Anthony Molina (draftee) article

[Inside Pitch]

http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/03/28/book-excerpt-the-arm-jeff-passan-tommy-john-surgery

Pretty good read...

 

[totdprods]

I think that right there is our toughest sign of this year's draft.

[tdawg87]

I mean, on one hand there seems to be a lot of upside, but on the other hand......

[Stradling]

Not sure how they sign him, but it would be huge if they did.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The article is obviously bogus. His name is Molina and he isn't a catcher.

[wopphil]

Why would he be a hard sign? Troubled kid with no college scholarship...doesn't seem like he has a lot of negotiating leverage.

[Docwaukee]

A kid with a target on his back made some bad choices.  Stuff happens.  How many teenagers have been caught with a bag of weed or punched some guy in the eye.  Not condoning it, but he didn't hold up a liquor store or stab someone.  I think we sign this kid without a problem.  Not sure he'll work out, but it's a reasonable risk.  If he gets himself into trouble again, then he's an idiot and deserves to be punished appropriately, but for now, it's an easy call to give the kid a chance even if he didn't throw 95.  

[Inside Pitch]

Given his options it was a shrewd pick.  As far as hard sign or not -- he can go the JC route like Chipola which is in state and considered one of the best JC baseball programs in the nation in hopes of reestablishing his profile then transfer to a 4 year school.   Hopefully the Angels can convince him that signing now and being in a MLB system are his best path to staying healthy and future riches..  

This may or may not turn out to be one of the better picks in the draft for the Angels -- he's definitely a guy with upside and the history of performing well.  At worst it shows a willingness to take gambles we haven't seen in a long time. 

[AngelStew43]

This kid will want first round money.  The system needs big arms like this, in a big way.  Will Arte pay 1st round money to a 13th round draft?

[Blarg]

He will not be asking first round money and  he can go pound sand if he does. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

7 hours ago, Dochalo said:

A kid with a target on his back made some bad choices.  Stuff happens.  How many teenagers have been caught with a bag of weed or punched some guy in the eye.  Not condoning it, but he didn't hold up a liquor store or stab someone.  I think we sign this kid without a problem.  Not sure he'll work out, but it's a reasonable risk.  If he gets himself into trouble again, then he's an idiot and deserves to be punished appropriately, but for now, it's an easy call to give the kid a chance even if he didn't throw 95.  

If hes an idiot, we'll release him and he'll close games for the white sox in the world series

 

 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, AngelStew43 said:

This kid will want first round money.  The system needs big arms like this, in a big way.  Will Arte pay 1st round money to a 13th round draft?

Can't really do that anymore without getting hit with penalties...

[Troll Daddy]

This is definitely a fun pick. Good luck signing him. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

2 hours ago, AngelStew43 said:

This kid will want first round money.  The system needs big arms like this, in a big way.  Will Arte pay 1st round money to a 13th round draft?

Teams simply cannot give out first round money to 13th round picks.

[Docwaukee]

I don't think they waste a 13th round pick if he wasn't signable.  They would have waited till the 30th.  They can go over 100k if they want, but it would count against their pool money for the first 10 rounds.  They may have even been in contact with him and his agent prior to the draft so who knows.  

[Dave Saltzer]

How hard would it really be? He was drafted in the 13th round, which means that any money spent over $100k goes toward our total pool in round do 1-10. Our budget is over $6 million. To get all of that budget, we have to sign everyone in rounds 1-10. Let's say we do that and use up all of the budget,leaving nothing spare. We can go over the budget up to 5 percent and get taxed 75 percent on it. Beyond 5 percent, we pay 100 percent tax and lose next year:s first round pick. We aren't doing that. So, we could offer Molina about $400k to sign with us as a 13th round pick, and we would pay a fine of about $225k (which is small to get a prospect like tbat). It would mean no one else could sign over budget and we would have to sign all of our first ten picks. 

 

So, ask yourself, with a past like his, and the high potential for an arm like that to burn out or require TJ surgery, would you really turn down $400k as a signing bonus all because you didn't get a first round pick? The chances of never seen g any money are quite high, and his past will affect him for years in terms of how his character is perceived by clubs. I'd take that kind of money with all that we know about him. If his arm is that great, holding out for more will delay his development to the Majors where he will make far more than he would by increasing his draft rank. 

 

If we really want him, that's about as good an offer as we can put out there for him. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

7 hours ago, AngelStew43 said:

This kid will want first round money.  The system needs big arms like this, in a big way.  Will Arte pay 1st round money to a 13th round draft?

If you're drafted in the 13th round, you're pissing in the wind to ask for first round money.