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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Miami Marlins do not come to terms with first-round pick Heaney

The deadline to sign draft picks isn’t until Friday at 5 p.m., but a source confirmed Andrew Heaney is not accepting the Marlins’ final offer. Jim Callis of Baseball America first reported the news.

The Marlins’ proposed a $2.6 million signing bonus, $200,000 less than the slot amount for the ninth overall pick. Heaney, a left-hander out of Oklahoma State, asked for the full $2.8 million. Per club policy, the Marlins require a physical and full bloodwork before consummating a deal. They no longer have time to complete it before Friday’s deadline.

In fairness, without that extra stack of hundreds to pad out the heels in his shoes, David Samson would look really short.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: July 12, 2012 at 08:44 PM | 34 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: cheapskate, draft, marlins, miami, miami marlins

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1. Tripon Posted: July 12, 2012 at 09:52 PM (#4181433)

Seriously?

2. Petunia inquires about ponies Posted: July 12, 2012 at 09:56 PM (#4181436)

Agree with [1]. If that's true, that seems either incredibly foolish, or Red-Sox-not-sending-contracts-to-Lynn-and-Fisk-level buffoonery.

3. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:13 PM (#4181449)

Can't they make the deal voidable if something comes up in the physical?

What's the word on Gausman and Giolito? Last second signees or do they pass?

4. Der_K Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:17 PM (#4181453)

Won't be time for a physical, will there?

5. Tripon Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:20 PM (#4181456)

Last I heard, the O's think they can sign Gausman, and there's no word on Giolito.

And its not like the Marlins are paying hardball, its... they really are that cheap.

6. Dan Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:21 PM (#4181457)

What are the odds that they just made that offer to have a good faith offer on paper and defer the pick and cap space for next year's draft? If they think next year's draft is going to be meaningfully stronger, they probably expect to be able to net a better player than Heaney at 10th overall next year.

If a team was intentionally trying to get the compensation pick, it would look an awful lot like this exact scenario. But then again, the Marlins do have a history of nickel-and-diming every last thing, so perhaps Occam's Razor applies.

7. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:23 PM (#4181458)

Won't be time for a physical, will there?

Yea, but can they sign the contract, but make it so that if something comes up in the physical on Monday, the Marlins can void the deal?

8. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:27 PM (#4181462)

Last I heard, the O's think they can sign Gausman, and there's no word on Giolito.

Callis said in a BA chat today that he thinks Giolito's going to sign.

9. TerpNats Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:29 PM (#4181465)

One edge the Nationals have with Giolito is that since he's going to a four-year school (UCLA), if he doesn't sign with Washington, he can't re-enter the draft for another three years (part of the new CBA), until he is to enter his senior season. Do you want to risk being selected by a team with a tight budget (as appears to be the case with the Marlins), or do you sign with the Nats and play for a team whose window should extend for at least another half-decade and get more money down the road?

Still hard to believe the Nats are now the "good alternative" when it comes to these things. It's as if the gods of baseball, after torturing Washington fans for lo these many decades, have decided to compensate D.C. in one fell swoop.

10. Tripon Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:29 PM (#4181466)

Sounds like Gausman signs.

“We are making progress. We’re waiting to hear their next proposal,” Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) about the club’s negotiations with first-rounder Kevin Gausman. The fourth overall pick has a slot price of $4.2MM, which Gausman and his representatives are looking to “slightly” exceed, tweets Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.

11. Walt Davis Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:33 PM (#4181470)

perhaps Occam's Razor applies.

Also $2.6 is close enough to $2.8 that the risk of acceptance seems too high if their goal was for him to decline.

I mean, c'mon, $200 grand buys his mom a new house. Does Samson hate mothers?

12. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:37 PM (#4181473)

Can't they make the deal voidable if something comes up in the physical?

Won't be time for a physical, will there?

The physical is just an excuse for why they aren't still negotiating with a guy who wants slot when they're offering 7% below slot.

13. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:40 PM (#4181478)

Seems like you could find someone worth slot money with the 9th pick. Why wouldn't you do that? $200,000 is nothing to the bottom line.

14. boteman Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:42 PM (#4181480)

$200,000 is nothing to the bottom line.

Jeff Loria officially hates you. Do you know how many Lamborghini's that will buy???!!!

15. Petunia inquires about ponies Posted: July 12, 2012 at 10:55 PM (#4181485)

Yeah, like almost 2!!

16. Tricky Dick Posted: July 12, 2012 at 11:50 PM (#4181507)

I thought that teams had to offer the slot amount in order to get a compensation pick if the draftee doesn't sign. Am I wrong about that?

17. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: July 13, 2012 at 12:16 AM (#4181519)

I thought that teams had to offer the slot amount in order to get a compensation pick if the draftee doesn't sign. Am I wrong about that?

If this isn't a rule, it should be.

18. MM1f Posted: July 13, 2012 at 12:19 AM (#4181521)

I thought that teams had to offer the slot amount in order to get a compensation pick if the draftee doesn't sign. Am I wrong about that?

If this isn't a rule, it should be.

That would screw over teams who draft a guy who turns out to be hurt.

19. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: July 13, 2012 at 12:58 AM (#4181538)

I mean, c'mon, $200 grand buys his mom a new house.

Geez Walt, what sort of country bumpkin country are you living in anyway? Across the Tasman, the average house price in Sydney is like $600 grand.

20. BourbonSamurai, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire Posted: July 13, 2012 at 02:49 AM (#4181558)

Still hard to believe the Nats are now the "good alternative" when it comes to these things. It's as if the gods of baseball, after torturing Washington fans for lo these many decades, have decided to compensate D.C. in one fell swoop.

let's make the playoffs for the first time in 70 years or whatever before we proclaim the gods have turned around on us.

21. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: July 13, 2012 at 09:09 AM (#4181613)

What time today is the signing deadline for draft picks?

EDIT: found it, it's 4p.m. Central.

22. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) Posted: July 13, 2012 at 10:14 AM (#4181680)

That would screw over teams who draft a guy who turns out to be hurt.

Presumably, you could write the rule in such a way that if a team drafts a player, makes the slot amount offer, and the player subsequently fails a physical* then the comp pick comes into play.

*Perhaps one administered by Doctors working for MLB in order to short-circuit any funny business

23. TerpNats Posted: July 13, 2012 at 10:44 AM (#4181722)

Turnabout -- the Fish are signing him:

Marlins to sign Andrew Heaney

24. bfan Posted: July 13, 2012 at 10:56 AM (#4181732)

What this tells me is that the only thing we know when a player is unsigned and the deadline is looming is that the player has not signed yet, and that the deadline is looming. All the stuff that comes out in the last 48 hours (Gausman bought his textbooks for the fall semester!; no way a physical can be completed for Heaney on time!) is just smoke and efforts at misdirection and negotiating leverage. I understand that for journalists, scoops are everything and they need to fill pages every day, but readers need to realize that this sort of stuff is drivel.

25. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: July 13, 2012 at 11:17 AM (#4181743)

According to MLB Trade Rumors, there are now just four first rounders unsigned.

26. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: July 13, 2012 at 11:23 AM (#4181752)

Yea, but can they sign the contract, but make it so that if something comes up in the physical on Monday, the Marlins can void the deal?

What would signing a contract and then failing the physical do to a player's NCAA eligibility?

27. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 13, 2012 at 11:33 AM (#4181759)

According to MLB Trade Rumors, there are now just four first rounders unsigned.

The new CBA helps the owners at the expense of amateur athletes, BUT as purely a baseball fan I do like that players are signing and getting their careers started earlier.

28. MM1f Posted: July 13, 2012 at 01:03 PM (#4181844)

All the stuff that comes out in the last 48 hours (Gausman bought his textbooks for the fall semester!; no way a physical can be completed for Heaney on time!) is just smoke and efforts at misdirection and negotiating leverage.

Bingo!

I am sad that it looks like Heaney wound up taking under slot.

29. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: July 13, 2012 at 01:30 PM (#4181859)

I am sad that it looks like Heaney wound up taking under slot.

Why? Now the Marlins can try to sign some 20th rounder or something with the $200K

30. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: July 13, 2012 at 02:08 PM (#4181878)

Why?

Because the Marlins are ########.

31. Swedish Chef Posted: July 13, 2012 at 08:46 PM (#4182100)

David Samson and Jeff Loria would like to invite you all to a seminar on the Marlins way:

"How to get what you want without paying for it: the modern cheapskate's guide to conspicuous consumption"

Tickets are 200 grand, refreshments not included.

32. MM1f Posted: July 14, 2012 at 11:15 PM (#4182775)

Why? Now the Marlins can try to sign some 20th rounder or something with the $200K

A. They didn't do that and had no intention of doing that. BA noted that the Marlins had a HS kid from Texas in the later rounds ready to sign for 200k but the Marlins wouldn't offer that because they refuse to pay even 30k or so in draft tax.

B. I don't like the idea of getting a guy to sign for less than slot unless you have a predraft deal to overdraft a guy for a certain amount.

Also, what Vlad said. The Marlins browbeat Heaney into taking 200k underslot just to save Loria 200k.

33. Der_K Posted: July 15, 2012 at 01:48 AM (#4182843)

26: end it

34. Swedish Chef Posted: July 15, 2012 at 02:51 AM (#4182851)

A. They didn't do that and had no intention of doing that. BA noted that the Marlins had a HS kid from Texas in the later rounds ready to sign for 200k but the Marlins wouldn't offer that because they refuse to pay even 30k or so in draft tax.

They did sign their third round pick for 700k, 240k over slot, at the deadline.

B. I don't like the idea of getting a guy to sign for less than slot unless you have a predraft deal to overdraft a guy for a certain amount.

I don't see how it's nobler to play hardball just because you already have given the money to some other guy.

Also, what Vlad said. The Marlins browbeat Heaney into taking 200k underslot just to save Loria 200k.

It used to be cool around here for baseball teams to be cost-efficient. Criticizing one for daring to negotiate with their draftees is pretty silly.

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Miami Marlins do not come to terms with first-round pick Heaney

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