2015 MLB Draft: Willie Calhoun (4th round) among 24 picks signed by Dodgers – True Blue LA
The club also signed non-drafted free agents Wes Heslabeck and Nick Sell.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Monday announced the signings of 24 draft picks, all college players, including fourth-round pick Willie Calhoun.
The Dodgers list Calhoun as a second baseman, although he played third base at Yavapai Junior College after transferring from Arizona. But his eventual position could be entirely different.
“Scouts don’t give him much chance to play third, but he has played some left field, and that might be the best home for him long-term,” read Calhoun’s profile at MLB.com, where he was rated the No. 183 prospect.
Baseball America had Calhoun rated as the No. 147 prospect in baseball, and the Dodgers drafted him at No. 132 overall, which comes with an allotted slot amount of $418,800. The Dodgers signed Calhoun for under slot, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com:
4th-rder Willie Calhoun bonus w/@Dodgers = $347,500 (pick 132 value = $418,800). Juco slugger hit 31 HR. @MLBDraft http://t.co/1njyh4rQ8A
— Jonathan Mayo (@JonathanMayo) June 16, 2015
The Dodgers almost certainly also went under slot to sign the three college seniors taken in the eighth through 10th rounds — pitchers Tommy Bergjans (slot value: $167,000) and Kevin Brown (slot value: $155,900), and center fielder Logan Landon (slot value: $149,700).
In addition to those four, the Dodgers also announced the signings of catcher Matt Beaty (12th round), pitcher Michael Boyle (13th), second baseman Chris Godinez (18th), catcher Jake Hensen (21st), second baseman Jordan Tarsovich (22nd), pitcher Andrew Istler (23rd), pitcher Cameron Palmer (24th), pitcher Rob McDonnell (25th), pitcher Marcus Crescenti (26th), pitcher Ivan Vieitez (27th), outfielder Kyle Garlick (28th), pitcher Corey Copping (31st), shortstop Nick Dean (32nd), pitcher Adam Bray (33rd), catcher Gage Green (35th), pitcher Drayton Riekenberg (36th), pitcher Charles Mulholland (37th), outfielder Edwin Drexler (38th), pitcher Chris Powell (39th) and pitcher Isaac Anderson (40th).
Made it official yesterday! So excited to start this journey. Glad to be part of such a great and… https://t.co/NqwXtYMjx8
— Matt Beaty (@Matt_BeatyBU) June 14, 2015
It’s official !! #dodgers #proball https://t.co/AEQRBgJFZS
— Guwop (@mcrest37) June 14, 2015
A moment I’ll never forget. The beginning of a new chapter in my life and I couldn’t do it without… https://t.co/CMxmaKMXY1
— Isaac Anderson (@idanderson7) June 15, 2015
The Dodgers also signed a pair of non-drafted free agents from Division II schools, infielder Nick Sell and pitcher Wes Heslabeck.
Sell played for Seton Hill in Pennsylvania and put up video game numbers as a senior. The 6’1, 195-pound right-hander hit .444/.520/1.032 with 28 home runs, 18 doubles, 92 RBI and 65 runs scored in 56 games. He also walked 33 times and stole 10 bases.
Sell won the Tino Martinez Award in 2015, given annually to the best player in Division II.
Heslabeck is a left-handed pitcher out of UNC Pembroke who went 5-1 with a 4.82 ERA as a senior in 2015, with 62 strikeouts and 16 walks in 46⅔ innings. He played his junior year in 2014 at Winston-Salem State, also a Division II school, going 6-1 with a 3.02 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 27 walks in 59⅔ innings.
We could see many of these players on a field soon, with rookie-level Ogden opening its season on Thursday. The Raptors haven’t yet announced their roster.
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