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One of the Cleveland Guardians organization's strengths is its ability to draft and sign players through the MLB Draft; it's the lifeline of the big-league roster's success.
However, the 2026 draft has been a little bit of a different story.
Cleveland came out of the draft with a very exciting group of pitchers, including selecting LHP Logan Schmidt with the No. 59 overall pick in the draft
However, the 18-year-old will not be signing with the organization to turn pro.
Cleveland had until 5:00 PM EST on Monday to sign each of their draft picks, but the clock ran out, and the Guardians were unable to come to an agreement with the highly-touted pitcher.
There were never any guarantees that Schmidt would sign with Cleveland. Even entering the draft, he had a commitment to play at LSU in place.
He was reportedly seeking around $3-4 million in signing bonus, but as the Guardians continued to sign the rest of their draft class, they had only roughly $1.5 million to offer him.
“We took him knowing there was uncertainty on whether or not we'd be able to sign him, and we did everything we could to try to work towards an agreement. And unfortunately, in this case, we weren't able to," said Mike Chernoff.
“We wish him the best. We feel like he's got a really bright future, and we were really hopeful he'd sign. But we just couldn't run it.”
The pitcher also commented on the situation and where he stood, too.
"After a great deal of thought and conversations with my agent Garrett Parcell, others at the Paragon group, my family, and those I trust most, I have made the difficult decision not to sign with the Cleveland Guardians," wrote Schmidt in a social media post over the weekend.
"I have a great deal of respect for that organization and for everyone I met throughout this process. We were not able to come to an agreement, but l appreciate the time they invested in getting to know me and my family."
As for Schmidt, his next option is to play for LSU in 2027, but he would not be ineligible to enter the draft next summer. Or the 18-year-old could pitch for Junior College (JUCO) next collegiate season and enter the 2027 draft.
As of right now, it's unclear what route the young pitcher will take.
If there's any consolation for Schmidt not signing, it's that the Guardians will get an extra pick at No. 60 overall in the 2027 MLB Draft.
Continue reading...
However, the 2026 draft has been a little bit of a different story.
Cleveland came out of the draft with a very exciting group of pitchers, including selecting LHP Logan Schmidt with the No. 59 overall pick in the draft
However, the 18-year-old will not be signing with the organization to turn pro.
Cleveland had until 5:00 PM EST on Monday to sign each of their draft picks, but the clock ran out, and the Guardians were unable to come to an agreement with the highly-touted pitcher.
There were never any guarantees that Schmidt would sign with Cleveland. Even entering the draft, he had a commitment to play at LSU in place.
He was reportedly seeking around $3-4 million in signing bonus, but as the Guardians continued to sign the rest of their draft class, they had only roughly $1.5 million to offer him.
“We took him knowing there was uncertainty on whether or not we'd be able to sign him, and we did everything we could to try to work towards an agreement. And unfortunately, in this case, we weren't able to," said Mike Chernoff.
“We wish him the best. We feel like he's got a really bright future, and we were really hopeful he'd sign. But we just couldn't run it.”
The pitcher also commented on the situation and where he stood, too.
"After a great deal of thought and conversations with my agent Garrett Parcell, others at the Paragon group, my family, and those I trust most, I have made the difficult decision not to sign with the Cleveland Guardians," wrote Schmidt in a social media post over the weekend.
"I have a great deal of respect for that organization and for everyone I met throughout this process. We were not able to come to an agreement, but l appreciate the time they invested in getting to know me and my family."
As for Schmidt, his next option is to play for LSU in 2027, but he would not be ineligible to enter the draft next summer. Or the 18-year-old could pitch for Junior College (JUCO) next collegiate season and enter the 2027 draft.
As of right now, it's unclear what route the young pitcher will take.
If there's any consolation for Schmidt not signing, it's that the Guardians will get an extra pick at No. 60 overall in the 2027 MLB Draft.
Continue reading...
