So, who didn't sign?

[ChaosLex]

It looks like Alonso signed, and rumor is that Smoak and Alvarez agreed to terms within the last hour (or two) before the deadline.

Any word on Hosmer and Crow?

[JTrea81]

Smoak signed without a ML contract, 3.5 million. Nice job by the Rangers...

Alonso signed for a ML deal worth 4.55 million with a 2 mil signing bonus

Posey also got a ML contract.

Dykstra signed for 1.15 million

[ChaosLex]

Baseball America's Jim Callis says the Nationals failed to sign Crow. The Nats were at $3.3MM and Crow's agents at $4MM. So, the Nats missed out on a quality pitching prospect over a matter of $700K.

What a horrible, horrible season to be a Nats fan.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/08/crow-signs-with.html

[BaltBird 24]

What a horrible, horrible season to be a Nats fan.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/08/crow-signs-with.html

They'll miss out on a pretty strong prospect in Crow, but they will still have two top ten picks to use next season.

[ChaosLex]

Buster Posey got $6.2 million from the Giants, the largest up-front bonus in draft history. Straight bonus, no major league deal.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=455

[McNulty]

Anybody know what college Hosmer committed to?

Edit: Its Arizona State apparently.

[ChaosLex]

We’re still waiting for word on Pedro Alvarez and Eric Hosmer at the top of the draft. Righthander Tanner Scheppers of Fresno State, the Pirates’ second-round pick (one round after Alvarez), is confirmed as not having signed. Scheppers had a shoulder injury in May that dropped him out of the first 10 picks in the draft. So Scheppers and Aaron Crow, who were the top two college righthanders on many draft boards entering May, are both back in the pool for 2009.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=456

Hopefully, we'll land one of the two. :D

[geschinger]

What a horrible, horrible season to be a Nats fan.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/08/crow-signs-with.html

It hurts in the short run, but in the end it could work out to their benefit. They get two high picks next year and didn't get stuck with someone who seemingly isn't all that interested in starting his career.

[sakata_catching]

Official: Alvarez signed. (http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/archive/2008/08/15/pirates-alvarez-agree-to-terms.aspx#comments) Details to come.

[ChaosLex]

Official: Alvarez signed. (http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/archive/2008/08/15/pirates-alvarez-agree-to-terms.aspx#comments) Details to come.

Apparently, so has Hosmer.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=457

[geschinger]

Official: Alvarez signed. (http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/archive/2008/08/15/pirates-alvarez-agree-to-terms.aspx#comments) Details to come.

Straight 6m bonus for Pedro.

[sakata_catching]

Straight 6m bonus for Pedro.

Great deal for the Buccos.

Their second round pick, RHP Tanner Scheppers, did NOT sign, however.

[Big Mac]

They'll miss out on a pretty strong prospect in Crow, but they will still have two top ten picks to use next season.

They refused to give Crow a 4 Million dollar bonus, if they are that stingy, they will have trouble signing both picks next year.

And I don't blame Crow for not wanting to sign eith the Nats, even he recognizes they are an organization going nowhere fast.

[geschinger]

They refused to give Crow a 4 Million dollar bonus, if they are that stingy, they will have trouble signing both picks next year.

And I don't blame Crow for not wanting to sign eith the Nats, even he recognizes they are an organization going nowhere fast.

Not that I like defending the Nats, but there was nothing wrong w/what the Nats offered. It was well above slot. They'll have two top ten picks next year and if they're smart they'll pick players who have the desire to start their professional careers.

[Big Mac]

Not that I like defending the Nats, but there was nothing wrong w/what the Nats offered. It was well above slot. They'll have two top ten picks next year and if they're smart they'll pick players who have the desire to start their professional careers.

They are going to need two good first-rounders next year, after Detwiler last season and Crow not signing this year, they have had two very poor first rounds.

[Ruzious]

They refused to give Crow a 4 Million dollar bonus, if they are that stingy, they will have trouble signing both picks next year.

And I don't blame Crow for not wanting to sign eith the Nats, even he recognizes they are an organization going nowhere fast.
I'm not pro or anti Nats, but I think Crow and his agent are fools for how they ended up. The Nats offer was more than generous, and if they gave in to him, you might as well forget the slotting system. Meanwhile, Crow basically wastes a year of development, is risking millions of guaranteed money, and puts himself a year behind in getting really big MLB money. Now he's on an Indy league team that won't necessarily have his best interests at heart.

[geschinger]

I'm not pro or anti Nats, but I think Crow and his agent are fools for how they ended up. The Nats offer was more than generous, and if they gave in to him, you might as well forget the slotting system. Meanwhile, Crow basically wastes a year of development, is risking millions of guaranteed money, and puts himself a year behind in getting really big MLB money. Now he's on an Indy league team that won't necessarily have his best interests at heart.

Exactly. He'll also have to navigate the tricky tryout process next year. We saw with Wade Townsend (who unlike Crow as a victim of an organization failing to do the right thing) where he injured his elbow overdoing things in tryouts before the following years draft. Hopefully for Crow's sake he doesn't end up being another Matt Harrington.

[Migrant Redbird]

Maybe Crow wanted another chance to be drafted by his home team Cardinals? Playing out a year in the independent league is how the Cards ended up with JD Drew back in 1998.

I agree that it's a huge risk, especially for a pitcher, to refuse to sign with the team that drafted him. Still, what other option do players have if they don't like that team or don't feel they're being given a fair shake?

I thought I heard one of the Cardinals broadcasters say that the team signed all of their draft picks except Mitch Harris, the Navy Academy grad who couldn't get the Navy to waive his military commitment. Baseball America (http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2008team.php?team=1019) shows Harris as the only one of the Cards' top 29 draft picks who wasn't signed. Of picks #30 through #50, they show 13 signed and 8 unsigned. 4 of the 8 were high schoolers and may just have elected to continue on to college.

I don't see that players choosing to go independent are at any more risk of injury than those continuing in college; the point with the first rounders is that they're risking a lot more potential income than the guys drafted in later rounds.

[geschinger]

Maybe Crow wanted another chance to be drafted by his home team Cardinals? Playing out a year in the independent league is how the Cards ended up with JD Drew back in 1998.

I agree that it's a huge risk, especially for a pitcher, to refuse to sign with the team that drafted him. Still, what other option do players have if they don't like that team or don't feel they're being given a fair shake?

I thought I heard one of the Cardinals broadcasters say that the team signed all of their draft picks except Mitch Harris, the Navy Academy grad who couldn't get the Navy to waive his military commitment. Baseball America (http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2008team.php?team=1019) shows Harris as the only one of the Cards' top 29 draft picks who wasn't signed. Of picks #30 through #50, they show 13 signed and 8 unsigned. 4 of the 8 were high schoolers and may just have elected to continue on to college.

I don't see that players choosing to go independent are at any more risk of injury than those continuing in college; the point with the first rounders is that they're risking a lot more potential income than the guys drafted in later rounds.

I guess if they really hate the team they were drafted by there is no other recourse. But he would be delusional or getting some truly awful advice to think that an offer of $3.5m and a Major League deal equates to not being given a fair shake.

[ChaosLex]

I guess if they really hate the team they were drafted by there is no other recourse. But he would be delusional or getting some truly awful advice to think that an offer of $3.5m and a Major League deal equates to not being given a fair shake.

Agreed. I hate to tell you all this, but IF I were a ballplayer and IF I were drafted by the Yankees, I'd have no problem donning pinstripes for 3.0+ million.

And I frakking hate the Yankees!

[PaulBako]

If someone was drafted by the Nationals, they would go to the majors very quickly, like Zimmerman, Cordero, and Detwiler.

[Big Mac]

If someone was drafted by the Nationals, they would go to the majors very quickly, like Zimmerman, Cordero, and Detwiler.

It's worth noting that Detwiler was brought up last September, pitched one inning, and is now getting shelled as a 22 year-old in the Carolina League.

[Mad Mark]

I heard a brief bit on the radio today where Bowden indicated that Crow's agent moved off their initial $7MM demand about half an hour before the deadline...dropping to $4MM. I think by then the Nats may well have been in f-you mode. I don't think either side comes out of this looking good.

[Crazysilver03]

I heard a brief bit on the radio today where Bowden indicated that Crow's agent moved off their initial $7MM demand about half an hour before the deadline...dropping to $4MM. I think by then the Nats may well have been in f-you mode. I don't think either side comes out of this looking good.

I have seen some of the Nationals tv and they seemed pretty adamant to make sure people didnt blame Bowden for this one.

It was said that Bowden offered somewhere between 3.3 to 3.5M. But they made the good point that if that was the initial offering and the counter offer was 7-10M, there isnt much room to negotiate.

[geschinger]

I heard a brief bit on the radio today where Bowden indicated that Crow's agent moved off their initial $7MM demand about half an hour before the deadline...dropping to $4MM. I think by then the Nats may well have been in f-you mode. I don't think either side comes out of this looking good.

From what I read it was evern worse... The article I read had them demanding $9m up until 11:40 PM when they dropped their demand to $4.4m. The Nats went to $3.5m with a MLB contract. I think the Nats tried and made a good offer (more than the 1st college pitcher selected was signed for as the #4 pick). IMO all the blame for it not getting done belongs on the shouldars of Team Crow.

[ChaosLex]

From what I read it was evern worse... The article I read had them demanding $9m up until 11:40 PM when they dropped their demand to $4.4m. The Nats went to $3.5m with a MLB contract. I think the Nats tried and made a good offer (more than the 1st college pitcher selected was signed for as the #4 pick). IMO all the blame for it not getting done belongs on the shouldars of Team Crow.

This is going to sound terrible, but I honestly hope that Crow fails.

[getxstoked]

This is going to sound terrible, but I honestly hope that Crow fails.


I hope he does well and falls to the O's in next year's draft.

[Fan4Life]

Maybe Crow wanted another chance to be drafted by his home team Cardinals? Playing out a year in the independent league is how the Cards ended up with JD Drew back in 1998.

I agree that it's a huge risk, especially for a pitcher, to refuse to sign with the team that drafted him. Still, what other option do players have if they don't like that team or don't feel they're being given a fair shake?

I thought I heard one of the Cardinals broadcasters say that the team signed all of their draft picks except Mitch Harris, the Navy Academy grad who couldn't get the Navy to waive his military commitment. Baseball America (http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2008team.php?team=1019) shows Harris as the only one of the Cards' top 29 draft picks who wasn't signed. Of picks #30 through #50, they show 13 signed and 8 unsigned. 4 of the 8 were high schoolers and may just have elected to continue on to college.

I don't see that players choosing to go independent are at any more risk of injury than those continuing in college; the point with the first rounders is that they're risking a lot more potential income than the guys drafted in later rounds.

I don't mind players using the system to their advantage where possible, but for me, the drafting system's primary function is to level the playing field "pun intended" and so for that reason I think the drafted players should have no rights and should have to sign or miss 3 years of eligibility. MLB should have a fixed $$$ on the slot their chosen. I think the NFL needs to do this as well. It gets old seeing the Elway's and Manning's of the world crying they won't sign because they don't like the team that likely has their rights...

[Migrant Redbird]

I don't mind players using the system to their advantage where possible, but for me, the drafting system's primary function is to level the playing field "pun intended" and so for that reason I think the drafted players should have no rights and should have to sign or miss 3 years of eligibility. MLB should have a fixed $$$ on the slot their chosen. I think the NFL needs to do this as well. It gets old seeing the Elway's and Manning's of the world crying they won't sign because they don't like the team that likely has their rights...

The drafting system may "level the playing field", but it still deprives players from their right to play for whom and where they choose.

There are three arguments to justify the draft, aside from the level playing field argument:

(1) Baseball is immune from the anti-trust laws.

(2) MLB is really a single entity. The teams compete on the field, but they cooperate to provide an entertaining product.

(3) A player's right to choose where he plays isn't denied, but only deferred up to 13 years -- if he's good enough to remain in professional baseball that long.

We could change the way that players are compensated to do a better job of leveling the playing field, if people had open minds to developing a better formula. Right now, MLB owners and veteran players (through the players association) conspire to limit the rights of younger players to be compensated fairly, in favor of a system that over compensates veteran players.

[ChaosLex]

Here's an in-depth interview with Bowden on the subject of Crow. Obviously, you have to take this with a grain of salt, but Crow, his father, and most of all, Crow's agents, come out looking like total d-bags.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2008/08/more_than_3700_words_from_jim.html

[zff4]

Here's an in-depth interview with Bowden on the subject of Crow. Interesting article and a glimpse into the chaos induced by the deadline. This level of hectic and crazed uncertainty is simply amazing when you consider the money involved.

A comment to that article was intelligent: because Crow is going to pitch for the Cats, presumably an entire indie season, he can now expect even GREATER scrutiny than before. Now scouts won't be saying, "where does this young man fit in?" They'll be saying, "Is this young man really a first rounder?" Two very different approaches to scouting and Crow may not get the answer he wants.

That said, if I were Lerner, I'd throw all the money in the world at Epstein. Rumor is that he might be tired of Boston and looking for an interesting change. The Nats are going to have to really go looking out of the box to improve that disaster south of us.

[olehippi]

All I can say is, "WOW!" I have the feeling that when the reality of what he turned his back on strikes Crow, he will regret it mightily. And IMO, Alan Harrington, his agent, should be barred from representing anyone or anything. he did this young man an incredible disservice. What an idiot!!

[Mad Mark]

The drafting system may "level the playing field", but it still deprives players from their right to play for whom and where they choose.

There are three arguments to justify the draft, aside from the level playing field argument:

(1) Baseball is immune from the anti-trust laws.

(2) MLB is really a single entity. The teams compete on the field, but they cooperate to provide an entertaining product.

(3) A player's right to choose where he plays isn't denied, but only deferred up to 13 years -- if he's good enough to remain in professional baseball that long.

We could change the way that players are compensated to do a better job of leveling the playing field, if people had open minds to developing a better formula. Right now, MLB owners and veteran players (through the players association) conspire to limit the rights of younger players to be compensated fairly, in favor of a system that over compensates veteran players.

If MLB is really a single entity, they do a really good job of disguising it, especially when it comes to revenue distribution...:D

Agree completely, though, that the Players Association screws the young guys in order to maximize the $$$ taken in by free agents. I wonder how long this system will hold, given that GMs seem to be moving toward younger players?

[Migrant Redbird]

If MLB is really a single entity, they do a really good job of disguising it, especially when it comes to revenue distribution...:D

If the owners didn't accept the "single entity" concept at least partially, there wouldn't be any revenue distribution at all, or collective bargaining with the players association, or an amateur draft.

Baseball operates as a single entity in many areas. The major exceptions are:

(1) On field competition. That has to be independent, or there wouldn't be much entertainment value. (Think professional wrestling.)

(2) Bidding on free agents, including foreign players not included in the amateur draft.

(3) Contract negotiations with their employees and other "Human Resource" operations.

(4) Operation of their playing facilities.

(5) Operation of their player development organization.

(6) Local broadcasting rights and other merchandising


Agree completely, though, that the Players Association screws the young guys in order to maximize the $$$ taken in by free agents. I wonder how long this system will hold, given that GMs seem to be moving toward younger players?

It will continue as long as the veterans are able to control the Players Association. The arbitration and free agent rules are biased towards players with more than three years seniority. Players with less than three years are completely disadvantaged, just as much as they were in the days of the reserve clause. Players with 3-6 years remain disadvantaged in terms of controlling their destinies, but they have enough leverage through salary arbitration to enable the better players to negotiate favorable contracts which provide some degree of multi-year security. Evan Longeria is one of the rare examples where a player was able to extend that leverage down into his rookie season, but he gave up a lot of potential earnings potential in exchange for financial security.

Albert Pujols made $1.7M for his record setting initial three seasons. Nick Markakis got $1.182M for his first 3 years. Miguel Cabrera received $1.162M from the Marlins before he became eligible for arbitration.

Cabrera won $7.4M in arbitration for his 4th season, which is about half of even the low end of what that level of performance is worth for a veteran player eligible for free agency.

Cabrera's current contract pays him $15M for his last season of arbitration eligibility and over $20M per season for the next five years after that. Pujols is only up to $16M, but he signed a 7 year contract in his first season of arbitration eligibility and his compensation is discounted accordingly.

Get ready to pay "Cakes" obscene amounts of compensation or see him traded to another team for prospects. :)

[bgtimber75]

I read the Washington Post article on Crow on Sunday and I don't see how the Nats did a thing wrong here. Team Crow wouldn't even take phone calls for months, they were relying on e-mails to negotiate? They offered him a major league deal but he wouldn't come in for a physical. They wanted more then the pitcher selected ahead of them. Seems like Team Crow tried to play hard ball and they failed miserably.

I hope he fails miserably in his baseball future.