For the first time in draft history, teams have exchanged picks.

As part of the deal that will send Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Tigers and Jacob Turner and a pair of prospects (catcher Rob Brantly, lefthander Brian Flynn) to the Marlins, the clubs swapped the picks they won in the competitive-balance lottery last Wednesday.

Designed to give small-market teams and revenue-sharing recipients additional draft picks (and thus extra bonus pool money for the first 10 rounds), the competitive-balance lottery selections are the only choices that may be traded. The Marlins gave up the last pick in the supplemental first round (currently No. 37) for the final pick in the supplemental second round (currently No. 73).

This year, the No. 37 selection had an assigned value of $1,394,300 and the No. 73 choice was worth $701,700. That's a difference of $692,600. Those values will be adjusted based on the growth of industry revenues this year, so how much exactly the Tigers added to their bonus pool and the Marlins subtracted from theirs has yet to be determined.

Competitive-balance lottery picks can't be traded more than once, so these two selections won't change hands again. The lottery choices can only be traded during a regular season, up to two hours before the draft.

Changes to baseball's draft from the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement were evident last Friday as the signing deadline for 2012 picks came and went. But another modification, with potential ramifications for the looming July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, happened Wednesday.

Major League Baseball held its first competitive-balance lottery, with the Royals earning the first of six supplemental first-round draft picks.

“Every year it seems we pick 5 and 65,” Royals scouting director Lonnie Goldberg said. “We've always had to sit back and watch a lot of good players go by, so now this puts a lot of extra players in play.”

The first six lottery selections will follow the 31 first-round choices, as well as any free-agent compensation choices. Because the compensation rules will change dramatically this offseason, there will be fewer supplemental first-rounders than in years past and the lottery selections likely will come at the top of the supplemental round.

[...] Continue Reading »

Teams spent $207.9 million on draft bonuses in 2012, the second-highest total ever. The record was set a year ago, when the clubs combined to spend $228 million on bonuses and another $8.1 million on guaranteed salaries as part of major league contracts.

With new draft rules allocating specific bonus pools and prescribing harsh draft-pick penalties to teams that exceeded them by more than 5 percent, several clubs changed their shopping patterns. The Pirates and Nationals were the two biggest draft spenders under the old Collective Bargaining Agreement, which covered the 2007-11 seasons. Pittsburgh plummeted from a record $17 million in 2011 to $3.8 million this year, while Washington dropped from $15 million (and another $2.6 million in salary guarantees) to $4.9 million.

On the other side of the spectrum, both the Twins and Astros had ranked in the bottom third in bonus spending under the old CBA. With the top two draft slots and bonus pools this year, Minnesota and Houston led all clubs by paying $12.6 million and $12.1 million in bonuses, respectively.

Editor's note: This chart has been updated from its original version to reflect the Astros' signing of seventh-rounder Preston Tucker for $100,000 (July 18), the Red Sox' signing of 40th-rounder Kevin Heller for $1,000 (Aug. 8), the Pirates' signing of 21st-rounder Jordan Steranka for $1,000 (Aug. 31), the White Sox' signings of 29th-rounder Jason Coats (Jan. 8) and 39th-rounder Mitch Glasser (Jan. 15) for $1,000 each, and the Athletics' signing of 31st-rounder Ryan Gorton for $1,000 (April 9).

Most teams spent very close to their allocated bonus pools, which cover the first 10 rounds and any bonus money over $100,000 paid to players in subsequent rounds. The Pct. column below reflects the percentage of pool money spent by a club, while the Plus/Minus column shows how much a team spent below/above its pool once the money for unsigned players in the top 10 rounds was removed.

The Yankees ($406,300) and Twins ($298,500) saved the most money versus their bonus pools, though that wasn't necessarily their intention. New York renegotiated its bonus with first-rounder Ty Hensley (from $1.6 million to $1.2 million) and Minnesota did the same with sixth-rounder Andre Martinez ($260,000 to $80,000) after physical examinations prompted questions about their shoulders.

No club exceeded their bonus pool by more than 5 percent, which would have resulted in the loss of a 2013 first-round pick. The Blue Jays came within $341 of doing so and are one of 10 teams that must pay a 75 percent tax on their pool overage.

The tax bill for those teams comes to $1,588,193. The tax money will be divided up among 12 revenue-sharing recipients who didn't exceed their bonus pools: the Athletics, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rays, Reds, Rockies and Tigers. The Cardinals and Royals also would have qualified for tax proceeds if they hadn't surpassed their pools.

Editor's note: This chart has been updated from its original version to reflect the Astros' signing of seventh-rounder Preston Tucker for $100,000 on July 18.

When MLB and the MLB Players Association negotiated assigned pick values for the purposes of determining bonus pools for the first 10 rounds, their numbers closely matched how the market played out in the first year of the new draft rules. The top 50 bonuses totaled $104.2 million, while the first 50 values added up to $105.8 million. That relationship stayed close throughout the first 10 rounds, as the 338 pick values totaled $189.9 million and the 338 highest bonuses equaled $190.2 million. By contrast, when MLB unilaterally determined slot recommendations a year ago, the top 50 bonuses ($120.5 million) were 72 percent higher than the first 50 slots ($70 million).

Three of the five highest bonuses in draft history were paid in 2011, including a record $8 million to No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole by the Pirates. This year, the largest bonus went to No. 2 overall choice Byron Buxton, whose $6 million from the Twins tied for the 11th-most ever.

Four unsigned 2012 draftees will yield compensation picks in the 2013 draft:

FIRST ROUND

9. Pirates (for Mark Appel)

SECOND OR THIRD ROUND*

76. Mets (for Teddy Stankiewicz)

96. Phillies (for Alec Rash)

SUPPLEMENTAL THIRD ROUND

tba. Athletics (for Kyle Twomey)

*Stankiewicz and Rash were second-rounder in 2012, but with many fewer projected supplemental first-round picks and six supplemental second-round picks next year, it's possible their related compensation picks will fall in the third round. The Phillies' comp pick for Rash almost certainly will be a third-rounder.

With 15 minutes to go before today's Friday 5 p.m. Eastern signing deadline, 15 picks in the top 10 rounds remained unsigned. From top to bottom, here's what happened with them:

Kevin Gausman (Orioles, first round, No. 4 overall): Signed for $4.32 million. That made him one of the few players to get more than his assigned pick value ($4.2 million ) in the first round. He got the third-highest bonus in the draft, behind No. 2 overall pick Byron Buxton ($6 million) and No. 1 overall choice Carlos Correa ($4.8 million).

Mark Appel (Pirates, first round, No. 8 overall): Did not sign. A source said Pittsburgh offered him $3.8 million, the most it could without forfeiting a 2013 first-round pick. Considered the likely No. 1 overall choice before the draft, he will return to Stanford for his senior season.

Lucas Giolito (Nationals, first round, No. 16 overall): Signed for $2,925,000. He likely would have gone in the top three picks had he not injured his elbow in March. While he didn't get the money he would have commanded at the top of the draft, he got well in excess of his $2,125,000 pick value. [...] Continue Reading »

As reported by Baseball America's Jim Callis, the Pirates were not able to come to terms with No. 8 overall pick, Stanford righthander Mark Appel. He's the only first-round pick who didn't sign this year.

Callis reports that a source told him that the Pirates offered Appel $3.8 million, the most they could have paid him without giving up a first-round pick as penalty. 

Appel will return to Stanford for his senior season after going 10-2, 2.56 as a junior with 130 strikeouts in 123 innings. He has a workhorse build at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds to go along with his mid-90s fastball that touches 98. He throws a hard slider that has the potential to be an out pitch and his changeup has improved.

The Pirates will receive the No. 9 pick in next year's draft as compensation for not signing Appel.

As reported by Baseball America's Jim Callis, the Orioles signed Louisiana State righthander Kevin Gausman for $4.32 million shortly before the 5 p.m. Eastern deadline.

Gausman, the No. 4 overall pick, was a draft-eligible sophomore with two premium pitches in his 94-96 mph fastball that touches 98 and his 85-86 mph changeup. Scouts have questions about his breaking ball, as he switched between a curveball and a slider during his college career. He still went 12-2, 2.77 as a sophomore for the Tigers with a 135-28 strikeout-walk ratio in 124 innings.

As reported by Baseball America's Jim Callis, the Nationals signed one of the best talents in the 2012 draft class, righthander Lucas Giolito, for $2,925,000.

Teammates with lefthander Max Fried at Harvard-Westlake High (Studio City, Calif.), Giolito was considered to be a strong candidate to be the first-ever high school righthander to be picked first overall. But a slight tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in March in his right elbow kept him out of games for the rest of the season. He began throwing on flat ground in early May and fell to the Nationals at 16th overall in the draft.

When healthy, Giolito sits in the mid 90s with his fastball and even touched 100 this spring. His curveball is a well-above-average pitch that sits in the mid 80s and he also works with a plus changeup that is 82-84 mph.

The Rays have signed first-round pick Richie Shaffer for $1.71 million.

Some scouting directors considered Shaffer the best offensive player from the college crop in this year's draft. The Clemson third baseman hit .336 with 10 homers and 63 walks in 63 games this spring. He shows power to all fields and has the arm strength for the hot corner.

Shaffer's bonus was $15,000 less than the assigned $1,725,000 value for his No. 25 overall slot. Tampa Bay has saved $46,700 versus its bonus pool for the top 10 rounds.

View our Rays Draft Database here.

Note: The original version of this blog post incorrectly reported Shaffer's bonus as $1,712,500.

After telling Andrew Heaney on Tuesday that they wouldn't sign him and confirming that yesterday, the Marlins have agreed to terms with their first-round pick for $2.6 million.

A lefthander from Oklahoma State, Heaney was the most polished pitcher available in the draft. He sits at 90-92 mph with his fastball and command his solid breaking ball and changeup as well. Heaney's bonus was $200,000 less than the $2.8 million assigned value for his No. 9 selection.

Miami now has saved $316,000 versus the values of its signed players in the first 10 rounds, and likely will sign third-rounder Avery Romero and 19th-rounder Cody Gunter later today.

View our Marlins Draft Database here.

Sweeping changes to baseball's draft rules have led to a drastically different signing deadline day.

A year ago, when MLB tried to limit bonus spending through an informal slotting system, 23 of 33 first-round picks were unsigned on deadline day (Aug. 15). Eleven of 27 supplemental first-rounders hadn't come to terms, and 98 of the 331 selections in the first 10 rounds hadn't done so. The commissioner's office pressured clubs into delaying lucrative offers and announcing extravagant deals for as long as possible.

With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement levying harsh penalties for teams that exceed their assigned bonus pools—such as the loss of a first-round pick for an overage of more than 5 percent—MLB has taken a laissez-faire attitude and let the rules work as intended.

So despite the deadline being moved up more than a month to today, almost all of the top choices have signed. Just five of the 31 first-rounders haven't turned pro, and one of those (Rays third baseman Richie Shaffer) has agreed to terms. All 29 supplemental first-rounders are under contract, and all but 17 of the 338 choices in the top 10 rounds have signed. [...] Continue Reading »

The Yankees have signed first-round pick Ty Hensley, a righthander from Santa Fe HS in Edmond, Okla., for $1.2 million. 

Hensley originally agreed to a $1.6 million bonus shortly after the draft, matching the assigned pick value for his 30th overall selection. But during his physical on June 8, an MRI revealed an abnormality in his right shoulder.

Hensley never has had a shoulder injury or pain, and he consistently impressed scouts during the spring. He repeatedly worked at 92-95 mph and touched 96-97 with his fastball. Scouts considered his upper-70s curveball even better than his fastball. He's a 6-foot-5, 220-pound athlete who also played quarterback at Santa Fe and showed power from both sides of the plate. He had been committed to Mississippi.

"People have told me all along that there was the game of baseball and the business of baseball," Hensley said in a statement released by his adviser, Rob Martin of ICON Sports. "All I know is that I’m ready to get back to playing baseball. I’m healthy and throwing up to 98 mph and have never had any shoulder trouble, period. At the end of the day I have decided that the best place for me to prove that this ‘abnormal’ is my ‘normal’ is on the field in pro ball, and I can't think of an organization I’d rather do it with than the New York Yankees. I feel blessed to be a part of an organization with such history and I’m ready to work!"

Hensley also said he was happy with how the Yankees treated him during the signing process.

"They have had to work through things just like I have," he said. "We are in this together. A deal like this says they want me and I want them. By being honest about what happened, I’m hoping that this situation will lead to a better understanding of medicals like mine in the future.  There’s no sense in being bitter about my reduced bonus or medical situation. I’m still living a dream and grateful for the opportunity. Right now I think we all just want to put this behind us and concentrate on the impact I can have on the Yankees now and in the future."

By saving $400,000 on Hensley's bonus versus his pick value, New York is now $406,300 under budget with its bonus pool for the first 10 rounds.

View our Yankees Draft Database here.

The Cubs have agreed with No. 6 overall pick Albert Almora on a $3.9 million bonus, pending the outcome of a physical on Monday.

A center fielder from Mater Academy (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.) and a perennial standout on U.S. national teams, Almora was the most polished high school player available in the draft. The sixth overall selection, he has plus tools across the board and even better instincts. He could develop into a .300 hitter with 20 homers per season. He had committed to Miami.

Almora's bonus exceeded the assigned value for the No. 6 pick by $650,000, leaving the Cubs $373,800 above their $7,933,900 bonus pool for the first 10 rounds. They'll pay a 75-percent tax on the overage as a penalty under the new draft rules, a bill that will come to $280,350.

View our Cubs Draft Database here.

The Cubs and Duane Underwood have agreed on a $1.05 million bonus, pending a physical on Monday. That's the third-highest bonus in the second round this year, trailing only Carson Kelly ($1.6 million, Cardinals) and Joe DeCarlo ($1.3 million, Mariners).

A righthander from Pope HS in Marietta, Ga., Underwood was inconsistent this spring but lights out at his best. At times, his fastball sits at 91-94 mph and tops out at 98, and he also shows aptitude for spinning a curveball. One of the youngest players in the 2012 draft—he doesn't turn 18 until July 20—he had committed to Georgia.

Though Underwood's bonus exceeds the $769,600 assigned value for his No. 67 slot, the Cubs are still $276,200 under budget for their signings in the top 10 rounds. Their only unsigned player in that range is No. 6 overall choice Albert Almora, whom Chicago can pay up to $3,922,895 without forfeiting a future first-round selection.

View our complete Cubs Draft Database here.

The final game for this year's Prospect Classic ended in a 6-6 tie, but there were several standout performances. . .

• Oregon State outfielder Michael Conforto went 3-for-4 in the game with a double.

"I'm seeing the ball really well right now, especially against some really good pitchers," Conforto said. "I couldn't ask for a better game today and I'm feeling really good."

Hitting well is nothing new for Conforto, who hit .349/.438/.601 as a freshman last season, while leading the Pacific 12 conference in home runs with 13.

"He's got a great swing and. . . when you drive in 76 runs or whatever it ended up being in the Northwest, that's legit," Oregon head coach and Team USA assistant coach George Horton said. "We're in the same state, so we follow each other closely and those RBIs were clutch RBIs, as well. He hit third against right and lefthanded pitchers and, unfortunately, we're going to have to figure out a way to get him out the next couple years, but it's good to have him in my dugout.

"He's a tremendous player who has a bright future."
[...] Continue Reading »

The Padres have agreed to terms with supplemental first-round pick Walker Weickel on a $2 million bonus.

The last of the 29 sandwich picks in this year's draft to turn pro, Weickel more than doubled the $925,900 assigned value for his No. 55 selection. He's the sixth player to receive $1 million or more above his pick value, joining Lance McCullers Jr. (Astros, supplemental first round), Matt Smoral (Blue Jays, supplemental first), Carson Kelly (Cardinals, second), Rio Ruiz (Astros, fourth) and Ty Buttrey (Red Sox, fourth).

A righthander from Olympia HS in Orlando (which also produced Reds sandwich-rounder Jesse Winker), Weickel is a projectable 6-foot-6, 200-pounder who shows a low-90s fastball at his best. He has the potential for three average or better pitches once he fills out. He had committed to Miami.

Weickel was the last unsigned Padres draft pick in the top 10 rounds. They currently stand at $90,100 under their bonus pool allotment of $9,903,100.

View our Padres Draft Database here.

The Blue Jays signed Marcus Stroman, their second of two first-round choices, for $1.8 million. His bonus matches the assigned value for his No. 22 overall selection.

Several scouting directors thought Stroman had the most electric arm in the draft, but he lasted 22 picks because he's 5-foot-9. Though he lacks size, the Duke righthander works at 92-94 mph and touches 96 with his fastball as a starter. His slider is even more devastating than his heater. If Toronto elects to develop him as a reliever, he could be the first player from the 2012 draft to reach the majors, and it's possible he could contribute in September if needed.

The Blue Jays have now signed all 14 of their players in the first 10 rounds, coming in at $110,200 over their allocated bonus pool of $8,830,800. They'll pay a 75 percent tax on their overage, which comes to $82,650.

View our Blue Jays Draft Database here.