Alex Anthopoulos Press Conference.
by Tom Dakers on Aug 17, 2010 2:19 AM EDT
in Toronto Blue Jays Analysis
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PrintThe press conference basically was to officially announce this evening's signings: Deck McGuire, Griffin Murphy, Sam Dyson and Dickie Thon Jr. All three went over slot and all were finished tonight. Alex signed McGuire and Thon, Amateur Scouting Director Andrew Tinnish signed the other 4 today: Murphy, Dyson, Zak Adams and Myles Jaye.
The Jays signed 33 of their 56 picks, but more importantly, 14 of their top 16 picks covering the ones in the top 10 rounds. The final chart is here: Final signing chart.
The Deck McGuire was completed at the very last minute, 11:59 by Alex's figuring. He said the first real offer was made at 10:30 tonight and they went right to the deadline. He said this was the latest they have ever gone to get a signing. Part of it was to compare to other players around his pick and part was that that was just the way the negotiations went.
On Dickie Thon, Jr. Alex said that the deal was just made today, reports that it was made earlier, he says, came from the family. Thon is getting $1.5 million. He said the player and his family had that number (or at least a number fairly close to that) in mind right from the start and the team finally decided to go with it.
On the draft as a whole, Alex said that money was not an issue for signing anyone. That Rogers was willing to foot the bill, but they had a 'final number' for players and if the player wasn't going to take that, then they were prepared to walk away.
The team spent more on bonuses than it has ever before. He said that in the draft they focused on talent alone, at least until they felt that there wasn't much left then they looked at players to fill needs at their short season teams.
Asked about paying over slot, he said that the quality of the player is the deciding factor on going over slot. He again said that Paul Beeston and Rogers supported them in their decisions, if they made a case that a player deserved money, they got it.
The team will decide tomorrow when and to what team the players signed today will be assigned. He sounded a wee bit tired.
The question I would have asked is how far apart the team was with Logan Ehlers and Kris Bryant but I was just a listener at this conference. Small steps......
Happily I can now go to bed. Let us know what you think of the draft and the signings as a whole.
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I heard Bryant would be a highly unlikely sign
I think he was pretty comitted to college.
Onions Baby Onions
i think we overpaid a little for mcguire
he’s only projected to be a #3 starter but we’re giving a 2 million bonus
You should check out the track record of pitching prospects.
I will pay $2 mill for the rights to 6 full years of a #3 any day of the week.
Anyway, McGuire has a strong #2-type ceiling.
He has the chance for 4 above-average pitches with plus poise and plus command.
People nowadays seem to get dissuaded by guys who don’t throw 97.
This guy won’t disappoint, and as long as he stays healthy, should dominate every level of the minors.
Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.
by Frederick0220 on Aug 17, 2010 3:12 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't know where this "only a #3" stuff is coming from
I just read the scouting reports from all of the pitchers taken in the first round, including Deck Mcguire, and he’s exactly where everyone else is, potential to be a #2 but most likely mid-rotation. Name a first round pick that was a pitcher and they had this same projection. The only exceptions were Jameson Taillon (obviously) with Ace potential, and then few guys with #2 potential, but who were never mentioned in mid-rotation: Pomeranz, Sale, Covey. So there, 4 guys in the entire draft projected to be (possibly) better than Deck, but given Deck’s floor I’ll take that any day.
Technically it is.
How do you think Rogers affords these salaries? By putting out 162 different Sportsnets and forcing us to pay for them all just to watch the friggin team.
by craig in calgary on Aug 17, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
DON'T GIVE THEM IDEAS!
:P
"Don't tell me it's impossible. Be honest and tell me you can't do it. Tell me you don't know how."
plus, that pick last year got 1.83 I think – i’m not sure what the slot is but i don’t think $2 mil is much over slot.
Remember, Thon was stolen in the fifth round and he got $1.5 , and players taken after McGuire got more than him.
$2 mil on a high first rounder is NOT all that much.
mlb trade rumors says last years slot value for 11th was 1.863million
Tyler Matzek (the player Colorado took 11th overall) actually got $3.9million. If the slot was worth the same as 2009 the Jays over paid by only $137,000…that is pocket change in baseball terms.
Thanks for staying up to post our draft results
I really appreciate it Tom and I’m sure other fans do too
Was McGuire’s projection being Major ready in a few years?
by Alan of Aberdeen on Aug 17, 2010 8:58 AM EDT reply actions
Possibly
He’s supposed to have very polished stuff, and is considered on the fast track. I think what’s been hinted at is that 2-3 years wouldn’t be surprising.
On Jenkins...
Remember – Chad didn’t play in the minors last year He’s 22 this year and was very solid in HIS FIRST PRO EXPERIENCE in Lansing with a whip of 1.26 and is being challenged in Dunedin with a 1.42 whip – Not bad for a 22 year old guy in his first year to be in High A. He’s a 6’ 4" 235 RH’ed ox of a guy with good stuff. You’ll be hearing from him for sure.
I could see him being ready next September but I know that AA moves guys up very slowly.
Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.
by Frederick0220 on Aug 17, 2010 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Seem to remember in an interview with AA after the draft he said that McGuire was one of the pitchers that was closest to being Major ready
by Alan of Aberdeen on Aug 17, 2010 9:26 AM EDT reply actions
Some unrelated interesting news
James Paxton did not sign with the Mariners; however, he has until a week before next years draft to sign because he isn’t college eligible. I didn’t realize there were exemptions. Also, why didn’t the Blue Jays get this exemption on him last year? I guess he was college eligible at the time of the deadline, but they could have argued that his relationship with Boras had made him ineligible before the deadline even though the ruling had taken place well after the deadline.
Hmm
Paxton was in the independent leagues wasn’t he? He was a junior when the BJs drafted him but it looks like he’s had some issues with Kentucky and left : http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/ncaabb/blog/ncaabb_experts/post/Report-Kentucky-ace-pitcher-James-Paxton-sues-s?urn=ncaabb-206373
He’d be a senior this year anyway which would’ve given the Mariners a bigger window anyway. It’d be a poor decision if he doesn’t sign with Seattle though.
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Yes, his fiasco with the Jays and Beeston made him college ineligible last year
My argument is why he didn’t get that year signing period given back to him once he became college ineligible in the spring. MLB should have recognized that he became a college ineligible player and reinstated the deadline with him and the Jays in the spring once Kentucky officially gave him the boot.
Not saying he would have signed anyways
I think Paxton is allergic to millions of dollars or something
Couldn't have known
that this was going to happen. If Paxton knew, he probably would’ve signed. He had a TERRIBLE year. It probably cost him huge, he got unlucky I guess and while hindsight is 20/20 he made a poor decision not to sign.
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quick count
15 High Schoolers
6 Junior Collegians
12 Collegians (mostly late round organizational filler)
I'm glad we signed Deck, Murph, Dyson and all the other guys in the top 10 rounds... Thon better be worth that money
If even a couple of these guys pan out, it would be awesome.
Where do you guys think these guys will be assigned to in terms of minor league teams?
by blueandwhite31 on Aug 17, 2010 10:05 AM EDT reply actions
I read that McGuire might start with Dunedin
by Alan of Aberdeen on Aug 17, 2010 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
pitching coach in Auburn
thinks Wojo will start in Dunedin next year too. Jenkins started in Lansing this year though under similar circumstances.
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In the Tinnish interview this morning, he said the Jays considered Thon a first round talent as well, and that they thought Dyson was quite the steal.
This is the most exciting, on paper, group we’ve drafted since 2007 and before that i can’t remember a compareable.
The only reason McGuire seems pedestrian is because there are so many exciting guys behind him.
The only reason McGuire seems pedestrian is because there are so many exciting guys behind him.
I think it’s more like he is older than most of them. Typically, the older a prospect is, the closer he is to reaching his ceiling. The reports for McGuire is that he is quite polished so the natural question is how much further can he improve?
Having a potential #2 or #3 starter with a very high floor is extremely valuable
Nobody projects the guys we drafted after McGuire as aces… they’re all potential number 2 or 3 starters, except with a lower floor because they are less polished.
Onions Baby Onions
I disagree. Somewhat
Aaron Sanchez, for starters – Mel Queen called him “Better than Carpenter”
Tinnish said Dyson had the best pure arm among those drafted.
Law was very generous with his praise for Murphy. and Syndergaard and Woj have both gotten a lot of praise.
Discussing who “projects as an ace” in the opinion of scouts is always a dicey thing – one of the thing Romero’s critics were always quick to say was “no one thinks he’ll be an ace”
But with that qualification, until i hear different I’m looking at Sanchez as being at least as potentially good as Romero and Cecil.
all that said, i do not wish to dismiss the value of McGuire’s polish.
What do you disagree with.....
Everything ohmybosh said was accurate.
Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.
by Frederick0220 on Aug 17, 2010 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Sanchez has Ace potential, and that there is enough projectability that you can’t rule out such a outcome for Murphy and Syndergaard.
I further disagree with the whole concept of “ace potential” as if it’s somhow being second rate to have a “#2, #3 ceiling” because everyone among our current staff except Morrow are guys who were said all along to “not be a #1” type, yet they are pitching their asses off.
In fact, some go so far as to say Drabek doesn’t have ace potential and he’s pretty clearly among the top 15-20 pitching prospects in the minors. So to me people are holding back the "Ace potential label in far too stingy a manner.
Take Deck for instance, several have compared him to John Lackey in his prime. Well lackey WAS the Ace of a playoff team. And he’d have been the Ace on well over half the teams in the league.
so, #1 – i DO think we have a guy – at least one – with a higher ceiling (Sanchez), and #2 the “ace potential” thing is not really a very valid descriptor anyway.
Asher Wociechowski
Jim Callis called him the biggest sleeper in the top 50 today.
The Jays signed 33 of their 56 picks, but more importantly, 14 of their top 16 picks covering the ones in the top 10 rounds.
In case anyone else was wondering, those two unsigned guys from the top 16 are Logan Ehlers (round 8) and Tyler Shreve (round 10). Figured it out from TtD’s draft page – doesn’t have the latest signings, but big thanks to him for maintaining this page the past few months!.
probably close to $11m to sign everyone
I’ve added up $10.3m so far in BA’s database with some still to come.
The first 13 picks were signed for $9.5M (plus tuition for Nicolino)
So I’d guess that $11M is too low, probably in the $12-14M range. Add Adeiny Hechavarria for $10M, Adonis Cardona for $2.8M and Gabriel Cenas for $700k, and Alex has spent somewhere around $25.5-27.5M in the past four months to replenish our farm system.
Crazy that Hechavarria cost the same to sign as our first 13 draft choices. It is much cheaper to build a team through the draft then free agency (see Tampa Bay).
It is much cheaper to build a team through the draft then free agency (see Tampa Bay).
It’s also a lot more risky to build a team through the draft than free agency (see Pittsburgh)
not really
because no one builds their teams exclusively through free agency (I guess Yankees come to mind, but they have a bunch of home-grown/long-time Yank impact players, and acquired several others through trades, not FA). and free agents have plenty of question marks themselves: contract years, injuries, age decline, etc. it’s risky to try to build a contender, period.
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Heche's bonus wasn't $10m
that was the value of the contract over four years.
$10.3m includes everyone with a six-figure bonus
at most another $1.5m I think
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