August 5, 2020

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

They are Canada’s team on TV, radio and at the concession stand where the jerseys with names on the back are sold.

Yet, in another area -- paying Canadian players -- they sit eighth, one year after grabbing Canada’s best high schooler Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) of the Ontario Blue Jays.

We’re not going to pretend to know every $5,000 bonus handed out but we think we do OK on the six-figure outlays teams make to Canadians.

And the top three are the San Diego Padres, who selected OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) in the second round this June and gave him a signing bonus of $1,200,004 US. The bonus given the FieldHouse Pirates slugger vaulted the Padres into top spot, ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Seattle Mariners.

Rookie scout Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.) gets credit for signing Caissie, but recently retired Murray Zuk (Souris, Man.), Sam Ray and other scouts were active as well. The Canadian cross checker is Chris Kelly. Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, BC) signed as a non drafted free agent this year out of the University of Hawaii for $20,000. He was scouted this year by Northwest area guy Justin Baughman and his cross checker was Josh Emmerick.

National Cross Checkers who see almost everyone that signs are former Blue Jays scout Chip Lawrence and Kurt Kemp, who is also assistant scouting director and scouting director Mark Conner. Ray signed Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) and the cross checker would have been the legendary scout Logan White.

Pete DeYoung, former Padres’ Canadian scouting cross checker selected Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, B.C.) off the wire from St. Louis. Wick was taken by DeYoung, pro scouting director, who saw Wick as a high school outfielder.

The run on Canadian talent began in 1997 when Kevin Towers selected SS Kevin Nicholson (Surrey, BC) likely Canada’s best-ever shortstop from the Stetson Hatters. This despite the fact the word from scouts was that Nicholson had had a “terrible, terrible” pre-draft work out at Fenway Park.

On draft day when asked about the Boston Red Sox work camp Towers asked, “And who do they think started all that talk? They tried to get him with their second pick.” Steve Nichols signed Nicholson, who was represented by player agent Bobby Orr, for $830,000, .

In 2002, the Padres signed 20th rounder C George Kottaras (Markham, Ont.), an Ontario Blue Jays alum, from Connors State College. San Diego gave Kottaras $300,000 to ignore a scholarship from Florida.

Two years later, San Diego drafed INF Chris Bisson (Orleans Ont.) in the fourth round and the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians grad from the University of Kentucky received $234,000.

In 2016, the Padres never scouted Stanford with RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope Ont.) on the mound. They did see his bullpens and selected him in the first round giving him a bonus of $3,963,045.

Two years later, the Padres chose LHP Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) from Cloud County Community College and gave him a $125,000 to sign.

Last year, San Diego scooped a Niagara Purple Eagle in the fourth round, signing RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont. -- Canada’s first capital) giving him a bonus of $512,400. Scout James Parker (Ottawa, Ont.) and Zuk went to Kingston to see Brash pitch a high school game prior to the draft. The High School rules were based on innings -- not pitches. Brash went nine up, nine down and when he allowed a foul ball, a fan in the stands yelled, “Now you’re on to him.”

And this year it was Caissie, who earned $1,200,004.

So two first rounders (Nicholson and Quantrill), a second rounder (Caissie), two fourths (Bisson and Brash), a 14th (Sabrowski) and a 20th (Kottaras).

Totals of six-figure signing bonuses paid to Canadians after 2020 draft:

Rank 2019 Rank Team Team Total
1. (2) Padres $7,164,449
2. (1) Pirates $7,030,000
3. (3) Mariners $5,557,500
4. (4) Orioles $5,291,800
5. (5) Twins $3,724,500
6. (6) Braves $3,687,700
7. (7) Brewers $3,556,700
8. (8) Blue Jays $3,500,000
9. (9) Indians $3,263,138
10. (10) Reds $3,076,000
11. (11) Marlins $3,047,000
12. (12) Cubs $2,884,500
13. (13) Rockies $2,187,000
14. (14) Yankees $2,017,500
15. (15) Rangers $1,965,000
16. (16) Cardinals $1,875,000
17. (17) Diamondbacks $1,810,800
18, (18) Astros $1,123,800
19. (19) Dodgers $897,500
20. (20) Red Sox $800,000
21. (21) Tigers $1,673,700
22. (-) Angels $773,200
23. (22) Royals $475,000
24. (23) White Sox $475,000
25. (24) Phillies $435,000
26. (25) A’s $320,000
27. (26) Mets $245,000
28. (27) Expos $230,000
29. (28) Rays $140,000
30. (29) Giants $105,000
31. (30) Nationals $100,000

Your Blue Jays have spent less than half on high schoolers and collegians.

Ontario Blue Jays have been paid: $10,370,838 (on six-figure numbers salaries).

Included in the six-figure group are:

INF T.J. Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.), OF David Calabrese (Maple, Ont.), LHP Evan Grills (Whitby Ont.), OF Nathan DeSouza (Milton, Ont.), OF Dasan Brown (Oakville Ont.), INF Malik Collymore (Mississauga Ont.), C Justin Marra (Toronto Ont.), C Noah Naylor (Mississauga Ont.), OF Gareth Morgan (North York Ont.), 1B Josh Naylor (Mississauga Ont.), LHP Isaac Annesty (Guelph Ont), J.D. Salmon-Willams (Brampton Ont.), RHP Darren Shred (Brampton Ont.), 1B Jonathan Walterbury (Whitby Ont.) and RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga Ont.).

Year Round Team Position Name Hometown School/Team Bonus Team Total
2019 12 A’s INF T.J. Schofield-Sam Brampton, Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $320,000 $320,000

2020 3 Angels OF David Calabrese Maple, Ont., Blue Jays/Junior National Team $744,200 $744,200

2010 10 Astros LHP Evan Grills Whitby Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $150,000 $150,000
2014 6 Astros RHP Brock Dykxhoorn Goderich Ont. Central Arizona College $250,000 $400,000
2016 5 Astros INF Abraham Toro-Hernandez Greenfield Park, Que. Seminole State College $250,000 $650,000
2017 12 Astros RF Jonathan Lacroix Montreal Que. Seminole State College $125,000 $775,000
2018 6 Astros RHP RJ Freure Burlington Ont. Pitt University $348,800 $1,123,800

LHP Blue Jays Mark Curtis St. Albert Alta. Penscaola Jr. College $135,000 $135,000
1996 3 Blue Jays RHP Yan Lachapelle Gatineau Que. Academie du Baseball Canada $185,000 $320,000
2001 6 Blue Jays SS Lee Delfino Pickering Omt. East Carolina University $122,500 $442,500
2006 7 Blue Jays OF Jonathan Baksh Mississauga Ont. Florida Tech University $122,500 $565,000
2007 1 Blue Jays RHP Trystan Magnuson Vancouver BC University of Louisville $462,500 $1,027,500

2008 16 Blue Jays OF Mike Crouse Port Moody BC North Shore Twins/Junior National Team $150,000 $1,177,500
2010 16 Blue Jays OF Dalton Pompey Mississauga Ont. Oakville Royals/ Junior National Team $150,000 $1,327,500
2010 3 Blue Jays OF Marcus Knecht North York Ont. Connors State College $250,000 $1,577,500
2011 26 Blue Jays SS Justin Atkinson North Surrey BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $100,000 $1,677,500
2011 4 Blue Jays RHP Tom Robson Ladner BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $325,000 $2,002,500

2012 26 Blue Jays OF Nathan DeSouza Milton Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $100,000 $2,102,500
2015 10 Blue Jays C Owen Spiwak Mississauga Ont. Odessa College $100,000 $2,302,500
2019 3 Blue Jays OF Dasan Brown Oakville Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $800,000 $3,102,000
2019 26 Blue Jays OF Jean-Christophe Masson Levis Que. Academy Baseball Canada/ Junior National Team $297,500 $3,400,000

2019 27 Braves RHP Indigo Diaz Langley BC Michigan State $125,000 $125,000
2000 1 Braves INF Scott Thorman Cambridge Ont. Team Ontario/Junior National Team $1,125,000 $1,125,000
2001 3 Braves OF Adam Stern London Ont. University of Nebraska $348,000 $1,473,000
2003 4 Braves 3B Jamie Romak London Ont. London Badgers/Junior National Team $240,000 $1,713,000
2015 1 Braves RHP Michael Soroka Calgary Alta. Calgary PBF Redbirds/Junior National Team $1,974,700 $3,687,700

1993 2 Brewers SS Danny Klassen Leamington Ont. John Carroll HS, Port St. Lucie, Fla. $180,000 $180,000
2001 5 Brewers RHP Judd Richardson Caledon Ont. U of Miami Ohio $185,000 $365,000
2004 16 Brewers RHP Alexandre Periard St-Eustache Que. Academie Baseball Canada/Junior National Team $243,000 $608,000
2004 7 Brewers RHP Craig Langille Bedford NS Dartmouth Juniors $107,000 $715,000
2008 1 Brewers C Brett Lawrie Langley BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $1,700,000 $2,415,000

2008 16 Brewers RHP Stosh Wawrzasek Langley BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $100,000 $2,515,000
2009 8 Brewers OF Chad Stang Surrey BC Midland College $125,000 $2,640,000 2010 7 Brewers RHP Joel Pierce Windsor Ont. Tecumseh Thunder/Junior National Team $175,000 $2,815,000
2011 8 Brewers C Dustin Houle Langley BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $150,000 $2,965,000
2012 7 Brewers LHP David Otterman Vancouver BC University of British Columbia $141,700 $3,106,700

2014 4 Brewers OF Demi Orimoloye Orleans Ont. Ottawa-Nepean Canadians/Junior National Team $450,000 $3,556,700

2001 28 Cardinals RHP Blake Hawksworth North Vancouver BC Bellevue (WA.) Community College $1,475,000 $1,475,000
2013 10 Cardinals SS Malik Collymore Mississauga Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $275,000 $1,750,000
2018 15 Cardinals RHP Michael Brettell Fonthill Ont. Central Michigan $125,000 $1,875,000

2019 5 Cubs RHP Josh Burgmann Nanaimo BC Washington $225,000 $225,000
2020 3 Cubs OF Jordan Nwogu Ottawa, Ont., Michigan University $678,600 $903,600
2009 5 Cubs SS Wes Darvill Langley BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $144,200 $144,200
2011 15 Cubs C Justin Marra Toronto Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $110,000 $254,200
2011 7 Cubs 1B Trevor Gretzky West Lake Village CA Oaks Christian High School $375,000 $629,200

2013 2 Cubs LHP Rob Zaztryzny Edmonton Alta Missouri $1,100,000 $1,729,200
2015 5 Cubs LHP Ryan Kellogg Whitby Ont. Arizona State $376,700 $2,105,900
2017 15 Cubs INF Jerrod Young Prince George BC Old Dominion $100,000 $2,205,900

2016 2 Diamondbacks C Andrew Yerzy Toronto Ont. Toronto Mets/Junior National Team $1,214,100 $1,214,100
2016 4 Diamondbacks RHP Curtis Taylor Port Coquitlam BC University of British Columbia $496,700 $1,710,800
2016 11 Diamondbacks RHP Jake Polanic Langley BC Langley Blaze $100,000 $1,810,800

2001 5 Dodgers RHP Steve Nelson Cole Harbour NS Dartmouth Mooseheads $165,000 $165,000
2006 4 Dodgers INF Kyle Orr Victoria BC Victoria Mariners/Junior National Team $435,000 $600,000
2009 15 Dodgers 3B Jeff Hunt Cambridge Ont. Intercounty Terriers/Junior National Team $150,000 $750,000
2017 7 Dodgers RHP Zach Pop Brampton Ont. University of Kentucky $147,500 $897,500

1993 2 Expos RHP Martin Mainville Montreal Que. Academie Baseball Canada $115,000 $115,000
2000 6 Expos RHP Shawn Hill Georgetown Ont. Team $115,000 $230,000

2003 4 Giants RHP Brooks McNiven Vernon BC University of British Columbia $105,000 $105,000

1997 2 Indians RHP Robbie Vael Surrey BC Eastern Utah $150,000 $150,000
2005 3 Indians OF Nick Weglarz Stevensville Ont. Team Ontario/Junior National Team $435,000 $585,000
2017 23 Indians RHP Jordan Scheltz North York Ont. Central Florida $100,000 $685,000
2018 1 Indians C Noah Naylor Mississauga Ontario Blue Jays/Canadian National Jr Team $2,578,138 $3,263,138

2019 7 Mariners LHP Adam Macko Stony Plain Alta. Vauxhall Academy $250,000 $250,000
1994 32 Mariners LHP Jordan Zimmerman Caresland Alta. Blinn Jr. College $300,000 $550,000
2001 5 Mariners 2B John Cole Kanata Ont. University of Nebraska $170,000 $720,000
2004 11 Mariners OF Mike Saunders Victoria BC Junior National Team/Tallahassee College $237,500 $957,500
2007 16 Mariners RHP Colin Buckborough Niagara Falls Ont. Bullett Proof Prospects/Junior National Team $200,000 $1,157,500

2007 1 Mariners RHP Phillippe Aumont Gatineau Que. Academie du Baseball Canada/Junior National Team $1,900,000 $3,057,500
2013 13 Mariners 3B Lachlan Fontaine North Vancouver BC North Shore Twins/ Junior National Team $100,000 $3,157,500
2013 3 Mariners OF Tyler O’Neill Maple Ridge BC Langley Blaze/ Junior National Team $650,000 $3,807,500
2014 2 Mariners OF Gareth Morgan North York Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $2,000,000 $5,807,500

2005 7 Marlins RHP Chris Leroux Mississauaga Ont. Winthrop University $152,000 $250,000
2015 1 Marlins 1B Josh Naylor Mississauga Ont. Blue Jays/Junior National Team $2,250,000 $2,650,000
2018 3 Marlins OF Tristan Pompey Mississauga Ont. Kentucky $645,000 #3,297,000

2003 48 Mets SS Jonathan Malo St-Roch-de-l’Achigan Que. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M $125,000 $125,000
2007 6 Mets RHP Guillaume Leduc Boucherville Que. Academie Baseball Canada $120,000 $245,000

2017 13 Nationals OF Eric Senior Toronto Ont. Midland College $100,000 $100,000

1997 1 Orioles OF Ntema Ndungidi Montreal Que. Academie Baseball Canada $500,000 $500,000
2002 1 Orioles LHP Adam Loewen Surrey BC Whalley Chiefs/Junior National Team $3,200,000 $3,700,000
2013 5 Orioles LHP Travis Seabrooke North Monaghan Ont. Ontario Terriers/ Junior National Team $291,800 $3,991,800
2017 2 Orioles INF Adam Hall London Ont. Great Lake Canadians/Junior National Team $1,300,000 $5,291,800

1997 1 Padres SS Kevin Nicholson Surrey BC Stetson College $830,000 $830,000
2002 20 Padres C George Kottaras Markham Ont. Connors State College $300,000 $1,130,000
2010 4 Padres INF Chris Bisson Orleans Ont. University of Kentucky $234,000 $1,364,000
2016 1 Padres RHP Cal Quantrill Port Hope Ont. Stanford University $3,963,045 $5,327,045
2018 14 Padres LHP Erik Sabrowski Edmonton A;ta. Cloud County CC $125,000 $5,452,045
2019 4 Padres RHP Matt Brash Kingston Ont. Niagara University $512,400 $5,964,445
2020 2 Padres OF Owen Caissie Burlington, Ont. FieldHouse Pirates/Junior National Team $1,200,004 $7,164,449

2009 6 Phillies RHP Steven Inch Edmonton Alta. Vauxhall Academy/Junior National Team $300,000 $300,000
2015 34 Phillies OF Ben Pelletier Varennes Que. Patriotes Rive Sud/Score International $135,000 $435,000

2020 5 Pirates RHP Logan Hofmann Muenster, Sask. Northwestern State University $125,000 $125,000
2007 35 Pirates RHP Tom Boleska Burlington Ont. High Point University $100,000 $225,000
2010 1 Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon The Woodlands TX The Woodlands HS $6,500,000 $6,725,000
2012 6 Pirates 3B Eric Wood Pickering Ont. Blinn College $100,000 $6,825,000
2016 33 Pirates RHP Austin Shields Dundas Ont. Great Lake Canadians $205,000 $8,030,000

1995 3 Rangers RHP Ryan Dempster Gibsons BC North Shore Twins/Junior National Team $200,000 $200,000
2004 5 Rangers C Mike Nickeas Vancouver BC Georgia Tech University $200,000 $400,000
2010 1 Rangers C Kellin Deglan Langley BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $1,000,000 $1,400,000
2010 32 Rangers RHP Steve McKinnon Duncan BC Nanaimo Pirates/Junior National Team $150,000 $1,550,000
2016 4 Rangers INF Charles Leblanc Laval Que. University of Pittsburgh $415,000 $1,965,000

2008 11 Rays RHP Brad Furdal Ancaster Ont. Inter County Terriers/Junior National Team $140,000 $140,000

1996 2 Red Sox RHP Chris Reitsma Calgary Alta. Calgary Rockies/Junior National Team $425,000 $425,000
2018 4 Red Sox C-1B Kole Cottam Memphis TN Kentucky $375,000 $800,000

2002 2 Reds C Joey Votto Etobicoke Ont. Etobicoke Rangers $600,000 $600,000
2004 7 Reds LHP Philippe-Alexandre Valiquette St-Laurent Que. Academie Baseball Canada/Junior National Team $300,000 $900,000
2007 6 Reds RHP Evan Hildebrandt Abbotsford BC Abbotsford Cardinals/Junior National Team $200,000 $1,100,000
2007 1 Reds RHP Kyle Lotzkar Tsawwassen BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $594,000 $1,694,000
2008 16 Reds OF Carter Morrison Langley BC Langley Blaze/Junior National Team $132,000 $1,826,000

2010 34 Reds SS Brandon Dailey Brantford Omt. Intercouty Terriers/Junior National Team $100,000 $1,926,000
2011 11 Reds RHP Vaughn Covington Vancouver BC Vancouver Cannons/Junior National Team $150,000 $2,076,000
2013 20 Reds C Morgan Lofstrom Kelowna BC Okanagan Athletics/Junior National Team $100,000 $2,176,000
2015 4 Reds CF Miles Gordon Oakville Ont. Great Lake Canadians/Junior National Team $500,000 $2,676,000
2015 18 Reds LHP Isaac Annesty Guelph Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Junior National Team $200,000 $2,876,000

2015 17 Reds 2B J.D. Salmon-Willams Brampton Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Junior National Team $100,000 $2,976,000
2015 22 Reds RHP Darren Shred Brampton Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Junior National Team $100,000 $3,076,000

2002 1 Rockies LHP Jeff Francis North Delta BC University of British Columbia $1,850,000 $1,850,000
2007 3 Rockies C Lars Davis Grande Prairie Alta. University of Illinois $337,000 $2,187,000

2007 4 Royals RHP Mitch Hodge Vancouver BC White Rock Titons/ Junior National Team $225,000 $225,000
2010 4 Royals LHP Kevin Chapman Coral Springs Flz, University of Florida $250,000 $475,000

2020 3 Tigers INF Trei Cruz Houston, Tex., Rice University $900,000 $900,000

2005 3 Tigers C Chris Robinson Dorchester Ont. University of Illinois $422,500 $422,500
2016 9 Tigers INF Daniel Pinero Toronto Ont, University of Virginia $169,600 $592,100
2016 8 Tigers OF Jacob Robson Windsor Ont. Mississippi State $181,600 $773,700

1999 3 Twins C Justin Morneau New Westminister BC North Delta Blue Jays/Junior National Team $295,000 $295,000
2002 2 Twins RHP Jesse Crain Toronto Ont. University of Houston $650,000 $945,000
2003 40 Twins RHP Adam Hawes Victoria Harbour Ont. Connors State Jr. College $118,000 $1,063,000
2006 7 Twins 1B Jonathan Walterbury Whitby Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Junior National Team $128,500 $1,191,500
2016 5 Twins RHP Jordan Balazovic Mississauga Ont. Ontario Blue Jays/Junior National Team $515,000 $1,706,500
2017 2 Twins RHP Landon Leach Pickering Ont. Toronto Mets/Junior National Team $1,400,000 $3,106,500
2018 25 Twins C LaRon Smith Spruce Grove Alta. Okotoks Dawgs/Junior National Team $125,000 $3,231,500
2019 18 Twins INF Edouard Julien Quebec City Que. Auburn $493,000 $3,724,500

1997 1 White Sox RHP Aaron Myette Surrey BC Central Arizona Community College $375,000 $375,000
2017 22 White Sox RHP Byran Saucedo Toronto Ont. Davenport University $100,000 $475,000

2019 3 Yankees OF Jacob Sanford Cole Harbour NS Western Kentucky $597,500 $597,500
2003 5 Yankees RHP Cory Stuart White Rock BC University of British Columbia $170,000 $767,500
2010 16 Yankees LHP Evan Rutckyj Windsor Ont. Windsor Selects/Detroit Jet Box/ Junior National Team $500,000 $1,267,500
2012 15 Yankees RHP Dayton Dawe London Ont. Ontario Terriers/Junior National Team $100,000 $1,367,500
2015 2 Yankees LHP Jeff Degano Surrey BC Indiana State $650,000 $2,017,500

(Bold denotes major leaguer)