The Angels signed their #1 draft pick for near-slot value, and rumors abound that have completed the traded for Huston Street. Going to padres are Taylor Lindsey, RJ Alvarez and two other minor leaguers
The Angels signed their first-round pick in the 2014 MLB amateur player draft, Sean Newcomb, mere hours before the 2pm Friday deadline today.
The down-to-the-wire signing was somewhat mysterious, as Newcomb ended up inking a contract very near the slot value of $2,475,600. He signed for a modest $42k overage on that mark, at $2,518,400. This was a slightly smaller sum than #14 and #16 picks Tyler Beede and Touki Toussaint received, so the month-and-a-half delay earned him and the Angels only lost development time, and less time to socialize with his peers, coaches and catchers. Whether that is due to agency mismanagement (he was repped by the Legacy Agency and Diamond Bar's own Greg Genske) or family and player avarice, we'll never know, but Newcomb got no more than he deserved in the end.
With the Newcomb signing, the Angels managed to sign the top 15 of their 40 picks – a far better result than that of the Houston Astros, who so bungled their negotiations with the first overall pick in the draft, Brady Aiken, that they succeeded in losing him, their fifth-round pick Jacob Nix, and their 21st round pick Mac Marshall in the process.
The 2pm deadline today marks the end of the eligible signing period for the 2014 draft. In addition to their first 15 picks, the Angels managed to sign 35 of their 40 picks. One of those 35, John Mark Connell, was mysteriously released from Orem earlier this month, so the professional baseball life was perhaps not for him. The six players the Angels failed to sign/retain are four more than each of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, but the real get is Newcomb, so it's a passable haul. [Note: I'll offer an analysis soon of the Angels draft overall, and give some profiles on the many (12!) undrafted free agents they've recently pulled in to fill in the gaps and compensate for signing failures.]
All said, our first first-rounder since C.J. Cron has arrived. Sean Newcomb, who only turned 21 last month, immediately becomes the Angels' best prospect. A 6'5" lefty from the University of Hartford, he has a four pitch mix and is often compared physically and stuffwise to Jon Lester, and has the upside of #2 pitcher in a first-division rotation. As a junior, he went 8–2 with a 1.25 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 93.1 innings, and his college bio includes a no-hitter against Yale.
In addition to Sean Newcomb, the Angels have added Chris Volstad on a minor league contract, likely as AAA cannon fodder, and rumors are gusting high and low that the organization may or may not be finalizing a trade with the San Diego Padres for Huston Street. Volstad was briefly signed to a minor league deal last November, but he was released to pitch in Korea, which did not go too well.
Treat this as a live thread, and we will too. Discuss the news here as it breaks ashore.
*** UPDATE ***
In advance of official announcement, it's a 6 player deal.
Coming to LAA: Huston Street and AA RHP Trevor Gott
Going to San Diego: Taylor Lindsey, RJ Alvarez, Jose Rondon and Elliott Morris
*** UPDATE ***
Watch Angels beat reporters, national scribes & blowhards, and amateur aspirants galore as they break out with finger thrusts and finger wags and all sorts of contradictory twiddle:
According to sources the Padres and Angels are close to finalizing a deal that will send Huston Street to the Halos #ESPN
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) July 18, 2014SOURCES: #Angels and #Padres have talked Taylor Lindsey and JB Shuck. Not official yet, but Street likely to be on LAA by end of the night.
— Steve Granado (@SteveGranado) July 18, 2014From what I've heard, #Angels are one of several teams that "are in" on Huston Street, but no deal has been finalized.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) July 18, 2014Sounds like talk of Huston Street to #Angels is premature. It may in fact happen but nothing is imminent.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) July 18, 2014Vance Albitz, not @t_lindsey8, playing 2nd and batting 9th for SLC Bees tonight. Do winds blow south for the Angels top infielder?
— Turk's Teeth (@TurksTeeth) July 19, 2014No Jose Rondon, #TradeDeadline "Lineup @66ersBaseball vs Modesto. pic.twitter.com/itH2QA4qL5"
— Taylor Blake Ward (@TaylorBlakeWard) July 19, 2014Weird to see Sherman Johnson at SS tonight, & Brian Hernandez playing 3B for Travs. Cowart/Lindsey/Rondon all ghosts. Can't be coincidence.
— Turk's Teeth (@TurksTeeth) July 19, 2014Sources: #Angels close to acquiring Street, as first reported by @JimBowdenESPNxm. Class AAA 2B Taylor Lindsey expected to head to #Padres.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2014In Street talks, Padres said to like 2B Taylor Lindsey and RHP RJ Alvarez.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 19, 2014Huston Street to angels is being fiinalized
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 19, 2014Street should be big addition for angels, once finalized. jim bowden. 1st
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 19, 2014Package going from #Angels to #Padres for Street is expected to be Lindsey plus at least one other player.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2014#Angels nearing trade for #Padres closer Huston Street. http://t.co/Y401Bfj6YI
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) July 19, 2014Source: Deal between #Padres, #Angels is 4-for-2. Street and minor leaguer to Angels. Lindsey, Alvarez and two other minor leaguers to Pads.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2014Can confirm, via source, that #Angels sending 2B Taylor Lindsey, RHP R.J. Alvarez and SS Jose Rondon to #Padres for Street. Nice haul.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) July 19, 2014Source: Class AA RHP Trevor Gott going with Street from #Padres to #Angels. Sixth round pick in 2013.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2014Final deal - Street and Gott to Angels for Lindsey, Alvarez, Rondon and Elliott Morris #ESPN
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) July 19, 2014