Korea’s NC Dinos Sign Christian Friedrich, Jake Smolinski
6:10pm: Smolinski has been granted his release by the Rays, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
10:00am: Korea’s NC Dinos are engineering some mid-season changes to their slate of foreign players. The club has wrapped up a deal with the indy ball New Britain Bees to purchase the contract of lefty Christian Friedrich, as first reported by the ALPB News Twitter account (link).
It seems the Dinos have eyes on another former major leaguer as well. Outfielder Jake Smolinski, who has been playing with the Rays’ top affiliate, is nearing a deal with the KBO club, according to baseball writer Sung Min Kim (Twitter link).
Teams in the Korea Baseball Organization are limited to three foreign players, among other regulations on spending. Accordingly, the Dinos will need to part ways with some existing players to facilitate these moves. Former big leaguers Christian Bethancourt and Eddie Butler will evidently be released to make way.
Friedrich, 31, has thrown nearly three hundred MLB innings, but the former top-100 prospect hasn’t cracked the bigs since 2016. He sat out all of last season but had shown well in the Atlantic League, posting 63 frames of 3.00 ERA ball with one strikeout per inning and 2.1 BB/9.
As for the 30-year-old Smolinski, he faced a tough path up to the majors in Tampa Bay. But the five-year MLB veteran has been hitting well this season at Triple-A, where he carries a .270/.360/.504 slash with a dozen home runs in 286 plate appearances.
Astros Designate AJ Reed For Assignment
The Astros have designated minor league first baseman AJ Reed for assignment in order to open a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Jose Urquidy, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic).
Reed, 26, once rated among the game’s top 20 prospects, per Baseball America, but simply hasn’t panned out as the organization hoped. He’s hit just .153/.253/.244 and punched out 50 times in 150 Major League plate appearances, and while he has solid overall numbers in Triple-A, this year’s .224/.329/.469 line has been underwhelming. Reed’s strikeout rate has jumped 23.7 percent in 2018 to 29.8 percent in 2019, but he’s still walking at the same strong 12 percent clip he’s managed in each of his three prior seasons in Triple-A.
Houston will have a week to trade Reed or attempt to pass him through outright waivers, although given his former prospect pedigree, it seems likely that he’d be claimed. A team like the Tigers, Royals, White Sox, Marlins, Mariners or Blue Jays would have little to lose by picking up Reed and giving him a look in the Majors down the stretch in 2019. The Orioles are stuck with Chris Davis‘ contract at first base but could still give Reed a look between first and the DH slot; general manager Mike Elias was Houston’s scouting director when Reed was taken in the second round of the 2014 draft.
Reed is in his final option year, so beginning in 2020, he won’t be able to be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. But for the time being, any team that does pick him up would be able to freely send him back and forth between Triple-A and the Majors.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Red Sox Designate Oscar Hernandez For Assignment
The Red Sox announced that they’ve designated catcher Oscar Hernandez for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Trevor Kelley, whose previously reported promotion is now official. Right-hander Mike Shawaryn was optioned to Triple-A to open a spot on the 25-man roster.
Hernandez, 25, was with the Red Sox earlier this season when Sandy Leon was on paternity leave, but he didn’t get into a game during his brief call to the Majors. He hasn’t appeared in the big league since 2016 with the Diamondbacks, who took him with the top pick in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. Hernandez saw only minimal time with the D-backs over the next two seasons and hit .167/.239/.262 in a tiny sample of 47 plate appearances in the big leagues.
A defensive-minded catcher, Hernandez has regularly posted solid framing numbers in his minor league career and has thrown out 41 percent of potential base thieves. Solid as he is behind the plate, he’s not much of a threat in the batter’s box. Hernandez carries a paltry .190/.240/.344 batting line in 431 Double-A plate appearances and just a .204/.273/.286 slash through 277 career trips to the plate in Triple-A. Boston will have a week trade Hernandez, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.
Orioles Select Asher Wojciechowski, Designate Matt Wotherspoon
The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of just-acquired hurler Asher Wojciechowski. He’ll take the roster spot of fellow right-hander Matt Wotherspoon, who was designated for assignment.
In other roster machinations, the Baltimore organization reinstated righty reliever Josh Lucas from the 10-day injured list. To create space, the team optioned Tom Eshelman, who took a spot start for the club yesterday.
The O’s had selected Wotherspoon to the roster in late June, but he was tagged for eight earned in just 4 2/3 innings over two appearances. He’s through 34 1/3 innings of 4.93 ERA ball at Triple-A, where he carries 10.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
Notable International Signings: 7/2/19
The 2019-20 July 2nd international signing period is officially underway, though it’s not exactly laden with suspense. Teams have long since lined up deals with newly eligible teenage players, so the news today largely represents confirmation of what was anticipated. Still, it’s a day of no small moment, particularly for the young men embarking upon professional careers.
Let’s round up some of the most notable signings of the day. Throughout, we’ll be citing to the reporting of Baseball America (signings tracker; scouting links) and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter feed; rankings) along with analysis from Fangraphs. You can find each team’s total bonus pool and other information on the process right here. Check the above links for further information and other signings. Here are a few key deals:
- Jasson Dominguez, OF, Yankees: Everyone’s top target is reportedly holding strong on his commitment to go to the Bronx. The deal is said to be for $5.1MM, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, with an announcement expected this evening. Dominguez is a switch-hitter who’s said to possess five-tool ability. The Fangraphs team is sufficiently impressed to run him all the way up to the #61 overall MLB prospect ranking right out of the gates (via Kiley McDaniel, on Twitter). The Yanks also have struck a $1.2MM deal with outfielder Jhon Diaz, Sanchez tweets. He was the 18th-rated player on the MLB.com board but ran all the way up to #7 at Fangraphs.
- Robert Puason, SS, Athletics: Another player who’ll command about $5MM, Puason is a toolsy shortstop with big upside. He was said to have a deal in place with the Braves before that team was slapped with international sanctions. It’s worth noting that the Atlanta organization wasn’t actually punished for agreeing to terms early (though that widespread practice is officially forbidden) but rather for structuring a group deal with Puason’s trainer, as Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper explains on Twitter.
- Luis Rodriguez, OF, Dodgers: The value on this one is unknown, but BA’s Ben Badler has photographic evidence of the signing (Twitter link). Rodriguez gets top-three billing from Fangraphs. The Los Angeles club is also in agreement with righty Kristian Cardozo, who’s also considered one of the thirty best players available.
- Bayron Lora, OF, Rangers: Baseball America has made this connection for some time; Sanchez tweets that it’s a $4.2MM deal for the slugging prospect. Shortstops Maximo Acosta and Zion Banister are also members of the Texas signing class. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter) has the former at $1.6MM and the latter at $835K. As he notes, the Texas organization will need to acquire some added pool capacity to make the math work.
- Erick Pena, OF, Royals: This is another signing called in advance by the BA crew. Sanchez has the bonus at $3.8MM (Twitter link). FG labels Pena “a well-rounded outfielder with considerable physical projection.”
- Ronnier Quintero, C, Cubs: Occupying the #6 spot on the boards of both Fangraphs and MLB.com, Quintero will follow Willson Contreras from Venezuela to the Chicago organization. The Cubbies also have a deal with fellow top-ten-ish prospect Kevin Made, a shortstop. Sanchez puts the Quintero deal at $3MM and Made’s mark at $1.7MM. Another Venezuelan backstop, Brayan Altuve, will cost the Cubs another million bucks, seemingly setting up the organization for a search for some added pool money.
- Roberto Campos, OF, Tigers: The Detroit organization popped for a hefty $3MM to secure the services of the Cuban outfielder, per Badler (via Twitter). Campos defected in somewhat dramatic fashion several years ago at just 13 years of age. He wasn’t listed among the best prospects, but Chris McCosky of the Detroit News indicates on Twitter that the Tigers like his bat quite a bit.
Several other well-regarded prospects also secured bonuses of $2MM or more, per Sanchez and/or Badler:
Twins Outright Ronald Torreyes, Activate Adalberto Mejia
The Twins announced today that they have outrighted infielder Ronald Torreyes off of the team’s 40-man roster. His spot was needed for hurler Adalberto Mejia, who was activated from the 60-day injured list.
Mejia is heading back onto the active roster. He’ll take the place of Lewis Thorpe, who was optioned back to Triple-A after showing well in his MLB debut.
Torreyes, 26, hasn’t appeared in the bigs since wrapping up a three-year stint with the Yankees. He has been a high-average, low-power hitter in the bigs but has scuffled this year at Triple-A. The versatile infielder owns only a .179/.219/.358 slash. He has shown a bit of a relative power burst, with five home runs in 114 plate appearances, though that’s a common story in an explosive International League offensive environment.
As for Mejia, he’ll look to get back on track after an ugly opening to the season. He was sidelined for a lengthy stretch with a calf strain. Through 134 innings in parts of four seasons in the majors, he owns a 4.50 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.
Yankees Place Luke Voit On 10-Day IL
The Yankees announced today that first baseman Luke Voit is headed to the 10-day injured list. He’s said to be dealing with an abdominal strain; the placement is retroactive to June 30th.
To take his place on the active roster, the club promoted first bagger Mike Ford. In other news, the club brought up southpaw Nestor Cortes Jr. in place of righty Chance Adams, who was optioned back to Triple-A.
Voit has been sidelined for the past few days but had hoped to avoid an IL placement. It seems he’ll require at least a bit longer to rest than initially expected, though there’s no indication to this point that it’s a long-term malady. The AL East-leading Yanks have already weathered several other, more significant injuries without batting an eye.
Top Remaining Unsigned Draft Picks
By the terms of MLB Rule 4(d)(4), the deadline for signing players selected in last month’s Rule 4 draft is July 12th at 5pm Eastern time. In most years, virtually all top draft choices agree to terms, but there are quite often one or more exceptions. Last year, for instance, the Braves failed to line up with eighth overall pick Carter Stewart.
With ten days to go, there’s still plenty of time. Several players only just wrapped up their collegiate seasons — particularly those that made it to the College World Series final between Vandy and Michigan. But if there’s to be a high-profile failure to reach agreement, it’ll come from among these, the highest picks who have yet to put pen to paper (through the third round):
- (4) Marlins: J.J. Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt University ($6.66MM slot value)
- (8) Rangers: Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech University ($5.18MM slot value)
- (31) Dodgers: Michael Busch, 2B, University of North Carolina ($2.31MM slot value)
- (35) Marlins: Kameron Misner, OF, University of Missouri ($2.10MM slot value)
- (41) Rangers: Davis Wendzel, 3B, Baylor University ($1.81MM slot value)
- (67) Yankees: Josh Smith, 2B, Louisiana State University ($976K slot value)
- (74) Diamondbacks: Tommy Henry, LHP, University of Michigan ($844K slot value)
- (77) Rockies: Karl Kauffmann, RHP, University of Michigan ($805K slot value)
- (78) Dodgers: Jimmy Lewis, RHP, Lake Travis High School, Texas ($793K slot value)
- (99) Rays: Shane Sasaki, OF, Iolani High School, Hawaii ($587K slot value)
2019-20 International Signing Period Opens Today
The 2019-20 international signing period kicks off this morning, meaning that from now until next June 15, teams are officially able to begin signing amateur talents from countries outside of the United States and Canada. Prospects aged 16 and up (assuming they turn 16 by Sept. 1 of the current period) are eligible to sign minor league contracts with teams for signing bonuses that fall within the constraints of a league-allotted bonus pool.
Those looking to brush up on the top prospects this July 2nd class has to offer will want to look at the invaluable work put into the subject by Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required), Kiley McDaniel & Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, and Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. As ever, Badler provides an abundance of information on expected destinations/bonuses for the top free agents in the 2019-20 class; he has further details and scouting notes available here and here. Sanchez provides his own Top 30 with free scouting reports (and likely destinations). In addition to the above-linked preview, McDaniel and Longenhagen have scouting info on their top 40 prospects.
After all of that — here’s a quick primer on the specifics of the international free agency system.
Unlike the system that was in place from 2012-16, in which teams would routinely shatter their international bonus pools and take two-year signing penalties in exchange for one enormous haul of amateur talent, the system under the 2017-21 collective bargaining agreement contains a hard cap that cannot be exceeded. Teams are still permitted to trade for up to 75 percent of their originally allotted bonus pool, however, and any team is free to trade away as much of its pool as it wishes. International pool allotments must be traded in increments of $250K — unless it includes the last remainder of a team’s pool.
Penalties from the previous international signing periods carried over with the new system, but those have all now run their course. There is one team that continues to face limitations on spending, for a different reason. The Braves continue to operate under significant long-term penalties as punishment for violating international spending guidelines. They’ll be limited to a hard cap of $10K per player in 2019-20 and will be stripped of half their league-allotted bonus pool in the 2020-21 period.
The Competitive Balance lottery that awards 14 teams with additional picks based on market size and total revenue also has an impact in international free agency. The teams that were awarded Competitive Balance picks in Round B (between rounds two and three of the draft) will have the largest bonus pools in 2018-19. Teams that were awarded selections in Competitive Balance Round A (between rounds one and two) will have the second-largest pools.
Beyond that, free agency itself can have an impact. Teams that sign players who have refused a qualifying offer (QO) are subject to forfeitures in their international bonus pool in some instances. Specifically, a club which exceeded the luxury tax threshold in the previous season and also signs a QO free agent surrenders $1MM of its international pool in the following period. Teams that did not exceed the luxury tax but also did not benefit from revenue sharing will forfeit $500K of international pool for each QO free agent signed.
So, who has what to spend (beyond the aforementioned Braves)? 2019-20 international bonus pool amounts were first reported by Baseball America’s Ben Badler back in early April. Because Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel waited to sign until after the recent Rule 4 draft, the amounts remain the same:
- The Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Indians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies, and Royals have the highest availability at $6,481,200.
- The Athletics, Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Reds, and Twins are next at $5,939,800.
- A dozen teams (Angels, Astros, Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Rangers, Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Yankees) can spend $5,398,300.
- The Dodgers and Phillies are capped at $4,821,400, while the Nationals are limited to $4,321,400.
This post was adapted from a prior post written by MLBTR’s Steve Adams.