2004 Draft Signing: Latest, Brewers ponied up $$ for Periard

[hscoach]

Where is their website or do they have one? How can I follow how Yovani is doing in rookie league?

[MassBrew]

Where is their (Arizona) website or do they have one? How can I follow how Yovani is doing in rookie league?

 

Just stick with us, coach. Read the minor league forum Link Report each day -- I hear the guy who puts it together is OK...

[nikip43]

I think Yo was a tremendous pickup in the 2nd round but if he wasn't there I would have really looked hard at B.J. Szymanski...even though Milwaukee has a CF in every affilaiate it seems, this kid has TOOLS and STATS...he's one I'll be watching for only going two picks after our guy

 

no regets though...none at all

[Never Outhustled]

Beane is great, without a doubt, but Terry Ryan in my mind is THE most underrated GM in all of baseball, possibly the best, and has built his team almost exclusively through player developement The most underrated GM in baseball is DOUG MELVIN. Have you seen what he's doing in Milwaukee?http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif He also took over a last place Texas team that won 3 division titles under his watch.

[MassBrew]

4th rounder Josh Baker -- $320,000 (about slot)

Cleveland had to overpay for their high school lefty....

 

www.baseballamerica.com/d....php?rnd=4

[MassBrew]

Earlier in this thread we discussed the Brewers' top four draft picks and how they comapre to other picks in their round bonus-wise. Baseball America has now posted bonus information for the first ten rounds:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/d...p?team=MIL

 

Notice that you can select by round to make your comparisons.

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...aftdb.html

 

Always takes a bit more to ink those high schoolers, and each of the Brewer HS picks did well. Keep in mind that Lenny Leclercq grabbed his $100,000 in Round 11 (not noted at the above link). Steve Sollman, as a college senior with little leverage, signs for $10,000.

[colbyjack]

Thanks for pointing out the updated database MB, I've been waiting for that. I've wanted to see if there is any hope to sign one of our remaining picks that we nabbed later, like Bowman, Morgan & Pryor.

 

Last year it took $6,052,500 to sign our top 10 picks. This year it took $4,307,000. Of course, the biggest difference is Rickie Weeks $3.6 million dollar bonus, which was tied to a big league deal that will earn him much more than that. That big league deal allows the Brewers to spread that money out more, and they also likely budgeted appropriately for having the 2nd pick not only in the first round, but every round.

 

So, I'll subtract both Weeks & Rogers from the equation & just figure out picks 2-10. Last year it cost $2,452,500, this year, $2,107,000. Of course the difference of our slot in each round has something to do with that, and MLB wasn't shy about pushing teams to bring down bonuses yet again this year. That probably shows the most with Gallardo, who signed for $50k less than the 5th pick in the 2nd round last year, and Wahpepah, as the going rate for a high 3rd rounder in '03 was $500k.

 

As MB pointed out, we already know that LeClercq signed for $100k +, but I'm guessing a guy like Tommy Hawk also got a little (possibly a lot) more than slot value last year. It's hard to get info on players past the 10th round since BA doesn't provide those figures. I don't see many of our other later rounds picks making that much of a difference from last year's. Plenty of college players that likely only received several hundred dollars, possibly thousands, to sign.

 

So, this team may have a little left in the reserve to make a late run on one of the pitchers listed above. I'm still not counting on it, and if there is a little gas left in the tank for all I know they may plan on rolling over some of that money over to their DFE budget for next spring given all of the Canadian draftees & DFE candidates overall.

 

Before the spring I predicted they might take a shot at someone like Bowman (not him specifically) since they could point to a signing like that as them using their revenue sharing money. With the contract extensions of Podsednik, Davis & even Jenkins, I think the organization has a few players to point to now as an example of how they're supposedly using that money.

 

And it's always silly to expect the Brewers to spend more money, but at least they're never cheap when it comes to the draft. I'm sure we'll see at least one more signee from this draft, as Jack Z. has always added a player in mid to late August, but it may not be one of the players we're hoping for, although there aren't too many other candidates (Josh Brady?).

[rpms6]

From CNNSI...

 

Milwaukee Brewers - Signed outfielder Josh Brady and pitcher Brandon Hundt.

 

I assume Hundt is an undrafted free agent.

[jwaltz]

Yes, we signed Brady. Good job.

[MassBrew]

Earlier when Canadian RHP Craig Langille (9th round) signed, it was hinted that the Brewers had found a way to get him to Maryvale somehow. That's unlikely, as Langille has been placed on the Brewers' restricted list:

 

A player who fails to report or fails to sign a contract with the Club to which the player is reserved may be placed on the Restricted List.

 

Fails to report, as in unable to do so, we presume...

[colbyjack]

I'm very happy to see that Brady signed. He had a huge year for Texas Tech, was a 2nd-team All-American IIRC and I'm sure it took him well above slot money to get him inked. Nice to see another power hitter added to the lower levels of the system, and like guys like Festa & Richardson, he could/should enjoy immediate success assuming he starts in Helena.

[jwaltz]

I see that Stephen Drew, a Boras client, is still unsigned. Arizona newspapers are speculating that Jeff Moorad may personally handle the negotiations with Boras. Could be very interesting if he does... Moorad vs. Boras

[rpms6]

From CNNSI...

 

Milwaukee Brewers - Signed pitcher Alexandre Periard.

 

Brewers successful in signing another Canadian.

[MassBrew]

From the earlier draft coverage on the now-turned 17-year-old Periard:

 

Periard has been well known to Canadian scouts for awhile, but he improved his stock after he performed well at an elite 2003 junior camp in Montreal. An impressive showing with Team Canada on a trip to Florida in March elevated his status further, as he flashed three average pitches and showed a much improved curveball and change. Periard will be one of the youngest players in this year's draft, as he won't turn 17 until June 15. He has a large frame but a slender build with lots of room for development. He has a no windup delivery, and a quick arm from a high three-quarters slot. His fastball sits in the 88-91 mph range with late tailing life, but seems much harder because the ball gets on hitters in a hurry. He complements his fastball with a curve that has good depth and bite and a change with sink and fade. Periard is aggressive with mound presence beyond his years. He projects to have plus command and control of all his pitches, but will need minor mechanical adjustments.

 

Alexandre Periard?s biggest dream is about to come true: since he was 7 years old, he fantasized about playing major-league baseball. Following a series of exhibition games in Florida against college and professional rookie-league teams, Baseball America has ranked the right-handed pitcher as the 50th best draft-eligible high school player.

 

The 16-year-old from St. Eustache has attracted the attention of over 20 major-league teams with his 90 mile-per-hour fastball.

 

He remains modest about his successes; though he admits he enjoys the jolt of adrenaline he experiences when he sees the scouts charting his pitches with their radar guns. ?I?m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. And I shouldn?t, because it would show,? he states.

 

In his first game against the North Iowa Community College Trojans, he struck out five batters in his first two innings, despite it being his first taste of American competition.

 

?In my head, I like to challenge hitters. Just because they were pros didn?t mean I was going to change that,? he says.

 

In games against the rookie-league teams of the Expos, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets, hitters scored an average of 14 runs against Academie de Baseball Canada pitchers. Despite this slightly dismal statistic, Periard was able to discern some positive knowledge from the experience:

 

?When you pitch against those guys, you learn quick.?

 

Because of his age, Periard is in a unique position?if he doesn?t like where he gets drafted, he can play another year in Quebec and re-enter next year?s draft. This is unlikely, as Periard has his sights set on the pros.

 

?My goal is to be playing pro next year,? he said, adding that if goes later than the 10th round, he would consider re-entering next year.

[batman]

He's not going to play in the US this calendar year, though, is he, eh? It's aboot time we signed another Canuck, though, eh.

 

~Bill

[colbyjack]

I missed this 2 days ago, thanks fellas. Great news, as Periard was one of the best prep pitchers coming out of Canada this past year.

 

I'm guessing he did indeed sign an '05 deal. The Brewers always manage to sign one more draft pick before September.

[MassBrew]

So how badly did the Brewers want to ink Quebec's Alexandre Periard? The 16th round RHP inked for a signing bonus of $234,000 according to published reports out of Canada.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers signed righty Alexandre Periard of St-Eustache, Que., a 16th-rounder, giving him a $234,000 bonus. Both pitched for Les Ailes Du Quebec, which recently won the Canada Cup in Thunder Bay.

 

Righty Craig Langille of Bedford, N.S., the top high schooler selected, went in the seventh round and received a $107,000 bonus from the Brewers.

 

Only the Brewers' top four of Rogers - Gallardo - Wahpepah - Baker signed for more.

 

Talk about projecting into the future -- Periard turned all of 17 last June.

 

A reminder of what Jim Callis of Baseball America said earlier:

 

After the 10th round, I'll give you four names to watch. Canadian high school righthander Alexandre Periard (16th round), who shows three average pitches, would have gone higher if not for the U.S. restriction on work visas that will bar him from playing pro ball this summer. Texas Tech first baseman Josh Brady (18th) is just a masher who currently ranks second in NCAA Division I with 90 RBIs. Prep righty Drew Bowman (21st), Colorado's top prospect, may be tough to sign away from Arizona State but is very projectable (6-foot-4, 175 pounds) and already works at 90-92 mph. Similarly, Texas prep righty Sean Morgan (25th) will be difficult to lure away from Tulane, but his strong build, 88-91 mph fastball and nifty slider are very enticing.

 

By the way, colby, I know you have something planned for season-end, but is Morgan in class? I imagine so...

 

I loved Toby's comment on draft day:

 

Periard could spent 9 years in the minors and still get to the big leagues at the same age Mike Adams arrived.

 

I enjoy the translated web site fun. Earlier this year we learned translated Spanish when researching Hernan Iribarren. No new info here, but I love the terms used in translating French below:

 

The left-handeds person Philippe-Alexandre Valiquette and Alexandre Périard were the only Inhabitants of Quebec which were claimed, Monday, at the time of the first day of the meeting of fishing out amateur of major baseball.

 

Valiquette, of the St. Lawrence, was a choice of seventh turn (198e on the whole) of Reds of Cincinnati. Périard, of Two-Mountains, was chosen by Brewers of Milwaukee to the 466e row. The receiver Mike Nickeas was the first claimed Canadian, with the fifth turn (141e), by Rangers of Texas. Nickeas was born in Vancouver, but it grew in California.

 

Two other Canadians were selected with the seventh turn: the launcher Craig Langille, of Bedford in News-Scotland, by Brewers (196e), and the acrobat Sebastien Butcher of Ottawa by the Mariners of Seattle (213e).

 

The Mariners later claimed Mike Saunders of Victoria to the eleventh turn, Brewers called upon Andrew Albers de North Battleford, in Saskatchewan, with the twelfth tower and Red Sox of Boston misé on R.J. Swindle of Vancouver to the fourteenth tower.

 

The Canadian hopes too were not affected apparently by the restriction as for the American visas, that the foreign players must obtain in order to evolve/move in the minor leagues in the United States. The quota of these visas was reached in March, which means that no selected Canadian this year can make his beginnings in the professional rows before 2005.

 

New nickname for Craig Langille -- the Launcher! Perfect!

 

By the way, squarepusher, we still need a Player Index page on Mr. Periard -- thanks.

[DHonks]

Am I correct in seeing that we've only signed 19 draft picks? That's a heck of a lot of DFE candidates, even with several going to 4 year schools. With a high draft pick coming, too, I would imagine that the Crew will either need to drastically increase bonus money for draftpicks or keep down the big league payroll (those hoping for a $40 million budget will be disappointed). If a few DFE candidates become of the caliber of Parra or Eveland (possible based on the sheer number elligible), then we could be looking at doubling our draft signing budget

[colbyjack]

With a high draft pick coming, too, I would imagine that the Crew will either need to drastically increase bonus money for draftpicks or keep down the big league payroll (those hoping for a $40 million budget will be disappointed). If a few DFE candidates become of the caliber of Parra or Eveland (possible based on the sheer number elligible), then we could be looking at doubling our draft signing budget.

 

I don't think the Brewers will increase their big-league payroll budget that much next year anyway, unless their is new ownership who wants to create an immediate impression, but either way I don't think that will effect the draft budget. The only year that was really altered by a big signing was in 2002 when we signed Parra to first-round money. Since then the Brewers have done a great job budgeting for the draft & potential DFE signees. Last year the Brewers signed Weeks, their top 12 picks overall, Eveland, Barnes, Dillard, Beresford & Mannon. With signings above slot value like Periard, LeClercq and 6 DFEs, they have turned a similar trick this year. No reason to think that will change anything for next year.

 

That bonus has to be near a record for a 16th rounder. Great signing.

[MassBrew]

Having recently "crossed the border" for a visit, I will note that the U.S. dollar is buying $1.28 worth of Canadian goods. Most likely the stated bonus amounts are in U.S. dollars (Baseball America listed Langille's at the same $107,000 amount), in which case, even better for the young canucks doing some window-shopping with their bonus money in their own country.

[950opsLHcatcher]

I just watched the scouting video on Periard, and he looks rather like a young Cal Eldred to me. He comes right over-the-top with his delivery, and he repeats his delivery surprisingly well given his age. He also throws his change and curve out of basically the same arm slot, so while none of his pitches were great, he disguised them all pretty well, and he only has room to get better. Really came away impressed with him, though that high arm slot on the delivery may be some cause for worry. Would definitely take it easy with him early on.