2014 Blue Jays Draft | Signings, Bonuses and Rumors Thread

[jays4life19]

You're right, he's wrong.

 

Nope.

[mitchf]

New CBA....picks are protected for 2 years

Wtf, as of draft day 1 we were at risk of losing that pick should our pick not sign. Was everyone just misinformed?

[Angrioter]

New CBA....picks are protected for 2 years

 

just one year

[L54]

And immediately following that tweet, Cotillo is on the case.

 

http://i.imgur.com/YqCIYJ0.png

 

WOW. #INSIDER

 

Hahaha, such a difficult job.

[Angrioter]

And immediately following that tweet, Cotillo is on the case.

 

http://i.imgur.com/YqCIYJ0.png

 

WOW. #INSIDER

 

Y R faster than me.

[L54]

He's also done this for Nick Wells and other draftees, usually deletes the tweet within 20 minutes so that's why I took a screenshot this time.

 

lol

 

Haha I know, I've seen some of the others. I just asked him the exact same question he's been asking everyone, hoping for a response.

[Mikeleelop]

Look at Keith law chat June 6 2014. 122pm he responds to question stating that unsigned draft pick is retained for two years under the new cba

[NorthOf49]

Now that the novelty has worn off the Cotillo kid is starting to get on my nerves.

[NorthOf49]

Starting?

Yeah okay more than that. At least he hasn't been writing opinion pieces recently.

[barfield29]

Look at Keith law chat June 6 2014. 122pm he responds to question stating that unsigned draft pick is retained for two years under the new cba

 

Greg (Hamilton, ON)

 

Hi Keith,People are suggesting that if the Jays don't sign Pentecost that they don't get the pick back next year, but I thought they changed it to two years of protection in the last CBA. Could you please clear this up?

 

Klaw(1:22 PM)

 

You are correct, and People are wrong. They often are.

 

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/50726/keith-law-on-mlb-draft

[TwistedLogic]

Greg (Hamilton, ON)

 

Hi Keith,People are suggesting that if the Jays don't sign Pentecost that they don't get the pick back next year, but I thought they changed it to two years of protection in the last CBA. Could you please clear this up?

 

Klaw(1:22 PM)

 

You are correct, and People are wrong. They often are.

 

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/50726/keith-law-on-mlb-draft

 

Welcome to the forum. Nice way to start off.

 

Keith Law is such a fabulous *******.

[TwistedLogic]

---

Pipeline Perspectives: Blue Jays made out best in Draft

Hoffman, Pentecost head up large group of talented youngsters selected by Toronto

By Jim Callis | 6/18/2014 10:00 A.M. ET

 

There's a good amount of subjectivity regarding baseball prospects. With the evaluation of talent being in the eye of the beholder, finding consensus is often difficult. Even Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLBPipeline.com don't always see eye to eye. They discuss their viewpoints regularly in a feature called Pipeline Perspectives.

Submit a topic for them to debate.

 

Writing that the Blue Jays had the best Draft this year isn't exactly making a bold statement. It's maybe a little more daring than saying

Mike Trout

is the best all-around player in the Majors.

 

We won't know for sure how the 30 teams actually fared in the 2014 Draft for years down the road, so the club that makes the strongest initial impression usually is one that had more than its share of premium picks.

And only one team in Draft history ever had two earlier selections than Toronto did this June.

 

The 2009 Nationals owned the No. 1 overall choice on the basis of having the Majors' worst record the year before, and they also had the No. 10 pick because they failed to sign

Aaron Crow

at No. 9 in '08. They parlayed those selections into

Stephen Strasburg

and

Drew Storen

, who helped Washington win the National League East in 2012 and have the Nats in the hunt again this year.

 

The Blue Jays earned the No. 9 pick this June with their 2013 performance, and they added the No. 11 choice as compensation for not signing Phil Bickford at No. 10 last summer. With its pair of early selections, Toronto landed a pair of potential impact talents.

 

First, the Blue Jays chose East Carolina right-hander Jeff Hoffman, who was a candidate to go No. 1 overall before he blew out his elbow and required Tommy John surgery in April. The track record of elbow reconstructions leads to optimism that Hoffman will regain his once-formidable stuff: a mid-90s fastball, a big breaking curveball and a deceptive changeup. If he does, Toronto will have a front-line starter.

 

With its second first-rounder, the Blue Jays took the best true catcher in the Draft in Kennesaw State's Max Pentecost. After winning Cape Cod League MVP honors and leading the most prestigious summer circuit with a .962 OPS in 2013, he encored by topping NCAA Division I with 113 hits and ranking second with a .422 average and 168 total bases this spring. He still needs to improve as a receiver, but he's more athletic and quicker than most backstops and has a strong arm.

 

Hoffman and Pentecost were just the start of a banner Draft for Toronto, however. When its second-round pick arrived at No. 49, a first-round talent was waiting.

 

Sandalwood High (Jacksonville, Fla.) right-hander Sean Reid-Foley ranked 18th on

MLBPipeline.com's Draft Top 200

, but the depth of prep pitching in this Draft and the general skittishness on the part of many teams to take high school arms early caused him to slide. As a result, the Blue Jays were the only team who grabbed three of our top 20 Draft prospects. Strong and athletic, Reid-Foley throws four pitches, including a low-90s fastball and a low-80s slider, for strikes.

 

The Blue Jays continued to find high-ceiling high schoolers with its next three picks. Battlefield High (Haymarket, Va.) left-hander Nick Wells (third round) is ultra projectable at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, and he already hits 93 mph with his fastball. Thorsby (Ala.) High's Matt Morgan (fourth) was one of the best all-around prep catchers available. And Bearden High's (Knoxville, Tenn.) Lane Thomas (fifth) has the hitting skills and speed to fit the center fielder/leadoff hitter profile.

 

In 2013, Toronto made a couple of big late-round splashes by inking 11th-rounder Jake Brentz for $700,000 and 30th-rounder Rowdy Tellez for $850,000 on the day of the signing deadline. The Blue Jays have put themselves in position to again make some dramatic moves deep into the Draft.

 

Collinsville (Ill.) High right-hander Tanner Houck (12th round), College of Charleston second baseman Gunnar Heidt (13th) and Lemont (Ill.) High catcher Mike Papierski (16th) all made the MLBPipeline.com Top 200, as did all but unsignable Osceola High (Largo, Fla.) righty Keith Weisenberg (38th). Other intriguing third-day choices included Papierski's teammate, left-hander Jake Latz (11th round), American Heritage School (Plantation, Fla.) outfielder Todd Isaacs (22nd) and Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School (Brampton, Ontario) righty Zach Pop (23rd).

 

Dodgers national crosschecker Roy Clark likes to say that there's only one certainty with the Draft: when it's over, 30 scouting directors tell their GMs they just had the best Draft in baseball. Jonathan Mayo

makes a case for the Brewers

, and I cited some other clubs with productive Drafts

here

.

But top to bottom, no team did better this year than the Blue Jays.

 

Jim Callis

is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog,

Callis' Corner

. Follow

@jimcallisMLB

on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

---

Callis and Mayo having a debate about which major league team had the best draft of the year. Mayo nominates the Brewers and Callis goes to bat for the Jays. I should note that Callis is incorrect in saying that only one other team in history has had two draft picks earlier than the Blue Jays. If I remember correctly, the Diamondbacks drafted Bauer (3) and Bradley (7) in 2011.

Edited June 20, 2014 by TwistedLogic

[TwistedLogic]

TL, the OP is screwy

 

Also ZZ is not signing

 

Screenshot it, it's the same on my screen as it's always been.

[mitchf]

I don't get why Cotillo is wrong to do what he's doing?

 

Kid's a teenager trying to become a legitimate "insider" and he's using twitter to his advantage. If you guys want to start tweeting draftees about their contract details, go right ahead... He's working hard, good for him. It's not about the level of difficulty here or even the lack of "insider knowledge" (god forbid), it's the fact that he's doing it.

[GD]

Appears to be fixed.

 

BTW, we signed undrafted FA C - Brett Wellman

 

How many catchers do we need omg

[Angrioter]

[TwistedLogic]

 

We already knew that, right?

[NorthOf49]

Yes, the team announced the signing on the 18th. But we didn't know the $.

[TwistedLogic]

Yes, the team announced the signing on the 18th. But we didn't know the $.

 

I had the money already in the list, so it must have been posted.

[43211234]

Another "Jeff Hoffman is going somewhere soon" piece of evidence.

 

http://instagram.com/p/pgjag3rZua/

[Mikeleelop]

Come on aa I need some good news today.

[The Cats Ass]

Another "Jeff Hoffman is going somewhere soon" piece of evidence.

 

http://instagram.com/p/pgjag3rZua/

 

Nice looking lady friend.

[KingKat]

Nice looking lady friend.

 

Dat pussy.

 

http://instagram.com/p/T_RsRvLZp_/

[imsorry4beatinU]

Yes, the team announced the signing on the 18th. But we didn't know the $.

 

I was the one who posted it earlier. King, stop reposting news lol

[imsorry4beatinU]

Undrafted Free Agent Turner Lee signed with Blue Jays

 

Former UAB left-handed pitcher Turner Lee has signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays, as officially announced on Friday. Lee becomes the third former UAB baseball player, joining Jamal Austin and Chase Mallard, currently in the minor leagues.

 

“It is definitely a dream come true,” said Lee. “There has been a lot of hard work to get this point, by a lot of people.”

 

In his senior season at UAB, Lee finished with a 1-2 record and 2.83 ERA in 28 relief appearances. The Mobile, Ala. native ranked second on the squad in appearances, one behind sophomore right-handed pitcher Cory Eller. In addition, Lee was third among UAB relievers with 34 strikeouts on the year.

 

For his career at UAB, Lee owned a 2-5 mark with a 4.67 ERA. The left-handed pitcher also recorded two saves in his time in Birmingham, both coming in 2014. He was also a part of five shutouts in his two seasons as a Blazer.

 

Lee joins Mallard in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system. Lee has been assigned to the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., while Mallard is currently a member of the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League.

 

“It is really awesome to be in the same organization as Chase and hopefully we can be teammates again in the future,” added Lee. “It is just a credit to the coaching staff at UAB to get us both to this point.”

 

Lee and the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays begin their season today against the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Mallard and the Bluefield Blue Jays were defeated 13-0 in their season-opener on Thursday, June 19 against the Johnson City Cardinals.

 

http://www.uabsports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/062014aaa.html

[The Cats Ass]

Dat pussy.

 

http://instagram.com/p/T_RsRvLZp_/

 

Looks so soft. I'd play with it.

[Angrioter]

Pimp-Foley

[imsorry4beatinU]

 

Go Cubs!

[GD]

C'mon Cubs, get Cease signed, I like him

[Mikeleelop]

fromMLB pipeline - Johnathon Mayo

 

Did the Blue Jays mess up again with their first-round picks? Will they be stuck not being able to sign Jeff Hoffman and Max Pentecost? I am not sure what happens with them when they draft in the first round, but they seem to misjudge whether they will sign with them or not. If they do not sign these two picks again, will they get the 10th and 12th overall picks next year as well as their own?

-- Bob, Calgary, Alberta

 

OK, Blue Jays fans, please step away from any ledges. It's only June 26 and the signing deadline is July 18. There's time. Yes, I know Toronto has missed on a couple of first-rounders over the past few years, but I don't think that means there is trouble brewing with this year's two picks.

 

In the end, I think both guys get signed. I'm a bit surprised Pentecost hasn't signed yet, but that will get done soon, I'm willing to wager. Hoffman was always going to be the tricky one, but there's no reason to rush. The Tommy John surgery recipient isn't going to pitch this year anyway.

 

Financially, the Blue Jays had just under $9.5 million to spend, the fourth highest pool among the 30 teams. They have signed all of their top 10 round picks outside of those first two and seventh-rounder Zack Zehner. Zehner is a fourth-year junior who has decided to return to Cal Poly for his senior year, so the Blue Jays can't use any of that pick's value of $192,400. So far, they've saved $71,400 in pool money after going $400,000 over to sign fifth-rounder Lane Thomas. The pick values added together for Hoffman and Pentecost are just over $5.9 million. So figure they have about $6 million and change to spend on the two picks, a bit more if they are willing to go over and pay a fine, but not forfeit a pick (up to five percent over).

 

Hoffman was considered a top of the first round talent before injury, but it's hard to envision him not signing and taking a chance next year. So be patient. They'll get this one right. If they don't, so you know, the No. 11 pick is not protected, since that was compensation for not signing Phil Bickford a year ago.