2016 Cleveland Indians Draft: June 13 signing update

Tony Lastoria

Monday at 1:55 PM

Here is a huge update with tons of news on Indians draft picks already set to sign, those who are not signing and more...

In the blink of an eye the 2016 MLB Draft came and went. In what seemed like the snap of a finger the Indians now have 41 new names connected to them for eternity. Now begins the next phase of the draft, the post-draft signing period which runs until July 15th.

We have been calling, texting, and emailing scouts, advisors, agents and players for information on the signing status of several of the Indians picks as well as scouring the web for other sources of information which we have linked below.

This is the first of many daily reports on the signing status of players leading up to the signing deadline. I would expect a daily signing update for most of the rest of this week as many picks will be signed and then this piece will post sporadically after that depending on news and intel I receive.

- 2nd round competitive balance pick catcher Logan Ice is reportedly set to sign with the Indians. Ice told the Covallis Gazette-Times, “My deal is pretty close to finished. There is obviously stuff that we will discuss and try to include, but it’s pretty close. The bonus should be right around that slot range. … There was all sorts of talk, talking with other teams and having teams call you to see what you’ll take here and what you’ll take there. Ultimately, we got something done with the Indians.”

- 7th round pick catcher Michael Tinsley sounds like he is signing. The Indians called him shortly before selecting him to negotiate a signing bonus that both parties agreed to verbally. "It was stressful, but it was very quick and efficient," Tinsley told The Mercury News. "We were able to come to a quick agreement to the point where they would tell me that I would get drafted. … It feels amazing just knowing that all the hard work I've put into it has paid off. It's awesome, and I've come to the realization that the hard work has just begun. Now that I'm in pro ball, it's my job and I'm still trying to get ahead in every way possible. I always dreamed that I'd be able to keep moving on in my baseball career, but at that age it's all just a dream. I've always dreamed it, but I never pictured myself here. And the fact that it's become a reality is amazing."

- 9th round pick outfielder Hosea Nelson has signed his contract. An official announcement of his signing should come in the next day or so.

- 12th round pick right-handed pitcher Zach Plesac is signing.

- 13th round pick catcher Gavin Collins is expected to sign.

- 14th round pick outfielder Mitch Longo is expected to be officially signed in the next day or two and will open the season at Short-A Mahoning Valley.

- 16th round pick left-handed pitcher Ben Krauth is signing though his destination is unknown. He told KUSports.com, “I have dreamed about this day ever since I picked up a baseball 16 years ago. This day means the world to me and it is really special to be able to spend it with my family and friends. The fact that my best friend at KU (Tinsley) got picked by the same team yesterday makes it that much better. I will be forever grateful to coach Price and (associate head coach/pitching coach) Ryan Graves, who took a chance on me and believed in me every step of the way.”

- 18th round pick left-handed pitcher Raymond Burgos is expected to sign.

- 21st round pick right-handed pitcher Wil Crowe is not signing and will return to South Carolina next season. After missing this season recovering from Tommy John surgery he still has two years of college eligibility left to return healthy and improve his draft stock in the 2017 Draft or even the 2018 Draft. According to The State, he turned down $1.2 million from the Indians when they originally selected him in the 31st round of the 2013 Draft (though I will say that figure sounds awfully inflated to me for a post-bonus pool round pick).

- 23rd round pick right-handed pitcher Michael Letkewicz is expected to sign and an official announcement could come this week.

- 34th round pick first baseman Austin Shenton is not going to sign. According to The Bellingham Herald, the Indians were considering him with their fifth round pick and inquired if his signing status had changed. He will go play baseball and attend school at the University of Washington in the fall.

- 38th round pick left-hander Jacob DeVries is expected to sign and should be another one of the first official signings to be officially announced.

2016 Cleveland Indians Draft: June 14th signing update

Tony Lastoria

Tuesday at 10:09 AM

The IBI's Tony Lastoria provides a signing update on a handful of Cleveland Indians players selected in the 2016 Draft...

Here is another update on the signing status and more for Cleveland Indians draft picks from the 2016 MLB Draft. For previous entries, click on the links below:

June 13th signing update

- I noted yesterday that 2nd round competitive balance pick catcher Logan Ice is set to sign with the Indians. While 1st round pick outfielder Will Benson and 2nd round pick shortstop/third baseman Nolan Jones have yet to state their intentions, it should be noted that the Indians fully expect to sign both of them. The Indians contacted both players before selecting them to work out the parameters of a deal that both sides verbally agreed upon. Teams do this now so they have a good idea where they are at in their bonus pool and where they need to save money to sign overslot deals or where they have some extra money to take an overslot player deeper in the bonus pool rounds. While this is mere speculation on my part, the expectation is that Benson will sign for right around slot, if not a little under, and Jones will come in overslot. I would expect all three of Benson, Jones and Ice – plus a few others – to be brought into Cleveland when the team returns home this weekend where they can have them in town to complete their physicals, sign their contracts and then partake in some pre-game festivities on the field with batting practice and maybe even throwing out the first pitch before watching a game in a suite and then heading out to their destination the next day.

- 20th round pick shortstop Ben Baird is weighing his options on whether to sign or go to school at the University of Washington. As to what he ultimately decides to do that is up to him, but it would be a surprise to pass up playing for a big Division-1 program to sign for $100,000 or less.

- 21st round pick right-handed pitcher Wil Crowe is back on the mound pitching for the Lexington County Blowfish of the Coastal Plain League - a summer collegiate baseball league. As noted in Monday’s signing update, he has already made his intentions known that he will not be signing with the Indians and will go back to South Carolina where he has two years of eligibility left. Even so, the Indians have a great chance to follow him this summer and really get to know him as a person – one of the perks for a drafted player. This deeper level of contact and scouting often helps when considering players in the high rounds – a place where Crowe is expected to go next year if he is healthy and his stuff shows as expected.

- 24th round pick left-handed pitcher Skylar Arias has told the IBI that he will sign. He and his agent are in the final stages of working out a signing bonus with the Indians, but he has every intention of signing.

2016 Cleveland Indians Draft: June 15 signing update

Tony Lastoria

Yesterday at 9:15 AM

The IBI's Tony Lastoria provides a ton of updates on 2016 Indians draft picks along with several firsthand quotes from players and coaches...

Here is another update on the signing status and more for Cleveland Indians draft picks from the 2016 MLB Draft. For previous entries, click on the links below:

Note: Special thanks to IBI reporters Jacob Myers and Corey Crisan for their assistance with this report.

- 1st round pick outfielder Will Benson is on his way to Cleveland per his Twitter post.

CLE headed your way @kingjames let's get one more
— Will Benson (@_thekidbilly_) June 15, 2016

While his Twitter post doesn’t say he is signing, this is a usual formality I talked about in yesterday’s signing update where the Indians fly in some of their top draft picks to complete their physicals and sign their contract at Progressive Field before enjoying a game. Chances are that not only will Benson and a few other high round picks be officially announced on Friday, but they will also be at the Indians and White Sox game at Progressive Field that night.

- 4th round pick right-handed pitcher Shane Bieber’s signing status is on hold until the conclusion of the College World Series. His UC Santa Barbara team is making their first trip to Omaha in school history and got there in dramatic fashion so his mind is in other places.

He is slated to take the bump for his team’s first game on Saturday at 3:00pm ET against Oklahoma Stata so be sure to check him out. Once his team is done playing in the College World Series his attention will turn to deciding whether he signs or not (though all indications are he will be signed).

- 7th round pick catcher Michael Tinsley is expected to sign as noted in a previous update. The IBI’s Corey Crisan reached out to University of Kansas head coach Ritch Price and he had this to say about Tinsley: “Michael won the Big 12 Conference batting title in 2016. He is an athletic catcher who is a very good runner [and who] can not only catch but play in the outfield as well. [He is a] good receiver, good blocker and continues to improve his throwing each year. Offensively, Michael is one of the best fastball hitters in the country. He uses the whole field, has gap to gap power. Michael is also a very dedicated young man [with] great work ethic, competes, and knows how to grind. The Indians got a really good player. We currently have five former Jayhawks playing in the big leagues. If Michael stays healthy, I have no doubts that his bat will get him to the big leagues.”

- 8th round pick right-handed pitcher Andrew Lantrip’s signing status is currently unknown, but the IBI’s Corey Crisan was able to get with University of Houston head coach Todd Whitting for a comment on his star pitcher: “Andrew is a fierce competitor who has anchored our pitching staff the last three seasons. He will be a tremendous asset for the Indians organization and I expect him to have great success on the Major League level. He has a solid three pitch mix and a very good K/BB ratio. He pounds the zone with his stuff." While the expectation all along is that Lantrip will sign, the comment by Whitting makes it sound like he expects that to happen as well.

- 11th round pick outfielder Andrew Calica is in much the same boat with UC Santa Barbara teammate Bieber. Until his team is finished up with play in the College World Series there should be little if any information on his signing status. Being an 11th round pick and outside the bonus pool rounds he is not as much of a sure thing to sign as Bieber, though the Indians have shown in year’s past that they sign most of their 11th rounders and go the extra mile to get a deal done. We will see what happens on that front and he might be someone they sign near the signing deadline as they have to see exactly what they have leftover in their bonus pool money after all of their 11 bonus round picks have signed before they can go over the $100,000 amount they can offer him. Teams have to first sign their bonus pool picks before they can spend extra money on the 11th-40th round picks or they could be at risk of losing a first round draft pick if they sign a later round pick overslot and a deal falls through with a bonus pool pick.

- 12th round pick left-handed pitcher Zach Plesac is officially signing today, per the IBI’s Jacob Myers. After signing he will continue he rehab from Tommy John surgery and while he has some extra time he will also work on finishing his degree.

- 14th round pick outfielder Mitch Longo is officially signing today, per the IBI’s Jacob Myers. As noted on Monday, he will go to Short-A Mahoning Valley.

- 18th round pick left-handed pitcher Raymond Burgos is coming in to Cleveland on Monday for what sounds like his physical and to sign his contract. At least that is what his Twitter post translated to.

El lunes salgo para cleveland para realizarme unos estudios u exámenes
— R. Burgos (@raymondyadiell) June 15, 2016

- 31st round pick right-handed pitcher Chris Farish spoke to the IBI’s Corey Crisan about his draft selection and signing status: “First off I would like to thanks the Cleveland Indians for selecting me in this year's draft. Like many young players it was always my dream to be drafted and to play professional baseball, so I am very excited and appreciative that I was given an opportunity to pursue that dream this year! Although I have not decided whether or not I will sign my family and I are incredibly grateful to the Indians and the call I received upon being drafted is one I will always remember! I'm looking forward to the new challenges professional baseball will bring me either now or in the future, but I wouldn't be where I am today if it were not for the incredible support of my family, friends and the many coaches along the way that have helped me develop into the player and man I am today, especially coach Walter, coach Hobbs and the rest of our staff at Wake Forest. I’d be wrong to not include Dennis Healy our former pitching coach in my thanks. He has also had a tremendous influence on my growth these past few years as well as my high school coach T Riley who has always been there for me and supported me every step along the way. Finally, as I stated earlier, I'm not sure if I will forgo my redshirt Junior and Senior seasons at Wake Forest, but I am incredibly blessed to have been given this opportunity and it's one I will certainly seriously consider!”

- 38th round pick left-handed pitcher Jacob DeVries provided the following comment to the IBI’s Corey Crisan: “This is an exciting day for my family and I as I have the opportunity to accomplish my goals of serving my country and playing professional baseball. I want to thank the Cleveland Indians organization for believing in me. Upon completion of my education at the Air Force Academy, I look forward to exploring my options after graduation. I cannot thank the people at the Air Force Academy enough for their support through this process.” Air Force head coach Mike Kazlusky also chimed in saying, “I am excited for Jacob but also for our Air Force Academy baseball program! We continue to attract the best of the best to this fine institution and Jacob, and Griffin [Jax], are shining examples. I look forward to these two young men serving our country in the military and proud that they have been considered talented enough to be wanted by Major League Baseball teams.”

2016 Cleveland Indians Draft: June 15 Signing Update, Part 2

Tony Lastoria

Yesterday at 1:50 PM

The IBI's Tony Lastoria provides another update with firsthand breaking news on the signing status of draft picks Andrew Lantrip, Michael Tinsley, Hosea Nelson, Dakody Clemmer and Mike Amditis.

Here is another update on the signing status and more for Cleveland Indians draft picks from the 2016 MLB Draft. For previous entries, click on the links below:

We were going to wait on some of this to post in tomorrow's early morning signing update, but Jacob Myers and Corey Crisan have just been killing it acquiring information and talking to the right people to acquire it that we decided to post a second update today. Great job Corey and Jacob!

- 8th round pick right-handed pitcher Andrew Lantrip is signing, per the IBI's Corey Crisan. According to Lantrip, he will be coming into Cleveland on Monday for his physical and then is scheduled to sign his contract on Tuesday. Lantrip told Crisan, "I am very grateful for the opportunity to play pro baseball. The opportunity that the Cleveland Indians organization has given me is one that I have dreamt of since I was a kid beginning tee ball. I am also very thankful for the University of Houston baseball program and the coaching staff who helped me get to where I am today. I am excited to start this new chapter in my baseball career, and proud to be a part of such a great organization."

- 7th round pick catcher Michael Tinsley is expected to sign as noted in a previous update. The IBI’s Corey Crisan spoke with Tinsley on Wednesday and he said he has yet to officially sign his contract but that the negotiations have been completed and he will sign it when he gets to Cleveland on Sunday. After that he should report to Short-A Mahoning Valley on Monday or Tuesday. Tinsley also said, “It is an honor to be drafted by the Cleveland Indians. I've worked my entire life to make it to this point, and to have a first class organization such as the Cleveland Indians draft me makes every moment of preparation worth it. Ever since I have been drafted by the Indians I have heard nothing but positive things. From my scout to friends who have been around the organization they all have nothing but praise from top to bottom.”

- 9th round pick outfielder Hosea Nelson is signed and ready to play ball, per the IBI's Corey Crisan. Nelson told Crisan, "I'm excited to get started on my professional career. All the long, hard hours of putting in extra work into being proficient in my craft has finally paid off, and as excited as I am, the real work is just beginning." He already signed a few days ago and is boarding a plane today (Thursday) to fly into Cleveland.

- 19th round pick right-handed pitcher Dakody Clemmer is signing, per the IBI’s Jacob Myers. According to Myers, he has been informed by Clemmer that he will be signing on Friday and that he has signed for $100,000. That signing bonus is the max amount teams can offer players selected after the 10th round before a team has to dip into their bonus pool and would be subject to any possible taxes or other penalties.

- 37th round pick catcher Mike Amditis is not going to sign and will go to school and play baseball at the University of Miami, per the IBI's Corey Crisan. Crisan received confirmation from a source closely connected to Amditis.

2016 Cleveland Indians Draft: June 16th signing update

Tony Lastoria

9:38 AM

The IBI's Tony Lastoria provides updates on draft picks Logan Ice, Michael Tinsley, Hosea Nelson, Mitch Longo, Kramer Robertson and Blake Sabol - with detailed signing status updates for Robertson and Sabol.

Here is another update on the signing status and more for Cleveland Indians draft picks from the 2016 MLB Draft. For previous entries, click on the links below:

Note, the IBI's Jacob Myers and Corey Crisan contributed to this report.

- 2nd round competitive balance pick catcher Logan Ice is in Cleveland ready to sign his contract. He along with several other Indians high level draft picks are already in Cleveland today to get physicals and sign their contracts. Exact details of when and where they will sign is unknown, but the general process will be for them to complete all the procedural stuff today with signing and physicals and such, go to the Indians game on Friday night and then disperse to their teams over the weekend.

- 7th round pick catcher Michael Tinsley is already signing per our previous reports. This is just a quick update to congratulate him on being named to the ABCA/Rawling All-Midwest Region Second Team. This season at Kansas he posted the best single-season batting average at the school since 2010 with a .377 average (80-for-212) leading the Big 12 in average and in hits (80), and ranked third in runs scored (47) and seventh in RBI (42).

- 9th round pick outfielder Hosea Nelson is already signed per several of our previous updates, but the IBI’s Corey Crisan was able to reach his former coach Devin McIntosh at Clarendon College for comment on the talented outfielder. McIntosh told Crisan, “The biggest attribute that Hosea Nelson has going for him is his perseverance. His freshman year didn’t go as he would have planned. However, he remained confident and continued to work hard at polishing his skills and improving his game. He has a bright future in front of him not simply because of his athletic tools but because of the character and perseverance he has shown over the last year.”

- 14th round pick outfielder Mitch Longo officially signed his contract on Wednesday.

In his Intragram post (which you may or may not be able to see above) he is shaking hands post-signing with his Indians area scout Junie Melendez. He is expected to joing Short-A Mahoning Valley and play for them Friday.

- 32nd round pick infielder Kramer Robertson is not signing and will return to LSU for his senior year.

Excited for one more ride with Tiger Nation! pic.twitter.com/79T7L31RKe
— Kramer Robertson (@KramerR3) June 16, 2016

- 33rd round pick catcher Blake Sabol is not signing, per the IBI’s Corey Crisan. This is of no surprise as Sabol is a highly rated high school catcher who fell to the late rounds for signability reasons and his commitment to college. He told Crisan, “I'm extremely blessed to have been drafted by such an amazing organization. I'm thankful for the opportunity and the honor of being drafted. I have decided to attend the University of Southern California."

Not signing the kids picked in rounds 21, 32, 33, 34, 37 is not surprising. They're all longshots who would be welcome additions but not expected.

Here's the Baseball America quick analysis of our draft:


Theme of their draft: Balance. Cleveland started with long-levered prep bats in Will Benson and Nolan Jones, who both check in at 6-foot-5, and added intriguing high school hitters in Ulysses Cantu (6) and speedsters outfielder Connor Capel (5) and shortstop Samad Taylor (10), the latter two among the fastest runners in the prep class. Collegians such as catcher Logan Ice (2s) and righthanders Aaron Civale (3) and Shane Bieber (4) provide the balance, with Civale having intriguing upside as a fairly fresh power Northeast arm.

Upside Guy: If they’re signable, shortstop Ben Baird (20) and righthander Wil Crowe (21) [have top-five-rounds talent. Baird has a chance to stay at shortstop with a lean frame and good body control. Crowe has a power arm and some SEC track record that was interrupted by Tommy John surgery. He’s told South Carolina teammates he’ll be returning to school but he has hit 95 mph since returning to the mound this summer. [apparently Crowe's not signing; didn't see anything from Tony on Baird]

Here's what they say about Baird:

Part of Washington's strong incoming recruiting class, Baird has a good body at a listed 6-foot-2, 185-pounds and made some noise at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last summer in San Diego. He's had a solid spring and could tempt a team in the first three rounds that believes in his bat. A prep shortstop who likely would play that position for Washington, Baird has 50s or 55s on the report, depending on the scout, with his speed, bat and arm earning average grades. Some scouts consider him to have stiffened a bit and doubt he's a true shortstop as a pro, putting more pressure on his bat. Others are in on the body's projection and his ability to stay in the middle infield. He had LASIK surgery this spring and his offense improved significantly as his vision did. His father played briefly in the NFL.

[We drafted him in the 20th.]

Little more info on that ...

The Indians have agreed to terms with first-round pick Will Benson on a $2.5MM signing bonus, reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (via Twitter). That figure comes in $473,700 south of the No. 14 slot’s assigned value, so Cleveland will pick up some savings that can be applied further down its draft board.

A high school outfielder out of Georgia, Benson entered the draft ranked as the No. 30 prospect on Baseball America’s Top 500 list. He placed 38th on the Top 200 from Mayo and colleague Jim Callis over at MLB.com, and ESPN’s Keith Law had him rated 41st on his Top 100 ranking. The 6’6″, 220-pound Benson has “arguably the best bat speed in the class” and plus-plus raw power, per BA’s scouting report. He also has a strong arm and plus speed but is described by BA as a “boom or bust” prospect due to an aggressive approach at the plate. ESPN’s Eric Longenhagen writes that Benson’s swing has “considerable effort” and writes that a player of his size will almost certainly have to move to first base as he continues to fill out. MLB.com writes that he didn’t have a great spring and often tries to do too much at the plate, but he has plenty of offensive upside.

Cleveland entered the draft with a total signing pool of $7,499,600 (via Callis at MLB.com), so the Benson savings will amount to about six percent of their entire pool, and they’ll be left with just a hair under $5MM to allocate to the remainder of their picks. Those savings could be allocated in large part to second-round pick Nolan Jones — a high school third baseman and Virgina commit that was projected by some to go in the first round but slid to Cleveland at No. 55 overall.

hope some of that is left for the No. 20 pick we read about earlier and there's another one or two in rounds 11+ who would need to be signed overslot. Indians are good at balancing these bonuses, or at least in the past few years.

Jim Callis @jimcallisMLB
10th-rder Samad Taylor signs w/@Indians, $125k (pick 302 = $156,600). Calif HS SS, quick feet & hands, surprising pop for 5-10/160 @MLBDraft

BA says:

Taylor made his name at the Area Code Games tryouts last year, earning his way into the Games at Long Beach State's Blair Field and performing well for hundreds of scouts. He's athletic and has some quick hands that give him surprising power at his size. He's a plus runner who could wind up as a utility player and has a good chance to stay in the infield. He's undersized at 5-foot-9, 159 pounds and may not have the arm strength to stick at shortstop. He is committed to Arizona.

some other notable lines:

Lynchburg played two and BA omitted the 2nd game:
Bradley 1-2 with a walk
Chang single
Allen single
non-prospect 24 year old 6-4 RH went 6-5-1-1-3-7 ERA 1.03 [8-2] Top contender for nonprospect of the year. Need a title for that award. I'll do some thinking
Santander is a prospect, at age 21, but not reported by BA since he didn't make the preseason top 30 due to previous years injuries. He cracked his 7th homer, 17th double. Hitting 269. OPS 784. Making a mild case to make the list this year.

Relievers in Columbus: Joe Colon remains 0.00 in 8 2/3 IP since returned from suspension. Rapidly rising Ben Heller with a perfect inning and 2 K, ERA 3.48, a 22nd round pick in 2013

Indians Prospective ‏@indiansPro 12 minutes ago
#Indians have officially signed 25th Round Draft Pick 20yr old (3B) Jonathan Laureano out of Connors State College