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River Ave. Blues » Anthony Seigler » Page 2

Thoughts on Baseball America’s top ten Yankees’ prospects

November 5, 2018 by Mike

Seigler. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

Winter prospect ranking season is underway and, last week, Baseball America (subs. req’d) released their latest top ten Yankees’ prospects list. “The Yankees’ farm system is as deep and diversified as a well-planned investment portfolio … It has so many talented young pitchers and enough athletic and strong hitters that the team is well-equipped to make trades while retaining a strong core of prospects for the future to continue to build around,” says a separate write-up.

The list and scouting reports are behind the paywall, but the list is all over Twitter, so I don’t feel too bad about sharing it here:

  1. LHP Justus Sheffield
  2. OF Estevan Florial
  3. RHP Jonathan Loaisiga
  4. OF Everson Pereira
  5. C Anthony Seigler
  6. RHP Mike King
  7. RHP Deivi Garcia
  8. RHP Roansy Contreras
  9. OF Antonio Cabello
  10. RHP Albert Abreu

Seven of the ten names are the same as my most recent top ten list. I was lower on Garcia (15th), Cabello (31st), and King (unranked). King being unranked on my August list is egregious. Big blunder by me. I’m always slow to run young international kids like Cabello up the rankings. Garcia? Eh. The difference between 7th and 15th isn’t that big. Anyway, some thoughts on Baseball America’s rankings.

1. The Yankees have some stud 17-year-olds. And Pereira is the most impressive. “He doesn’t have any 70- or 80-grade tools, but some scouts were confident enough to put future plus grades on his hit, run and raw power already. They also saw a defender in center field with plus range and instincts with an average throwing arm,” says the scouting report, and again, we’re talking about a 17-year-old. Periera hit .263/.322/.389 (88 wRC+) with three homers and a 32.8% strikeout rate with rookie Pulaski this year, so he didn’t blow the doors off the Appalachian League, but he was basically a high school junior in a league with college kids from this year’s draft, high schoolers from last year’s draft, and international signees from two years ago. The scouting report gives Pereira four potential plus tools (hit, power, run, field) and another average tool (arm) and that’s awfully exciting. He has a very long way to go to get the big leagues. The present ability is very good compared to other 17-year-olds. Pereira is among the guys I’m most excited to follow in the coming years.

2. Seigler’s intangibles are off the charts. With Miguel Andujar graduating to the big leagues, Seigler is my favorite prospect in the system at the moment. A switch-hitting catcher with some thump and good strike zone knowledge — Seigler had more walks (14) than strikeouts (12) in his 24-game pro debut this year — who projects to be an above-average defender behind the plate is my jam. Seigler was also praised for his makeup and grinder mentality before the draft, with Baseball America (subs. req’d) saying “he is consistently referred to as one of the toughest players in the prep class” in their pre-draft scouting report. The top ten write-up says Seigler went “so far as to request a Spanish-speaking roommate so he could work on learning the language” this summer. Pretty awesome. The advantages of being bilingual go beyond the catcher-pitcher relationship. It helps in the clubhouse too. Cliques form in baseball. The Latin American kids, the relievers, the veterans, whatever. It’s only natural for a population to split into groups. Anything that helps bridge the language gap and bring groups together in the clubhouse is a big plus in my book.

3. No one really knows what to expect from King. King, who came over in the Caleb Smith trade last winter, had an undeniably excellent season in 2018. He threw 161.1 innings at three levels with a 1.79 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 24.4% strikeouts and 4.7% walks. King reached Triple-A Scranton and is all but certain to get a look in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. “In the six years I’ve done this system, I think he has given me the widest range of outcomes. I’ve heard anything from seventh inning reliever to Roy Halladay-lite,” said Josh Norris in the Yankees’ top ten podcast. The scouting report says “plus command” helps King’s arsenal play up, which is good, because “none of King’s pitches is truly a knockout.” He’s a sinker/cutter/changeup/slider guy. I’m not really sure what to make of him. Maybe he’s an Adam Warren type? Or maybe it will work as a starter in the AL East? We’ll find out soon enough. The scouting report calls King “one of the safest bets to have a big league career” among pitchers in the system, and considering what the Yankees gave up to get him, turning two fringe 40-man roster guys into a big league anything is a pretty good outcome.

4. Cabello is a potential star. Cabello is one of those many impressive 17-year-olds in the farm system. The converted catcher — he is simply too fast and too athletic to keep behind the plate, so the Yankees moved him to center field — authored a .308/.427/.522 (168 wRC+) batting line with 19 extra-base hits in 46 rookie ball games before he dislocated his shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield. Cabello did need surgery and is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Anyway, Baseball America posted the entire scouting report on Twitter, so make sure you check it out. They say Cabello has a “chance to be a true impact bat in the middle of the order,” and, on the podcast, Norris compared his hitting acumen to Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s and Juan Soto’s at the same age. Huh. That is some very high praise. That is presumably another reason for the position change. The bat is going to be ready far sooner than the defense behind the plate. As with Pereira, Cabello has a very long way to go given his age, but the fact these two are getting such strong reviews so early in their careers is exciting. The Yankees still have a strong farm system and both guys landing in the top ten tells you they are well-regarded.

5. German has already added velocity. In a separate write-up (subs. req’d), Norris reviewed the Yankees’ 2018 draft class, and he notes fourth round pick RHP Frank German was “up to 98 mph with his fastball as a pro after sitting 92-94 during a dominating junior season.” So the Yankees have already worked their “add a bunch of velocity” magic with their fourth rounder. Pretty cool. It’s all about the arm action, apparently. I’ve read the Yankees (and Dodgers) scout specific arm actions because they know how it works and know how to use it to add velocity. German showed a promising slider and curveball in college, and, in his pro debut, he threw 30.1 innings with a 2.08 ERA (1.39 FIP) and excellent strikeout (34.2%) and walk (5.0%) rates. We’ll see how the newfound velocity holds up over a full season next year. The fact German’s already raised his stock in his short time as a pro is pretty fun though.

Filed Under: Minors Tagged With: Albert Abreu, Anthony Seigler, Antonio Cabello, Deivi Garcia, Estevan Florial, Everson Pereira, Frank German, Jonathan Loaisiga, Justus Sheffield, Mike King, Prospect Lists, Roansy Contreras

DotF: McBroom’s hot streak continues in Scranton’s win

August 23, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

The minor league regular season is winding down, so here’s another standings update. Before we get to that, here are some notes, including updates on the Yankees’ last two first round picks:

  • Aaron Boone said yesterday that C Gary Sanchez will begin his minor league rehab assignment either today or tomorrow, and it looks like it’ll be tomorrow. Gary didn’t play today. He did post some workout videos on social media though. Sanchez is expected to play a few GCL games and a “week’s worth” of games in Triple-A. Seems like he’s lined up to return September 1st.
  • RHP Clarke Schmidt is done for the reason, reports Robert Pimpsner. He doesn’t have an arm injury. The Yankees are just bringing him back to Tampa. I imagine Schmidt will participate in Instructional League next month. Last year’s first round pick pitched to a 3.09 ERA (2.62 FIP) with 33.0% strikeouts and 6.6% walks in 23.1 innings back from Tommy John surgery.
  • C Anthony Seigler is done for the season with a concussion, reports Keith Law (subs. req’d). He took a foul tip to the face mask last week. Seigler, this year’s first round pick, hit .266/.379/.342 (108 wRC+) with more walks (14.7%) than strikeouts (12.6%) in 24 games in his pro debut. Pulaski’s season ends in less than a week. There’s no reason to rush the kid back.
  • In that same link, Law says RHP Luis Medina was 94-99 mph with his fastball last night, and added “his 80-83 curveball has real promise with tight spin and a lot of power to it.” “Medina looks athletic and his arm is loose … but he has to figure out how to throw his fastball for strikes before he’ll have any major league role,” says the write-up.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (7-3 win over Buffalo) at 66-61, they are ten games back in the division and one game back of the wild card spot … their regular season ends Monday, September 3rd

  • SS Tyler Wade: 1-5, 1 K
  • 2B Abi Avelino: 0-2, 1 K — left the game in the fourth for an unknown reason
  • RF Ryan McBroom: 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K — 16-for-38 (.421) in his last nine games, though there’s a week-long disabled list stint mixed in there
  • 1B Mike Ford: 3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI — had been in a 3-for-26 (.115) skid
  • DH Go Urshela: 0-4
  • RHP Adonis Rosa: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 9/5 GB/FB — 60 of 100 pitches were strikes … with LHP Justus Sheffield in the bullpen, Rosa stays up here to fill the rotation spot

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Down on the Farm Tagged With: Anthony Seigler, Clarke Schmidt

DotF: Florial continues to rake on rehab assignment

July 17, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

Some quick notes:

  • C Anthony Seigler, this year’s first round pick, has not played since July 4th, though Josh Norris says he’s not hurt, so that’s good. Not sure why he hasn’t played lately though. Kinda weird. UPDATE: Norris says Seigler has a minor hamstring issue. So there you go.
  • C Josh Breaux, this year’s second round pick, is injured, however. He’s been out since July 11th with a minor hamstring injury and is day-to-day. Breaux’s not even on the disabled list.
  • RHP Garrett Whitlock has been promoted to Double-A Trenton, the team announced. He has a 1.55 ERA (2.24 FIP) in 87.1 innings split between Low-A and High-A so far this season.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (8-4 win over Toledo)

  • SS Abi Avelino: 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
  • RF Billy McKinney: 2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI
  • 3B Brandon Drury: 0-2, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K — 7-for-53 (.132) in his last 14 Triple-A games
  • DH Mike Ford: 1-5
  • RHP Chance Adams: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3/3 GB/FB — 47 of 82 pitches were strikes (57%) … shrugs
  • RHP Cody Carroll: 1 IP, zeroes, 2 K — nine of 12 pitches were strikes … 2.50 ERA and 51/16 K/BB in 39.2 innings

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Down on the Farm Tagged With: Anthony Seigler, Josh Breaux

2018 Draft: Yankees sign first round pick Anthony Seigler

June 9, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

(Frank Franklin II/AP)

1:23pm ET: Seigler did indeed receive a full slot $2,815,900 bonus, reports Jim Callis.

12:20pm ET: Anthony Seigler said there was “no doubt in my mind that I’m definitely going to sign with the Yankees” earlier this week, and he made good on his word today. According to George King, the Yankees signed Seigler, their 2018 first round pick, Saturday morning. He received a $2.8M slot bonus. The Yankees have not yet announced the signing, but that’ll come soon enough.

The Yankees selected Seigler with the 23rd overall pick in the draft this past Monday. He’s a high school catcher from Georgia who switch-hits and switch-throws, though the Yankees are going to keep him behind the plate. He’s not going to pitch and they’re not going to try him as a two-way player. Nothing like that. Here is a snippet of MLB.com’s scouting report:

He’s agile behind the plate, has a quick transfer that helps his arm play as plus at times and shows promise as a receiver and pitch framer. He’s more athletic than most catchers, along the lines of Austin Barnes, and could profile as an everyday second baseman as well.

Seigler makes consistent hard contact from both sides of the plate and employs an all-fields approach. There’s some question as to how much power he’ll have, but he has solid bat speed and should provide at least double-digit home run production once he gets stronger. The Florida recruit has close to average speed, making him quick for a catcher, and shows good instincts in all phases of the game.

Now that he’s signed, I assume Seigler will make his pro debut with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Yankees when they open their season on Monday, June 18th. Because he’s a prep catcher, I imagine Seigler will play in the GCL all season. Pushing him up to Short Season Staten Island or even Low-A Charleston is too aggressive.

Slot money for the 23rd overall pick is $2,815,900, so either Seigler took a slightly below slot bonus, or King rounded down. I’m guessing it’s the latter. You can see all the Yankees’ 2018 draft picks right here. Here is our Draft Bonus Pool Tracker and here are our Day One, Day Two, and Day Three draft reviews. The signing deadline is Friday, July 6th this year.

Filed Under: Draft Tagged With: 2018 Draft, Anthony Seigler

Saturday Links: Trade Deadline, Mets, Seigler, Ellsbury

June 9, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

You can still play on my team any day, Jake. (Presswire)

The Yankees and Mets continue their three-game series with the middle game later tonight. It’s a 7pm ET contest. Until then, here are some links and notes to check out.

Mets may or may not consider fire sale

Depending who you ask, the Mets either will (Kristie Ackert) or will not (Bob Nightengale) consider trading Jacob deGrom and/or Noah Syndergaard if they don’t climb back into the postseason race. “Can circumstances change that? Yes. But I think that would be very, very remote. It’s not something we’re even considering or talking about,” said GM Sandy Alderson with regards to a potential fire sale.

The Yankees could use another starter in the wake of Jordan Montgomery’s Tommy John surgery, and gosh, either deGrom or Syndergaard sure would be a wonderful fit. Both this year and going forward. The thing is, even if the Mets do become open to trading them, the Yankees-Mets hurdle has to be cleared. Trade talks about Lucas Duda and Jay Bruce were reportedly contentious last August. Imagine talks about deGrom or Syndergaard?

I think Alderson and Brian Cashman would be willing to do a deal with each other. They’re two veteran executives who’ve won and lost their share of trades. They have the stomachs for it. Would ownership do it, specifically the Wilpons? Watching deGrom or Syndergaard potentially carry the Yankees to glory might not sit easy with them.

Seigler will catch, not pitch

Not surprisingly, scouting director Damon Oppenheimer confirmed to Brendan Kuty that the Yankees will use 2018 first round pick Anthony Seigler as a catcher in pro ball, not as a pitcher. Seigler is a switch-hitter with good all-around skills behind the plate. He’s also a switch-thrower who pitched with both arms in high school. From Kuty:

“Not at this point (do we see him pitching),” Oppenheimer said. “At this point, we’re seeing him as a switch-hitting catcher. The versatility he has and he’s shown throughout his high school career is something that’s attractive to us but the development as a catcher is the key here and that’s what we’re working on.”

Baseball America (subs. req’d) says Seigler “throws a changeup from the left side and changes his arm slot, while he can reach 92 mph from the right side to go along with a slider.” With Shohei Ohtani (and Brendan McKay in the minors) doing the two-way thing, I guess the Yankees could’ve considered it with Seigler, but nah. Catching is hard enough as it is. Imagine pitching as well?

As far as I know Seigler has never been considered a serious pro prospect on the mound. It’s always been catcher all the way. I guess Ohtani and the switch-pitching thing generated some buzz and led to the question being asked. No surprise the Yankees are sticking with Seigler behind the plate though. That’s where he’s best.

Yankees have insurance on Ellsbury’s contract

Jacoby Ellsbury has yet to play a game this season and, based on the way things are going, it seems unlikely he will play a game anytime soon. He’s dealing with oblique, hip, and back problems in addition to plantar fasciitis. According to Wally Matthews, the Yankees do have insurance on Ellsbury’s contract, and it will reimburse them 75% of his salary while he is on the disabled list. From Matthews:

A Yankees source told me the club has a similar policy (to David Wright’s) on Ellsbury, which has already begun to defray the bulk of his salary for the first two months of 2018. In an ideal world, Ellsbury would sit out the remainder of the season, the Yankees would muddle through with a rotation of Gardner, Hicks and Frazier in centerfield – and be reimbursed to the tune of $15,857,142.86.

It’s important to note the insurance does not change anything with regards to the luxury tax. Ellsbury still counts as $21.85M against the luxury tax. Nothing changes there. The insurance policy just means the Yankees get some cold hard cash back for Ellsbury’s injuries. I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I don’t think Ellsbury and the Yankees have a secret agreement to stay on the disabled list — that’s insurance fraud! — but the insurance sure is convenient, isn’t it?

Filed Under: Draft, Injuries, Trade Deadline Tagged With: 2018 Draft, Anthony Seigler, Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Mets

2018 Draft: Yankees double up on catchers on Day One

June 5, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

Seigler. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

The first day of the 2018 draft is in the books. A total of 78 picks were made Monday night, during Day One of the draft, and among them were the Yankees’ first (23rd overall) and second (61st overall) round picks. Teams do not draft for need, especially not in the first round, but the Yankees have a hole at catcher in the farm system and they doubled up on backstops with their first two 2018 picks. Let’s review the two Day One selections.

Yankees stick to their strength with Seigler

Few teams in baseball have had as much success developing catchers in recent years as the Yankees. Gary Sanchez is already a top tier catcher, Francisco Cervelli has been a solid starter since being traded away, John Ryan Murphy is emerging as a starter with the Diamondbacks this year, and Austin Romine is either suddenly awesome or a perfectly acceptable backup. Don’t forget Luis Torrens spending last season in the big leagues as a Rule 5 Draft backup too. That’s a lot catching talent to come out of the system these last few seasons.

So, with first round pick Georgia HS C Anthony Seigler, the Yankees stuck to their strengths and added another catcher. They know how to develop ’em, so why not? Seigler sure does check a lot of boxes. He’s a switch-hitter — and a switch-thrower when he pitched in high school, so that’s cool — who has good contact ability and a sound approach, plus he’ll hit the ball out of the park occasionally. And when he does, he can show off his elite bat flip tool.

Anthony Seigler knows how to stylize a damn home run. 80 grade. Big fan. (video from Vincent Cervino of Perfect Game) #yankees pic.twitter.com/XgzzLVc9p5

— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) June 5, 2018

Furthermore, the 18-year-old Seigler is a good receiver and a good athlete behind the plate, good enough that he’s played second and third bases on occasion. He’s a very good thrower — Seigler throws righty when behind the plate, because duh — who has all the tools necessary to be a strong defender. On top of that, Seigler was lauded as having some of the best makeup and work ethic in the draft class. He’s a very hard worker and a total grinder on the field. If he were a a non-catcher position player, his uniform would never be clean.

“The thing that attracts you to Seigler is that he has the tools to catch, and he’s a switch-hitter, which makes him a unique commodity,” said scouting director Damon Oppenheimer in a statement. “He’s showing power from both sides of the plate, has really great instincts for baseball, a plus-arm and runs well for a catcher. On top of that, he’s proven to be versatile, with his ability to play other positions. Seigler’s got top of the line makeup. We’re very happy about him.”

Catchers tend to get drafted higher than projected, and, if you take the pre-draft rankings to heart, that’s what happened here. The various scouting publications all had Seigler as the 40-something best draft prospect available — Baseball America (subs. req’d), Keith Law (subs. req’d), and MLB.com ranked Seigler as the 41st, 43rd, and 46th best prospect in the draft class, respectively — yet the Yankees took him 23rd. That’s because catchers are very hard to find and teams jump all over guys who they think can do it long-term. (Seigler was the second catcher drafted this year behind No. 2 pick Joey Bart.)

The Yankees know catching. They didn’t draft Seigler because the system is light on catching prospects — it’s too difficult to project needs three or four years into the future, when most of these kids will be MLB ready, so you’re doing yourself a disservice if you draft for need in the first round — they drafted him because quality catchers are hard to find and because they believe he had the best long-term potential of anyone still on the board. Switch-hitting catchers are my jam. I really like the pick.

A different kind of catcher

By and large, the MLB Network draft broadcast is tedious and tough to watch. I get why MLB is trying to make the draft a thing, but the MLB draft is not a thing and will probably never will be a thing. None of these kids is going to step right onto their big league team’s roster and college baseball is not nearly as popular as college football or college basketball. Casual fans see these kids they’ve never heard of at the draft and they might not see them again for four years. Good for MLB for trying. But the MLB draft is never going to be popular among non-diehards.

The MLB Network draft broadcast is always difficult to sit through, but last night it paid off in a big way. Why? Because the Yankees had the always energetic Nick Swisher, who is a special advisor to Brian Cashman, announce their second round pick. The pick? Texas JuCo C Josh Breaux, pronounced Bro. Swisher got to announce a kid named Bro. Too perfect. (Also, let’s not sleep on the fact Josh has a brother named Joe. Joe Bro.)

Baseball America (subs. req’d) ranked Breaux as the top junior college player in the draft class coming into the spring and, in their latest rankings, they had him as the 83rd best prospect in the draft overall. MLB.com had him 71st. More or less where the Yankees grabbed him given how little usually separates draft prospects beyond the first 15-20 picks or so.

Seigler and Breaux are very different players. Seigler is a switch-hitter with a well-rounded game. Breaux was a two-way player in college — he’s run his fastball as high as 100 mph off the mound — who, as a catcher, is reminiscent of former Yankees farmhand Peter O’Brien. He has big right-handed power and questionable plate discipline, and he has work to do to remain behind the plate.

There are a few key differences between Breaux and O’Brien, however. First of all, Breaux is already a better defender than O’Brien was at the same point in his career, and he’s made significant strides behind the plate this spring. Secondly, the Yankees drafted Breaux as a sophomore whereas O’Brien was a senior. The Yankees drafted O’Brien a few weeks before his 22nd birthday. Breaux is only 20. Age is on his side.

And third, Breaux has had success with wood bats. He hit .271/.310/.474 with six homers in 35 games against top college competition in the Cape Cod League last summer. O’Brien hit for zero power (.325 SLG) with more strikeouts than you’d like (26.2%) during his summer in the Cape Cod League. The overall skill set — power over hit, sketchy defense — is similar. Breaux is younger than O’Brien was at the time of the draft, however, plus he’s already better with the glove and has fared better with wood bats. That’s not nothing.

Breaux. (Cape Cod Times)

Breaux has more flaws than Seigler, both offensively and defensively, though that comes with the territory when you’re comparing a second rounder to a first rounder. What Breaux has going for him is legitimate above-average power, a rocket arm, and an organization that really knows how to develop catchers. Was he my preferred choice for the second round pick? Nah, but what the hell do I know. Can’t ever go wrong with a catcher with offensive potential though.

“Josh Breaux is another guy with a really good makeup. He’s still young as a junior college guy, but his arm is huge and he has raw power. His ability to hit has really matured this year,” said Oppenheimer. “With Breaux, we think we have an impact tools guy who’s a catcher. You’re talking about a big, strong player who shows up and people understand right away why you took him.”

* * *

Either intentionally or coincidentally, the Yankees grabbed catchers in the first two rounds of the 2018 draft at a time when they’re very short on catchers in the farm system. I don’t think it was intentional. I really don’t. They like well-rounded up-the-middle athletes and that led them to Seigler. They also like dudes with standout tools, and Breaux has two of them in his power and arm. It just so happens both guys filled a glaring organizational need.

Filed Under: Draft Tagged With: 2018 Draft, Anthony Seigler, Josh Breaux

2018 Draft: Yanks select high school catcher Anthony Seigler with first round pick

June 4, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

(Getty)

The Yankees develop catchers as well as any team in baseball and they went back to their wheelhouse with their first round pick in the 2018 draft. Monday night the Yankees selected Georgia high school backstop Anthony Seigler with the 23rd overall selection. Here’s my write-up.

As luck would have it, Seigler was among the prospects attending the draft at the MLB Network studios. Here’s the video of him being selected and introduced:

“It’s a huge honor,” said Seigler after being picked by the Yankees. I’m really blessed to be here and I’m really thankful to be able to put this jersey on and carry on a legacy. I just can’t wait to get it started. I’m just ready to get out on the field and start playing, getting in the work.”

Although the various scouting publications had Seigler outside the top 30 picks in their latest rankings —  Baseball America (subs. req’d), Keith Law (subs. req’d), and MLB.com ranked Seigler as the 41st, 43rd, and 46th best prospect in the draft class, respectively — he’s been climbing draft boards in recent weeks. The latest mock drafts had him going in the 20-30 range.

Here’s the scouting report from my write-up:

Seigler is one of the most unique players in the draft class. For starters, he’s a switch-thrower with good velocity from both sides. He’s also a switch-hitter who has performed well against elite competition in showcase events, though he’s more of a doubles guy than a homers guy. Seigler knows the zone and projects as a high on-base hitter with good contact rates. Behind the plate, he’s a good receiver with a strong arm, and he’s a good enough athlete and runner that he’s capable of playing other infield positions, including second base. Seigler, who is listed at 5-foot-11 and 200 lbs., is a very well-rounded prospect with a grinder mentality. The kid is tough as nails.

Catchers are always drafted higher than projected — it’s an extremely difficult to position to fill, so teams jump on anyone who looks like they can do it long-term — and Seigler was the second backstop selected in the 2018 draft, behind only Georgia Tech’s Joey Bart. Bart went to the Giants with the second overall pick.

Slot money for the 23rd overall pick is $2,815,900 and the signing deadline is Friday, July 6th. There are no signability concerns with Seigler, who is committed to Florida. He should sign fairly quickly. I imagine his bonus will be right around slot. Seigler’s neither expected to command a big overslot bonus, nor is he expected to take a sweetheart deal well below slot.

Filed Under: Draft Tagged With: 2018 Draft, Anthony Seigler

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