Atlanta Braves sign four of their top-ten 2021 draft picks
A week after the 2021 MLB Draft began, the Atlanta Braves four of their top-ten selections in the fold and have money in hand for the tough signs ahead.
A week ago today, the Atlanta Braves selected Ryan Cusick in the first round (number 24 overall) of the draft. Cusick remains unsigned, which isn’t unusual as players leverage their position for the biggest bonus. At the same time, teams try to avoid spending too much and incurring penalties.
MLB’s draft-tracker shows four of the Braves top-ten selections signed, saving $834.4K available to go over-slot on harder to sign talent
- Third-rounder Dylan Dodd signed for $125K, $482.3 K below slot
- Fifth-rounder Luke Waddell signed for $247.5 K, $82.6K below slot
- Ninth–rounder Liam McGill signed for $7.5K, $143.8K below slot
- Tenth-rounder Dylan Spain signed for $17.5K, $125.7K below slot
Related Story. Draft-day two recap. light
High school players taken in the top ten rounds have the option of attending college if they choose not to sign. They also have the most leverage since failing to sign any top-ten player causes a team to lose the money for that slot in the round; for the Atlanta Braves, that’s number seven selection AJ Smith-Shawver, and number eight pick Tyler Collins.
Players signed outside of the top ten have a slot of $125K; any bonus over that counts against the bonus pool. If the player receives a $150K bonus, $25K would count against the bonus pool for penalty purposes.
Two players from day three of the draft might fall into that category, Adam Shoemaker and Ty Evans.
Signed or not signed
On Thursday, we received word that Shoemaker agreed to a $480K bonus, close to 4X of his assigned slot value. His signing isn’t yet official, but we know an agreement was reached, thanks to a story by Bill Doucet for the Cambridge Times.
Doucet spoke with Atlanta Braves’ 11th-round pick the day after his selection and found out what happened in the 24-hours before Shoemaker was drafted. It started with a Monday evening phone call and an offer.
(Shoemaker) had the duration of the phone call to accept the offer . . . or turn it down and likely head to New York City to fulfil his letter of intent at St. John’s University.
The tall lefty consulted advisers Chris Robinson and Adam Stern, who encouraged him to accept. He told Doucet that the decision to bypass his St. John’s commitment wasn’t an easy one.
. . . but I just felt it was time for me to go get started.
Other teams touched base with him, but only one called that night.
Atlanta put (an offer) together and it was a good for me. It’s a good team to go to, too; they develop pitchers really well. That’s the main thing.
The delay in announcing his signing is likely linked to the logistics of getting him to Florida and the well-known desire by the Braves to control the timing of all acquisitions.
New this year from MLB!
Well, not exactly new, but the non-drafted free-agent (NDFA… yes, I am going to use the acronym rather than type it every time) has a much higher profile and potentially more important role this year.
NDFA’s are players teams might have taken in rounds 21-40 under the old draft structure. MLB eliminated those rounds this year, and to prevent deals that circumvented the bonus pool limits, restricted the signing bonus to $20K. (Links to Baseball America -subscription required.)
As of Sunday night, 28 teams signed at least one NDFA, with the Tigers and Rangers abstaining so far, but that could change any minute.
The Phillies bought the most lottery tickets so far, signing 17 such players. A handy-dandy chart follows. If you want to check-in, or get more detail, follow the BA link above.
Atlanta Braves add a SS
The Braves dipped a toe into the NDFA pool to sign Anderson De Los Santos.
De Los Santos is a 6’-0 190 pound switch-hitting shortstop out of Central High School in Providence, Rhode Island. According to a story in the Providence Journal, the Dominican native was eligible for the J2 signing period in 2019 but wasn’t signed.
He came to live with his brother in Providence after his mother passed away last year, joining the Providence Sports & Leadership baseball program and joining a gym where he added 20-pounds of muscle.
He took a chance to reclassify late as a senior @CentralHSPvd and @4ever28lm was rewarded with a free agent deal @Braves Hear more about his path to professional baseball starting at 6:30P @wpri12 @FOXProvidence @pslrisports @BallinRi @RIIL_sports @cloose6 @pvdschools @Jpena221 pic.twitter.com/GrLZ4eaEhB
— JP Smollins (@jpsmollins) July 18, 2021
Scouts’ ears perked when they watched him play, but he wasn’t considered eligible for the draft because he was only a junior. He planned to attend Central again next year, but an annual review by his guidance counselor in May found he lacked only two credits to earn his diploma.
![The Atlanta Braves signed Anderson De Los Santos, an 18-year-old shortstop out of Central High School, in Providence R.I. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Ftomahawktake-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F16289855-d52a8e04e43597c1a65b80b3d621a912.jpg)
Change of plans
After discussions with his family, he decided to take the courses needed this summer and graduate. Now classified as a senior and eligible for the draft after graduation, scouts returned, and the Atlanta Braves were the first team to show up.
. . . the Braves identified him as a middle infield prospect. He’s not sure if that means he’ll play shortstop, second base or anywhere else on the diamond. “I’ve played every position in my life,” he said. “So I’ll do whatever they ask.”
This link takes you to a video of the newest Braves infield prospect at the Future Stars Combine in April. He played well enough there to earn an invitation to the MLB combine in June.
De Los Santos begins his professional career today.
If you search for this name, you’ll find that the Orioles signed a Dominican shortstop with the same name in January. The two players are similar in appearance, but the Orioles player is a year younger and currently playing in the Dominican Summer League.
That’s a wrap
I expect to see the Atlanta Braves sign Cal Conley and Justyn-Henry Malloy soon; high school prospects are typically signed close to the final signing day.
I don’t expect news of a Ryan Cusick or Spencer Schwellenbach signing this week. Only seven on the 29 first-round selections are signed as I write this. None of the comp-round selections are signed, and only three second-rounds are under contract.
Next. Two steps forward, then the bullpen sets us back,. dark
When signings happen, I’ll keep you updated here on The Take.