As the trade deadline draws ever closer, here are three things we’re keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Draft Pick Signing Deadline:
The deadline for clubs to agree to terms with their picks from the 2023 Amateur Draft is at 4pm CT this afternoon. The vast majority of top picks have signed, with only three in the first 100 selections currently unsigned: Walker Jenkins (No. 5 overall, Twins) Jackson Baumeister (No. 63 overall, Orioles), and Jaxon Wiggins (No. 68 overall, Cubs). In the event that Minnesota, Baltimore or Chicago fail to sign their picks, they will receive a compensatory pick in next year’s draft.
2. Yordan nearing return:
Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters yesterday, including Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle, that star slugger Yordan Alvarez is nearing a return to action and could be activated from the injured list as soon as today. Alvarez has been 10-day IL for just over six weeks due to an oblique strain. The Astros are two games back of the Rangers for the AL West lead with a 57-44 record. In 57 games this season, Alvarez has slashed a phenomenal .277/.388/.589, good for a wRC+ of 167 that ranks behind only Corey Seager and Shohei Ohtani among those with at least 240 plate appearances. Alvarez’s return would seemingly result in reduced playing time for outfielder Corey Julks, who has posted a decent wRC+ of 93 to this point in his rookie season.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
With MLB’s trade deadline just a week from today, the baseball world is buzzing with rumors of deals to come. If you have any questions about your favorite team’s direction as the deadline nears, a trade idea you have in the back of your mind, or are wondering what it would take for your team to acquire a certain player, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.
Why wouldn’t Jenkins have signed yet? Bad physical? Wants 1,1 money? FO too involved in the trade deadline?
Good question,no way he doesn’t sign.Twins really only went over-slot on 1 guy in the 3rd round.he got about $640k over-slot.I don’t think he turns down $7+million
Why such a short window to sign draft picks. The draft was just at the all star break.
I’m guessing it was are dear commissioner’s idea,I prefer this than the old August 15 deadline.guys that sign at the deadline get roughly 3 weeks of more games in.
It was collectively bargained, which means both sides agreed to it and it doesn’t matter whose idea it was.
Mr Baron,have you read the whole collective bargaining agreement? Just kidding,Thanks for the info.
The teams and players collectively bargained away rights of draft-eligible future players. None of the people directly affected agreed to anything.
I guess MLB teams have little interest in high walk guys who have high ERAs in college. That makes one wonder why they were drafted so high in the first place. I get drafting them on rounds 11-20, but not round 2. As for Jenkins, hmm… we will see today what happens.
This is just one more reasons that MLB should allow the trading of draft picks. Maybe the Twins get cold feet, and maybe the RS think Jenkins is a great choice. Why not allow the RS to figure it out?
Or more importantly, when the NYMs had their issue with Rocker, maybe that would’ve been the time for TX to give them a call if they were willing to take the injury risk. I know they give out comp picks for the first round, but a trade becomes an easy out for the team, and is more fair to the players if they can still get signed.
If mlb allowed pick trading you’d have bozos like aj preller and the like selling the entire future for a middling 30 year old. This isn’t the nba or nfl where a really good player changes your outlook
So what? If they want to do that, then why stop them?
Because it would irreversibly ruin the product on field. In baseball if you consistently miss on draft picks and don’t have a high payroll then you end up like pirates or the Rockies.
They seem to be doing a good enough job “ruining the product” themselves already. Plus, wouldn’t these be the teams who would be trading MLB talent for draft picks anyways, not the ones trading away picks and ruining their future.
Preller would probably continue to use draft picks because he’s actually a better scout than GM. It’s player development that SD could get better at. No one has ever said AJ can’t spot talent. I bet he looks forward to the draft more than most GM’s because he might be the best in the league at it.
He definitely lacks in other areas related to the ML team but he always restocks the farm despite trading his prospects more than anyone not named Dombrowski.
Good point on Preller. Overall, I think most GMs would be scared to trade away a significant amount of draft capital.
the problem with compensation picks is you had a top 5 pick in 23 and get pick 38 I’m 24. that’s not even close to fair.
The Twins started the draft process with a bonus pool of $14,345,600 to give to draft picks taken in the first ten rounds. So far, per MLB.com, they have spent $7,041,400, which leaves them $7,304,200 to give to Jenkins as he’s the only draftee from the first ten rounds yet to sign with Minnesota.
Failing to sign a #5 pick after underwhelming for the last 5 years overall is a fire-able offense in my book
the trades for Tyler Mahle and Chris Paddack – two INJURED pitchers at the times of the trades – is also a fireable offense. seriously have no idea how Falvey is not gone.
Especially with what was given up for Mahle
Um, they are in first place in their division by 4 games. Ultimately the #1 job of the GM is not to sign draft picks, win trades, or build the farm. All those things are important, but the #1 job of a GM is to win at the big league level. They are doing that.
Lucking into the worst division of baseball in 2023 is not a strategy and shouldn’t be rewarded.
You play the cards you are dealt.
I wonder if the Twins are just making a last minute push to sign any of the final 10 rounders before they give the remaining money to Jenkins? Unless his physical showed some red flag but then I’d question how good the Twins scouting department is.
Wiggins is going to be a good one. Get it done cubs. He is hurt now but he will come back strong.
Per Jim Callis, As of now, the max teams can pay
@MLBDraft
top-10-rders if they go to full 5% overage. Deadline: 5 pm ET.
W. Jenkins, Min 1st: $7,861,480
J. Baumeister, Bal supp 2nd: $2,431,840
J. Wiggins, ChC supp 2nd: $1,401,600
M. Ahuna, SF 4th: $601,720
D. Campbell, LAD supp 4th: $602,830
Can’t see Ahuna taking that, and likely not Campbell as well.
That would be a mistake by the players imo.
LA and SF have two of the better player dev systems in baseball.
Ahuna is a college transfer who’s strikeouts are climbing as he faces better competition.
Campbell is a 5’11 corner OF at Texas, the Dodgers will move him around more to create versatility. Something Texas cent do as much while trying to win ball games.
Both of these guys need a lot of polish and I’m not sure another year of college will help either increase their rankings.
Ahuna at least was viewed as a 2nd round talent, so I doubt he’s taking even double that.
MLB.com draft tracker has Ahuna signed for under slot. Jim Callis is reporting Dodgers signed Dylan Campbell for slightly over slot.
Have there been any reports on what the issue (if any) might be in the Jenkins negotiation?
Aaron Gleeman reported that he’s hearing a deal will get done. Probably Boras pushing for every last penny or Twins trying to squeeze some money out to get one of their late round HS picks.
SI reporting now the deal will be done on Jenkins.
Glad Yordan’s return won’t affect Chas McCormick’s time. Guy has been peppering the ball.
It helps my fantasy team drastically and hurts my favorite MLB team quite a bit in the short-term.
Maui is gonna go back to school and will be a first rounder next year. I thought he would go in the 2nd or early 3rd this year.
I hate the way the Astros jerk everyone around with their Roster decisions. They act like these decisions are top secret Pentagon issues when it’s just BASEBALL for crying out loud! Going forward I will never have another Astros player on any of my fantasy teams and I’m placing a Hex on them to miss the postseason for the foreseeable future. Dusty and Co and go Eff themselves!
What’s just as maddening is having TB pitchers on your roster. Most games they wait until the last possible minute to name the SP for that day’s game.
Agree. Kevin Cash is not as great of a manger as it appears as he rests Wander Franco every 4th game..the kid is 22 years old so why does he need so many “blows” in the infamous words of Jim Leyland
Breath in…breath out. We’re gonna get through this
Only one pick from the first 10 rounds failed to sign (Caden Kendle, 10th round, Cardinals). My Padres remain the only team with a perfect score in signing every player they’ve drafted in the first 10 rounds since the current slotting system was instituted.