O’s agree to terms with Esquivel and Schmarzo as Jordan turns to backup plans
Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan wasn’t joking when he said earlier today that the club was ready to move on to some of their backup plans with sixth-round pick Dixon Anderson (University of California) returning to college and seventh-rounder Matthew Bywater (Pepperdine) threatening to do the same.
Jordan tonight agreed to an over slot $225,000 deal with 28th-round pick, Jaime Esquivel, a right-handed pitcher from South Houston High in Texas. Esquivel, who was planning on attending Rice University, went 6-2 with a 1.45 ERA and struck out 102 batters in 80 innings during his senior season and earned first-team, all-district 22-5A honors.
The Orioles have also agreed to terms tonight with 48th-round pick Alex Schmarzo, a right-handed pitcher out of St. Mary's College (Calif.).
That means that the Orioles have now signed 36 of their 49 picks before Monday’s midnight deadline.
The Orioles are also still talking to Bywater, along with 11th-round pick, Alexander Gonzalez, a right-handed pitcher out of Boca Raton High in Florida. And then of course, there’s third-overall pick Manny Machado, who is represented by Scott Boras. Jordan still is confident that the Orioles will sign Machado, but he has conceded that it may be a late night Monday.
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
Mr. Esquivel owes a debt of gratitude to Bywater and his attitude. Would he have gotten $225,000 any other way?
What are the odds we'll ever see Mr. Esquivel above Single A ball? (I DO HOPE I AM WRONG -- just guessing the odds are low, objectively...)
Posted by: frank m | August 15, 2010 10:09 PM
I still hope for brywater, I am confident Machado will get done. We may have lost anderson but if you draft top talent lower down due to signability you will lose some..
Posted by: grant | August 15, 2010 10:24 PM
I have a dumb logistical question here.
Since Boras represents several of the top 10 picks, most of whom have not signed, how can he possibly handle negotiations on Monday with all these teams concerning all these players? I'm sure he A) has farmed out a lot of the work to lackeys, and B) already has very solid $$ figures and terms that he and his client would find acceptable worked out in his head, but still, it seems like a confusing pile on his plate on Monday...
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Jeff Z's reply: All good points. I'm sure he has plenty of people involved in the negotiations to help him out. But a lot of us have thought the same thing.
Posted by: Orsulakfan | August 15, 2010 11:30 PM
Mr. Esquivel had a FULL ride to Rice University for a reason, what makes you think you wont see him above A ball. The main reason he went so low is he had alredy signed with Rice so orioles didnt want to waste a high pick on someone who will maybe go to college
Posted by: jose | August 28, 2010 4:13 PM