Jeffress signed

[Kaukauna]

From a media release sent about 20 minutes ago:

 

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Brewers have signed RHP Jeremy Jeffress, their first selection (16th overall) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. The signing is contingent on the passing of a physical.

 

The signing was announced today by Special Assistant to the General Manager/Director of Amateur Scouting, Jack Zduriencik.

 

?We are very pleased to have come to terms with our first-round selection,? said Zduriencik. ?This is an indication of a young man with a desire to begin his career immediately. Jeremy has an understanding of getting into uniform sooner rather than later to help begin the developmental process.?

 

Jeffress, 18, is scheduled to begin his professional career with the Arizona Brewers in the Rookie Arizona League. He went 5-1 with a 0.19 ERA at Halifax County Senior High School this season, striking out 71 batters in 37.0 innings pitched.

 

Jeffress is expected arrive in Milwaukee this weekend.

[Oswald Chesterfield Cobble]

they definately went with someone who was easy to sign, i don't know if that is a good thing or not though

[colbyjack]

I should want to point out that just because Jeffress signed quickly doesn't mean he was an easy or cheap sign. He likely will sign for right around $1.6 million, the going rate for the 16th pick, and I'm sure most people would agree that $1.6 million would sound especially good as an 18-year old coming out of high school. The Brewers have taken players that have signed relatively quick ever since Jack Z. has been the scouting director. Only Rickie Weeks took more than a couple of weeks (no pun intended) to sign, and that was somewhat expected.

 

Jeffress was rumored to go as high as #7 overall to the Dodgers, and might have had the Tigers taken Kershaw instead of Andrew Miller. I was told a few weeks ago from a source that if Jeffress was there at 16, and at the time it didn't look like he would be, that the Brewers wouldn't think twice about taking him.

 

Anyway, good news. I'm not head over heels thrilled about the pick, but I'm happy to have him in the system.

[DHonks]

Shane Hill is the one I really want them to sign. I think he was the 9th rounder, but that scouting video is silky smooth

[deeswan]

Just chiming in on Jeffress' signability. The good thing about this is that we are not hearing a bunch of people say it was a reach or that Jeffress was picked because of signability. Obviously there is a range of opinions (Colbyjack not so excited, John Sickels really likes Jeffress), but it doesn't appear to me that the pick had near as much to do with signability as it did with Jeffress' skills.

[brewmann04]

here the 2 pitchers i would like signed

 

4. (122): Evan Anundsen, RHP, Columbine HS (CO)

12. (362): Chad Robinson, RHP, Silverado HS (NV)

 

and let get this catcher signed quickly

 

7. (212): Andy Bouchie, C, Oral Roberts University

 

doug he was a 8th round pick

from Florida christian school

[DHonks]

I agree with those pitchers, Gene, and I love adding catchers. Robinson sounds interesting. And of course, we also have that 3rd baseman who failed to report last year..it's like an extra pick.

[Big Reed]

in reading the press release after he was drafted, it was obvious this kid wants to play professional baseball and really wants to get his pro career going . he said didn't really care what team drafted him. He wants to be in the pros in 2 years. That's pretty fast for a high school pitcher. By signing now, he could make low A ball before the year is out. and who knows, he could make AA by the end of next year and maybe be a September call-up next year. it's possible!

 

As a rule , i don't like drafting high school pitchers, but i like this kid's attitude. he really wants to be a pro baseball player and he's doing everything in his power to become one. .

[1e Corbeau]

Quote:

---

here the 2 pitchers i would like signed

---

 

Since this seems to be the best thread for talking about picks we want to see signed, I'd agree with the two brewmann listed.

 

Anundsen was our fourth, so you have to assume he will sign and we know it, or we wouldn't have risked that high of a pick.

 

If we can sign 2 of Anderson (12), Seidel (16), Whiteside (15), Haydel (19), and Clark (18 ) , in respective order of interest for me, I would consider that very successful.

 

It sounds like Tullo (17) will likely be a DFE as he has committed to a JC, so excluding him from my wish list. Also, it appears Whiteside has not committed, and one scout on PG Cross-Checker thought Haydel would be better served going pro instead of red-shirting at LSU. Haydel's speed is quite exciting.

 

edit: emoto-fix

[Team Canada]

Anundsen was our fourth, so you have to assume he will sign and we know it, or we wouldn't have risked that high of a pick.

 

I'm not sure that's true, but let's hope so.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Without having heard anything in specific, you have to assume they've discussed parameters and that Anundsen will sign. As for the guys in the teens...two would be amazing but if we get one of the five in 1e's list, I'll be happy and surprised.

 

Looking at the draft thread, it sounds like Robinson has an offer from a 2-year school, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him take it and renegotiate with the Brewers next spring.

[heresrobin]

It looks like Andy Clark won't be signing. As per the article provided in the thread with his profile:

 

"I've already talked to people and told them I'm going to go to Ole Miss for three years and see what happens," Clark said. "I'm going to prove to people I'll be a first-round pick (in 2009)."

 

Clark, a first baseman who had heard he might go as early as the third round, monitored the early rounds before spending the afternoon with friends. He said he talked to a Brewers scout soon after he was selected.

 

"He could tell I was kind of upset," Clark said. "He just told me to calm down. I'm determined to go down there (Ole Miss) and show them something."

 

Which made me wonder, do teams draft players knowing full well that they won't sign them? I guess it would be pretty ridiculous to draft 50 guys who want to sign right away.

 

Anundsen and Robinson are next on my Wish List.

[colbyjack]

Which made me wonder, do teams draft players knowing full well that they won't sign them? I guess it would be pretty ridiculous to draft 50 guys who want to sign right away.

 

Teams draft quite a few players knowing that they won't have the chance to sign them. Sometimes you have token drafts, like Ryan Zink and Daryl Maday back in '03, taken by the Brewers in the 40 round range because they were local guys. Neither one ever received an offer from what I heard, not because the Brewers didn't want them, but because the Brewers knew both players were college bound and wouldn't sign for the kind of money teams were willing to offer them.

 

Some players tell teams to flat-out not draft them. I remember hearing about this with Billy Paganetti in the 2001 draft I think. He went to Stanford and never lived up to his potential, but his heart was really into college.

 

Some players like Jeremy Sowers, Andrew Miller and Jason Neighborgall tell teams that it will take $3 million dollar signing bonuses for them to forego their college commitments. Sowers was still a 1st-rounder, Miller a 3rd and Neighborgall a 7th out of HS despite those demands.

 

With that background, I think the Brewers took Clark where they did as somewhat of a backup plan (like when they took Drew Bowmann, Ty Pryor and Sean Morgan in the early 20s in '04) in the event that they don't sign some of the higher picks. The Brewers have a few guys as discussed that are going to be tough signs in the top 10-15 rounds, so if a few of those guys get away, Clark may be Plan B.

[splitterpfj]

I love the fact that the top two picks are in already.......I demand a new Power 50.

[bjkrautk]

From Today's J-S:

 

Also signing were ninth-rounder Shawn Ferguson, a right-hander from Texas Christian, 10th-rounder Michael McClendon, a right-hander from Seminole (Fla.) Community College, 13th-rounder Chris Toneguzzi, a right-hander from Purdue, 30th-rounder Jordan Swaydan, a catcher from San Diego State and outfielder Mike Goetz, a 25th-round pick out of UW-Milwaukee.

 

We need a signings thread.

[Mass Haas]

We need a signings thread

 

In the "Official Draft" thread, players who have signed are in bold in the first post.

[And That]

I demand a new Power 50.

 

Why do you think I put one out right before the draft? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

There will be a new Power 50 once Jeffress, Brewer, et al, get some playing time so I can more closely zero-in on where I want them.

[splitterpfj]

Toby, I can't wait for the near riot when you put the top pick three spots lower than someone wants him.

[heresrobin]

If we can get Anundsen and a few of these other high school pitchers to sign, that would be a lot of interesting and exciting 17-19 year old pitching prospects to watch this summer:

 

Jeremy Jeffress

Will Inman

Steve Garrison

Rolando Pasqual

Zach Braddock (DFE from last year's draft we signed)

Wily Peralta

Roque Mercedes

Alexandre Periard

 

Keep the signing updates coming!

[DHonks]

I'm really glad they signed Hill.