While MMP was the first to post it here (with bonu$$ rumors), The Angels just sent everyone and their brother a press release...
ANGELS AGREE TO TERMS WITH FIRST-ROUND PICK INF KALEB COWART
Angels have inked deals with 41 of 55 2010 draft picks
ANAHEIM, CA -- The Angels Monday announced the club has agreed to terms with first-round draft pick (18th overall), infielder Kaleb Cowart out of Cook County High School in Adel, Georgia. Per club policy, no terms of the agreement were released. The announcement was made by Angels’ Director of Scouting Eddie Bane.
Cowart (pronounced Cow-ert), was named the 2010 Gatorade National High School Baseball Player of the Year. The switch-hitting third baseman batted .654 with 11 home runs, 55 runs scored, 59 RBI and 36 stolen bases (in 36 attempts) at Cook County. His batting average ranked second all-time in Georgia state single-season history. The 6’ 3", 210-pounder had signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Florida State.
"We’re pleased to officially welcome Kaleb to our organization," said Bane who has spent the past seven seasons as the Angels’ Director of Scouting. "He will add to the talented pieces already in our farm system, and will play a large role in the future success of the Angels."
Cowart was the first of three 2010 first-round selections for the Angels: #18 from the Mariners (compensation for C. Figgins), #29 from the Red Sox (compensation for J. Lackey) and #30 (regular slotted pick). The Angels were also awarded two supplemental round picks #37, for Lackey, and #40, for Figgins, in the supplemental first round.
The Angels will hold a conference call this morning at 11:30 a.m. (PDT). Those media interested in participating should call (redacted). The Angels Media Relations department asks all media who plan to participate in the conference call to please inform them of their intent by calling (redacted) prior to the 11:30am call in time.
0 recs | 60 comments
SUCCESS!!!
I wonder if he will report to Arizona soon.
Halowood - August 16, 2010
Two weeks left at home.
is what Kaleb said. He has to report to the Angels in a couple of weeks. Not sure exactly where but I would assume Arizona.
hornet87 - August 16, 2010
This is great news. Now..
I only hope we can sign Osich and Valdes to deals in these last hours.
land4sale - August 16, 2010
FUCK YES!
My one for the month, used appropriately I say.
Sethy - August 16, 2010
Awesome
Epic Dean - August 16, 2010
Great!
mattwelch - August 16, 2010
Great!
mattwelch - August 16, 2010
He's getting $2.3million
According to Baseball America
Epic Dean - August 16, 2010
Needs moar POP in his bat
:-)
norcaliangelsfan - August 16, 2010
Damn rev i just finished my post on how he signed
Looks like you beat me!
Halos2011champs - August 16, 2010 via mobile
3B or Pitcher
I’ve heard both?
The Blake Griffin Era - August 16, 2010
He'll be starting off as a 3rd baseman, but it sounds like everyone is keeping the pitcher option open if 3B doesn't work out.
~MMP~ - August 16, 2010
Where did you get the info about the "sounds"?
I haven’t searched the stories on the internet yet.
Certain publications and websites (pre-draft) picked Cowert as a #4, #5, or #6 draft pick as a pitcher. Slot money for those positions is approximately $2.3MM. From the research I’ve done, when Cowart made everyone aware that he intended to play 3B, not pitch, with the threat of FSU in the equation, his draft position slid to where the Angels could pick him at #18 (good for the Angels).
The Angels are basically paying our #18 draft pick #5-#7 money. I would assume that some stipulation regarding pitching would have been included in order to justify/rationalize the payday.
Lots of other draftees/signees are gonna be pissed if this is not the case. (Run your cursor over the other players hidden in “black”).
wumbug - August 16, 2010
By the way, "HH member "Hornet87",
friend and neighbor of Kaleb, called it when he predicted it would take "approximately $2.25MM to sign Cowart.
Kudos to our South Georgia friends.
wumbug - August 16, 2010
So it's official now!
Wumbug are you calling me a credible source?
hornet87 - August 16, 2010
Are you his brother?
Older brother?
wumbug - August 16, 2010
No relation
Just a fan and friend of the Cowart family. I have a nephew who is friends with him.
hornet87 - August 17, 2010
"Cowart added that he will strictly be a hitter and not split time on the mound"
Link
wumbug - August 16, 2010
A list of draftees/signees that's easier to read
here
wumbug - August 16, 2010
Close to 2.25 million.
Hate to say I told you so. Everyone will soon see the athlete that the Angels got. If he develops to his potential. He could really be a Chipper Jones type impact player. He has the talent and work ethic to do it…oh yeah and the Yukon Denali he ordered today will be here in two weeks.
hornet87 - August 16, 2010
How big are the rims?
Commander_Nate - August 16, 2010
and do they got spinners????
Downing Rules - August 16, 2010
Yo DaWg, tHoSe rImS aRe hYpE!!!
Quad Fin Rider - August 16, 2010
Rims are 24s
Not sure about the spinners. If the Denali and rims are all he splurges on he’ll be a lot more conservative than most. I mean come on a player’s gotta have a ride and the 24s…that’s a given.
hornet87 - August 17, 2010
You're a hoot!
Stay close……..
wumbug - August 17, 2010
Got to..
stay close now. I have an American League team that I can actually support now. Gotta think it’s gonna be pretty tough finding a Angels baseball cap or jersey at the local shopping mall. Oh yeah…the rims he bought cost him almost as much as my first pickup truck cost. CRAZY!
hornet87 - August 17, 2010
Might better not tell wolf37 that the Denali
is made by Obama Motors.
wumbug - August 16, 2010
I meant to tell you...
the other day when you owned up to being a Gamecock. The lady across the hall from me at work is married to a guy who played defensive back for SC when he was in college. He played with Sterling Sharpe.
hornet87 - August 17, 2010
September call up?
We could use a 5th third baseman. All kidding aside, this is good news, but we haven’t had good luck with our 3B prospects in recent history. Don’t let him anywhere near Brandon Wood!
Rally Manatee - August 16, 2010
Or Hatcher
angelskid2210 - August 16, 2010
Kid hit .654
I know it’s just high school, but I like that his BA was the second highest in Georgia history. I wonder who was #1 and what became of him?
Also, I wonder how far back records go. Maybe Ty Cobb bested that, assuming there was even such thing as high school baseball and that Cobb went to high school way back when.
I think he’s got a good chance to hit. Hope he gets a chance to play before the season is over.
RallyMonkey5 - August 16, 2010
looks like it was Whit Calhoun in 2003
.661 batting average in 2003.
Can’t find anything about his baseball career post high school though.
TheAngelsAngels - August 16, 2010
make that Whit Robbins
Calhoun is the high school.
He went to Georgia Tech and is now in the Twins system. Looks like his career was derailed by a back injury for a while though.
Jeff Keppinger is 5th on the list, Buster Posey is 8th and Brandon Moss is 9th.
TheAngelsAngels - August 16, 2010
Posey
Also went to FSU, which is where Cowart was headed until we stepped up our offer. If Cowart can develop to be anything near the hitter Posey is, we’ll be as happy as little girrrrrlllls.
Sethy - August 16, 2010
can't wait till hatcher gets ahold of him.
clover_black - August 16, 2010
that was funny
Downing Rules - August 16, 2010
Look at all these juicy trade chips we will have if we want to to get some star MLB player.
Other teams will be eager to engage us in blockbuster trade deals and ish.
44FAN - August 16, 2010
And ISH!!!
HalosBiggestFan - August 16, 2010 via mobile
Look at all these juicy trade chips we will have if we want to to get some star MLB player.
Other teams will be eager to engage us in blockbuster trade deals and ish.
44FAN - August 16, 2010
Posting twice just to make sure other clubs see it
Great strategy.
angelskid2210 - August 16, 2010 via mobile
That was SBNation_Bot doing that, not me.
44FAN - August 16, 2010
Of course, you could never make a mistake!
;)
Downing Rules - August 16, 2010
or if we want to get another couple of MI's
I bet Cowart could net us at least like 3 Callaspo’s. Then we could have league average MI’s everywhere on the diamond.
MH252525 - August 17, 2010
Sweeet, nice to get closer to restocking the farm system!
cardinalwraith - August 16, 2010
great
nice to have a guy who can maybe turn into a useful pitcher if his bat doesn’t make the necessary adjustments
ihearhowie2.0 - August 16, 2010
The kid can hit .654
…but can he take a walk?
Just kidding. Hope to see him in red by 2015.
Suboptimal - August 16, 2010
i say 2013 if he hits like trout
but 2014 is more likely if he stays healthy
mathisrocks5 - August 16, 2010
Good news, but I try not to get overly excited at this stage
“Joe Mauer is universally regarded as the best catching prospect in baseball. But Angels farmhand Jeff Mathis isn’t far behind.” -John Sickles, 9/09/2003
Quad Fin Rider - August 16, 2010
hahahaha!!!!
2pintsofbooze - August 16, 2010
... o u c h ...
Rev Halofan - August 16, 2010
Sort of like...
….2 strides into a 100 meter dash against Usain Bolt, I wouldn’t be too “…far behind”.
sothball - August 16, 2010
It's amazing how far your career can ride on 7-year-old hype
Suboptimal - August 16, 2010
Very excellent.
Aside from Cowart, Baby Bedrock, and Chevy, my current state of residence has turned out excellent prospects as of late. Shoot, if the Angels were a worse team, we could have drafted Zach Wheeler (kid up the street) last year who was signed by the Giants. Throw in Posey amongst current young stars like Jason Heyward and Adam Wainwright…maybe this isn’t too bad a place to live!
Nah, it still sucks, but the baseball talent here is evident.
Slasher52 - August 16, 2010
Got good peaches, at least.
Downing Rules - August 16, 2010
lets hope he rockets up the system like trout
mathisrocks5 - August 16, 2010
god knows we need a power hitting third baseman
mathisrocks5 - August 16, 2010
Good to hear.
sounds like he is a good kid.
stuck in Romania - August 16, 2010
Congrats Kaleb
You earned it __See you in 2 weeks—
wolf37 - August 16, 2010
"You earned it"
Not yet. He starts earning it now. Let’s see how he does.
Robviously - August 16, 2010
Looks like Osich didn't sign
Additional note: Seiler has the team spending about 8 Mill on bonuses this year
HaloFanInDC - August 16, 2010
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