter.
  • The Phillies signed fifth rounder Mitch Walding for $800K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). The Phillies have also signed second rounder Roman Quinn for $775K, reports Baseball America's Conor Glassey (Twitter links). Callis says the high school outfielder was the fastest legitimate prospect in the draft.
  • The Cubs signed 11th rounder Shawon Dunston Jr. to a $1.275MM deal, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Cubs also agreed to sign second rounder Dan Vogelbach for around $1.6MM, according to Rogers (Twitter links). The Florida high schooler has lots of power from the left side, according to Callis.
  • The Nationals signed fourth round left-hander Kylin Turnbull for $325K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Reds signed 23rd rounder Sal Romano for $450K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). The Reds also signed 43rd rounder Ty Washington, according to Rogers (on Twitter). Callis reports that the second baseman obtains a $300K bonus (Twitter link).
  • The Pirates signed ninth rounder Clay Holmes, who was asking for a $1.2MM bonus, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals signed second rounder Charlie Tilson for $1.275MM, according to Callis (Twitter link). The high schooler is a speedy leadoff type who plays center field.
  • The Dodgers signed fourth rounder Ryan O'Sullivan for $100K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers signed 18th rounder Chris McFarland for $315K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The high school infielder has solid tools across the board.
  • The Cubs signed hard-throwing college reliever Tony Zych, a fourth rounder, for $400K, tweets Callis.  The Cubs also signed 25th round pick Rock Shoulders for $294K, tweets Callis.  The first baseman came out of a Florida junior college.
  • The Diamondbacks signed fifth round pick Michael Perez for $235K, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Perez is a high school catcher out of Puerto Rico.

Nationals Sign Matt Purke

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The Nationals signed third rounder Matt Purke to a four-year Major League deal, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The deal is worth roughly $4.4MM.

The Rangers drafted Purke in 2009, selecting him 14th overall out of high school. The following season, Purke was named National Freshman of the Year at TCU.

Nationals Sign Anthony Rendon

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The Nationals have signed sixth overall pick Anthony Rendon, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Rendon obtained a four-year Major League deal that includes a $6MM bonus and a $7.2MM guarantee. Tim Dierkes explained Major League deals for draft picks earlier today. The Boras Corporation represents the third baseman.

Earlier in the year, I spoke to Rendon about his health and the team he rooted for growing up. Here's the transcript.

You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.

Nationals Sign Alex Meyer

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The Nationals have signed first round pick Alex Meyer for $2MM, according to John Manuel of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Boras Corporation represents the 6'9" right-hander, who was the 23rd overall selection in the June draft. The Red Sox selected Meyer out of high school in the 20th round of the 2008 draft.

You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.

Draft Links: Angels, Purke, Nimmo, Blue Jays, Cubs

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We're closing in on Monday night's deadline to sign picks from the 2011 Draft. Remember you can see our updated list of first and supplemental round picks who have signed on MLBTR's sidebar, and here's some more of the latest news:

  • Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Angels signed fourth-rounder Michael Clevinger for a $250K bonus — about $50K over slot. Clevinger is a junior college right-hander who throws 93-95mph.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo spent the weekend in Houston, negotiating with Peter Vescovo, the representatitve for third-round pick Matt Purke, writes the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Purke was originally drafted by the Rangers 14th overall in 2009 but elected to pitch at TCU and had some shoulder troubles this year.
  • A Mets official told ESPN's Adam Rubin that the organization is confident a deal with first-rounder Brandon Nimmo will be completed prior to the deadline. The Mets selected Nimmo, a high school outfielder from Wyoming, 13th overall.
  • The Blue Jays announced in a press release that the club has agreed to terms with three right-handers: third-round pick John Stilson, sixth-round pick Anthony Desclafani, and eighth-round pick Matt Biggs.
  • Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Cubs agreed to terms with their 41st-round pick, Austin Urban, on a $100K bonus. 

Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics

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The A's announced that they have hired former MLB player and manager Phil Garner as a special advisor. The 62-year-old played for 16 seasons and managed for another 15. Here are the latest links from around MLB… 

  • Arthur Rhodes told B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies all had interest in signing with him before he joined the Cardinals (Twitter link). The Phillies wanted the veteran lefty to pitch in the minors before adding him to the big league roster.
  • "What you see is what you’re gonna get," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman to Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Cashman doesn't expect to make any waiver trades this month.
  • The Associated Press (via ESPN Deportes) reports that former Giants prospect Angel Villalona is suing the team for $5MM, citing unlawful termination of his contract. Villalona, once ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the game by Baseball America, has not played since 2009 after being charged with murder in the Dominican Republic.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that MLB needs a salary floor (a minimum payroll) because certain teams aren't going to spend any more than they have to. However, the players' union has traditionally opposed salary caps and floors. 
  • Ian Kennedy told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he would listen if the D’Backs approached him about a long-term deal.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn't know Ron Roenicke before interviewing him for Milwaukee's managerial opening last fall. The new skipper has the Brewers in first place, four games ahead of the Cardinals.
  • Joey Votto told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that superstars can be overrated in MLB, since they don't impact the game the way great players do in other sports. I highly recommend Daugherty's piece, in which Votto shows a strong understanding of the business of baseball.
  • Tampa Bay, Arizona, Oakland, Miami and Washington are the five worst markets in MLB for Newsday's Ken Davidoff.

Draft Notes: Mariners, D’Backs, Jays, Marlins, Tigers

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We're less than a week away from the draft signing deadline, so here's the latest news on that front…

  • The Mariners have signed third rounder Carter Capps according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Capps, a right-hander from Mount Olive, was taken with the compensation pick the Mariners received for failing to sign 2010 third rounder Ryne Stanek, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 121st overall pick is $243K.
  • The Mariners have also signed 19th rounder Luke Guarnaccia, reports Baker (Twitter links). Baker notes that Seattle has not yet signed their first, second, third, or fifth round picks.
  • MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks and seventh rounder Ben Roberts are currently "miles apart" in negotiations. Roberts is a high school outfielder from the baseball hotbed known as Missoula, Montana.
  • The Blue Jays have signed fourth rounder Tom Robson for $325K accoridng to ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). Baseball America's Jim Callis says he received a $325K bonus (on Twitter). Robson is a high school right-hander from British Columbia, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 139th pick is $189K.
  • Aaron Fitt and Jim Callis of Baseball America report that the Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh rounder Ryan Rieger on a $200K bonus (Twitter links). Rieger, a first baseman, was committed to Long Beach State after attending the Junior College of the Sequoias. 
  • The Tigers announced on their Twitter feed that they have agreed to terms with second round pick James McCann. The catcher from the University of Arkansas was Detroit's top selection after they surrendered their first rounder to sign Victor Martinez. MLB's slot recommendation for the 76th overall pick is about $478K, but Baseball America's Jim Callis says he signed for approximately $558K (Twitter link).
  • The Yankees have agreed to terms on a $157K bonus with 25th rounder Adam Smith reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). Smith played third base and pitched at Texas A&M, and Rogers describes him as "hard-throwing, but raw." He will sign tomorrow.
  • The Indians have signed 41st rounder Brian Ruiz, they announced in a press release. Ruiz is a hometown kid, a high school outfielder from Cleveland.
  • The Nationals are not expected to sign 15th round pick Zach Houchins according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Houchins, a junior college shortstop from North Carolina, says the team has not contacted him since June, after he posted what were considered racist and homophobic remarks on Twitter.

Minor Moves: Clevelan Santeliz, Miguel Perez

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Here are today's minor moves…

  • The Red Sox have released Clevelan Santeliz according to the Triple-A International League transactions page. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 4.60 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 in 43 relief innings for Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket.
  • The Pirates returned minor league catcher Miguel Perez from the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (on Twitter). The Pirates had acquired Perez from Washington at the end of June. The 27-year-old has appeared in just ten games this year, but has a .269/.322/.343 line in ten seasons as a minor leaguer.
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