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2012 Amateur Draft

Draft Notes: Pirates, Athletics, Orioles, Cubs, Indians

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Teams have until 4pm CDT to sign their picks from this year's Rule 4 draft, so teams and advisors are in for a busy afternoon. We'll track the draft-related news here:

  • Third round selection Avery Romero signed with the ‪Marlins‬ for $700K, Conor Glassey of Baseball America tweets.
  • The Pirates signed 17th rounder Hayden Hurst for $400K, Callis tweets. Hurst appears to have obtained the second-biggest deal for players selected after the tenth round.
  • The Athletics signed second round selection Nolan Sanburn for $710K, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.
  • Top Orioles pick Kevin Gausman is in Baltimore and a press conference will be held at 5pm CDT if the sides agree by today's 4pm CDT deadline, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • The Cubs announced that they signed second round selection Duane Underwood. The high school right-hander doesn't turn 18 until next week. The Cubs reportedly agreed to a $1.05MM deal with Underwood.
  • The Indians signed eighth round selection Caleb Hamrick, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The high school right-hander obtained a $180K bonus.
  • You can track every unsigned selection at Baseball America. The list includes the four remaining unsigned first rounders: fourth overall selection Gausman (likely to sign with Orioles), eighth overall selection Mark Appel (Pirates), 16th overall selection Lucas Giolito (Nationals) and 25th overall selection Richie Shaffer (nearing deal with Rays). 
  • The Orioles' expected agreement with Gausman will be worth "around" $4.2MM, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
  • It's unlikely the Pirates will sign Appel, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Heyman suggests there's a possibility of intervention from MLB officials.
  • The Marlins agreed to sign first round selection Andrew Heaney, in case you missed it.

Rays Sign Richie Shaffer

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The Rays announced that they have agreed to sign first round selection Richie Shaffer. Shaffer obtained a bonus of $1.7125MM, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.

Schaffer, a third baseman selected out of Clemson, has big-time power and the ability to hit for average, according to Baseball America. Most teams saw him as a future first baseman entering the draft. MLB recommended a bonus of $1.725MM for the 25th overall selection.

Marlins To Sign Andrew Heaney

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The Marlins have agreed to sign first round selection Andrew Heaney, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports. The Oklahoma State left-hander obtained a $2.6MM bonus just one day after an agreement seemed highly unlikely.

The Marlins selected Heaney with the ninth overall pick in last month's draft after he established himself as the best college southpaw available. MLB recommends a $2.8MM bonus for the ninth overall selection. There are now just four unsigned first round selections remaining.

Orioles “Seem Likely” To Sign Kevin Gausman

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The Orioles have made "significant progress" in negotiations with first-round draft pick Kevin Gausman and a "deal seems likely" before tomorrow's signing deadline, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. 

It was just three days ago that Gausman seemed to be leaning towards pitching for LSU, though the O's increased their contract offer in the interim.  Baltimore's previous offer that was "close" to the $4.2MM recommended slot bonus for the fourth overall pick, while Gausman and his reprentatives were known to be looking for a bonus of slightly beyond $4.2MM.  The two sides have until 4 PM CST on Friday to complete an agreement.

Yankees Sign Ty Hensley

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The Yankees have signed first-round draft pick Ty Hensley, reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (Twitter links).  The two sides agreed to a $1.2MM bonus, below the recommended slot price of $1.6MM for the 30th overall pick. 

There could be some intrigue in the signing, as Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that Hensley and the Yankees agreed to terms on a $1.6MM bonus in June before an MRI revealed "abnormalities" in his pitching shoulder.  As a result, Hensley's bonus was reduced by $400K, though the right-hander said in a statement released through his advisor that he was happy with how the Yankees treated him during the process.

Hensley, a high-schooler from Oklahoma, had committed to pitch for the University of Mississippi before being drafted by New York.  He is described by Baseball America's John Manuel as having a plus curveball that may be even better than his fastball, which has touched 97-mph.  Hensley's makeup and work ethic has also been praised by scouts.

Draft Notes: Indians, Giolito, Gausman, Mets

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We're less than a day away from the draft signing deadline, as teams have until 4 PM CST on Friday to sign their picks.  Here's the latest on the status of some high-round picks who have yet to agree to terms, plus some signings…

  • The Indians have signed fourth-round pick D'vone McClure, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  McClure signed for a $750K bonus, more than double the recommended slot price of $314.7K.
  • The Nationals can pay Lucas Giolito just under $2.813MM without going over the draft spending cap, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, citing calculations from Baseball America.  MLB's recommended slot price for the 16th overall pick is $2.125MM.  Kilgore outlines the situation surrounding Giolito, who the Nats say they will not sign to a contract that puts them over the spending cap and causes the team to incur a fine.
  • "We are making progress. We’re waiting to hear their next proposal," Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) about the club's negotiations with first-rounder Kevin Gausman.  The fourth overall pick has a slot price of $4.2MM, which Gausman and his representatives are looking to "slightly" exceed, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
  • The Mets are at a "standstill" with second-round pick Teddy Stankiewicz, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  Callis hears that Stankiewicz is willing to sign for the recommended slot price for the 75th overall pick ($680.4K) but the Mets haven't offered that large of a bonus.
  • The Giants have signed third-rounder Mac Williamson, tweets Baseball America's Nathan Robe.  Williamson will receive a $390K bonus, which is under the $412.3K recommended price for the 115th overall pick.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo outlines the rules of the newly-instituted Competitive Balance Lottery, which takes place on July 18 and will distribute six total bonus picks among low-revenue and small-market teams for the 2013 amateur draft.

Rays, Richie Shaffer Nearing Deal

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The Rays are "very close" to a deal with first round draft pick Richie Shaffer, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). The sides have until tomorrow at 4pm CDT to reach an agreement.

Schaffer, a third baseman selected out of Clemson, has big-time power and the ability to hit for average, according to Baseball America. Most teams saw him as a future first baseman entering the draft. MLB recommends a bonus of $1.725MM for the 25th overall selection.

Marlins, Heaney Not Expected To Reach Deal

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The Marlins have informed first round draft choice Andrew Heaney that they won't sign him, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (Twitterlinks). The Marlins have yet to offer close to the recommended bonus of $2.8MM, Callis adds. The Marlins offered just $2.6MM and won’t sign Heaney, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel reports.

The Marlins selected the Oklahoma State left-hander with the ninth overall pick in last month's draft. The sides have until tomorrow at 4pm CDT to agree to terms. Heaney entered the draft as the best college southpaw available, according to Baseball America. He's presently one of six unsigned first round selections. However, Callis can't see the Marlins walking away from such a high pick.

Draft Notes: Giants, Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays

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The deadline to sign draft picks is 4pm CT this Friday. Here are the latest deals…

  • The Giants signed second round pick Martin Agosta for $613K, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The right-hander can touch 96 mph and his fastball regularly checks in between 90-92 mph.
  • The Orioles have made a new offer to fourth overall pick Kevin Gausman and "still feel pretty confident" they will sign him, reports Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. Earlier this week we heard that the right-hander from LSU was leaning towards returning to school for his senior season.
  • The Blue Jays have signed 15th rounder Ryan Borucki to an above-slot $426K bonus, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The high school right-hander from Illinois can throw his fastball in the low-90s but had an elbow issue in March.

Cubs Sign Albert Almora

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JULY 11th: The Cubs have officially announce the signing in a press release. Almora will report to the team's complex in Mesa.

JULY 9th: The Cubs have agreed to sign first round selection Albert Almora, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The high school outfielder obtains a $3.9MM bonus.

MLB recommended a $3.25MM bonus for Almora, the sixth overall selection in last month's draft. The outfielder has lots of tools and polish, Callis notes. The Cubs have now agreed to terms with their first 20 selections from the draft. Just six first round selections remain unsigned with four days to go before this Friday's deadline for signing draft picks.

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