Chris Reed helping himself and the Dodgers with improved performance

If you’ve listened to virtually any episode of “Dugout Blues,” you’d know Chris Reed is “my boy,” as dubbed by Jared Massey. He was massively overdrafted, which put him behind the proverbial 8-ball (at least with me) from the start.

While he’s still likely a future reliever, Reed is showing at least the slightest chance of remaining in the rotation -- at least for now.

But Reed’s success this season isn’t without some concern, because who else but his No. 1 fan bring up something negative?

Reed has a 3.50 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 3.61 FIP as a 23-year-old at Double-A Chattanooga. Those numbers are solid, especially since he started the season poorly.

In his first nine appearances (eight starts, one relief, 46 2/3 IP), he had a 5.40 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, a .290 batting average against and a 1.67 ground out-to-fly out rate. He was 1-5 and looking like a permanent move to the bullpen was nigh. Yet, Reed turned it around, and it’s been rather impressive.

Since that time (six starts, one relief appearance, 41 1/3 innings), he has a sparkling 1.31 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, a .177 BAA and a 2.18 GB/FB ratio. Of his 25 hits allowed, just five have been for extra bases (two home runs, two doubles and one triple). That’s elite-level performance by the 2011 first-round pick.

One of Reed's relief appearances was a five-inning outing because Dodger reliever Scott Elbert got the "start" on May 18.

He’s also throwing more innings than he ever has. In two of Reed’s last three starts, he’s thrown at eight innings and has eight starts of at least six innings in 14 total starts. On the season, he's averaging 5.8 innings per start. That's not great, but it shows he's not totally failing with the conversion from college reliever to pro starter.

I’m not changing my tune on Reed, but his turnaround has been impressive. What's surprising is his strikeout rate. He struck out 8.6 batters per nine innings in 2012 between High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Chattanooga. He only struck out 7.4 per nine with the Lookouts. This season, he only has a 6.0 K/9, which is some cause for concern. However, he has a 2.67 GB/FB ratio on the season, and that has improved every season. Last year, he posted a 2.02 GB/FB rate.

Chris Reed is a ground ball pitcher, which is somewhat surprising because he profiled best as a fastball/power slider guy. But it appears his two-seam fastball is the reason his profile has changed.

He's also walking batters at a career-low rate this season (2.9 BB/9). He was a 4.4 last season, including 5.1 at Chattanooga.

If the better control, more grounders and fewer strikeouts formula works for Reed, that's great. Derek Lowe and Brandon Webb (not comparing Reed to either of them directly) had great careers using the sinker. Starters don't have to strikeout a batter an inning to be successful. Reed could revert to his strikeout ways if he moves to the bullpen, but right now, he looks like a he could have a future in the rotation.

With Reed's name having come up in trade talks (specifically regarding Ricky Nolasco), he couldn't have picked a better time to increase his trade value.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Brandon Lennox, True Blue LA

Dodgers' 1st-rounder Chris Anderson impressive in pro debut for the Loons

Chris Anderson made quite the statement with his professional debut on Tuesday night. It’s the smallest of sample sizes, but his debut should fill Dodger fans with optimism.

Anderson, the Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 2013, struck out the side in his first inning of work. He did so on just 10 pitches, nine of which were strikes. That’s impressive in its own right. But the fact all nine of those strikes were swinging and on his fastball is almost unbelievable.

He only struck out two in his second -- and last -- inning of work. He finished with the following line:

• 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 27 pitches, 20 strikes

Probably couldn’t have drawn it up any better than that. He topped out at 98 MPH with his fastball and sat in the 90-96 MPH range while flashing a plus mid-80s slider. He didn’t throw his changeup, which is something I’d like to see him do consistently before season’s end. It was just his first start and, despite being on a 50-inning limit, he’ll have plenty of time to throw it.

Jared Massey said he counted 14 swings and misses. If accurate, just two of Anderson’s 20 strikes were put into play -- a fly out to left and a bloop single. That’s awfully impressive.

Anderson is a surefire Top 10 prospect in the system, and more likely a Top 5 guy. I’m doing my midseason Top 25 update in July, and Anderson will surely make an appearance.

Second-round draft pick Tom Windle also made his debut -- piggybacking with Anderson (as he will do for the foreseeable future). While he wasn’t as impressive, it was a good debut for Windle as well:

• 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

The only velocity reading I heard on his fastball was 91 MPH, which is true to scouting reports. His slider made an appearance (got a strikeout on the pitch) and hit 86 MPH on the radar gun.

His profile still screams reliever to me, but it’ll be nice to see him throw against Midwest League hitters the rest of the season.

Also, Jared Massey made an interesting observation while recording “Dugout Blues” Tuesday night. This is the first time he (and I) can remember the Dodgers first three draft picks have all been on the same roster in full-season ball immediately after being drafted (Anderson, Windle, Brandon Dixon). The Great Lakes Loons are benefiting from the draft and the infusion of talent to an already talented roster. The Dodgers have leaned so heavily on high schoolers early in the draft for so many years that it is surprising to see all their first three picks on the same team.

Cody Bellinger won’t make making an appearance in Midland anytime soon (Arizona Rookie League, 18 years old), but guys like J.D. Underwood and Jacob Rhame -- both at Ogden -- could be promoted if they perform well enough in the Pioneer League.

Photo credit (courtesy): Ali Messick, Great Lakes Loons

Joc Pederson to represent Dodgers at 2013 Futures Game in July

Joc Pederson will represent the Dodgers at the 2013 Futures Game on the Sunday before the All-Star game. The 21-year-old is doing some good things in the Southern League.

He's not hitting as well as he was earlier this season, but he's still posting respectable numbers: .296/.383/.500, 11 home runs, 34 RBI, 53 runs scored and 21 stolen bases (in 24 attempts).

Every year, the top prospects are selected to play in what is essentially a prospect all-star game. There is a United States team and a World team. Last year, Chris Reed represented the Dodgers for the World team as he was born in London. Teams can only send two players -- one on each squad -- for this exhibition game.

Here's a list of Dodger prospects to participate in the Futures Game since its inception in 1999:

1999 - Chin-Feng Chen, Luke Prokopec
2000 - Chen, Randey Dorame
2001 - Ricardo Rodriguez,
2002 - Victor Diaz, Rodriguez
2003 - Franklin Gutierrez, Edwin Jackson
2004 - Joel Guzman, Koyie Hill
2005 - Andy LaRoche, Russell Martin
2006 - Guzman, Chin-Lung Hu
2007 - Clayton Kershaw, Hu (MVP)
2008 - Ivan De Jesus
2009 - Pedro Baez
2010 - Baez, Dee Gordon
2011 - Alfredo Silverio
2012 - Chris Reed
2013 - Joc Pederson

The best player the Dodgers have ever sent is obviously Kershaw. Gutierrez is about the only position player to make an impact in the majors and Jackson has been a serviceable starter.

I was hoping one of the hard-throwing relievers would get the nod on the World side (i.e. Jose Dominguez), but it didn't happen. Yasiel Puig would have been a lock for the squad if he weren't promoted to the majors. At this rate, he could be a Los Angeles Dodger representative in New York.

The Futures Game is Sunday, July 14 at 11 a.m. Pacific time.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 45 - Kemp, Puig, Anderson, Urias, Seager

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about the return of Matt Kemp to the Dodgers' lineup. Here's hoping he's healthy enough to start being a valuable contributor.

Then there's the obligatory Yasiel Puig update. He's still really good at this baseball thing.

I question why the Dodgers have Puig in left field and Andre Ethier playing right field. I understand why it's happening, I just don't agree with it.

Chris Anderson and Tom Windle made their professional debuts with the Great Lakes Loons on Tuesday. Anderson was particularly impressive.

Julio Urias, who checked in at No. 41 on Jason Parks' (Baseball Prospectus) midseason Top 50 prospect list, has struggled a bit in his last two starts. I feel I say this a lot, but he is just 16 years old. Another teenager made Parks' list in Corey Seager (No. 35). He's starting to hit and hit with authority.

Zach Lee and Chris Reed (my boy) are having nice seasons with the Lookouts. Lee's strikeout rate is the highest of his career while Reed's is the lowest, yet Reed is still having success. We also talk about Justin Chigbogu, who's off to a fast start in the Arizona Rookie League.

The Dodgers won't lose a draft pick due to overspending, which is a good thing.

Finally, we answer listener questions. Please, keep them coming. Also, we're at 20 reviews on iTunes. I'm challenging the listeners to get that number to 23 by next week's episode. And, in case you were wondering, Jared did get to 1,000 followers.

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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Dodgers won't lose 2014 first-round pick, plus a Julio Urias GIF

The Dodgers won't lose their 2014 first-round pick after J.P. Hoornstra tweeted me some good news.

Respectively: 360K, 40K, 5K. RT @FeelinKindaBlue Any idea the bonuses Underwood (5th round), Farmer (8th) and Keener (10th) received?
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) June 21, 2013

I wrote on Monday the Dodgers were dangerously close to going over their draft spending pool limit. Luckily, the bonuses given to J.D. Underwood (5th-rounder, $360,000), Kyle Farmer (8th, $40,000) and Nick Keener (10th, $5,000) kept the Dodgers in the black.

Round	Player	Slot	Bonus	Savings
1	Chris Anderson	$2,109,900	$2,109,900	$0
2	Tom Windle	$986,500	$986,500	$0
3	Brandon Dixon	$566,500	$566,500	$0
4	Cody Bellinger	$409,000	$700,000	($291,000)
5	J.D. Underwood	$306,200	$360,000	($53,800)
6	Jacob Rhame	$229,300	$300,000	($70,700)
7	Brandon Trinkwon	$171,900	$171,900	$0
8	Kyle Farmer	$153,600	$40,000	$113,600
9	Henry Yates	$143,500	$5,000	$138,500
10	Nick Keener	$135,300	$5,000	$130,300
11	Spencer Navin	$0	$200,000	($200,000)
Total		$5,211,700	$5,444,800	($233,100)

The Dodgers were able to go $260,585 over budget (5 percent of their $5.2 million pool) without losing the 2014 pick. The team is now $27,485 in the black and probably won't spend much more of it.

Farmer

The Dodgers will have to pay a 75 percent luxury tax on the overage, which turns out to be $52,863.75 extra. A drop in the bucket for this ownership. The Dodgers also spent more than their allotted amount in 2012.

Despite what I wrote, I really didn't think the Dodgers were going to screw this up, but they sure did make it more "interesting" than it needed to be.

Underwood has some ability, but I'm interested to see how Farmer handles the transition behind the plate. He was a middle infielder and is going to be a catcher in professional ball.

Here's hoping the Dodgers don't make things this interesting next year. At this point, it's going to be a Top-10 pick, which wasn't the way they drew it up back in April.

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For no apparent reason, here's a GIF of Julio Urias' changeup, via theintentionalbalk.

Photo credit: Courtesy of UGA Sports Communications

Ogden Raptors being Pioneer League play, led by Valentin and Valdez

The Ogden Raptors open their 2013 campaign today and the roster is littered with some good, young talent and some 2013 draftees.

In recent years, players like Joc Pederson, O’Koyea Dickson, Corey Seager and Ross Stripling have cut their proverbial teeth in the league.

The Pioneer League is a hitter-friendly league in the rarefied air of Utah. Not many pitchers have success at the level -- especially young pitchers. It will be interesting to see how some of the young guys handle it.

The prospect on the Ogden roster closest to my Top 10 is Jesmuel Valentin (No. 13), who has already played with the Great Lakes Loons this season. The next-closest player is Jesus Valdez (No. 24), who also spent some time with the Loons this season.

2013 Ogden Raptors roster

Catchers

Austin Cowen

Kyle Farmer*

Infielders

Zach Babitt

Jake Chaplin

Faustino Oguisten

Dillon Moyer*

Alex Santana

Brandon Trinkwon*

Jesus Valdez

Jesmuel Valentin

Outfielders

Joey Curletta

Gerson Nunez

Jacob Scavuzzo

Pat Stover

Hank Yates*

Martinez

Starting pitchers

Scott Barlow

Michael Johnson*

Jonathan Martinez

Jacob Rhame*

J.D. Underwood*

Relief pitchers

Victor Araujo

James Baune*

Luis De Paula

Jose Agusto Diaz

Jake Fisher

Sawil Gonzalez

Kyle Hooper*

Ricky Perez

Thomas Taylor*

Francisco Villa

*- Denotes 2013 draftee

Not a lot of surprises, but I am disappointed to see guys like Valdez and Martinez on this roster. I thought they’d have more success in full-season ball. I haven’t given up hope on them yet, but a guy like Valdez needs to hit enough to get promoted back to Low-A and prove his worth. Martinez is 18 (for another week), so I’m not as concerned about him.

There are some interesting players to keep an eye on with this team. Santana was the Dodgers second-round pick in 2011 and should be the team’s everyday third baseman. I chose him as my breakout prospect for 2013. Valentin should hold down either shortstop or second base. Trinkwon will play whichever position Valentin does not.

In the outfield, Curletta should have a field day in this league. The powerful 2012 sixth-rounder should be the team’s starting right fielder and eventual cleanup hitter. He has legitimate 70-grade power. Stover is another guy who played with the Loons earlier this season. As the team’s 40th-rounder last year, it’s nice to see him actually playing.

In the rotation, this team has guys who have a lot of arm talent. Barlow is recovering from Tommy John surgery last season, but he has an electric arm and a legitimate breaking ball. He also throws a “show me” slider and changeup that could be average with work. Martinez had great success in the Arizona Rookie League last year before struggling as an 18-year-old in the Midwest League. The rest of the rotation should be filled with 2013 draftees. Underwood has a nice sinker/curveball combination, as does Rhame. Johnson is a soft-tossing lefty who could do well as an older pitcher against younger competition.

The bullpen has some good arms as well as guys who can swap spots with the rotation guys if need be.

My best guess at a lineup

Valentin SS

Trinkwon 2B

Stover DH/LF

Valdez 1B

Santana 3B

Curletta RF

Scavuzzo CF

Cowen/Farmer C

Yates LF/DH

I’m sure I missed on just about every spot (guess we’ll see tonight). There aren’t as many exciting prospects this year in Ogden, but there are definitely some guys to keep an eye on throughout the summer.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Dodgers' draft strategy isn't as high school-oriented as it's perceived

Since Logan White took over as scouting director (now vice president of amateur scouting and assistant general manager), the Dodgers have been known for drafting high school players.

White’s first draft pick was James Loney in 2002, a high school first baseman (who some viewed as a pitcher) from Texas.

While White’s crew has selected prep players in the first round (and supplemental first round) 13 of 19 times, it seems the philosophy has changed -- especially in recent years.

Here it is in table form.

Year	College	HS	HS%
2013	31	9	22.5%
2012	26	14	35.0%
2011	36	14	28.0%
2010	32	18	36.0%
2009	30	21	41.2%
2008	26	19	42.2%
2007	19	20	51.3%
2006	21	29	58.0%
2005	25	26	51.0%
2004	30	22	42.3%
2003	14	36	72.0%
2002	22	30	57.7%
Total	312	258	45.3%

As you can see, there has been fluctuation in the types of players drafted by White. But never had he drafted high schoolers less than 40 percent of the time before 2010. That’s been the norm for the last four years, capped with just 22.5 percent high schoolers drafted this year. And the team has drafted more college players than high schooler players since 2002.

Three of White’s last five first-round picks have been college players: 

• High school: Zach Lee, Corey Seager
• College: Aaron Miller, Chris Reed, Chris Anderson

In White’s first draft, he selected 30 high schoolers compared to 22 college players. In 2003, he selected 36 prep players compared to just 14 college players. That would be the highest percentage of high school draftees in any White draft. This year, the Dodgers drafted 31 college players and just nine high schoolers -- a drastic shift.

Some say it could be the new ownership having a say about who to draft (i.e. Stan Kasten), some say the team wants guys who are closer to the majors. While I’m not against drafting players who are closer to the majors, I am against passing on higher-ceiling prospects for lower-floor guys. I know those guys are a must in all farm systems, but it seems the Dodgers took that too much to heart in this year’s draft.

Cody Bellinger was the team’s only high school draftee in the first 10 rounds, and they didn’t select a prep pitcher until the 13th round (Ty Damron). That’s unheard of for White and Co.

The Dodgers had a poor farm system from the late 1990s until White took over. Guys like Chin-Feng Chen, Angel Pena and Ben Diggins were among the team's top prospects. In just three years, White made the Dodgers a Top 5 farm system in baseball for a number of years. Once the draft philosophy shifted from prep to college, the farm system’s overall ranking went down. It could be coincidence or it could be the fact ex-owner Frank McCourt hamstrung the Dodgers’ spending. But the fact is, the Dodgers haven’t been a Top 15 farm system in since graduating Clayton Kershaw during the 2008 season. after being a perennial Top 6 system for four years in a row in the mid-2000s.

There’s nothing wrong with drafting college players, but college players – unless choosing near the top of the draft -- offer less upside than high school players in most cases. Most college guys offer little projection but more present-day value.

I’m partial to high school talent. I wanted the team to take Ian Clarkin (who just signed with the Yankees) instead of Anderson. But I’ve warmed up to Anderson. The team had to go nearly $300,000 more than slot to sign its lone prep draftee in the first 10 rounds in Bellinger. Other than those two, the Dodgers didn’t draft guys with much impact potential. That’s thanks in large part to the poor draft class but also because they didn’t take nearly enough chances.

There’s some maneuvering with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Dodgers landed Ross Stripling in the fifth round last year for nearly $100,000 less than slot. Fast forward a year and Stripling is an easy Top 10 prospect in the system and more likely a Top 5 guy. He’s the exception, not the rule.

Here’s hoping the Dodgers and White get back to their high school-drafting ways. While the 2012 draft looks like it could be one of the best in White's tenure, the 2013 draft could go down as his most lackluster.

Graphic credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 44 - Kershaw, Puig, brawl, Urias, draft

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (Dodger Diamond) talk about Clayton Kershaw's potential extension and whether it's a good or bad thing that the information was leaked. I don't think it was a big deal.

After a mini-tangent by yours truly, we talk about that Yasiel Puig guy and how incredible he's been and will be.

Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford will be out until next month, which is just ducky.

Since we recorded episode 43 on June 11, we didn't get a chance to talk about the brawl with the Diamondbacks. We touch on it a bit.

Three 2012 draftees have all been promoted to Double-A. Duke von Schamann, Jharel Cotton and Ross Stripling are all pitching quite well. It's encouraging and exciting.

Julio Urias did Julio Urias things agian. Jared is trying to temper excitement while I'm all-in. Also, Jose Dominguez gets a couple minutes of notoriety.

Finally, we talk more about the 2013 MLB Draft (and a little about the 2014 draft) and how the Dodgers are dangerously close to losing next year's first-round selection.

Finally, we answer listener questions, which were solid this week. Please, keep them coming. And thank you folks for the reviews and ratings on iTunes. Please feel free to leave one if you haven't yet.

Also, Jared wants to get to 1,000 followers by the next recording. Give him a follow at @Dodger_Diamond.

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Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@Dodger_Diamond or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

2013 Dodgers' draft recap: Anderson, Windle, Bellinger, Underwood, Navin

The 2013 Dodgers' draft doesn't look nearly as impressive as the 2012 class, but there are few future contributors in this group.

The Dodgers seemingly changed their approach, opting for college players with nine of their first 10 picks -- a change from the norm. Logan White is known for drafting high schoolers and developing them.

Positional breakdown (round number in parenthesis)
21 pitchers, 19 position players, 31 college, 9 high school

• C: Kyle Farmer (8), Spencer Navin (11), Sam Finfer (29), Ryan Scott (30), Kaleb Holbrook (35), Jake Sidwell (39)
• 1B: Cody Bellinger (4)
• 2B: James McDonald (18), Tyger Pederson (31)
• 3B: Brandon Dixon (3), Adam Law (12), Andrew McWilliam (31)
• SS: Brandon Trinkwon (7), Blake Hennessey (19), Dillon Moyer (38)
• OF: Henry Yates (9), Michael Ahmed (20), James Lynch (36), Matthew Haggerty (40)
• RHP: Chris Anderson (1, pictured), J.D. Underwood (5), Jacob Rhame (6), Nick Kenner (10), Peter Miller (16), Greg Harris (17), James Baune (21), MJ Villegas (23), Jose De Leon (24), Kyle Hooper (25), Thomas Taylor (26), Tanner Kiest (27), Rob Rogers (32), Justin Dunn (35)
• LHP: Tom Windle (2), Ty Damron (13), Michael Johnson (14), Billy Flamion (15), Robert Fisher (22), Crayton Bare (28), Rob Cerfolio (34)

Bloodlines
Bellinger: Clay Bellinger (father)
Underwood: Tom Underwood (father)
Kenner: Stephen Keener (father, president of Little League Baseball)
Law: Vance Law and Vernon Law (father and grandfather)
Harris: Greg Harris (father)
Hennessey: Scott Hennessey (father, Dodgers' area scout)
Ahmed: Nick Ahmed (brother)
Scott: Darryl Scott (father, pitching coach in Rockies' organization)
Pederson: Joc Pederson and Stu Pederson (brother and father)
Moyer: Jamie Moyer (father)
Sidwell: Rob Sidwell (Dodgers' scout)

Signings
Anderson - $2,109,900 (slot recommended)
Windle - $986,500 (slot)
Dixon - $556,500 (slot)
Bellinger - $700,000 (+$291,000 slot)
Underwood - Unknown amount, but more than slot
Rhame - $300,000 (+$70,700 slot)
Trinkwon - $171,900 (slot)
Farmer - Unknown amount
Yates - $5,000 (-$138,500 slot)
Navin - $300,000 (+$200,000 slot)

All bonus amounts after the 10th round are for $100,000 or less unless otherwise reported: Law, Johnson, McDonald, Hennessey, Baune, Fisher, Hooper, Taylor, Moyer.

(These categories are from the Baseball America Prospect Handbook)

Best pure hitter
Dixon. He has an advanced approach, but he doesn't show much power. Bellinger could profile here, too.

Bellinger

Best power hitter
Bellinger. At 6'4, 180, he has some filling out to do. But he's drawn comparisons to Adam LaRoche, who has 207 home runs in 10 MLB seasons. McWilliam could also have big power down the road.

Fastest baserunner
Moyer or McDonald. The Dodgers didn't choose many speedsters in this draft.

Best defensive player
Trinkwon. He has soft hands and good instincts. He might be a second baseman, but he'll stay at shortstop for the time being.

Best fastball
Anderson. He touches 97 MPH in the rotation with some sink. Windle can also touch 94 MPH and should play up out of the bullpen, where he likely ends up. Rhame, like Anderson, can sink his low-to-mid-90s heater.

Best secondary pitch
Anderson. His slider and changeup flash plus potential, but his sliders is his best secondary pitch. Underwood boasts a solid upper-70s curveball.

Best athlete
Farmer. He's not a physically imposing player, but he's moving from the middle infield to behind the dish

Most intriguing background
Anderson. The Minnesota native went to school in Jacksonville and was basically run into the ground. It'll be interesting to see how he handles professional baseball. The Dodgers will limit him to 50 innings in his pro debut, ala Ross Stripling last season. Windle is also on an innings limit.

Closest to the Majors
Windle. He could make it to the majors first before Anderson strictly on the fact he'll likely be a reliever. Don't expect any guys from the 2013 class this season, though.

Best late-round selection (20th round an on)
Scott. The high school backstop could be a nice get for the Dodgers if they can sign him away from his college commitment.


The one who could get away
McWilliam. The prep third baseman could be the toughest sign of the draft for the Dodgers. It's unknown whether he's committed to a college, but with a 6'5, 170-pound frame, there's all kinds of room for projection and improvement on the college level.

Assessment
I don't like this draft as much as last year. There aren't many impact guys here (a theme throughout the entire draft), and the Dodgers went the college route more than I'd like. Anderson is a solid pick and should be a back-end rotation innings-eater at worst (a No. 2 bull at best). I don't like using a second-rounder on a probable reliever and the lack of higher-upside high school talent disappoints me.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Perfect Game

Dodgers could lose 2014 first-round draft pick due to heavy 2013 bonuses

With the new collective bargaining agreement, teams are much more creative in the MLB Draft than ever before. But since new CBA’s inception a couple years ago, no team has ever had to forfeit a draft pick due to overspending.

The Dodgers are dangerously close to doing so. The team inked seventh-rounder Brandon Trinkwon (pictured) this morning for slot, which prompted this post.

Here’s a breakdown of the signing bonuses the Dodgers have given out to the 2013 draft class thus far.

Round	Player	Slot	Bonus	Savings
1	Chris Anderson	$2,109,900	$2,109,900	$0
2	Tom Windle	$986,500	$986,500	$0
3	Brandon Dixon	$566,500	$566,500	$0
4	Cody Bellinger	$409,000	$700,000	($291,000)
5	J.D. Underwood	$306,200	$306,200	$0
6	Jacob Rhame	$229,300	$300,000	($70,700)
7	Brandon Trinkwon	$171,900	$171,900	$0
8	Kyle Farmer	$153,600	unsigned	$0
9	Henry Yates	$143,500	$5,000	$138,500
10	Nick Keener	$135,300	unsigned	$0
11	Spencer Navin	$0	$200,000	($200,000)
Total		$5,211,700	$5,634,900	($423,200)

Notes:

• Farmer has signed, but there’s been no announcement of his bonus just yet.
• Keneer should be a relatively easy sign. I’d be surprised if he got more than the $5,000 Yates received. Last year’s 10th-rounder Zach Babitt got a $2,500 bonus.
• Underwood has reportedly signed and will get more than the $306,200 recommended for his selection.

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Normally, the 11th-rounder’s bonus wouldn’t count toward the spending cap, but since the team spent $300,000 on Navin, $200,000 worth of it counts toward the cap as all picks from the 10th round and on can get up to a $100,000 without it counting toward the cap.

As you can see, the Dodgers went way over slot with Bellinger. As their only high school draftee on this list, that makes a little sense.

The Dodgers can spend 5 percent more than the $5,211,700 allotted to them -- which works out to $260,585 -- without losing a draft pick. The Dodgers need to save a combined $162,615 on Farmer and Keener for them to avoid the penalty.

I trust the front office will figure it out, but this is a bit too close for comfort. The 2014 draft is supposed to be much better than the 2013 draft, and it would be a shame if the Dodgers didn’t have their first-round selection for this reason.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Perfect Game