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2010 Amateur Draft

Rangers Agree With First-Rounders Deglan, Skole

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WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: The Rangers agreed to terms with both Deglan and Skole, tweets Wilson.  We learned earlier that Deglan's deal is worth $1MM, while MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo tweets that Skole agreed to a $1.557MM deal.

TUESDAY, 7:58am: ESPN's Richard Durrett confirmed the Rangers' agreement with Deglan last night.  He also noted that the team's #15 pick, high school outfielder Jake Skole, is close to signing.  Skole already told Georgia Tech he won't be attending, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  It's a pair of affordable first-rounders for Texas, though it should be noted that they had to be safe with #15 because they would not get a pick next year if the player doesn't sign.

MONDAY, 9:01pm: Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus hears that the Rangers have agreed to a $1MM deal with catcher Kellin Deglan (Twitter link). The Rangers selected the 18-year-old British Colombia native 22nd overall with their second pick of the first round.

List Of 2010 First Rounders To Sign

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Between now and August 16th, most of the players below will reach agreements with their teams. Some, like Drew Storen in 2009, will sign almost immediately and begin their pro careers. Others, like Stephen Strasburg in 2009, will sign seconds before the deadline. Here's where we'll keep track of the bonuses that first rounders, supplemental rounders and other noteworthy picks obtain. From now on, you'll be able to find this post on the right side of the site, under MLBTR Features.

Updated 8-16-10

  1. Nationals – Bryce Harper – Signed for $9.9MM
  2. Pirates – Jameson Taillon - Signed for $6.5MM
  3. Orioles – Manny Machado - Signed for $5.25MM
  4. Royals – Christian Colon - Agreed to sign for $2.75MM
  5. Indians – Drew Pomeranz - Agreed to sign for $2.65MM
  6. Diamondbacks – Barret Loux - Did not sign
  7. Mets – Matt Harvey - Signed for $2.525MM
  8. Astros – Delino DeShields Jr. - Agreed to sign for $2.15MM
  9. Padres – Karsten Whitson - Did not sign
  10. Athletics – Michael Choice - Agreed to sign for $2MM
  11. Blue Jays – Deck McGuire - Signed for $2MM
  12. Reds – Yasmani Grandal - Will sign for about $3MM
  13. White Sox – Chris Sale – Agreed to sign for $1.656MM
  14. Brewers – Dylan Covey – Did not sign
  15. Rangers – Jake Skole - Agreed to sign for $1.557MM 
  16. Cubs – Hayden Simpson - Signed $1.06MM
  17. Rays – Josh Sale - Signed for $1.62MM
  18. Angels – Kaleb Cowart - Signed for $2.3MM 
  19. Astros – Michael Foltynewicz - Signed for $1.305MM
  20. Red Sox – Kolbrin Vitek - Agreed to sign for $1.359MM
  21. Twins – Alex Wimmers - Signed for $1.332MM
  22. Rangers – Kellin Deglan - Agreed to sign for $1MM
  23. Marlins – Christian Yelich - Signed for $1.7MM
  24. Giants – Gary Brown - Agreed to sign for about $1.3MM
  25. Cardinals – Zack Cox - Signed for $3.2MM
  26. Rockies – Kyle Parker - Signed for $1.4MM
  27. Phillies – Jesse Biddle - Agreed to sign for $1.16MM 
  28. Dodgers – Zach Lee - Signed for $5.25MM
  29. Angels – Cam Bedrosian - Signed for $1.116MM
  30. Angels – Chevez Clarke - Signed for $1.089MM
  31. Rays – Justin O'Conner - Signed for $1.025MM
  32. Yankees – Cito Culver - Signed for $954K

    Supplemental Round Selections:

  33. Astros – Michael Kvasnicka - Signed for $936K
  34. Blue Jays – Aaron Sanchez – Signed for $775K
  35. Braves – Matthew Lipka - Signed for $800K
  36. Red Sox – Bryce Brentz - Signed for $889K
  37. Angels – Taylor Lindsey - Agreed to sign for $873K
  38. Blue Jays – Noah Syndergaard - Signed for $600K
  39. Red Sox – Anthony Ranaudo - Signed for $2.55MM
  40. Angels – Ryan Bolden - Signed for $830K
  41. Blue Jays – Asher Wojciechowski – Signed for $815K
  42. Rays – Drew Vettleson - Signed for $845K
  43. Mariners – Taijuan Walker - Agreed to sign for $800K
  44. Tigers – Nick Castellanos - Signed for $3.45MM
  45. Rangers – Luke Jackson - Agreed to sign for $1.545MM
  46. Cardinals – Seth Blair - Signed for $751,500
  47. Rockies – Peter Tago - Signed for $983K
  48. Tigers – Chance Ruffin - Signed for $1.15MM
  49. Rangers – Mike Olt - Signed for $717K
  50. Cardinals – Tyrell Jenkins - Agreed to sign for $1.3MM

Draft Notes: Phillies, Brentz, Rays, Harper, Whitson

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The reactions and updates keep trickling in, as last year's first overall pick prepares to make his much-anticipated major league debut…

  • The Cubs selected Bryan Harper, Bryce's older brother, in the 26th round, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
  • Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the team is "very close" to signing first rounder Jesse Biddle (Twitter link).
  • Red Sox supplementary rounder Byrce Brentz will sign for slot money, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. That should be an $891K bonus for Brentz, who was close to a deal just hours after the draft.
  • Rays second round pick Jacob Thompson tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he's ready to sign. The right-hander says he doesn't want to play "hardball" with the Rays (figuratively speaking, that is).
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he hopes to sign Bryce Harper and get his pro career started before the mid-August deadline for signing picks (Twitter link).
  • The Nationals plan to have Harper play outfield, not catcher, according to Ben Goessling of MASN.com.
  • Harper told the media that he intends on working out, having fun and fishing this summer, according to Goessling. In other words, don't expect the phenom to sign right away.
  • The Giants took Brett Bochy (manager Bruce's son) with their 20th round pick, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
  • Not to be outdone, the Rockies drafted manager Jim Tracy's son, Mark, in the 22nd round, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
  • The White Sox selected Ozney Guillen in the 22nd round, but Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says Guillen won't likely sign (Twitter link).
  • And before those three teams made their selections, the Tigers picked Patrick Leyland in the eighth round, according to Steve Kornacki of MLive.com.
  • Houston's top three picks all told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle that they expect to sign. Delino DeShields Jr., Mike Foltynewicz and Michael Kvasnicka could all be in the Astros' system before long.
  • Padres executive Paul DePodesta explains that the club selected high school righty Karsten Whitson with its first round pick because of his upside, even though the pitcher's development could take years.
  • Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer explained to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the Yankees trust their scouts, even if it means surprising people with picks like Cito Culver.
  • The Tigers announced that director of player development Glenn Ezell stepped down. The timing is odd, to say the least.

Christian Colon “Ready To Go” At Short Or Second

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Fourth overall pick Christian Colon says his game is polished enough to take him to the majors before long and he's not the only one who thinks so. Rival executives told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Cal State Fullerton shortstop could reach the majors by next year. The Royals have to sign Colon for that to happen, and the 21-year-old says he hasn't thought about the terms of or timeline for a deal.

"I haven't talked to anybody about it," he said. "[The Royals] know that I'm ready to go. They know that I want to play."

ESPN.com's Keith Law suspects that the Royals have the framework of a deal in place with Colon and his agent, Scott Boras. Colon isn't concerning himself with the negotiations, but the Royals have already earned points for style.

"I think the Kansas City hat looks really good on me," Colon said.

The shortstop likes watching Elvis Andrus and Derek Jeter, but some project him as a second baseman. Colon grew up watching Roberto Alomar and now likes watching Martin Prado, so he says he's open to a positional change.

"I see myself as a shortstop," he said. "But if the Kansas City Royals see me as a second baseman, then I'm all for it."

Colon, who says he has become stronger since the Padres drafted him in 2007, repeatedly referred to himself as a "born leader" during this afternoon's media conference call. He could soon join recent first rounders Billy Butler (2004), Alex Gordon (2005), Luke Hochevar (2006), Mike Moustakas (2007), Eric Hosmer (2008) and Aaron Crow (2009) in the Kansas City organization.

Taijuan Walker Hopes To Get Started

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Ask Taijuan Walker to describe himself and he'll tell you that the Mariners selected a “considerate” young man with their supplementary round selection this year. Ask scouts to describe the 17-year-old they saw throwing mid-90s fastballs and “considerate” will probably not be the first word they use. They’ll tell you about a pitcher with a lively fastball and a promising, but inconsistent curve.

Walker may soon be able to show those pitches off in the Mariners’ system, since he has tentative plans to sit down and discuss a deal with the M’s once he graduates from high school this week.

“I want to get signed,” Walker said on a conference call today.

Walker was a promising hitter in high school and admires Mariners bats like Ichiro and Chone Figgins, but doesn’t mind giving up on hitting to focus on pitching.

Follow The MLB Draft’s Second Day

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Day 2 of the MLB draft is underway, with the Nationals taking college lefty Sammy Solis.  The Pirates followed their #2 overall Jameson Taillon pick with a second big hig school arm, Stetson Allie.  Allie dropped to #52 due to a rumored $3MM price tag, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.  The Red Sox took college righty Brandon Workman with another notable pick, while James Paxton fell all the way to the Mariners at #132.  Conor Glassey of Baseball America offers commentary on the second round here.

MLB.com's Draft Tracker is the place to be to follow along.

Keith Law’s First-Day Draft Reactions

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ESPN's Keith Law found yesterday's first round insane.  To fully understand why you should join ESPN Insider and read his piece, which I heartily recommend.  A few highlights:

  • Law found it interesting that the Brewers snagged high school righty Dylan Covey at #14, because they are a team in need of more immediate rotation help.  GM Doug Melvin explained to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that scouting director Bruce Seid deserves credit for not taking the easy path in the form of a college hurler.  On yesterday's conference call, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith learned that Covey feels there's a "really good chance" he'll sign rather than attend the University of San Diego.
  • Law felt that the Reds took the best player available at #12 in college catcher Yasmani Grandal, and having strong catching depth in the system will not be a bad thing.
  • The Cardinals drew praise for landing college third baseman Zack Cox, who surprisingly fell to #25.
  • The Red Sox and Angels' many first-round picks were lauded by Law.  College righty Anthony Ranaudo was an intriguing choice by the Red Sox.  The Boras client was considered one of the draft's top talents before suffering a stress reaction in his forearm.  WEEI's Alex Speier has more on Boston's three picks.
  • The biggest surprise of the draft had to be the Cubs taking college righty Hayden Simpson at #16, who was not considered a first rounder by most draft gurus.  Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken told Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune he had it confirmed that other clubs would've taken Simpson before the Cubs picked again at #65.  The Yankees' selection of high school shortstop Cito Culver at #32 was another surprise.
  • The Dodgers took a very tough sign in high school pitcher Zach Lee, who has a commitment to play football at LSU.  Dodgers assistant GM Logan White insisted to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that the team did not purposely take an unsignable player to save money.

O’s Optimistic About Signing Machado

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Manny Machado has heard the Alex Rodriguez comparisons, like everyone else. The Orioles’ first round selection is a big high school shortstop from the Miami area, so A-Rod was an unavoidable point of reference. Machado finds the comparisons flattering – to a point.

“I’m Manny Machado,” he said after celebrating the draft with about 25 family members. “I can’t be like anybody else. You’ve got to be yourself.”

Before long, Machado could be making a name for himself in the same organization as recent first rounders Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz. Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan says he was drawn to Machado’s enthusiasm for the game and, most of all, his talent.

“He’s going to automatically be one of the premier prospects in the organization,” Jordan said.

Technically, the Orioles have to sign Machado before that happens. Whether the shortstop likes the A-Rod comparisons or not, Machado definitely has something in common with Rodriguez: Scott Boras. That connection has intimidated teams before, but Jordan expressed confidence that the Orioles will sign Machado.

“He’s going to be a Baltimore Oriole,” Jordan said. “I have no doubt about that.”

Wieters, another Boras client, obtained the highest bonus in Orioles history when he signed for $6MM in 2007.

Brewers’ First Rounder Covey Hopes To Sign

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Dylan Covey says his friends and family celebrated so much that the house started shaking when the Brewers drafted him tonight. Covey was excited to be chosen in the first round, but the 18-year-old right-hander admits he has a lot to learn about the team that selected him.


“I know they have a slide in the outfield and that’s about it,” he said. “I don’t even think I know how to spell Milwaukee.”

He does know that he wants to start his pro career soon. Covey sounds willing to sign, though he has a college scholarship offer.

“I’m not completely writing college off,” he said. “But there’s a pretty good chance – I would say a really good chance – that I’ll sign.”

Covey and Brewers GM Doug Melvin have until August 16th to work out a deal.

Red Sox Near Agreements With Vitek, Brentz

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Red Sox first rounder Kolbrin Vitek said tonight that he has a "verbal agreement" in place with the Red Sox. Vitek, a 21-year-old college infielder, said on a conference call that he expects to start his pro career soon, since he and the Red Sox have exchanged figures and come to an informal agreement. Alex Speier of WEEI.com hears that Vitek will sign for slot money ($1.36MM in 2009).

GM Theo Epstein said the club is also close to an agreement with supplemental round pick Bryce Brentz. Nothing is official yet, but Epstein says the club could make an announcement or two soon.

"We might have something to announce in the next couple days, pending physicals," Epstein said.

The Red Sox spoke to Vitek, a two-way player in college, about playing third base and that's where he expects to play. Vitek says third base is a  "pretty comfortable" position for him, since he played there his sophomore year.

The Red Sox expect to spend considerably more time negotiating a deal with supplemental rounder Anthony Ranaudo, a Scott Boras client.

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