2012 Draft Day Thread + Cubs Picks Discussion

[Guest]

Official Press Release:

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs have signed their first-round selection (sixth pick overall) in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, outfielder Albert Almora out of Mater Academy Charter in Hialeah Gardens, Fla. Almora reports to Mesa today.

 

The Cubs have thus far signed 19 of their first 20 picks and 28 players overall selected in the 2012 Draft.

 

Almora, 18, was named by Baseball America as the second-best outfielder available in the draft, and the third-best high school player in the 2012 draft class. In addition, the publication ranked him as the best defensive player and the second-best pure hitter with the third-best strike zone judgment among high school eligible players in the draft.

 

The six-foot-two, 180-pound Almora batted .603 (44-for-73) with 13 doubles, five triples, six home runs and 34 RBI in 25 games for Mater Academy last season. He recorded a 1.164 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage thanks in part to 14 walks compared to just three strikeouts in 87 plate appearances. Almora, who made the Mater varsity squad as an eighth-grader in 2008, last season stole 24 bases in 25 attempts.

 

Almora, who bats and throws right-handed, has an extensive resume with Team USA Baseball. In 2011, he was named USA Baseball’s Athlete of the Year after helping the 18-under squad go 9-0 and earn the gold medal in the Pan-Am Games, an event in which he was named tournament MVP. He has been part of six USA national teams, tied for the most by any player with former major league catcher A.J. Hinch, and has earned five gold medals.

[davell]

Callis just tweeted the Marlins won't offer Heaney close to thepick value and he's going to go unsigned.

[Guest]

Callis just tweeted the Marlins won't offer Heaney close to thepick value and he's going to go unsigned.

 

That's crazy, he was a slight overdraft but not that much. Sucks for him, I have no idea what the Marlins are doing.

 

@jimcallisBA: One more Heaney thought: If #Marlins don't sign him, may not be able to sign 3rd-rder Avery Romero either. #mlbdraft

[bukie]

So if three top 10 picks in the draft fail to sign, how much of a failure does that make the new format?

[davell]

Yeah, no clue what they're doing. I guess trying to bully him into a very low deal.

[sneakypower]

Callis just tweeted the Marlins won't offer Heaney close to thepick value and he's going to go unsigned.

 

That's crazy, he was a slight overdraft but not that much. Sucks for him, I have no idea what the Marlins are doing.

 

@jimcallisBA: One more Heaney thought: If #Marlins don't sign him, may not be able to sign 3rd-rder Avery Romero either. #mlbdraft

they have to be able to afford the $27M it costs to have Heath Bell put up a 1.82 WHIP

[bukie]

A fluff piece and fluff video on Almora: http://mlb.mlb.com//news/article.jsp?ymd=20120709&content_id=34773094&vkey=news_chc&c_id=chc

 

But, hey, Almora video!

[davell]

Marlins beat writer says they offered Heaney 2.6, Callis says he heard it was lower.

[Guest]

Marlins beat writer says they offered Heaney 2.6, Callis says he heard it was lower.

I have to imagine Callis was right. Can't believe Heaney would turn down 2.6, when he was projected to go in the teens.

[bukie]

Also, from reading that Almora article, it indicates that Underwood is as of yet unsigned. Didn't he sign a week ago, or did they just come to an agreement that has yet to be signed?

[Guest]

Also, from reading that Almora article, it indicates that Underwood is as of yet unsigned. Didn't he sign a week ago, or did they just come to an agreement that has yet to be signed?

According to the Cubs press release with Almora, Underwood is not yet officially signed.

[Guest]

Hensley and Shaffer agreed to term yesterday.

 

Only Gausman, Appel, Heaney and Giolito left unsigned from the first round.

 

Hoping the Cubs can get someone signed for $120,000.

 

Jim Callis has a preview of today: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/2012/07/little-drama-on-deadline-day/

[davell]

Underwood is officially signed. Marlins signed Heaney for 2.6. What an odd way to get a deal done.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Marlins signed Heaney for 2.6. What an odd way to get a deal done.

 

I'm completely stunned that a guy would make noise about impasse and going back to school several days before the deadline, then turn around and sign.

[bukie]

PR on Underwood:

 

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs have signed right-handed pitcher Duane Underwood, their second round selection (67th pick overall) in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Underwood, from Pope High School in Georgia, will report to Mesa.

 

Overall in 2012, the Cubs signed each of their first 20 picks and 29 players overall selected in the draft.

 

Underwood, who turns 18 a week from today, was 6-1 with a 2.36 ERA on the hill, striking out 75 and walking 34 in 50.1 innings pitched this past season for Pope. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder struck out 15 hitters in 6.1 innings of work, March 9 vs. Lassiter. At the plate, Underwood batted .337 (35-for-104) with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 19 RBI.

[bukie]

Underwood is officially signed. Marlins signed Heaney for 2.6. What an odd way to get a deal done.

Well, at least the Marlins signed one player from the first three rounds.

[Guest]

Marlins signed Heaney for 2.6. What an odd way to get a deal done.

 

I'm completely stunned that a guy would make noise about impasse and going back to school several days before the deadline, then turn around and sign.

 

The Marlins were the ones who made noise about not signing him, informing him they wouldn't sign him. They were offering less than $2.6 he signed for. Heaney never made noise about going back to school and probably wouldn't have if he didn't sign.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Marlins signed Heaney for 2.6. What an odd way to get a deal done.

 

I'm completely stunned that a guy would make noise about impasse and going back to school several days before the deadline, then turn around and sign.

 

The Marlins were the ones who made noise about not signing him, informing him they wouldn't sign him. They were offering less than $2.6 he signed for. Heaney never made noise about going back to school and probably wouldn't have if he didn't sign.

 

I'm completely stunned that I would post about something from memory and get most of the details wrong.

[Guest]

The take-away from your post is correct though - don't believe anything right before the deadline and assume everything is posturing.

 

It was nice that the player and his adviser were the level-headed ones in this situation (as opposed to the GM and the rest of the organization) and got this done.

[Jake]

We bucs fans are counting down the hour to see if Appel signs.

 

The news is leading away from it. But with Scott Boras, you never know.

 

A columnist @ the Trib notes that Boras clients always sign.

 

I'm thinking Boras is setting up a suit of the whole system. Just seems his way.

 

He'll probably win. He usually does.

[jersey cubs fan]

get that stupid hand signal out of here

[Guest]

We bucs fans are counting down the hour to see if Appel signs.

 

The news is leading away from it. But with Scott Boras, you never know.

 

A columnist @ the Trib notes that Boras clients always sign.

 

I'm thinking Boras is setting up a suit of the whole system. Just seems his way.

 

He'll probably win. He usually does.

I don't understand why Boras would care to engage in a lawsuit.

[StarlinOnYou]

I am more interested in seeing if Gioloto signs for just under $3M.

 

The Nationals are stacked with pitching. If Gioloto moves fast they could have a rotation of:

 

Strasburg

Gio

Zimmerman

Detwiler

Gioloto

[Jake]

I don't understand why Boras would care to engage in a lawsuit.

have the slotting system invalidate, thrown out, back to the old system of teams spending what they want.

 

So he his clients can make more money.

[Guest]

I don't understand why Boras would care to engage in a lawsuit.

have the slotting system invalidate, thrown out, back to the old system of teams spending what they want.

 

So he his clients can make more money.

Don't know that it's worth the time and effort for him.