Athletics Get Post-MLB Draft Signing Season Going with Two Pitchers and Two Catchers
The Oakland A’s haven’t gone so far yet as to announce any of their signings in the wake of the completion of the five-round June draft, but word is starting to leak out.
The A’s have a history of successfully mining the free agent field post-draft, but this is different from all the others because the draft was shrunk this year from 40 rounds to five, leaving 1,050 players who would otherwise have been drafted out there to be plucked by any team ready to pony up $20,000.
Here’s what we know about post-draft signees, acknowledging that the club hasn’t confirmed anything and the actual signings won’t happen until each player gets the standard physical examination.
Here's a look at Simoneit flashing the leather and the arm to end the inning.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) February 18, 2020
📺: ACCNX (https://t.co/PYvbNV9b3j) pic.twitter.com/xYqCqNELGV
One of the first two sign was catcher/infielder Will Simoneit of Wake Forest. He spent three seasons at Cornell, then saw his senior season at Wake Forest cut short by the COVD-19 coronavirus pandemic. He hit .377 in 17 games for the Deacons this year and over his collegiate career has a slash line of .315/.385/.505 with 16 homers.
The 6-foot-4 Simoneit, 23, joins a crowded catching field in the A’s organization. In addition to first-round draft pick Tyler Soderstrom, 18, being a catcher, the A’s have three catchers on the 40-man roster, all of whom are 27 or under – Sean Murphy (25), Austin Allen (26) and Jonah Heim (24). Simoneit does play first base and third base, so he’s got the utility factor going for him.
Here's a look at Simoneit flashing the leather and the arm to end the inning.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) February 18, 2020
📺: ACCNX (https://t.co/PYvbNV9b3j) pic.twitter.com/xYqCqNELGV
Cooper Uhl, a catcher out of Loyola Marymount, comes from an athletic family – his mother, Sharon, was a star softball player at Long Beach State and is currently the athletic director at in Southern California’s Costa Mesa High. He was off to the best start of his four-year career at LMU, hitting .361 with 14 walks in 16 games. He doesn’t hit for much power, just two collegiate homers, but gets high marks for his defense.
Garrett Acton, a right-handed reliever who has been the Illinois closer the last two season, has come to terms with Oakland. A preseason All-American, he had an eye-opening start to the season with six saves in six games with no runs allowed in 6.2 innings. He had 19 saves and a 2.18 ERA last year as an Illini sophomore.
A two-time Big Ten pitcher of the week, right-hander Grant Judkins also signed with the A’s. Judkins, who has already graduated from Iowa with a degree in finance and a minor in sports and recreation management, was a starter his last two seasons with the Hawkeyes.
He finished his Iowa career with eight wins and a 3.72 ERA, striking out 149 in 164.1 innings.
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
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