More details are coming from next month’s cattle call draft, and like the last call at a small-town bar, it ain’t pretty. TL;DR – MLB is limiting payments to a maximum of $100K and deferring the rest of the monies to 2021 and 2022. Or as it was put in the hyperlinked article: MLB is taking a loan from amateur players. Interest-free, if I’m not mistaken.
Syracuse 7 Buffalo 5 – 2017
• Ross (W, 2-2) 7IP, 8H, R, ER, BB, 6K
• Nathan (S, 4) ⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Sanchez 3-4, R, BB, SB
• Green 3-3, R, 2BB
• Stevenson 1-2, 2R, SB
Joe Ross pitched seven innings and the offense scored seven times, building a lead big enough for the bullpen not to blow as the Chiefs beat the Bisons, 7-5. Ross allowed one run and scattered eight hits while walking one and striking out six. Joe Nathan let in two inherited runners before getting the last two outs for his fourth save. Jhonatan Solano got the Syracuse offense going with his first career grand slam in the 5th, while Adrián Sanchez and Grant Green both singled three times to lead the 11-hit, seven-walk attack. If there is a season in 2020, it will be Sanchez’s 14th with the organization. At this point in his career, it was his 10th as the quintessential O.G. He would make his MLB debut on June 30, 2017, at the ripe old age of 26 and has spent the past three seasons as a replacement-level player (0.2 WAR).
Harrisburg 6 Erie 2 – 2016
• Mapes 6IP, 6H, R, ER, 0BB, 3K
• N. Lee (W, 1-1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 2-0 IR-S
• Pleffner 2-4, R, 3RBI
• Collier 2-4, R, 2B
The bullpen collapsed in the 9th, blowing a 2-1 lead and coughing up five runs. This is good news because it was the Seawolves not the Senators, as Harrisburg took its second straight game from Erie, 6-2. Tyler Mapes had his first no-decision with six innings of one-run ball on six hits, no walks, and three whiffs. Nick Lee stranded two as he got the last out in the 8th and shook off a leadoff hit in the 9th to earn his first win. Shawn Pleffner drove in three, including the tying and go-ahead runs in the 9th as he and Zach Collier both went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Harrisburg offense. Despite starting his professional career at nearly 23, Pleffner made it to AA by his age-26 season and played two seasons for Harrisburg. Alas, he never developed the power shown in college as he hit just 15HR in 473G in affiliated ball. He finished his pro career with a .340/.399/.499, 10HR, 76RBI season for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association.
Potomac 2 Myrtle Beach 1 — GAME ONE (2014)
• Pena (W, 3-1) 5IP, 5H, R, ER, 4BB, 2K
• Harper (H, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Self (SV, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Tejeda 3-4, R, 2B, HR, 2RBI
Oscar Tejeda’s two-run shot in 4th was enough as three Potomac pitchers held Myrtle Beach to a single run for a 2-1 win in the first game. Ronald Pena was charged with that run on five hits and four walks but got his third win. Bryan Harper and Derek Self each tossed a scoreless inning for hold #3 and save #2, respectively.
Myrtle Beach 4 Potomac 3 (8 inn.)— GAME TWO (2014)
• Simms 6IP, 6H, R, ER, BB, 2K
• Mendez (L, 1-2) 1⅔ IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K, HR
• Tejeda 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• Perez 1-3, R, BB
The Pelicans have the number of Gilberto Mendez, as they got to him for three runs in the last of the 8th to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 walkoff win to split the twinbill. It was the second loss of ’14 for Mendez, both to Myrtle Beach, as he was charged with three runs on five hits over an inning and 2/3rds. Starter John Simms gave up one run on six hits and one walk over the first six innings for his third no-decision in four A+ starts. Oscar Tejeda homered again while going 2-for-4 and Steven Perez reached base twice with a walk and a single to lead the Potomac offense. John Simms was drafted twice by the Nationals; in the 39th Rd. of 2020 out of College Park HS in Woodland, TX and the 11th in 2013 out of Rice Univ. Despite not throwing terribly hard, generating a lot of ground balls, or piling up the K’s, Simms made it to AAA by the age of 25 and lasted two seasons there before he was released in July of 2018.
Hagerstown 9 Kannapolis 7 – 2013
• Pineyro (W, 3-2) 6⅔ IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 2K
• Benincasa (SV, 8) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, K, 2-1 IR-S
• Renda 3-5, 2R, 2-2B
• B. Miller 3-5, 2R, HR, 3RBI
Hagerstown racked up nine runs in the first five innings lead and held off a late Kannapolis charge over the last four frames for a 9-7 win. Brandon Miller and Khayyan Norfork both went deep and drove in three runs while Tony Renda singled and doubled twice as the Suns filled the scorebook with 13 hits. Ivan Pineyro got the win with four runs given up over six and 2/3rds on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Robert Benincasa came on with two on and no outs and let in one but got the three outs for his eighth save, tied for second-best in the Sally League. Like Simms, Miller was also drafted twice (48th Rd. 2010, 4th Rd. 2012) but his career arc was like many where he couldn’t quite make it past High-A. He made it there in his second season and finished 2013 with a line of .300/.350/.464 across 30G for the P-Nats. Alas, a hamstring injury struck in May 2014 and cost him two months that he needed to break out of an all-or-nothing funk (10HR, 36K in his first 35G). He would be released the following July at the age of 25 and hitting .226/.301/.421 with 7HR in 59G.