Rangers farm report: Josh Jung not the only minor-league infielder missing out on MLB debut
(Rangers Today/Jeff Wilson)
Whenever he was asked early in the season which minor-league infielder was most likely to called up from the minors, Rangers manager Chris Woodward answered Davis Wendzel.
Woodward is a big fan of the 41st overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, a versatile and athletic infielder from Baylor who checks the makeup box the Rangers and Woodward believe in so heavily.
Wendzel, though, was slowed early in the Triple A season by what eventually was diagnosed as a bulging disk in his lower back. It’s not an uncommon injury, nor is it as severe as other back maladies, but it needed to be cooled down before he could be a productive player again.
He’s almost there, logging at-bats in the Arizona Complex League alongside third baseman Josh Jung. Wendzel should beat Jung to Round Rock, likely in a few days, and sees enough time remaining on the lengthened Triple A schedule to get back on track.
I believe that by signing all of their picks within the 10 rounds, then they retain all of their $9.6+MM.
A 4.99% overage would give them an additional $481,000 without losing a draft pick.
Add the penalty on the overage, correct me if I’m wrong, think it’s 75%, that’s $361K (est.).
Total outlay $10,482,700, roughly the same as Marlins & Reds draft pools.
Draft results won’t be known for a while but it’s not an unreasonable outlay for this group.
I think they got in just under the 5 percent. The ninth- and 10th-rounders (I think) signed for $1k.