Archive for August, 2009
Orioles Sign Givens For $800,000



The Orioles have signed second-round pick Mychal Givens for $800,000.



Tate & Sampson Bonus Info



We have confirmed bonuses on two Padres signees. First-rounder Donavan Tate gets $6.25 million payable over four years under MLB provisions for two-sport athletes. Fourth-rounder Keyvius Sampson signed for $600,000.


Tigers Sign Turner



The Tigers have signed No. 9 overall pick Jacob Turner to a major league contract with a $4.7 million bonus (payable over six years, with $1.6 million paid in 2014) and a guaranteed value of $5.5 million. Depending on how quickly he reaches the majors, he could push the total value to nearly $7 million.

The raw bonus is a record for a high school pitcher.

I don’t have an official net present value as calculated by MLB, but it probably comes in around $5 million.


Tigers Sign Oliver For $1.495 Million



The Tigers have signed Oklahoma State lefthander Andy Oliver, their second-round pick, for $1.495 million.



Mets Sign Dotson For $500,000



The Mets have signed 13th-round pick Zach Dotson for $500,000.

A lefthander from Effingham County High (Springfield, Ga.), Dotson has the potential for three solid-or-better pitches. He had committed to Georgia.


Padres Announce Tate



During their game against the Cubs at Petco Park, the Padres just officially announced the signing of No. 3 overall pick Donavan Tate, a deal that has been suspected done for a few hours. No details on the terms yet, but we’ll keep digging.


Brewers Sign Gennett For $260,000



The Brewers have signed Sarasota (Fla.) HS shortstop Scooter Gennett, their 16th-round pick, for $260,000.


Unsigned Trivia Time



Twelve first-round picks remain unsigned with a little less than three hours before the midnight ET deadline. The record for unsigned first-rounders in a single draft is four, in 1979: Juan Bustabad (No. 5, Athletics), Steve Buechele (No. 9, White Sox), Rick Luecken (No. 18, Giants) and Mike Stenhouse (No. 26, Athletics).

There have been four drafts with three unsigned first-rounders (1970, 1971, 1976 and 1989). Aaron Crow (No. 9, Nationals) and Gerritt Cole (No. 28, Yankees) made 2008 the first first round in seven years with multiple unsigned picks.

I’m still optimistic that most of the guys to whom the deadline applies (that doesn’t count Crow with the Royals at No. 12) will sign. We’re just going to have to wait a few hours longer to have that happen.



D’backs Ink Helm For $500,000



The Diamondbacks have signed Hamilton High (Chandler, Ariz.) third baseman Matt Helm for $500,000. That’s the third-highest bonus in the seventh round this year.

Helm would have gone much higher in the draft had he not suffered knee and ankle injuries in the spring. He’s a good hitter with power potential. He had committed to Arizona.


Red Sox Sign Volz For $550,000



The Red Sox have signed Baylor righthander Kendal Volz for $550,000. That’s the second-highest bonus in the ninth round this year.

A righthander, Volz entered 2009 as a potential top-10-overall pick. But he struggled at Baylor and in the Cape Cod League this summer, dropping him in the draft. He showed a 92-95 mph fastball and low-80s slider as a Team USA reliever in the summer of 2008.


Jays Sign Marisnick For $1 Million



The Blue Jays have signed Poly High (Riverside, Calif.) outfielder Jacob Marisnick for $1 million. That’s the third-highest bonus in the third round and more than three times MLB’s $309,600 recommendation for slot No. 106.

Marisnick is a potential five-tool athlete with plus speed and good power potential. He had committed to Oregon.

Toronto has yet to sign sandwich pick James Paxton, second-rounder Jake Eliopoulos or additional third-rounder Jake Barrett.


Yankees Sign Mitchell For $800,000



The Yankees have signed 16th-round pick Bryan Mitchell for $800,000. It’s the third-highest bonus after the 10th round this year, following Orioles signees Michael Ohlman ($995,000, 11th round) and Cameron Coffey ($990,000, 22nd round).

A righthander from Rockingham County High (Reidsville, N.C.), Mitchell throws a lively 90-91 mph fastball and a hard slider. He had committed to North Carolina.


Marlins Sign Berglund For $572,500



The Marlins have signed second-round pick Bryan Berglund for $572,500. His bonus is slightly more than MLB’s $554,400 recommendation for his draft slot (No. 66).

A righthander from Royal High (Simi Valley, Calif.), Berglund has a 90-92 mph fastball and a slider that projects as a possible plus pitch. He had committed to Loyola Marymount.


Phillies Nab Colvin for $900,000



Baseball America has confirmed that Louisiana State signee Brody Colvin has spurned the defending national champions to sign with the Phillies, who drafted him in the seventh round. Colvin signed for $900,000, the second-highest bonus in the seventh round this year and six times the maximum recommended by the commissioner’s office. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound righthander out of St. Thomas More High in Lafayette, La., has a quick arm and power fastball that has reached 94 mph, and scouts expect him to throw harder in the future.

The Phillies have now signed all their draftees through the first 13 rounds. Their top unsigned players are 14th-rounder Jake Stewart, the top athlete in Colorado and a Stanford signee; and 16th-round catcher Andrew Susac, who spent the summer playing for the Corvallis (Ore.) Knights of the West Coast Baseball League, a summer college league. He’s committed to Oregon State.


Cardinals Sign Miller For $2,875,000



The Cardinals have signed first-round pick Shelby Miller for $2,875,000. His bonus is the highest in the first round this year, the second-highest for a drafted player in club history and well over MLB’s $1,386,000 recommendation for the No. 19 slot.

A righthander from Brownwood (Texas) High, Miller had the best high school fastball in the draft, a heater that sits at 92-93 mph, touches 97 and has tremendous life and deception. He had committed to Texas A&M.


Padres Sign Williams For $775,000



The Padres have signed second-round pick Everett Williams for $775,000, slightly above MLB’s $684,000 recommendation for the No. 52 slot.

An outfielder from McCallum High in Austin, Williams was arguably the best hitter among a deep crop of athletic outfielders in this draft. He had committed to Texas.


Padres Getting Closer On Tate



No. 3 overall pick Donavan Tate has been sighted in San Diego, amid reports that a deal with the Padres is imminent. The Cartersville (Ga.) High outfielder was the best athlete in the draft and has a scholarship to play football at North Carolina. When he signs, it’s expected that he’ll receive a bonus worth roughly twice MLB ‘s estimated $3.25 million recommendation for his draft slot, spread over multiple years under MLB provisions for two-sport athletes.

Of course, just because a player is in town to complete a physical before tonight’s midnight ET signing deadline isn’t a guarantee that he’ll sign.

In other Padres news, the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner reported last night that fourth-round pick Keyvius Sampson had signed. We’ve been unable to pinpoint the Forest High (Ocala) righthander’s bonus, but it’s believed to be roughly $600,000, which is mid-second-round money.

 


Brewers Sign Davis For $1.2 Million



The Brewers have signed Tennessee outfielder Kentrail Davis for $1.2 million. That’s the highest bonus in the supplemental first round so far this year.


A’s Sign Stassi For $1.5 Million



The Athletics have signed Yuba City (Calif.) High catcher Max Stassi for $1.5 million. That breaks the fourth-round bonus record set just a few days ago by the Royals’ Chris Dwyer at $1.45 million.


Orioles Sign Ohlman For $995,000



The Orioles have signed 11th-round pick Michael Ohlman for $995,000. With Ohlman and 22nd-rounder Cameron Coffey (who got $990,000), Baltimore has paid the two highest bonuses known after the 10th round this year.

A catcher from Lakewood Ranch High (Bradenton, Fla.), Ohlman stands out for his power, athleticism and arm strength. He had committed to Miami.



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