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Latest On Phillies’ Pitching Search

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 1:44pm CDT

The Phillies are looking to add a front-of-the-rotation type of arm, with The Athletic’s Jayson Stark (Twitter links) writing that the Phils want “a starter who can start a playoff game.” To this end, the club has been linked to such arms as the Reds’ Tyler Mahle, the Angels’ Noah Syndergaard, and the Pirates’ Jose Quintana — three of the most prominent starting pitchers remaining on the trade market.

Mahle is controlled through the 2023 season, while Syndergaard and Quintana would be pure rentals as players who are scheduled for free agency this winter. As such, Mahle would surely cost the most in a trade, and Syndergaard carries a bit of a financial hit, with roughly $7.2MM still owed to him over the remainder of the season. By contrast, Quintana is owed only around $675K for the rest of 2022, but Quintana also has a shaky track record over the last few seasons before righting himself this year in Pittsburgh.

Dave Dombrowski, Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations, suggested earlier this week that his team was hoping to bolster the rotation, but the Phils were also hesitant about dealing any of their top prospects. Stark backs up that assertion, noting that the Phillies haven’t been willing to move any of Mick Abel, Andrew Painter or Logan O’Hoppe (the Phils’ consensus top-three prospects in the view of Baseball America and MLB Pipeline), or right-handed pitching propects Griff McGarry or Ben Brown. BA ranks McGarry fourth and Brown seventh in their ranking of Phillies prospects, while Pipeline is a little less bullish, ranking McGarry eighth and Brown 26th.

Since the Phillies’ system isn’t considered to be too deep overall, it isn’t any surprise that the front office isn’t keen on parting ways with any of the relatively few premium names on hand in the minors. However, as Stark observes, the Phils will find it difficult to obtain higher-tier pitching unless they’re open to trading prospects. Given the amount of interest Mahle has received from around the league, and given what the Reds just obtained from the Mariners in the Luis Castillo deal, it would seem almost impossible for the Phillies to land Mahle without at least one of the blue-chip prospects.

Syndergaard and Quintana would come at a lower price tag as rental players, but Stark notes that Dombrowski also prefers controllable starters. This was Philadelphia’s strategy in landing Kyle Gibson from the Rangers at last year’s deadline, and landing a starter who is controlled through at least 2023 would give the Phillies some cover since Gibson and Zach Eflin could both be free agents this winter.

The rotation seems to be Philadelphia’s top priority at this point, as Stark says that the Phillies aren’t focused on any bullpen moves for the moment. This is a little surprising given the Phils’ longstanding needs in the relief corps, but it could be that Dombrowski is first exploring his options with the starter market before turning to the (relatively) easier route of adding relievers. Also, virtually every contender in baseball is looking for relievers right now, so Dombrowski could be opting to make some late strikes after the first wave or two of bullpen trades have been made.

Mariners Place Julio Rodriguez, Dylan Moore On 10-Day IL; Ty France To Undergo MRI

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 12:29pm CDT

The Mariners placed outfielder Julio Rodriguez (right wrist contusion) and utilityman Dylan Moore (back spasms) on the 10-day injured list. Jarred Kelenic has been called up from Triple-A, and first baseman/outfielder Jack Larsen’s contract has been selected from Double-A. To make room for Larsen on the 40-man roster, left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has been designated for assignment.

Last night’s 5-4 win over the Astros was a costly victory for the Mariners, as Rodriguez, Moore, and Sam Haggerty (due to a cut on his forehead) all had to leave the game, making Seattle’s late-inning triumph all the more improbable. If that wasn’t enough, Ty France is also set to undergo an MRI, as his bothersome left wrist injury again flared up late in the game.

Rodriguez’s injury drew the most immediate concern after the star rookie was hit on the right hand while swinging, though x-rays were negative. Rodriguez is still sore enough that he won’t be able to swing for the next 4-5 days, manager Scott Servais told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other reporters, and thus the IL stint was necessary to both keep the Mariners from being undermanned and to give Rodriguez time to get healthy.

There’s no easy way to replace Rodriguez, who has quickly cemented himself as both the present and future of Seattle baseball. The outfielder is the heavy favorite to capture AL Rookie Of The Year honors, unless this IL stint lingers or impacts Rodriguez’s production once he does return. Likewise, France also made the AL All-Star team this year and has basically done nothing but hit since the M’s acquired him from the Padres at the 2020 trade deadline.

Rodriguez and France are the Mariners’ two team leaders in fWAR, so losing at least one and potentially both to injury just prior to the trade deadline leaves Seattle’s front office in a tight spot. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto implied that after the Luis Castillo trade, the M’s could be done with any huge moves, and were relying on Mitch Haniger’s return to boost the offense rather than rely on any outside pieces. The Mariners still have over 52 hours to monitor and evaluate Rodriguez and France before the 5pm CT deadline on August 2, but if there’s any uncertainty, the aggressive Dipoto might opt to swing at least a depth trade for the lineup just in case.

Moore has been a valuable player in his own right, posting a 116 wRC+ (from five homers and a .197/.350/.367 slash line in 185 PA) and playing at least one game at seven different positions around the diamond this season. Abraham Toro will have to pick up some of the utility slack in the interim, though Toro has mostly played only second and third base during his two seasons with the Mariners. Back spasms might not sideline Moore for much beyond the 10-day minimum, yet Dipoto could also explore adding a multi-position player to help fill Moore’s shoes in the short term.

Kelenic will get another opportunity to establish himself in the majors after struggling badly in first 473 plate appearances in the Show. Kelenic has hit .173/.256/.338 as a big leaguer, with an ungainly 30% strikeout rate. That swing-and-miss has crept into Kelenic’s work in the minors, as though he is hitting well at Triple-A, his strikeout rate over 252 PA for Tacoma this season is 23.8%, considerably up from 15.4% in 143 Triple-A PA in 2021.

Larsen went undrafted in 2017, but after inking a deal with the Mariners shortly after the amateur draft, the UC San Diego product is now on the verge of his Major League debut without so much as a cup of coffee at the Triple-A level. The 27-year-old has played all three outfield positions and a handful of games as a first baseman, though Larsen hasn’t played any center field this year. At the plate, Larsen has hit .266/.371/.444 in 564 career PA in Double-A ball. Neither Baseball America or MLB Pipeline rate Larsen as one of the 30 best prospects in Seattle’s farm system.

Misiewicz has been a regular in the Mariners’ bullpen for the last three seasons, but he was optioned to Triple-A in June after posting a 4.61 ERA and only a 14% strikeout rate in 13 2/3 innings this season. The M’s are known to be looking for bullpen help before the deadline, and left-handed relief could be a particular need, as Misiewicz’s struggles further lessened a pen already thin on southpaws. It isn’t out of the question that Misiewicz could be claimed on DFA waivers, given how other clubs are constantly on the hunt for left-handed relief.

Latest On Frankie Montas

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2022 at 12:25pm CDT

TODAY: The Yankees, Cardinals, and Blue Jays seem to be the top suitors for Montas, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network writes that the right-hander’s “market is focused on” these three teams.

JULY 30: With Luis Castillo now on his way to Seattle following last night’s trade to the Mariners, Frankie Montas stands out as perhaps the best and likeliest arm left to be traded before Tuesday’s 5pm CT deadline. The majority of teams that held interest in Castillo are involved, to varying extents, in the Montas market, so it’s possible that last night’s deal begins to accelerate the pace of the pitching market overall.

The Yankees, for instance, were known to be Castillo suitors but have now made Montas their top target according to both Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter links). The Cardinals, who never seemed likely to be able to land Castillo from a fellow NL Central club, are continuing their pursuit of Montas, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Their pursuit, however, is complicated a bit by simultaneous interest in Nationals superstar Juan Soto; Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes in his latest column that some of the Cardinals prospects the A’s are targeting in return for Montas are also coveted by the Nationals.

Several other clubs were linked to both Montas and Castillo in the past week, including the Twins, Padres and Blue Jays. There are also surely other clubs on the periphery of the market whose presence isn’t publicly known. Both Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and Rosenthal have indicated, for instance, that the Rangers had engaged with the Reds in talks regarding Castillo. Whether the A’s would seriously entertain sending Montas to a division rival isn’t clear, but it’s telling that Texas is in the market for arms that can be controlled into 2023.

The Athletics’ asking price on Montas was reportedly quite high even before last night’s trade of Castillo potentially upped Oakland’s leverage in talks. In profiling the Cardinals’ current rotation needs, Katie Woo of The Athletic wrote (prior to the Castillo deal) that Oakland is believed to be seeking a pair of top prospects and “potentially a currently rostered player with substantial team control remaining.” It’s a steep ask, to be sure, though not an unrealistic one given Montas’ trade value.

NL West Notes: Estrada, Blackmon, Dodgers, Peralta, Ohtani

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 11:56am CDT

Giants infielder Thairo Estrada is likely going to be placed on the seven-day concussion injured list after he was hit in the head by a Mark Leiter Jr. pitch in last night’s game. Estrada was able to leave the field under his own power, after initially spending time on the ground being evaluated by team medical staff. Estrada has hit .262/.316/.406 over 342 plate appearances this season, a step behind his solid numbers from 2021 but still good for an above-average 106 wRC+.

Between this respectable bat and his defensive versatility, Estrada has been a valuable member of San Francisco’s roster, but his likely absence will leave the Giants quite thin at shortstop. With Brandon Crawford on the 10-day IL and yet to begin a rehab assignment, Jason Vosler is the only player on the active roster with any time at shortstop this season. It seems likely that one of Isan Diaz or Donovan Walton will need to be called up from Triple-A to fill that void, unless the Giants make another move in advance of the trade deadline. Since the Giants could be sellers at the deadline, Estrada’s injury probably ensures that he’ll remain in San Francisco beyond August 2, though his team control through the 2026 season already made him one of the Giants players less likely to be moved.

Brewers, Padres, Rays Interested In Joey Gallo

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 10:57am CDT

10:57AM: The Rays may not be too deep in the Gallo hunt, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News hears that the “Yankees wanted too much back” in return.

7:56AM: Joey Gallo’s time in the Bronx is widely expected to be up by Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the Yankees have been exploring trade possibilities for the struggling outfielder. The Brewers, Padres, and Rays are among the clubs who have shown interest in the former All-Star, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes.

San Diego discussed a Gallo deal during Spring Training, and has been linked to the slugger’s market multiple times in the past, dating back to Gallo’s time with the Rangers. The Rays and Brewers also had interest in Gallo at last year’s deadline, and seem to be again revisiting a trade 12 months later.

Of course, quite a lot has happened to Gallo’s trade value in the past year, none of it good. After posting only a .707 OPS in 228 plate appearances as a Yankees in 2021, Gallo’s slump has only deepened this season. Gallo has hit only .159/.282/.339 with 12 homers over 273 PA, with a wRC+ of 81 (the league average is 100) and strikeout and whiff rates that rank near the bottom of the league.

On the flip side, Gallo is still posting outstanding hard-contact numbers and his 14.7% walk rate is one of the best of any player in baseball. A .217 BABIP only deepens the frustration, yet Gallo is so rarely making contact in the first place that his scuffles can’t be chalked up to just bad batted-ball luck. This lack of production in the pinstripes is “something I’m gonna have to really live with for the rest of my life,” Gallo told The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler earlier this week. “It’s going to be tough. I didn’t play well, I didn’t live up to expectations. And that’s a tough pill to swallow.”

The Yankees’ acquisition of Andrew Benintendi has all but confirmed that Gallo will be dealt, though what New York can expect back in return is an open question. The 28-year-old outfielder is a free agent after the season and is owed roughly $3.4MM for the remainder of the year, making it quite possible that the Yankees will have to eat most or all of that money unless another unwanted contract is swapped in return. While interested teams surely view Gallo as a change-of-scenery candidate, the Yankees don’t have much leverage in trying to market him as such, since it is so widely known that the club wishes to part ways with the outfielder.

In Tampa Bay’s case, the Yankees are surely wary of the idea of Gallo reviving himself on an AL East rival, and it is fair to wonder if New York would want more in order to move Gallo within the division. The Rays may have the more glaring need for outfield help given that Manuel Margot, Harold Ramirez, and Kevin Kiermaier are all injured, with Kiermaier being out for the season in the wake of hip surgery.

However, the Rays already made a left-handed hitting outfield upgrade yesterday, landing David Peralta in a trade with the Diamondbacks. It is possible this move could take the Rays out of the Gallo market, though the club is still looking for more outfield depth, as Nightengale also reports that Tampa is interested in former Ray and current Red Tommy Pham.

Christian Yelich, Andrew McCutchen, Hunter Renfroe, and Tyrone Taylor have comprised Milwaukee’s outfield mix for much of the season, with McCutchen also getting the majority of DH time. Yelich is the only left-handed bat of the quartet, and Gallo could become a platoon partner with Taylor in center field. 2019 was the only season Gallo played a sizeable amount of center field, but he acquitted himself quite well defensively up the middle, even if right field is his ideal position — Gallo has won the last two American League right field Gold Gloves.

Mariners Notes: J-Rod, Trades, Kelenic

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 10:46am CDT

10:46AM: X-rays were negative on Rodriguez, Jerry Dipoto said during an appearance on “The Front Office Show” on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). It doesn’t seem likely that Rodriguez will play in today’s game and the M’s will continue to monitor the outfielder’s status, but the initial test results are “a good portent for the future,” as Dipoto put it.

10:06AM: Julio Rodriguez was hit in the right hand by a pitch in last night’s 5-4 victory over the Astros, and had to eventually leave the contest in the ninth inning. The rookie superstar was hit in the top of the eighth and he felt good enough to take the field for the bottom half of the inning, though pinch-hitter Abraham Toro replaced Rodriguez for a ninth-inning plate appearance.

X-rays were scheduled for last night, and the results could be a turning point in the Mariners’ season. A serious injury could sideline Rodriguez for most or all of the remainder of the schedule — a worst-case scenario that would both severely hurt Seattle’s chances of finally ending its postseason drought, and cutting short Rodriguez’s spectacular rookie campaign.

Widely seen as the top prospect in baseball, Rodriguez has hit .271/.334/.482 with 18 homers and 21 steals over his first 401 plate appearances in the majors. Between his power, speed, and strong center field defense, Rodriguez already looks like one of the sport’s top all-around talents at age 21, and has even drawn comparisons to Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr.

Friday’s acquisition of Luis Castillo is the latest sign that the Mariners are all-in on the 2022 season, and whatever further plans president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto might have would surely be impacted by Rodriguez’s status — if even a 10-day IL trip is required, the M’s could conceivably look to add some outfield depth to fill the void. Prior to yesterday’s game, Dipoto said the Mariners were “still open to the idea of adding a bullpen arm,” but downplayed the idea of the club making another huge move.

In regards to offense specifically, Dipoto told The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters that the M’s were largely counting on internal returns of injured players. “We view Mitch (Haniger) and the addition of Kyle Lewis last week as the moves that our offense needed. That being said, we’ll keep our ear to the street in the event that opportunity exists. It’s just a little tougher to see where that might be,” Dipoto said.

The M’s already gave up quite a bit of land Castillo, though with a deep farm system, Seattle has more to offer in other possible trades. In a piece written prior to the Castillo deal, Divish cited several young players either already on Seattle’s MLB roster or in their farm system and ranked them on their likelihood as trade chips. Edwin Arroyo was the highest-ranked member of Divish’s list to be dealt in the Castillo swap, with Arroyo landing in the third tier — dubbed the “it would hurt, but if it’s the right player(s) in return” division. Since Noelvi Marte was in the fourth tier, Seattle only had to move two of its top 10 young assets to land Castillo in Divish’s estimation, though obviously some of those assets (like Rodriguez or Logan Gilbert) are untouchable or all-but-untouchable.

Jarred Kelenic was once seen as a can’t-move type of prospect, and yet Divish hears from a scout that “the Mariners have made it clear they are willing to trade Kelenic to fill their immediate needs.” Kelenic has hit only .173/.256/.338 over 473 PA in his first two big league seasons, with 17 homers and 142 strikeouts in that small sample size. Even as he continues to tear up Triple-A pitching, Divish notes that Kelenic is having trouble hitting breaking pitches in the minors, and MLB pitchers have taken full advantage of his flaw. There would seemingly be some kind of sell-low aspect to moving Kelenic now, yet the 23-year-old would surely generate plenty of interest in trade talks.

Brewers To Activate Freddy Peralta From 60-Day IL This Week

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 10:28am CDT

The Brewers are planning to activate right-hander Freddy Peralta from the 60-day injured list during the club’s upcoming three-game series in Pittsburgh from August 2-4, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Peralta hasn’t pitched in a big league game since May 22 due to a posterior strain in his throwing shoulder.

Perhaps due to this long layoff, Counsell said the Brewers hadn’t yet determined Peralta’s role when he does return. Peralta returned to the mound for a minor league rehab assignment this week, tossing two innings and 33 pitches in his first outing, and then 52 pitches over 3 1/3 innings in his second outing this past Friday. Since this is still well short of a proper starter’s workload, the Brew Crew could ease Peralta back into action in a relief capacity, or perhaps in a piggyback role or as a bulk pitcher behind an opener.

Peralta has been the most prominent pitching injury faced by Milwaukee this season, yet the club has had the depth and quality to largely withstand Peralta’s extended absence and some other IL trips for starter over the course of the year. Since Adrian Houser is still sidelined with an elbow injury, the Brewers’ rotation isn’t up to full strength just yet, but Peralta’s return will help get the team closer to its ideal starting five.

The right-hander broke out with an All-Star season in 2021, posting a 2.81 ERA over 144 1/3 innings and joining with Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff to form a dominant top three atop Milwaukee’s rotation (with Houser, Eric Lauer, and Brett Anderson also contributing mightily). While Peralta had only a 4.42 ERA over his first 38 2/3 innings of 2022, his 3.08 SIERA and Statcast numbers paint a much more favorable view of his early-season performance. Naturally, Peralta may need a couple of appearances to shake off any rust, but the Brewers are certainly hopeful that he can regain his top form down the stretch and into what the club hopes is some October baseball.

MacKenzie Gore Tentatively Slated For September Return

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2022 at 8:44am CDT

Padres left-hander MacKenzie Gore was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to inflammation in his throwing elbow, and as a result he “won’t throw…for a couple of weeks,” manager Bob Melvin told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune and other reporters. “Structurally, everything looked pretty good in there compared to the past. Low-grade strain, and I think we caught a break as far as that goes.”

However, it is also possible we’ve seen the last of Gore in 2022, as Acee hears from two sources that the Padres could shut Gore down entirely, rather than risk more serious injury by bringing him back too early. Melvin acknowledged the uncertainty of Gore’s status, saying “I don’t know what the reality is as far as him pitching….If everything went smoothly, there’s a chance he could show up at some point in time in September.”

Though Gore has been considered one of baseball’s best pitching prospects basically ever since the Padres drafted him third overall in 2017, questions began to surface when Gore ran into some major mechanics issues in 2020, necessitating a big overhaul and a trip back down the minor league ladder in 2021. He got back on track enough to make his MLB debut this season, with Gore posting a 4.50 ERA and 23.3% strikeout rate over 70 innings, starting 13 of 16 games.

The Statcast numbers weren’t too favorable to Gore’s work, as his walk and hard-contact rates were among the league’s worst. Much of that damage came over his last seven outings — Gore has an 11.05 ERA in his last 22 innings, as opposed to a sterling 1.50 mark in his first 48 frames of work. Due to both his recent struggles and as a way of conserving his innings, Gore had been working out of the bullpen for his last two appearances, without much success.

With this in mind, it wasn’t clear how big of a role Gore would have for the Padres down the stretch, though losing part of their pitching depth entirely to the IL obviously isn’t an ideal situation. San Diego can only hope that Gore recovers well and is able to make it back and put himself in the conversation for the postseason roster.

On paper, San Diego has more depth than most teams, as the Padres were operating with a six-man rotation for a good chunk of the season, and Nick Martinez could possibly be stretched back out as a starter. But, with Gore a question mark, it is also easy to see why the Padres have been linked to starting pitching in deadline rumors, with San Diego reportedly checking in on such names as Frankie Montas, Shohei Ohtani, and (before he was traded to the Mariners) Luis Castillo.

Diamondbacks Trade David Peralta To Rays

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2022 at 11:15pm CDT

The Rays added some help to their injury-plagued outfield mix, announcing the acquisition of veteran David Peralta from the D-backs. Minor league catcher Christian Cerda is headed to the Diamondbacks in return.

Peralta, 35 next month, has spent all nine seasons of his Major League career with the D-backs prior to this trade. The veteran lefty hitter has produced a solid .248/.316/.460 batting line this season (110 wRC+), connecting on a dozen homers, 19 doubles and two triples through 310 plate appearances. He’s striking out at a career-high 23.9% clip and drawing walks at a roughly average 8.7% rate that clocks in a percentage point higher than his career mark.

The D-backs signed Peralta to a three-year, $22MM extension in his final season before he would’ve reached free agency, and he’s playing out the final season of that contract now in 2022. Peralta is a pure rental for the Rays, then, but he’ll give them a much-needed outfield bat to plug into the lineup following injuries to Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez.

Peralta not only provides that crucial outfield reinforcement — he also provides the Rays with a noted boost against right-handed pitching. Tampa Bay has handled righties at only a league-average clip this season, but Peralta owns a .267/.325/.498 batting line against right-handers this year and a stout .295/.351/.492 output over the course of his career. He’s long been ineffective against left-handed pitching, however, and is batting just .114/.261/.200 against southpaws this year (albeit in a tiny sample of 35 plate appearances). As such, the Rays will surely shield him from left-handed opposition as much as possible.

While he’s not the slugger he was when he hit 30 homers in 2018 or the defender he was when he won a Gold Glove in 2019, Peralta is still a solid platoon bat with above-average defensive ratings in the corners. Arizona has used him primarily in left field this season, though the Rays may prefer him in right, given Randy Arozarena’s presence in left. Peralta has a career mark of +7 Defensive Runs Saved in 1435 innings of right field (and has been a scratch defender there, per Outs Above Average). His work in left field is more highly regarded, but Peralta shouldn’t hurt the Rays in either corner slot and also hits well enough to spend time at DH against righties.

Heading to the Diamondbacks is the 19-year-old Cerda, whom the Rays signed as an international free agent back in 2019. Cerda was actually born in New York but moved to the Dominican Republic in his early teens and developed into a prospect of some note. He signed a $325K bonus with Tampa Bay that summer, drawing praise from Baseball America for his plus arm, agility and intriguing power potential.

Because there was no minor league season in 2020, Cerda is playing in just his second season of pro ball. He’s spent the season with the Rays’ Rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate and posted an impressive .315/.464/.519 batting line through his first 69 trips to the plate. Cerda played in the Dominican Summer League last season and slashed .218/.366/.338 in 164 trips to the plate. He’s caught 30 of 79 runners who’ve attempted to steal against him at this point in his young career — an excellent 38% rate.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported (via Twitter) that Peralta was headed to the Rays. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Cerda was going back to Arizona in return.

Draft Signings: July 30

By Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2022 at 11:12pm CDT

Here is today’s roundup of top-39 (first round, supplemental round, Competitive Balance Round A) draft picks and some other notable selections who have signed their first pro contracts. For further reference, here is the full list of recommended slot prices, and you can click the links for full pre-draft rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

The Guardians announced that all 21 members of their 2022 draft class have signed, including first-rounder Chase DeLauter. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported last week that DeLauter had agreed to sign, and MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports that DeLauter received $3.75MM, slightly below the $3,937,600 slot value of the 16th overall pick. McDaniel (31st) and Law (35th) were lower on DeLauter than the other pundits, who all had the James Madison outfielder in the 18-21 range. DeLauter has a lot of hitting potential and likely profiles as a right field down the road, but he missed most of the spring due to a broken foot.
Oklahoma State right-hander Justin Campbell received a $1.7MM bonus from Cleveland, Callis reports, below the $2,101,800 slot price for the 37th overall pick. On the pundits’ boards, Campbell ranged from 27th (Baseball America) to 42nd (Fangraphs), with BA being particularly impressed by “one of the best changeups in this year’s draft,” as well as Campbell’s plus curveball.
The Guardians also made a notable above-slot deal with their 10th-round selection, as right-hander Jacob Zibin received a $1.2MM bonus that Callis reports is the highest given to any tenth-rounder. The $1.2MM figure dwarfs the $152K slot price for the 301st overall pick, and it may have been necessary to pull Zibin away from his commitment to the University of Kentucky. The 17-year-old Zibin is a product of Florida’s TNXL Academy, and would have also been draft-eligible next year due to his age.

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