Stephen Drew Thread

[nathan]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/040828drew.html

Diamondbacks, Drew Get Closer To Deal
By Ed Price
August 28, 2004

The Diamondbacks have made a significantly higher—and perhaps final—offer to first-round pick Stephen Drew.

According to an industry source, Arizona has offered the Florida State shortstop a major league contract, believed to be for 2005-08. The deal would give him close to the $4.79 million package Rickie Weeks got from the Brewers as 2003's second overall pick, with the potential to earn nearly 50 percent more than Weeks' maximum of $5.5 million.

The offer includes a signing bonus well in excess of the franchise record for a drafted player ($2 million to Corey Myers in 1999 and Mike Gosling in 2001). Drew would achieve the maximum value of the contract if he were to reach the majors for good by 2006.

Earlier in the week, it appeared that the Diamondbacks were on the verge of losing Drew, the top-rated position player in the draft who fell to 15th overall because of signability concerns. He re-enrolled at Florida State on Thursday and his first class is scheduled for Tuesday. If Drew attends a class, Arizona will lose the right to sign him.

"We're still hopeful we can reach an agreement," Diamondbacks scouting director Mike Rizzo said Friday without divulging specifics. "We're continuing to keep the lines of communication open."

A Drew family source said there are concerns with Arizona's proposal. The two main sticking points are that more than half of the signing bonus is deferred to the years 2011 and 2013, and that the guaranteed money is less than Weeks' and well short of what Drew made it be known he wanted at the time of the draft, believed to be at least $7 million. He may take the weekend to consider the offer.

Negotiations previously had broken down, baseball sources said, after Arizona hired former agent Jeff Moorad to replace Jerry Colangelo as its CEO. The Diamondbacks were wary of exceeding the commissioner's office's recommendation for fear of drawing the wrath of other owners, who must approve Moorad's role with the team. That approval already is less than certain because owners may be wary of an ex-agent taking over a club, especially one who has angered some teams and had conflicts with agents—including a bitter rivalry with Scott Boras, who is advising Drew.

While still described as cautious, Arizona's upper management apparently has loosened the pursestrings. General partner Ken Kendrick, who has denied a link between Moorad's pending confirmation and the Drew negotiations, couldn't be reached Friday.

Boras, who also represents Drew's older brother J.D., has declined comment. He has compared Drew to another of his clients, Mark Teixeira, who signed a big league deal with the Rangers worth a guaranteed $9.5 million as the fifth overall pick in 2001.

Ed Price covers the Diamondbacks for the East Valley (Ariz.) Tribune.

 

[AZZenny]

Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 28, 2004 12:00 AM

CINCINNATI - A new contract proposal was made to first-round pick Stephen Drew on Thursday night and the shortstop from Florida State informed the club he would have an answer before Tuesday, when he is scheduled to begin classes at school.

The latest offer is said to be the richest deal presented to an Arizona draft pick and worth substantially more than the $5.75 million package made available to Rickie Weeks, the No. 2 overall selection in last year's draft who signed with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Weeks, a second baseman from Southern University, was named Baseball America's College Player of the Year in 2003 after establishing a career batting average of .473, the best in NCAA history.

Drew hit .344 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs as a junior last season at Florida State and was considered by many scouts to the best-available player in the June draft. He fell to the 15th overall pick, in part because some clubs were scared off by signing demands.

The team is believed to be offering a signing bonus in the $5 million range, plus a contract that includes a spot on the 40-man roster next spring. If he spurns Arizona's offers, he has said he will attend class at Florida State on Tuesday, and the team will lose his rights.

New ownership reportedly were angry JC insisted on drafting this kid despite long-term budgetary issues and that led to his firing - so gentlemen, don't just bend right over now! Say, "Ooops! Have a nice senior year."

 

[CatBoxBackFan]

Drew did not go to class

Per KTAR

 

[sundevilscott]

Good! Hopefully they can put this all together!

 

[Djaughe]

lol...he better sign soon or he'll have hell to pay with the professors!

 

[IndyDevil]

Gone from FSU

It's only a matter of time....

 

[Billexium]

Looks like the two sides are getting close...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1871879

EDIT: Wow... posted the link at the same time.

 

[burndoggy]

It's only a matter of time....

im not a big fan of the drew bros,however 3 brothers all drafted in the 1st round is amazing!

 

[AZZenny]

From Baseball America:
The shortstop will continue contract discussions with Arizona, which adjusted its offer Monday to increase its present value by deferring less bonus money.

Drew enrolled in fall classes at FSU last Thursday before the Diamondbacks made him an offer that included a four-year major league contract for 2005-08. The deal would give Drew close to the $4.79 million package second overall pick Rickie Weeks received from the Brewers in 2003. It also includes a signing bonus that would exceed the club record of $2 million given to Casey Myers in 1999 and Mike Gosling in 2001, a figure that could push $3 million.

Drew's package could top out at nearly 50 percent more than Weeks' maximum of around $5.6 million if Drew reaches the majors for good by 2006. The hang-up has been deferred money, as portions of the bonus figure weren't scheduled to be paid until 2011 and 2013.

The last unsigned college first-rounder to return for his senior year was Jason Varitek in 1993. Drew's older brother J.D. was the last college player selected in the first round to go unsigned, in 1997. Stephen Drew's advisor Scott Boras represented both players, as well as another of this year's unsigned first-rounders in 12th overall pick Jered Weaver of Long Beach State.

Some seriously high expectation going to be placed on Drew after all this. AZFL should be even more interesting.
Hope next year's first picks don't have Boras - this could get really expensive.

 

[CardNots]

Didn't we pay out a 10 million signing bonus to 1B Lee a few years back?

 

[AZZenny]

Back to the drawing board...
A deal between the Diamondbacks and Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew, the team's first-round draft pick, that was thought to be imminent, is off. But rather than return to FSU for his senior year, which would preclude him from signing with the Diamondbacks and force him to re-enter next year's draft, Drew announced Wednesday that he will sit out the fall semester.

By doing so, he can continue to negotiate with the Diamondbacks, but it appears a deal between the two parties will not be struck in the near future.

The Diamondbacks offered Drew a major league contract that would pay him the largest bonus to date this year over the weekend. But a source close to the situation says Drew has balked at the overall terms of the deal because much of the money is deferred and the incentives offered are not guaranteed. The Diamondbacks did increase the present value of the deal Monday by offering to defer less money.

Drew was the top-rated position player in this year's draft but fell to 15th overall because of signability concerns. He was seeking a package similar to the one that first baseman Mark Teixeira received from the Rangers in 2001. Teixeira, the fifth overall pick that year, was awarded a $9.5 million deal, including a $4.5 million signing bonus.

A source familiar with the negotiations says that the present value of the deal the Diamondbacks have offered is less than the amount Rickie Weeks, the second overall pick in 2003, received. Weeks was given a five-year major league contract by the Brewers with a $3.6 million signing bonus and contractual guarantees that would pay him between $4.8 and $5.5 million.

Agent Scott Boras, who is advising Drew in his negotiations, says the Diamondbacks had agreed to pay Drew substantially more than Weeks as a condition of drafting him. But that was before a front office shakeup that led to former agent Jeff Moorad replacing Jerry Colangelo as the Diamondbacks CEO. Moorad and Boras were bitter rivals when both were agents.

If Drew does not reach an agreement with the Diamondbacks this fall, he could re-enter Florida State for the spring semester and be eligible to play his senior season.

Now - how could we have made a promise like that to Drew before the draft since we never expected him to go that far down the draft, and you only have like 2-3 minutes to make your pick or lose it? I mean, I guess they could have verbal deals in place with the agents for all the top 15-20 or so players.

If Moorad et company are exercising just a pinch of fiscal sanity, it sounds like one small step for fan-kind.

 

[azdad1978]

D-Backs pick Drew withdraws from classes

By Ed Price, Tribune

The Diamondbacks’ chance to sign first-round draft pick Stephen Drew increased Tuesday morning when Drew withdrew from fall classes at Florida State.

Had Drew attended a class, Arizona would have lost the right to sign him and he would have gone into the pool for the 2005 draft.

“Stephen Drew and his family feel the two sides can agree on a deal that satisfies both parties,” Seminoles coach Mike Martin said in a statement released by the school. “Our hope is always for our young men to be happy and I do sincerely feel that Stephen Drew will be happy.”

Arizona made an adjustment Monday to its offer from last week to increase its present value.

The proposal is a four-year, major league deal that includes what would be a team-record signing bonus for a draft pick (more than $3 million) and a guaranteed package close to that of last year's No. 2 pick, Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks (who was assured about $4.7 million).

Arizona's proposal could top out at well more than Weeks’ maximum of about $5.6 million.

A two-time all-ACC pick, Drew hit .344 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 57 games for the Seminoles as a junior.

San Diego had considered taking Drew (a younger brother of Atlanta's J.D. Drew) with the No. 1 pick in the draft, but concerns over his signability left him available when Arizona selected.

 

[azdad1978]

Drew considering independent ball, return to FSU

By Ed Price, Tribune

Stephen Drew, the Diamondbacks’ unsigned first-round pick, withdrew from Florida State not because of Arizona's most recent contract offer but to take time to decide where to play before next year's draft, a source close to the family said.

According to the source, Drew is considering either returning to FSU in time for the 2005 season or playing independent minor league ball (where teams are not affiliated with major league organizations).

Had Drew attended class Tuesday, the D-Backs would have lost the right to sign him. Arizona has offered Drew a four-year major league contract that would include a team record for a draft pick (more than $3 million) and the potential to make more than $7 million.

The Drew camp claims the Diamondbacks agreed at the time of the draft that Drew was worth $8 million to $10 million. The team denies any such conversation.

“There was no specific conversations with the Drew family about what it would take to sign him or what we would be willing to sign him for,” scouting director Mike Rizzo said Thursday.

Both college and independent ball would allow Drew to stay sharp and
showcase himself for scouts, but both have disadvantages.

The Florida State sports information office said Drew could still be eligible to play for the Seminoles, who open their season Jan. 28. Spring semester classes begin Jan. 7; he would have to enroll by Jan. 12.

If Drew chooses to go return to FSU, he would go into the pool for the 2005 draft (and presumably not sign the form allowing Arizona to re-draft him). But he would have less bargaining power with the team that selects him next year, since he would not have the leverage of going back to college.

Also, it would mean Drew does not hit with a wood bat in games until three months past his 22nd birthday in March.

No college junior picked in the first round has gone back to school since current Boston catcher Jason Varitek, who turned down Minnesota in 1993, returned to Georgia Tech and was Seattle's first-round choice in 1994.

By going to the Northern or Atlantic league, Drew would get to use a wood bat and would keep his bargaining window with Arizona open until a week before the 2005 draft.

However, since those leagues typically do not open their schedule until early or mid-May, Drew would go nearly a year without playing competitively.

Two notable players who took the independent-ball route were Pittsburgh infielder Bobby Hill and Atlanta outfielder J.D. Drew, Stephen's brother. Both are represented by agent Scott Boras, who is serving as an adviser to Stephen Drew.

J.D. Drew was the second overall pick in 1997, played for St. Paul (Minn.) of the Northern League when he turned down the Phillies and was the fifth overall pick in 1998 by St. Louis.

Hill could not reach an agreement with the Chicago White Sox after they took him in the second round in 1999. He played the next year for Newark (N.J.) of the Atlantic League and then was a second-round pick of the Chicago Cubs.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=27407

 

[minercon]

Actually, I don't care if this kid is suppose to be great. With all the money offered someone who has never played professional ball, and how he holds a team hostage that gives an extremely good contract, we don't need him at all. There are too many free agents on the market who have proven themselves and we have pitching needs to boot....let him go fly some kites in Florida this weekend.

 

[Dbackmomma]

Drew ...

I think I agree with "minercon" ... I always find it interesting that guys who have never played professionally feel they can hold a club "hostage" like this. I say ... go ahead and play independent ball and see what happens next year. If a player does that ... he better hope that he is all that he says he is or the future won't look as bright as the current offer on the table.

JMHO ...

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

At the end of the day, I dont think a kid is going to reject $7 million or whatever the amount is, especially since itll be hard getting that kind of money the second time around (if he were to re-enter the draft). My prediction is that he will sign.

 

[Phill11]

At the end of the day, I dont think a kid is going to reject $7 million or whatever the amount is, especially since itll be hard getting that kind of money the second time around (if he were to re-enter the draft). My prediction is that he will sign.

Agreed. Maybe if we get him signed, he could be nice trade bait. I'm not really sold that I want him on my team. We can't afford to waste picks, espcially #1's...

 

[burndoggy]

like ive said in the past pedroia is better than drew

Here's an excerpt from the latest article by Peter Gammons. Looks like Dustin is tearing it up. Score one for Moneyball. "Tools scouts scoffed at Arizona State SS Dustin Pedroia, although he was a far better college player than Stephen Drew. Boston took him in the second round, and between Augusta and Sarasota, Pedroia hit .357 with 19 extra base hits, 19 walks, seven strikeouts and no errors in his first 42 professional games. Speaking of the Boston organization, one NL club's pro scouting coordinator said "the Red Sox have more good arms with young Latin pitchers than any other organization in the game." Led by 20-year old right-handed fireballer Anabel Sanchez, whose New York-Penn League line in 76 1/3 innings is a 1.77 ERA, 43 hits, 29 walks and 101 strikeouts. The Red Sox like pitchers who pound the strike zone -- Curt Schilling and Martinez are 1-2 in career strikeout/walk ratio -- and their top prospects at Lowell (Sanchez, Andrew Dobies, Thomas Hottovy, Kyle Bono, Scott Shoemaker, Robert Swindle) had a combined 302/57 K/BB ratio

 

[AZZenny]

Well, I actually suggested to Tommy Jones they should have looked at Pedroia, and contrary to the majority of folks around here, I do think Dustin will have a long and solid career, height be damned. I'll put his tough-nosed attitude up against Drew's extra 7 inches any time. (Don't go there!)

However - our second-rounder, Jon Zeringue, also tore it up in A ball this year. Just wish we didn't have ALL disciplined, hard-hitting outfielders.

 

[Dbackmomma]

Jon Zeringue

However - our second-rounder, Jon Zeringue, also tore it up in A ball this year.

We have seen Zeringue play both at home in Lancaster and at an away game in Elsinore ... the kid can flat out hit the ball. He just comes to the plate and hits it. The game we saw in Lancaster, Zeringue went 5 for 5. He has hit one, if not 2, homers since that game ... with a broken finger.

I am sure the Dbacks will find a place for him in the line-up in the future ... if not, then I might have to start believing everything I have read over these past few months (on the message boards) about the Dbacks' managerial talents.

 

[Lefty]

Drew will be better than Pedroia. You have to remember this is coming from Peter Gammons. The guy is a Boston homer. Check out the Gammons thread on SoSH. There are many Red Sox fans who don't take him all that seriously. I have not seen Jon Zeringue play but hopefully he continues his success.

 

[NJYAJ09]

the only thing Pedrioia is better at then drew is probably his signability!

 

[AZZenny]

John Sickels' ESPN Prospects column: (ahem. )

Adam M. from Sarasota, Fla., asks:
Red Sox prospect Dustin Pedroia is ripping apart Single A pitching, continuing his success from Augusta, now to High A Sarasota. Is he the real deal? And if so when do you expect him to be in Boston? Also, where does that leave Hanley Ramirez? I know they both are shortstops.

He looks like the real deal to me. Pedroia was the first player the Sox picked in the draft this year, a second-rounder out of Arizona State. He is not considered blessed with tools being a short guy without tremendous physical attributes. But his baseball skills are very refined, and he made short work of professional pitching in his pro debut. He started in the Sally League, and went 20-for-50 in his first 12 games for Augusta, earning a promotion to Sarasota. There, in 30 games in the Florida State League, Pedroia hit .336 with a .417 OBP and a .523 SLG, drawing 13 walks with only four strikeouts in 107 at-bats. These numbers are very similar to what he did for the Sun Devils: high batting average, lots of walks, excellent OBP, and more power than you expect from a short guy. He has a quick swing, superb plate discipline, and plays the game with energy and enthusiasm. We'll do a full profile on him later this winter.

Pedrioa is very reliable at shortstop, and has yet to make an error in pro ball. Some scouts don't think he has the arm strength to play shortstop in the majors, projecting him to move over to second base eventually. Personally, I think he would be just fine at short, although the presence of Ramirez (who played much better this year than in 2003) could very well shift Pedroia to second in the long run. Either way, I think Dustin is going to be a very effective Major League hitter. We could see him in the Show as early as this time next year.

"..and has yet to make an error..." My God, doesn't that sound nice?

Oh yeah - signability probably shouldn't be underrated.

 

[ActingWild]

Stephen Drew Status

I know I'm probably just in the dark here but...

What's the status on Stephen Drew? Did he ever agree to a contract?

 

[green machine]

Nope.