Article: 2017 Draft Signings, Notes and Rumors

[Han Joelo]

I guess Enlow waits until the Twins are done scraping sticky quarters out of the backseat cupholders of the ol' minivan?  And Rodriguez gets the dimes that didn't get sucked into the vacuum at the drive-up carwash?

[clutterheart]

I saw this Tweet from Enlow from yesterday.  Looks to me like we can expect his signing tomorrow?

"Just hit me I leave in two days and I couldn't be happier to do what I love the most

— Blayne Enlow (@BlayneBlaynee) "

"https://twitter.com/BlayneBlaynee/status/877059289915027456

 

Hopefully he is not talking about a camping trip

Edited June 21, 2017 by clutterheart

[ThejacKmp]

Is it weird that there's no Leach news at all?

[gunnarthor]

 

Is it weird that there's no Leach news at all?

Nah, he'll sign.

[Otto von Ballpark]

In non-Twins draft news, I found this on Sam Carlson from Sunday:

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-sign-first-round-draft-pick-evan-white-and-25-other-draftees/

 

 

Mariners director of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said that a tentative agreement has been reached with Carlson’s advisors and a deal should be finalized this week.

 

Using this tracker, it seems like the Mariners have gone underslot enough to offer Carlson about $2.035 mil (his slot value at #55 was $1.2 mil).  They could tack on an additional $336k if they are willing to pay the $252k tax on it (75% tax on the overage, I believe). Assuming the money's not needed in rounds 11+, of course.

 

https://www.mlbdailydish.com/2017/6/15/15812484/2017-mlb-draft-signings-tracker

 

Will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Carlson signs with the Mariners for $2 mil:

 

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article157506834.html

 

So it sounds like we could have taken/afforded him instead of Rooker or Leach. Probably Enlow too. Should be interesting to watch unfold.

[drjim]

 

Carlson signs with the Mariners for $2 mil:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article157506834.html

So it sounds like we could have taken/afforded him instead of Rooker or Leach. Probably Enlow too. Should be interesting to watch unfold.

 

Was the ability to afford him ever in question? Always struck me as a scouting/ranking decision.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Was the ability to afford him ever in question? Always struck me as a scouting/ranking decision.

Some have suggested they were hoping he fell to the third round, like Enlow. Or speculated that perhaps the Mariners would be unable to sign him, or have to do crazy slot gymnastics to do so.

[drjim]

 

Some have suggested they were hoping he fell to the third round, like Enlow. Or speculated that perhaps the Mariners would be unable to sign him, or have to do crazy slot gymnastics to do so.

 

I always took that as longing for a local kid more than any sort of desire from the Twins. They would have known how much he cost and what other teams would have wanted him. Passing on him on 35 and 37 made it pretty clear they had other priorities.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I always took that as longing for a local kid more than any sort of desire from the Twins. They would have known how much he cost and what other teams would have wanted him. Passing on him on 35 and 37 made it pretty clear they had other priorities.

What would you have said if the Mariners took Enlow at 55 and signed him for $2 mil? That the Twins passed on him and made it pretty clear they had other priorities? Teams don't readily admit when and how their drafts don't go as planned.

 

In any case, I just thought it was interesting. I don't necessarily have any grand theory here, it is just fun speculation and another player to track in pro ball.

[drjim]

 

What would you have said if the Mariners took Enlow at 55 and signed him for $2 mil? That the Twins passed on him and made it pretty clear they had other priorities? Teams don't readily admit when and how their drafts don't go as planned.

In any case, I just thought it was interesting. I don't necessarily have any grand theory here, it is just fun speculation and another player to track in pro ball.

 

I personally don't have much of a strong opinion on any of the hs rhs from the draft (aside from Greene). If the Twins passed on Enlow and took a different pitcher I would almost certainly default to trusting their scouting/process. The BA/mlb.com rankings are fine, but the difference between say 25 and 95 when dealing with hs rhs is so small that I'm not going to be that concerned either way.

 

I just assumed people were extra sensitive about Carlson because he was a local kid and they had actually heard of him. 

[amjgt]

 

[LATEST UPDATE: 6/20]
 

With the three official signings (Lewis, Rooker and Barnes) done, the Twins are $1,102,700 under the cap.

 

 

 

I assume that does NOT include the $700k they can go over without incurring a penalty?

 

So they are really under the number that REALLY matters by about $1.8M

[amjgt]

 

I saw this Tweet from Enlow from yesterday.  Looks to me like we can expect his signing tomorrow?

"Just hit me I leave in two days and I couldn't be happier to do what I love the most

— Blayne Enlow (@BlayneBlaynee) "

"https://twitter.com/BlayneBlaynee/status/877059289915027456

 

Hopefully he is not talking about a camping trip

 

It's a little early for a Boundary Waters trip. Those lakes would be chilly!

[Otto von Ballpark]

I personally don't have much of a strong opinion on any of the hs rhs from the draft (aside from Greene). If the Twins passed on Enlow and took a different pitcher I would almost certainly default to trusting their scouting/process.

I wasn't asking for your personal rankings. My point was, we don't really know if the draft unfolded according to their scouting/process. They passed on both Enlow and Carlson at 35/37, and only one was available when they picked next. They may have had Carlson ahead of Enlow but they would never admit that now.

[amjgt]

Falvey should've been planning on paying 15.39M for this draft class from the beginning. 14.86M in signings and 530k in penalties.

 

Not doing so, with as large of a draft pool as we were given, is essentially like giving up a top 100 draft pick.

 

It's only money. Money (at this scale, especially) should not be a deterrent. 

[drjim]

 

I wasn't asking for your personal rankings. My point was, we don't really know if the draft unfolded according to their scouting/process. They passed on both Enlow and Carlson at 35/37, and only one was available when they picked next. They may have had Carlson ahead of Enlow but they would never admit that now.

 

Maybe, but I imagine they had plenty of information and likely even a deal with Enlow before the 35 and 37 even came up. They would have known that Carlson wanted $2mil and that they Mariners were hot on him, so they would have had to pick him at 37 to get him, and decided to pass.

 

I imagine most of the overslot high school deals are pretty locked in before the wave of second picks start to happen.

[drjim]

 

Falvey should've been planning on paying 15.39M for this draft class from the beginning. 14.86M in signings and 530k in penalties.

 

Not doing so, with as large of a draft pool as we were given, is essentially like giving up a top 100 draft pick.

 

It's only money. Money (at this scale, especially) should not be a deterrent. 

 

I agree with this. I am interested to see how it all shakes out at the end.

 

As good as the 2012 draft was for the Twins, they left significant money on the table, and to a lesser extent in the the 13, 14, 15 drafts too. That's a few extra hs arms they could have in the system right now.

[Monkeypaws]

 

Is it weird that there's no Leach news at all?

I thought that as well the other day - found his twitter, which made me feel better:

 

Can't post a damn twitter, so he said: "Such an unbelievable feeling right now, a dream come true, thank you to the @Twins for this amazing opportunity! #Twins @MLB."

 

 

Edited June 22, 2017 by Monkeypaws

[nicksaviking]

 

I always took that as longing for a local kid more than any sort of desire from the Twins. They would have known how much he cost and what other teams would have wanted him. Passing on him on 35 and 37 made it pretty clear they had other priorities.

 

Just looking at scouting reports, Carlson certainly would have interested me.

 

But with how our teams and fans cling to our local guys, I've actually started to go the other way on them. I'd rather the Twins get guys they can be completely objective about. There are always questions about whether there are off field benefits when decisions are made about local guys.

 

Not that the team would necessarily act on ulterior motives.

[Mike Sixel]

I know this is off topic, but it possibly explains some things about both Wright and McKay that I had not considered:

 

danny
2:13 Why are the Braves going far over slot value for Wright?  Would he turn down the slot value at #5?  (alternative question: Freeman to 3B?  Really?)

 

Keith Law
2:13 My guess? That was worked out beforehand, so that Wright would turn down underslot offers at picks 1-4 if any arose.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Falvey should've been planning on paying 15.39M for this draft class from the beginning. 14.86M in signings and 530k in penalties.

 

Not doing so, with as large of a draft pool as we were given, is essentially like giving up a top 100 draft pick.

 

It's only money. Money (at this scale, especially) should not be a deterrent. 

Exactly and if you want to put it on a grand scheme of things, the 15M investments the Twins will make in the 2017 draft is only a million more than what they are paying Phil Hughes for the 2017 season...

Edited June 22, 2017 by Bob Sacamento

[Mike Sixel]

 

Falvey should've been planning on paying 15.39M for this draft class from the beginning. 14.86M in signings and 530k in penalties.

 

Not doing so, with as large of a draft pool as we were given, is essentially like giving up a top 100 draft pick.

 

It's only money. Money (at this scale, especially) should not be a deterrent. 

 

Strongly concur. It's so much cheaper than the money they spend on bad MLB players.....

[jimbo92107]

If Twins sign Leach and Enlow, I will conclude that this was a good (not great) draft. We will all be watching McKay, Wright, Greene and Gore as they become front line starters. Any of those four could become a dominating ace. Meanwhile, Royce Lewis looks to be a future star, Rooker could become a star, and the #3, 4, and 5 pitchers were rated as having good potential. If one of them pans out, it will help a lot. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Maybe, but I imagine they had plenty of information and likely even a deal with Enlow before the 35 and 37 even came up. They would have known that Carlson wanted $2mil and that they Mariners were hot on him, so they would have had to pick him at 37 to get him, and decided to pass.

 

I imagine most of the overslot high school deals are pretty locked in before the wave of second picks start to happen.

Perhaps. Would Carlson have told them that? Would the Mariners? You are making a lot of assumptions about perfect information there. Lots of variables and competing motivations.

 

In any case, I thought the Carlson news was interesting.

[maxisagod]

 

Strongly concur. It's so much cheaper than the money they spend on bad MLB players.....

 

I agree. But there is one reason for not spending it right away.  What if one of your top 10 draft picks doesn't sign. You agree to a under slot deal, promise the money to someone else and.... they fail their physical. Do you offer them the same amount to make sure to keep the extra money in your draft pool? Do you offer the player less, what if they don't sign? The money should get spent, but only after all your top targets sign for what they agree too. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

I agree. But there is one reason for not spending it right away.  What if one of your top 10 draft picks doesn't sign. You agree to a under slot deal, promise the money to someone else and.... they fail their physical. Do you offer them the same amount to make sure to keep the extra money in your draft pool? Do you offer the player less, what if they don't sign? The money should get spent, but only after all your top targets sign for what they agree too. 

 

Isn't that a given? The point was, they should be aiming to spend to the max, including the small penalty, to get another top player. No place were we discussing when to spend on whom, were we?

[Thrylos]

Re: Enlow.   He is on his way to the Cities for his physical.  The announcement of his signing will happen soon afterwards, likely this weekend.  It is all agreed upon.  Just the timing of the logistics is such that seems delayed...

[maxisagod]

 

Isn't that a given? The point was, they should be aiming to spend to the max, including the small penalty, to get another top player. No place were we discussing when to spend on whom, were we?

When you quoted amjgt he said:
"Not doing so, with as large of a draft pool as we were given, is essentially like giving up a top 100 draft pick."

 

Now 'like a top 100 pick' isn't directly saying "Draft an extra top 100 pick" but the argument seems to be plan to spend the money on a top guy. Which only works if everyone signs.  When really (In my opinion) the arugment should be once it clear you don't need your emergency money, spend it on a harder to sign pick from 11-40. None of the 11-40 guys are top 100 guys.  

 

Like I said, I agree with you. I just keep my saving account and my checking account separate until there is no reason to save anymore.  

[Mike Sixel]

 

When you quoted amjgt he said:
"Not doing so, with as large of a draft pool as we were given, is essentially like giving up a top 100 draft pick."

 

Now 'like a top 100 pick' isn't directly saying "Draft an extra top 100 pick" but the argument seems to be plan to spend the money on a top guy. Which only works if everyone signs.  When really (In my opinion) the arugment should be once it clear you don't need your emergency money, spend it on a harder to sign pick from 11-40. None of the 11-40 guys are top 100 guys.  

 

Like I said, I agree with you. I just keep my saving account and my checking account separate until there is no reason to save anymore.  

 

I think the point was, they should have taken another top player at 37 or after Enlow. It was for me.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Re: Enlow.   He is on his way to the Cities for his physical.  The announcement of his signing will happen soon afterwards, likely this weekend.  It is all agreed upon.  Just the timing of the logistics is such that seems delayed...

Just in time for the GCL season which starts on Monday