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1 | 2 |For the first time in six years, the Yankees used their top selection in the First-Year Player Draft on a collegiate pick, calling the name of Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo 26th overall on Thursday.
The Rangers took steps toward reinforcing their Minor League pitching depth by taking righty Alex Gonzalez out of Oral Roberts University with the 23rd overall pick of the 2013 First-Year Draft and righty Akeem Bostick from West Florence (S.C.) High School with their second-round pick. Texas also drafted prep infielder Travis Demeritte 30th overall.
The Rockies snapped up University of Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray, whose fastball has reached 100 mph in recent starts, with the third-overall pick in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Thursday night.
Dominic Smith and J.P. Crawford are products of Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy and Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) initiatives, and now the close friends are on the path to becoming National League rivals.
The Marlins took a major step in addressing their need for an impact bat by selecting highly touted Colin Moran with the No. 6 overall pick in Thursday's First-Year Player Draft.
Two months after appearing to have more pitching than they knew what to do with, the Dodgers addressed their sudden need for it Thursday by drafting a pair of college starters, starting with right-hander Chris Anderson from Jacksonville University.
With the fifth overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft, Cleveland chose Clint Frazier, a high school outfielder from Loganville, Ga. Lauded for his bat speed and raw power, Frazier was named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year this week.
Houston made sure the drama of the First-Year Player Draft remained at a maximum Thursday, when it managed to shield the identity of the top pick until the last possible moment.
The Phillies hope they found their shortstop of the future Thursday as they selected J.P. Crawford with the 16th overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft.
Looking to add offense to their organization, the Mariners selected power-hitting third baseman DJ Peterson from the University of New Mexico with the 12th pick in the first round of Thursday's First-Year Player Draft.
The Pirates steered clear of what they did in past Drafts -- selecting power right-handers -- to tab Georgia high school center fielder Austin Meadows with the ninth overall pick of Thursday's First-Year Player Draft, following up with Washington prep catcher Reese McGuire.
With the 11th overall pick of the 2013 Draft, the Mets selected first baseman Dominic Smith out of Serra High School in Los Angeles.
The Cubs hope they found an impact player in San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant, selected No. 2 overall pick in Thursday's first round of the First- Year Player Draft.
Surprise: The Royals took shortstop Hunter Dozier as their first-round selection in the First-Year Player Draft on Thursday night. He was the eighth pick overall. Most analysts forecast the Royals would take a pitcher in the first round.
After taking outfielder Byron Buxton as the No. 2 pick in last year's Draft, the Twins selected right-handed pitcher Kohl Stewart from St. Pius X High School in Houston as the No. 4 overall pick on Thursday night.
The D-backs selected right-hander Braden Shipley, a junior at the University of Nevada, with their first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.
With the first of three selections on Day 1 of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, the Orioles selected right-handed high school pitcher Hunter Harvey, the son of former Angels closer Bryan Harvey, with the 22nd overall pick on Thursday.
The Astros had two years to do a vast amount of homework on Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, whom the club considered taking with the top overall pick last year. After passing up Appel and taking Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012, the Astros didn't want to let him go this time.
The Red Sox, picking seventh in the First-Year Player Draft for the first time in 20 years, took perhaps the best two-way player available in Trey Ball. Though Boston drafted him as a left-handed pitcher, Ball, a product of New Castle (Ind.) Chrysler High School, is also highly-regarded as a left-handed hitter and outfielder.
With the first of their two first-round selections in the 2013 First-Year Player, the Cardinals used the 19th overall selection to nab left-hander Marco Gonzales out of Gonzaga University. Gonzales, the first lefty to be drafted in the first round by the Cardinals since 1994, was ranked by MLB.com as the 14th best player available in the Draft.
When the Brewers selected prep infielder Tucker Neuhaus on Day 1 of the First-Year Player Draft, two picks from the end of a long night, it marked a fresh start for a player coming off a trying few months.
The Phillies selected catcher Andrew Knapp in the second round (53rd overall pick) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. A catcher from the University of California, Berkeley, Knapp adds more depth to the organization's crop of young catchers.
The Tigers' return to the first round of the First-Year Player Draft took them back to a familiar theme: They went for power pitching, selecting University of Florida right-hander Jonathon Crawford with the 20th overall selection on Thursday night.
The Blue Jays continued their trend of drafting tall, athletic high school pitchers by selecting right-hander Phil Bickford with the No. 10 pick of the First-Year Player Draft on Thursday night.
Seven teams -- including the Cubs, Dodgers, Rangers and Red Sox -- have expressed serious interest in Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and have been watching him throw bullpen sessions in Mexico since April, according to an industry source.
The A's used their No. 24 first-round selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft to pluck prep outfielder Billy McKinney out of Texas' Plano West High School on Thursday.
Oakland used its second-round selection to take left-hander Dillon Overton out of Oklahoma at No. 63, before plucking Virginia Tech infielder Chad Pinder at No. 71 with its competitive balance pick.
The White Sox selected gifted shortstop Tim Anderson out of East Central Community College (Mississippi) with the 17th pick in Thursday's First-Year Player Draft.
Tyler Danish, a right-handed hurler from Durant High School in Plant City, Florida, who is committed to the University of Florida, was drafted by the White Sox with the No. 55 pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.
The Royals claimed Edinson Rincon, a third baseman and outfielder, off unconditional release waivers from the San Diego Padres on Thursday. Rincon was optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas and placed on the seven-day Minor League disabled list.
Royals Minor League report: June 5
It has been two years since the Marlins drafted Jose Fernandez at No. 14 overall, and the rookie pitcher said it remains one of the proudest accomplishments of his life.
Nine potential choices in tonight's First-Year Player Draft got the first-round treatment prior to the big event, with a bus tour among the highlights of their day in Manhattan.
The Cardinals on Thursday promoted lefty Kevin Siegrist from Triple-A Memphis and optioned right-hander Maikel Cleto to Triple-A, one day after Cleto allowed five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings in his season debut.
The time has come for all of Major League Baseball to turn from the present and look toward the future as the First-Year Player Draft begins tonight.
The time has come. The First-Year Player Draft is upon us, and the one thing making it difficult to project the first round is that there doesn't appear to be certainty regarding the top picks.
Class A Lake Elsinore outfielder Yeison Asencio was named Hitter of the Month after hitting .320 as the Padres handed out their Minor League honors for May on Wednesday.
With a day remaining before making the first selection in the First-Year Player Draft, the Astros' front office, led by general manager Jeff Luhnow and scouting director Mike Elias, continues to work round the clock to make sure they're prepared as possible.
Jonathan Singleton, who is ranked the organization's No. 1 prospect by MLB.com, was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi Wednesday, just six games into his Class A stint after returning from a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.
The D-backs have not officially announced that Tyler Skaggs will start Sunday against the Giants at Chase Field, but manager Kirk Gibson said the left-hander is staying in the rotation in place of the injured Brandon McCarthy.
A patient, powerful Michael Choice will be a dangerous Major League hitter. At only 23 years old, Choice profiles as the type of hitter who will get better and better as he sees and adjusts to more and more breaking balls.
The Cubs have the No. 2 pick overall in Thursday's First-Year Player Draft and have narrowed their choice to four players, and Cubs manager Dale Sveum has given his scouting report on the quartet.
It's always been a family affair when it comes to the First-Year Player Draft, and this year is not any different. This week, there's a new generation of players with names like Biggio, Clemens, Farrell, Palmeiro, Sheffield and Weiss that are hoping to carry on the family legacy, and some have already heard their names called.
Marlins prospect Christian Yelich will be placed on the Minor League disabled list on Thursday with a small abdominal wall strain.
Royals Minor League report: June 4
The Brewers placed right-handed starter Marco Estrada on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with a strained left hamstring and recalled top prospect Tyler Thornburg, whose role on the pitching staff was not immediately clear.
J.P. Crawford and fellow prep star Dominic Smith represent the next wave of talent with ties to Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy. The duo, who trained at the UYA facility in Compton, Calif., credit the facility's help on their road to this year's First-Year Player Draft.
The Houston Astros entered the month of May with six, possibly seven, candidates for the No. 1 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft. Now, with just 24 hours until the Draft kicks off on Thursday night, there hasn't been too much change in the situation, with a group of five prospects still being discussed in Houston's Draft room. At least the Astros can't say they didn't warn everyone.
Christian Binford and Alec Mills, Royals prospects with Class A Advanced Lexington, were selected to play for the Southern Division in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. The game is set for June 18 at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, N.J.
Potentially less than two weeks away from Zack Wheeler's big league debut, Mets manager Terry Collins made it clear that Wheeler alone will not transform the Mets.
Allen Craig and the Cardinals made up for a rough start from Michael Wacha with a slow comeback, but St. Louis couldn't score after sending it to extra innings in a 7-6 loss to the D-backs on Tuesday.
Paul Goldschmidt played the hero by driving home the decisive run with an RBI single in the 14th inning as Arizona defeated St. Louis, 7-6, in 14 innings on Tuesday.
The Nationals on Tuesday reinstated outfielder Jayson Werth from the 15-day disabled list, recalled infielder Anthony Rendon from Triple-A Syracuse and selected left-hander Ian Krol from Double-A Harrisburg. The team also placed second baseman Danny Espinosa on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 3, and designated right-hander Henry Rodriguez and left-hander Zach Duke for assignment.
Mets reliever Jeurys Familia will undergo surgery Wednesday to remove bone spurs and loose bodies from his right elbow.
Royals Minor League report: June 3
Just two days before the Cardinals will make their first three selections in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, they hosted approximately 20 players -- about half of whom played high school ball locally -- to the last of four organizational workouts.
Manny Ramirez Jr.'s name will be called at some point in this week's First-Year Player Draft. He's not a top prospect, not listed in MLB.com's Top 100 or Baseball America's Top 500. He laughs as he says he's "not one of those Clint Frazier, Austin Meadows guys." But eventually, some team will select the 17-year-old.
Every year, scouts are asked to assess the talent level in the First-Year Player Draft. Invariably, even if they are down on the group of eligible players, they'll say, "But there will be All-Stars in this Draft class; we just have to find them." Turns out, every Draft, from its inception in 1965 through 2010, has produced at least two All-Stars.
Reports that University of Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray, the potential No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's First-Year Player Draft, tested positive for the drug Adderall, were confirmed to MLB.com by a Major League team source.
Mets top prospect Travis d'Arnaud has been cleared to begin weight-bearing rehabilitation exercises, but his fractured left foot will remain in a boot for the next week.
Tyler Skaggs will be called up from Triple-A Reno and start in place of Brandon McCarthy, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with right shoulder inflammation.
For the second straight month, Archie Bradley and Chris Owings were named Pitcher and Player of the Month, respectively, for the D-backs organization
Second base prospect Scooter Gennett joined the Brewers on Monday and will form a loose, lefty/righty platoon with slumping incumbent Rickie Weeks, manager Ron Roenicke said. Weeks started Monday against A's left-hander Tommy Milone, and Gennett's first Major League start could come Tuesday against right-hander A.J. Griffin.
The Brewers picked right-hander Alfredo Figaro to join the vacant starting rotation role, opting to pluck an arm from the bullpen rather than a prospect from the Minor Leagues.
After spending the beginning of this season at Double-A Chattanooga, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig will bring his combination of power, speed and advanced hitting ability to the parent club.
Double-A Corpus Christi's George Springer was named the Texas League Player of the Week while Class A Lancaster's Preston Tucker and Brady Rodgers were named the California League Player and Pitcher of the Week.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Monday the organization is looking for a "face of the franchise" with the first pick in this week's 2013 First-Year Player Draft, but that there are still "about five" players under consideration for the pick.
At some point for the Houston Astros, the unloading of players will stop and the reconstruction of a franchise will end. When is the time to begin the next step? In other words, how close are the Astros to being good again? Here's a rosy scenario: They're close.
With the First-Year Player Draft just days away, teams are in full-on prep mode, putting the finishing touches in lining up their boards for the main event.
The Brewers made significant changes to their roster Monday by recalling a top prospect from Triple-A and completing a trade with the Braves.
Plano West outfielder Billy McKinney could well go to the Texas Rangers with the 30th pick in the first round of Thursday's First-Year Player Draft.
Right-handers Jared Hughes and Ryan Reid joined the Pirates on Monday to reinforce a bullpen that worked overtime on Sunday, and both saw action right away in a 7-2 loss to the Braves at Turner Field.
With the offseason loss of free-agents Rafael Soriano and Nick Swisher, the Yankees will have three first-round picks in the 2013 Draft.
There was a lot to be learned from the First-Year Player Draft a year ago, as the Cardinals followed the lead of a new scouting director and strategized within the parameters of new spending limits. And for the organization, one lesson still looms particularly largely: Expect the unexpected.
The Blue Jays won't have their typical allotment of supplemental picks this year, but they will have the No. 10 overall pick in the 2013 Draft.
With their highest pick since 2001, the Cubs are determined to add the kind of impact player that Theo Epstein used to build the Red Sox into World Series champs.
D-backs general manager Kevin Towers returned to his scouting roots the last few weeks, crisscrossing the country to see about 20 amateur players in preparation for this week's First-Year Player Draft.
For an organization like the Miami Marlins that is looking to address multiple needs, the hope is that having quantity makes up for what may be a lack of high-end quality in this year's First-Year Player Draft.
This year the Mariners have more uncertainty about who'll they wind up with in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, given the way things could play out above them. What they do know is they'll wind up with an excellent young prospect.
With their first first-round pick in four years, the Tigers could snag a college arm like University of Florida right-hander Jonathon Crawford.
With the fifth-overall selection in what is considered a balanced Draft at the top of the board, the Indians will no doubt have numerous talented options to choose from when it is their turn to pick.
In recent summers, the A's have had the luxury of landing a reasonably high Draft pick, something they'll be without this year but for good reason, after putting together a 94-win 2012 campaign that culminated in a playoff appearance.
For years, the organization has carried out general manager Neal Huntington's mandate to flood the system with big pitchers with big arms. Now, the Pirates need to diversify their target.
When the 2013 edition of the First-Year Player Draft gets underway on Thursday, the Reds will then have to wait their turn patiently in the first round. This time around, they have the 27th overall pick.
With the No. 4 overall selection in the Draft, the Twins should be able to add an impact bat or arm, such as high school pitcher Kohl Stewart, to a farm system that is already consider among the game's best.
As much as the Red Sox have tried to distance themselves from the disaster of 2012, they came away with one reward from it -- the one they get to use on Thursday night. Boston will be in completely foreign territory in the early stages of this year's First-Year Player Draft when it gets to pick seventh.
The Rangers will have the 23rd and 30th overall picks on Thursday when the 2013 First-Year Player Draft begins in New Jersey. A good bet suggests the Rangers will use at least one of those picks to take a high school pitcher.
Heading into his first two Drafts as the Mets' head of amateur scouting, Paul DePodesta was not sure if he would receive the quality of talent he desired with his first-round pick. This year should be different.
Giants director of amateur and international scouting John Barr said that this is a particularly unpredictable First-Year Player Draft that could result in eight to 10 players who intrigue the Giants still being available when they make their first selection with the 25th pick in Thursday's opening round.
Waiting has become a way of life for the Angels' amateur scouting department, which has been left without a first- or second-round Draft choice -- and sometimes both -- in six of the last eight years.
Although pitching will always be a premium at altitude, most Draft experts expect the Rockies to take the third-ranked prospect in MLB.com's Top 100 -- University of San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant, who leads NCAA Division I baseball in home runs this year with 31 going into regional tournament play.
The Royals will have to be patient when the 2013 First-Year Player Draft begins on Thursday. For just the second time in nine years, the club will pick outside the top five selections.
The Phillies have talent in their system, but they need more as the core from the 2008 World Series championship gets older.
The White Sox aren't likely to find an immediate Major League-ready talent with their first-round pick (No. 17) in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, but they could land a very good middle infielder or collegiate hurler.
The Braves lost their first-round selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft because they signed free agent B.J. Upton this past winter. But because they also lost Michael Bourn via free agency, they were compensated with what will be the 31st overall selection.
Picking at the back of the first round after reaching the playoffs, the task of picking after so many clubs have gone means the Orioles will have to cast a wider net as they plan for every possible scenario on Draft day.
The Astros know the importance that comes with the No. 1 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft -- a selection they have for the second straight year.
Last year, the Dodgers veered from club custom of drafting pitching first by taking high school shortstop Corey Seager. They are likely to revert back to form this year, not only because that's scouting chief Logan White's calling card, but it's also need-based.
The Padres will have three of the top 69 picks in the Draft, and four of the top 86 overall selections. With plenty of good arms in the system, look for them to take their fair share of position players.
The Nationals will continue to add depth to the farm system during the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. But it's no secret the Nationals are looking for pitching prospects.
Day 1 of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft will be an exercise in patience for Brewers amateur scouting director Bruce Seid, who expects to wait about 3 1/2 hours before making his first pick. Milwaukee's first draftee will be No. 54 overall.
The First-Year Player Draft continues to be the single most important event of the year for the Tampa Bay Rays.
A summary of Sunday's action from around the Royals' Minor League affiliates.
Out of necessity, if not urgency, Dodgers management will reluctantly promote Cuban outfield sensation Yasiel Puig to the Major Leagues on Monday -- a move they announced after Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Rockies.
Carl Crawford's left hamstring injury left the team seriously short-handed in the outfield, and the Dodgers announced they will promote top prospect Yasiel Puig from Double-A Chattanooga after Sunday's 7-2 loss by optioning spot starter Matt Magill back to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Top Cubs prospect Javier Baez was 5-for-6 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs in Class A Daytona's 14-5 win over Brevard County. Jorge Soler, who hit his eighth home run on Saturday, was batting .295.
Zack Wheeler breezed through another strong outing Saturday night at Triple-A Las Vegas, striking out six over six innings of one-run ball. His ERA is down to 3.76, he has whiffed more than a batter per inning and he is almost certainly now weeks away from his big league debut. None of it has registered on Terry Collins' radar.
Francisco Martinez, arguably the key prospect of the package the Tigers sent to Seattle to get Doug Fister, is headed back to the Detroit organization. The Tigers reacquired him for a player to be named or cash considerations, which the Mariners have to decide on by June 15.
Anthony Rendon, the Nationals' top-rated prospect, was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday with the intention of getting time at second base.
Matt Kemp is on the disabled list, A.J. Ellis missed his third consecutive game Saturday and Yasiel Puig is now playing center field at Double-A Chattanooga. But don't ask Dodgers manager Don Mattingly to connect the dots and confirm that the club plans to bring Puig to the big leagues to take over in center field until Kemp returns.
Reliever Rafael Dolis, who has made five scoreless appearances this season, was placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday, and the cubs promoted fellow righty Blake Parker from Triple-A Iowa.
Matt Langwell got the call early Saturday morning. It came from Triple-A Columbus manager Chris Tremie, who asked Langwell to report to Cleveland, as the Indians had selected him to help reinforce a tired bullpen. The team optioned Scott Barnes.
Josh Lueke tossed two scoreless innings in Friday's game, but manager Joe Maddon revealed to Lueke after the contest that he would be headed to Triple-A Durham. Left-hander Alex Torres assumed his spot on the Major League roster.
Omaha was rained out in Friday's finale vs. Oklahoma City, Northwest Arkansas dropped its opener vs. San Antonio, Wilmington fell to Frederick and Lexington upended Hagerstown.
MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo will join MLB Network's Greg Amsinger, John Hart and Harold Reynolds in a special presentation to be aired on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.
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