From Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News: "A club source confirmed the Rangers have agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Robbie Ross, who was the club's second-round pick in this year's draft." No terms were disclosed.
T.R. Sullivan reports on his MLB.com blog that Justin Smoak has signed with the Rangers, minutes before the 11 p.m. deadline. Terms were undisclosed, but it's apparently NOT a major league deal. Outstanding!
T.R. Sullivan reports on his MLB.com blog that Justin Smoak has signed with the Rangers, minutes before the 11 p.m. deadline. Terms were undisclosed, but it's apparently NOT a major league deal. Outstanding!
Also, the bonus that Texas reportedly agreed to give second-rounder Robbie Ross was $1.575 million -- approximately the same bonus that Blake Beavan got last year as the 17th pick in the even deeper 2007 draft. Ross went 57th in this draft.
It looks to be a great night for the Rangers off the field.
According to Jim Callis of Baseball America, Justin Smoak's deal is for $3.5 million. According to many reports, it's not a major league deal, meaning he doesn't take up a spot on the 40-man roster until he plays his way onto the big league roster.
Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News writes that Justin Smoak will report to Clinton or Spokane. In a conversation with Redhawks’ radio announcer Jim Byers, I suggested Spokane was most likely. Not to presume he’ll have an easy time there, but it’s a good place to re-acclimate to the daily grind after more than two months off. I also wondered if Bakersfield might be more likely than Clinton, as Texas has kept the Lumberkings’ roster remarkably stable since the departures of Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz in early July. Keeping him under wraps until fall instructionals also wouldn’t totally surprise me, though that’s a far less enjoyable option. For what it’s worth, Mark Teixeira debuted in high-A the season after being drafted, then moved to AA the same year.
In addition to Smoak and 2nd-rounder Robbie Ross, Texas signed Geno Petralli’s son Ben, the 33rd round selection. The Miami Herald reports that 19th-rounder Harold Martinez broke off negotiations and will enter classes at the University of Miami. (Martinez has the same advisor as Cincinnati pick Yonder Alonso.) No news is apparently bad news on high school pitchers Charlie Robertson (29th round), Jack Armstrong (36th), and the rest. The highest unsigned pick is RHP Kevin Castner, 10th rounder from Cal Polytechnic.
Across MLB, three 1st-round selections failed to sign: #9 RHP Aaron Crow (Washington), #20 reliever Joshua Fields (Seattle), and #28 RHP Gerrit Cole (Yankees). Fields is a college senior and can still sign, and Cole simply decided on the college experience. The Crow negotiations were a mess. Washington publicly took a “slot or bust” stance despite drafting several players known to be demanding (and potentially deserving) more, while Crow and his advisors initially called for $8-$10 million, a Major League contract and a statue on the National Mall. Per Crow advisor J.D. Smart: “It never really went anywhere.” The Nats will receive a compensatory 10th-overall selection along with what will be the #1 pick in the ’09 draft based on current standings. Crow signed with the Fort Worth Cats.
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