2020 Draft Discussion: June 17th Update

2020 Draft

This is the Phuture Phillies 2020 Draft Discussion.

The Phillies had four picks in the 2020 Amateur Draft.  The Phillies selected Mick Abel with their first round pick last Wednesday night.

When the draft resumed on Thursday, they completed their draft with Casey Martin in the third round, Carson Ragsdale in the fourth, and Baron Radcliffe in the fifth.  The Phillies lost their second round pick for signing free agent Zach Wheeler during the off season.

Starting Sunday, they began drafting non-drafted free agents.

To date they have an agreement with third round pick Casey Martin and eight non-drafted free agents.  The only signing bonus known to date is for one of the NDFA’s who is reported to have signed for the $20K max.

Draft signings and non-drafted free agent (NDFA) signings will be tracked here – 2020 Draft Tracker.

Thumbnails and some scouting below.

Mick Abel is RHP out of Jesuit High School in Oregon.  He is 6’5, 190 lbs, born on August 8, 2001.  He was the 15th overall pick in the draft which has a slot valuation of $3,885,800.

From MLB: “A high school player from the state of Oregon hasn’t been taken in the top two rounds since the Cardinals took Carson Kelly in the second round of the 2012 Draft. Abel, who helped pitch his Jesuit High School to a state title, was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and then pitched well at a variety of summer showcase stops, should be the first Oregon prepster to go in the first round since Matt Smith back in 1994. The 6-foot-5 right-hander shows flashes of three plus pitches, starting with a fastball that was regularly in the 93-95 mph range this summer, though he tired a bit near the end of his run. He throws it downhill with good life at the bottom of the zone and then can come back with a four-seamer up in the zone with riding action. His 82-86 mph slider is a very effective pitch, and he also has feel for a curveball with more over the top rotation to it. The two morph into each other at times, but there’s enough differentiation to believe he could throw both in the future, along with a future plus changeup that he sells with good arm speed and features sink and dip at the end. The Oregon State recruit generally throws strikes and he gets as high marks for his maturity and makeup as he does his stuff. He’s only going to get stronger and throw harder as he physically matures, something he showed a glimpse of in one outing this spring before things got shut down, giving him the chance to be the first prep arm to come off the board in June.”

Casey Martin is a right-handed hitting SS out of the University of Arkansas.  He is a 4th-year-junior.  He is 5’11, 175 lbs, born on April 7, 1999.  He was the the Phillies third round pick, 87th overall.  His draft slot has a valuation of  $689,300.

From MLB: “Scouts rated Martin as the best high school prospect in Arkansas in 2017, though his bat was considered too raw for pro ball and he went undrafted. He made an immediate impact with the Razorbacks, hitting 13 homers as a freshman to help them reach the College World Series, then slammed 15 as a sophomore to bring them back to Omaha. He’s one of the best athletes in the 2020 college crop and is Arkansas’ toolsiest prospect since Andrew Benintendi went seventh overall in the 2015 Draft, but a poor start to the shortened 2020 season could drop him out of the first round. An explosive athlete, Martin offers an exciting combination of power and speed. He records run times that grade from 70-80 on the 20-80 scouting scale, though he’s still learning how to translate that quickness into stolen bases. He has the potential to be a 25-25 player but gets overly homer-conscious and his right-handed swing gets too uphill, leading to strikeouts. If Martin can slow the game down a bit offensively and defensively, he can be a star. His quickness and solid arm strength give him the tools to play a number of positions and perhaps stay at shortstop if he becomes more consistent. He played a fine third base as a freshman and definitely would fit in center field, though he should be able to stay on the dirt.”

Carson Ragsdale is a RHP out of the University of South Florida.  He is a 4-year-senior.  He is 6’8, 225 lbs, born on May 25, 1998.  He was the Phillies fourth round pick, 116th overall.  His draft slot has a valuation of $497,500.

From MLB: “Ragsdale spent his first two years at the University of South Florida missing bats, and walking hitters, coming out of the bullpen. He then missed the 2019 season because he needed Tommy John surgery. A move to the rotation upon his return in 2020 created some serious buzz for the big right-hander, though he was only able to make four starts before the season was ended. There’s a lot to like about Ragsdale, starting with his 6-foot-8 frame that allows him to throw with a good downhill plane. He features a fastball that’s typically in the 91-95 mph range right now, but there’s room for more velocity in the future. He couples it with a curveball that flashes plus and can be a real strikeout pitch when he lands it in the strike zone. He has a changeup, but it’s a distant third pitch and will need to be developed at the next level. Ragsdale threw a lot of strikes this spring, but is still more control than command at this point. Given that scouts only saw four outings from Ragsdale as USF’s Sunday starter, there’s very limited track record for teams to look at, but his size and arm strength, even if it ends up in the bullpen, could be enough for teams to take a chance on him in this year’s Draft.”

Baron Radcliffe is a left-handed hitting OF out of Georgia Tech.  The 4th-year-junior is 6’4, 228 lbs, born on February 9, 1999.  He was the Phillies fifth round pick, 146th overall.  His draft slot has a valuation of $371,600.

Jake McKenna is a left-handed pitcher out of Ocean City High School in New Jersey.  He is 6’6, 215 lbs, born on April 24, 2002.  He had a verbal commitment to St. Joseph University, but signed for the maximum $20K for non-drafted free agents.  He is the #434 ranked prospect on Baseball America’s top 500 ranked prospects.

Kiley McDaniel, ESPN Baseball: projection lefty with fringe stuff right now.

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: He’s got excellent predictability and a decent arsenal as of now, but there’s tons of room for growth here.

Baseball Performance Center: Jake McKenna: 88-92, going to be a nightmare as that efficiency continues to climb. Downhill tilt and an ideal 12/6 CB (-10V 0H). #Dude

Jordan Fowler is a LHP out of the University of  Central Missouri.  He is a 4-year-junior.  He is 6’3, 180 lbs, born on March 9, 1999.  He was the Texas Rangers 26th round pick in 2015.

Brian Sakowski, Natinal Scouting Supervisor, Perfect Game: Former Ole Miss lefty, spent his junior year at Central Missouri this spring. Good Size and athleticism, scouts buy more projection there, low 90’s with some traits, nice under the radar signing who has some upside.

Sam Jacobsak is a RHP out of Northeastern University.  He is a 4-year-junior.  He is 6’5, 200 lbs, born on June 11, 1998.  He was eligible but undrafted in 2019.

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: He’s spent most of his career as a reliever, and last year struck out 30 batters in 21.2 innings while slinging a 1.66 ERA. In a shortened 2020 as a starter, he put up a 3.65 ERA.

J.P. Woodward is a LHP out of Lafayette College.  He is 4-year-junior.  He is 6’6, 215 lbs, born on November 13, 1998.

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: Woodward has had a tough college career, but the strikeout stuff is there. His selling point seems to be his durability, as he’s grown into a BIG, and muscular frame. There’s definitely room to grow here. It’s an interesting get.

Noah Skirrow is a RHP out of Liberty University.  He is a 4-year-junior.  He is 6-3, 215 lbs, born on July 21, 1998.

From MLB: “Skirrow has taken a nice step forward, starting with a strong performance last summer in the Cape Cod League. In the past, Skirrow was known mostly for his 90-93 mph fastball with ordinary secondary stuff. But he’s added a cutter, thrown 88-90 mph, that should be at least average in the future. It has some depth to it, and he was getting left-handed hitters to swing over it. He does have an average changeup and a below average breaking ball, so a team could send him out as a starter, but he might be suited best for a relief role where his fastball-cutter combination would play up a bit.”

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: Skirrow was Liberty’s ace for some time, and was a Cape Cod All Star last year. He features four solid pitches, including a lauded power-changeup.  Consider this my official proclamation that Phils’ newest UDFA, Noah Skirrow, is DIRTY: – A 91-93 fastball that touches 95. – A nasty slurve that sits 75-77. – And a power-changeup that sits mid-80’s. No wonder he was ranked at 249 on BA’s Top 500.  Can confirm, this is a good one.

Chase Antle is a RHP out of Coastal Carolina University.  He is a 5th-year-senior.  He is 6’2, 215 lbs, born on February 16, 1997.  He went undrafted in 2019 as a senior at Bowling Green University.

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: Antle soared thru rankings this year, and was one of my favorite targets on the market (13 on Baseball America’s ‘Top 25 Seniors to Watch.’) Antle has an electric fastball that touches 99. He’s a beast.  Antle could very well impact the big club as early as this year (if they play.) His fastball is stupidly impressive, and he spent last year as the Chanticleer’s closer. This is an excellent signing.

Billy Sullivan is a RHP out of the University of Delaware.  He is a 4-year-junior.  He is 6’2, 195 lbs, born on April 16, 1999.  He was the Phillies 28th round pick in 2017 coming out of high school.

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: Sullivan missed almost all of 2019 and hasn’t pitched at all in 2020, but he had an excellent 2018 season, and boasts some pretty nasty stuff.  The Phillies previously drafted Sullivan in the 28th round of the 2017 draft, but he went on to have a heck of a Freshman campaign. He put up a 2.97 ERA across 77.1 frames, and struck out 105 (!) batters. There’s cause for concern health-wise, but this kid’s got the stuff.

Jonathan Hughes is a RHP out of Georgia Tech.  He is a 5th-year senior.  He is 6’2, 196 lbs, born on January 8, 1997.  He was the Baltimore Orioles second round pick in 2015 out of high school, but did not sign.  He went undrafted as a junior in 2018 and and a 4-year-senio in 2019.

Aaron Fitt, D1 Baseball: He’s got a solid, spin-heavy 4-pitch mix, with a fastball that sits around 92-94. Easily one of the top senior arms on the board.  In my fall look, he attacked at 92-95, T96 with a high spin-rate FB (2400-2500). He also showed wipeout SL at 83-86 with a ridiculous spin rate between 2900-3100 rpm.  Hughes was ranked at number 19 on Baseball America’s ‘Top 25 Seniors to Watch’ list, 6 spots away from fellow Phils signee, Chase Antle. Hughes had a number of clubs vying for his attention.

 

78 thoughts on “2020 Draft Discussion: June 17th Update”

  2. With Jim and Hinkie we got treasures of information. Almost as good as having MLB baseball right now.!

  3. Does this Antle fellow throw anything besides a fastball? It’s all the scouting reports seem to mention.

    1. Hah…thats funny….sure does throw something besides the FB, can only assume, since apparently needs to control his breaking pitches judging by his career BB/9 of 8.4.per 9.
      Unless, he is the next Ricky Vaughn without the glasses, and has no clue where his 99 FB goes.
      However…has some book smarts….4.0 GPA in the fall semester,
      Named to the Academic All-MAC team while at Bowling Green in 2018/2019

      1. Here’s a D1 Baseball.com scouting report on Chase Antle from an appearance in one of Coastal Carolina’s two fall games (he threw an inning vs UNC Wilmington):

        Antle is a power armed graduate transfer from Bowling Green. The RHP is something of an X-factor after walking 35 in 33.2 innings last spring, but he has shutdown stuff if he can harness it. He attacked at 93-95 in a 1-2-3 inning against the Seahawks along with a wipeout power curveball at 82-83 with big downer action. “It’s a big-time hammer,” Gilmore said. “I haven’t seen one with that kind of velocity with that late depth since [Mike] Morrison pitched here.”

        Again, that was a scouting report from fall 2019. He reportedly saw his FB hit 99 in the spring. But … to answer the question on Antle’s secondaries: “wipeout power CB at 82-83 with big downer action”.

  4. I like Ragsdale alot. I see a floor of a real good BP arm, and toom to grow and be a good SP. Developing that 3rd pitch, I understand, is crucial, but that is why there are successful PCs around the league. Both he and Martin can be really good picks with good Coaching. I don’t think we have gotten that for the past couple of years, and I really like what we have now. I am amongst those of you who think we did a good job in this draft.

  5. Love seeing Phils signing these free agent pitchers. For the cost, it would be very advantageous to sign as many as possible – even if they have to sit out for a year ? From what I can gather (through some of the sites) they have been more opportunistic than many other teams. Thanks to Jim and Hinkie for providing so much of this information !

    1. As it stands from yesterday, only two teams have signed more UDFAs than the Phillies ……. Red Sox (11) and Cubs (9)
      So Matt Klentak has kept to his promise and they have been aggressive in this UDFA market.

  6. Love the signings
    Are there not any decent offense options? The farm isn’t exactly a goldmine for offense. Maybe I’m wrong

  7. Now available…Phillies should look into Cristian Garcia for a Jan 15 international signing…..
    5-tool player according to Rudy Santin.
    If the Phillies have the money, maybe they can swoop in on him.
    Padres ‘reneged on their oral agreement’ with the youngster

      1. He has had a few incidents in the past…..cannot understand how he keeps coming out…like teflon.
        First there was the Rangers incident in the international market…, then the Padres 3/4 years ago…also the medical record ‘hidings’ in a trade or two….and now this with Chris Kemp..
        I am sure Kemp is taking the hit for him, since Preller had to authorize and approve the latest actions with these two Latin teenagers…all over finances and the GM makes and approves all financial decisions.
        .

    1. Did take him in the 24th round…116th pick of his SANDLOT COLLEGIATE SUMMER LEAGUE DRAFT ……..”I wanted to get some power bats for the outfield corners and the bench, and I found them with lefty bats Tanner Allen and Baron Radcliff………”
      https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBR/Sandlot-Collegiate-Summer-League-Draft-Pick-By-Pick-4590368712

      And what he said about Ga Tech before the season six months ago
      “In right field, Georgia Tech will start junior Baron Radcliff (.257/.403/.503, 12 HR), a 6-foot-4, 239-pound Adonis with enormous left-handed power potential that he’s learned how to access in game action over the last year. He also hit six homers in 93 at-bats in the Cape Cod League this past summer, though his strikeout rate remained on the high side.”

      1. infrequent poster … Baron Radcliff is a lot like Dylan Cozens. He’s got some bat to ball issues (K rate > 30% in college), but he’s also got some crazy power/exit velos. In fact, TrackMan clocked Radcliff with the longest HR (471′), and the greatest exit velo (116.3 MPH) in college baseball during the past two seasons.

  9. League and Union closing in on deal. Expected to have pro-rated salaries, no grievance, and expanded playoffs.

    FWIW Fauci says he advises against Oct baseball.

    I hate 2020. Can we just fast forward like the movie Click.

      1. MLBPA tweeted that there is no agreement. I havent seen any reports stating there were.

        60 games, full pro rata for players, season would start July 19.

        Players want more games.

    2. i dont care if they play, I am now into Drone Racing, i love to watch it on tv,

  10. If Fauci is saying no baseball past October it’s fair to say college football, basketball, the NFL, NBA and NHL are done this year. My guess most Americans are balancing risk vs reward.. We’ll see..

    2. If you shut down college football and basketball you will also likely lose all spring sports at the DI level. Colleges will have no way of funding those without football and hoops as they are already bleeding cash.

    5. I have no idea what is going to happen with college sports. I expect, however, the NFL season to be played, most likely without fans. NBA and NHL – who knows? I do think they will finish the 19-20 season and they may play wait and see, especially if they think a vaccine is on the horizon which could allow them to fill the stands. Baseball, as usual, lucks out for 2021 by being a summer sport and will have an extra several months for the world to return to normal.

    1. I wonder where Rocker and Leiter would have gone in 2019 had their college commitments not been so strong…

  12. … and back to baseball

    Here are a couple of other 2021 draft prospect lists.

    Here’s McDaniel’s top 10 for those w/o an ESPN subscription:

    1. Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt
    2. Brady House, 3B, Winder Barrow HS (GA)
    3. Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
    4. Jaden Hill, RHP, LSU
    5. Jud Fabian, CF, Florida
    6. Jordan Lawlar, SS, Jesuit Prep HS (TX)
    7. Luke Leto, SS, Portage Central HS (MI)
    8. Alex Binelas, 3B, Louisville
    9. Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami
    10. Ethan Wilson, LF, South Alabama

    Here’s my early top 10 for next year’s draft:

    1. Jaden Hill
    2. Kumar Rocker
    3. Jordan Lawlor
    4. Jack Leiter
    5. Joshua Baez
    6. Jud Fabian
    7. Matt McLain
    8. Zack Gelof
    9. Levi Usher
    10. Ethan Wilson

      1. and here’s a local kid (at least for me) with a real shot of going in the top two rounds.

        Chase Petty … RHP Sommers Point (Mainland Regional HS)

  13. I’m not going to talk about COVID because it won’t advance the ball on our baseball discussion. But on baseball, if the season is played (they are 10 games apart on their proposals, it seems HIGHLY likely they will come to an agreement), there will be a universal DH for 2020 and 2021 – I cannot imagine them going back to having pitchers hit in 2022. Fortunately, the Phillies are in a pretty good spot with Hoskins, Didi, Bruce and Bohm. I haven’t scoured the NL rosters but we appear to be in a good position as compared with other NL teams to take advantage of this rule change.

    1. agree Catch that when the DH gets to the NL, it’s not leaving and it does help the Phillies who have several good DH options on the roster right now.

    2. DH….NL-East
      -Mets ‘ would appear to use Cespedes
      -Braves have Nick Markakis, ..or maybe Ozuna
      – Nats have Howie Kendrick or one of their spare OFers, ..Taylor or even Kieboom
      -Marlins….maybe Dickerson, Villar or Aguilar when he is not at first.

  15. They’ve done it again!

    This is another excellent UDFA pickup for the Phillies. I mocked him to the Phillies about a week ago. Here’s what I posted.

    ROUND 4: Blake Brown RHP UNC Asheville … has put up pedestrian numbers in four college seasons (137 IP, 123 H, 108 BB, 152 K). During that time, he worked mostly 92-95. However, the 6′ 1″, 195 lb hurler has used his time in quarantine to make a mechanical change to his delivery/hand position, and has produced video to show eye popping results. Brown is now hitting 100 MPH, and the spin rates on the pitch allow for more than 20 inches of vMOV (vertical movement). Brown also shows a plus SL (87 MPH), and the reports indicate the mechanical adjustments have produced better command as well. The young man is three months shy of his 22nd birthday so he may come at a discount (senior sign).

    1. Here’s the results from a BP session a few days prior to the draft.

      This another Matt Klentak/Brian Barber 20-thousand dollar theft!

      1. Keep ’em coming ! Sign as many as you possibly can…there is going to be some major gold in these signings – and the cost to play/pay is negligible.. I think its almost time for a Hinkie update on all of these signings – thanks in advance, too !!

        1. I can’t believe the disfunction. A difference of 10 games and chump change will prevent both sides from coming together. I don’t really care anymore. Give me the 76ers to root for in July. I’ll miss my LV and Reading games, but I had already come to terms with that. MLB does not deserve us fans.

      2. I LOVE this signing. Raw high velocity arms are always great investments. He’s basically where Ken Giles was when he was drafted. Take a plus plus FB, develop one good off speed pitch and with decent control (not command, control), you’ve got yourself a late innings reliever. LOVE IT!

  16. I am so excited about what they are doing with the UDFA. I posted here a few weeks (months?) ago that the new draft format would be bad for some teams and a welcome opportunity for teams ready to pounce. The Phillies seem to have done very well in the UDFA category this year, to their credit. I would have been really happy if they took this guy in the 4th or 5th round. I”m pumped!

  17. Cannot address the quality of the signed pitchers, but as to shear numbers, the Phillies did well signing 9 UDFAs.
    Two other teams signed more, as of yesterday, the Red Sox with 12 (8 pitchers) and Reds with 10 (7 pitchers)
    And the Cubs and Astros signed 9 apiece.

  18. Did my post yesterday violate some standard? It was posted, then removed. Any particular reason?

      1. The last sentence of your post was too wrong to let stand – “But we need sports back in order to give fans a break from life”. Need a break, read a book. Don’t put people’s lives at risk because you need baseball back in your life.

        1. Now that’s a reach, Jim. I get your erasing mine. I engaged in off topic chatter. But give us a break with the moral high ground.

  19. This is supposed to be a draft discussion. I allowed the discussion to drift a little (okay, a lot) because the draft has been affected by medical concerns. But, of course, the discussion started to develop a political undertone. Are we really going to cite an ultra conservative, former OANN correspondent as rational fact?

    I deleted a bunch of inappropriate comments from this DRAFT DISCUSSION. I guess I’ll have to go check the Open Discussion now.

    1. “Are we really going to cite an ultra conservative, former OANN correspondent as rational fact?”

      ….that was done only to illustrate Newseek, which was the original source…but the author was unknow until I had to dig it out. My intention was the message , not the messager…..my apologies for hijacking the thread.

    2. I apologize for my part in that, Jim.
      Stay safe in the Sunshine State. I know today’s news of COVID-19 affecting 8 members of the Phillies organization is just a microcosm of the bigger Florida situation.

    1. Absolutely agree that the Phillies have done an outstanding job with the UDFA’s. Still wondering if they’ll sign any bats. Peter Matt (UPenn) is a guy who should be under consideration. He’s graduated. Not sure if he plans to return to school as a grad student/5th year player.

  21. First announced signings of any of our draft picks.

    1. That is a good under-slot signing….$270K plus towards next year… I hope.
      Martin indicated he was at a ‘fair value’..perhaps additional under-slot savings.
      Abel could be at slot.

      1. Spoke too soon…Martin may get 2nd round money.

        “Sources have indicated to HawgBeat that Martin will receive well over the $689,300 slot value for pick No. 87. Instead, he’ll likely be getting second-round money. That is made possible by the Phillies using their next pick on South Florida right-hander Carson Ragsdale, a college senior who will likely sign for well under slot to free up some of their bonus pool.”

    2. Those bonuses are a little surprising to me. I don’t think Abel will get more than slot (could realistically receive a little less than slot). I do expect Casey Martin to get an above slot figure, but not a bonkers number. I may end up being wrong about this, but It seems like Klentak/Middleton just decided to pocket a portion of their bonus pool.

      1. Romus … Is it true that any money saved this year goes to the 2021 draft? I hadn’t heard that.

      2. Hinie…..I had read that with the draft next year being back to almost normal, the Phillies may save a portion of this years and slide it over to 2021.
        Evidently, if Martin gets 2nd round slot…..that probably does not happen now

        1. I had read that some teams might offer well below slot bonuses to first, second, or third round picks (they are protected – meaning if you don’t sign them, you get a pick of equal value [minus one slot] in next year’s draft) with the thought that they’ll have more info on the 2021 class.

          I’ll have to do some research.

          1. Isn’t there already a plan in place? If you don’t sign a pick in the first three rounds there are rules in place that stipulate where the pick is awarded – pick# +1 for an unsigned first round pick (and second round, too, I think), a different formula for supplemental picks, and after the third round for unsigned third round picks? Something like that?

            1. Yes. Picks in the first three rounds are protected. By that I mean if you fail to sign a guy selected in one of the first three rounds, you get a pick the following year of the same slot minus one. For instance, if Brian Barber were to strike out on coming to terms with Casey Martin (87th overall this year), the team would be compensated with the 88th pick in 2021. The one qualification to receive the compensation pick is the club must offer the current pick (Casey Martin in this example) at least 60% (I think) of slot.

              Romus mentioned he may have read something that said teams could transition any money saved/not spent from their 2020 bonus pool to use on their 2021 draft class. I know that is not normally the case. I was just wondering if that was a one time thing being allowed because of this unusual pandemic draft. And … if this is a thing, does the 5% overage count towards the money allowed to be shifted to the 2021 draft?

            2. Hinkie….just not sure how that will happen…..I see the ‘use or lose’ issue only for drafted players, however it is for the two years…’20 and ’21. See how you interpret these rulings.
              https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/new-deal-saves-2020-mlb-draft-but-hurts-incoming-talent/

              With both Ragsdale and Radcliff under-slotted…..it would stand to reason the Phillies would only do that to accumulate monies for next year’s 20 round draft.
              Unless Martin’s ‘expected 2nd round value signing’ as sources have claimed, is equivalent to the 38th pick at $1.9M….which IMO would be way too high…the lowest 2nd round value slotting is 72nd (2s) @ 870K.
              My guess they would sign Martin for $900K or a tick more….$211K minimum over.

            3. Romus … the one line (from the BA article) that stood out to me was this:

              “For the next two years, draft spending will be “use it or lose it.” It can only be spent on players who are drafted. Anyone undrafted will be limited to a maximum $20,000 bonus.”

              I didn’t read anything stating clubs could move around bonus pool money between the 2020 and 2021 classes. The “use it or lose it” reference indicates to me that the Phillies will just pocket any money < $5,716,410.00 (the total of their bonus slots + 5% overage) they don't hand out to their four draft picks.

              I'm confident Mick Abel gets no more than slot (might even be had for a slight discount). I'm guessing Casey Martin receives a bonus somewhere between one million and 1.2 million dollars. Sounds like the club will spend a decent chunk (but probably not all) of the ~540 thousand dollars they saved on Ragsdale and Radcliff to sign Martin, and they'll take a pass on using their 5% overage allowance.

            4. Could it be as simple as the Phillies (like some other teams) are trying to save a little money in this period of greatly reduced team revenue? The $272.5k under slot for Ragsdale and $271.6k under slot for Radcliffe could help keep various team employees on the payroll for a while longer. Just a thought.

            5. In a vaccum … yes.

              However, the team’s owner is worth 3.3 billion dollars, and his MLB franchise appreciates every year (even in a shortened or cancelled season). I think it’s safe to say John Middleton should have no trouble keeping those employees on the club’s payroll through the end of October (the time frame he has promised). That saved money (whether its 10 thousand dollars or 510 thousand dollars) means a whole lot more to Ragsdale and Radcliff than it does to Middleton.

              BTW … I understand you’re just throwing that out as a possibilty. I appreciate your post/the possibility you are suggesting. I’m just offering a counter view.

            6. bak425….they are different pots of money. Employee salary funding and baseball operation funds.
              Not sure they can transfer funds from one designated area to another.
              However in this pandemic environment things can be very flexible
              Someone with accounting experience probably could answer that question.

  22. They may need all the savings to date plus the 5% overage to sign Martin, especially since he will know how much they have left.

  23. Number 10 UDFA looks like he could also have the potential to be a quality pitcher…tall (6’6″) RHP Buddy Hayward out of Harvard. BA’s write up….”The good news is that junior righthander Buddy Hayward (4-1, 4.13) returns to lead the rotation. Hayward is the league’s top draft prospect and should compete with (Penn’s) Scafidi for pitcher of the year honors.”
    http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=213436
    …make still take some time coming back 100% however after having TJ

    1. People think 3.3 billion is a lot, He has to pay his mortrage, insurance car payment, plane storage, its not a lot

  25. Moffo – If you want to start a “go fund me” for Middleton, I’ll be glad to assist you.

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