The Yankees’ Deadline Day didn’t end with giving first-round pick Andrew Brackman a $3.35 million bonus as part of a $4.55 million guarantee big league deal that could be worth a staggering $13 million.

New York was just getting started. The Yankees announced the signings of five more picks in the first 10 rounds, for a combined total of $3.5 million. [...] Continue Reading »

No. 1 overall pick David Price has officially come to terms with the Devil Rays. Price will receive a $5.6 million bonus as part of a six-year major league contract worth a guaranteed $8.5 million and possibly as much as $11.25 million.

Price’s bonus is the second-largest in draft history, behind only the $6.1 million Justin Upton got from the Diamondbacks as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft. The guaranteed value of Price’s contract is the third-highest in draft annals, trailing only Mark Prior ($10.5 million, Cubs) and Mark Teixeira ($9.5 million, Rangers) from the 2001 draft.

The trend of signing mid first-round picks to 2006 (and not 2007) MLB slot recommendations continues as the Mariners have landed No. 11 overall pick Phillippe Aumont for $1.9 million. MLB’s slot for this year was $1.71 million, down 10 percent from 2006.

No. 10 pick Madison Bumgarner (Giants) and No. 14 choice Jason Heyward (Braves) recently signed deals worth exactly their 2006 slots. No. 17 pick Blake Beavan (Rangers) signed yesterday for a bonus that almost exactly split the difference between the 2006 and 2007 recommendations for his slot. [...] Continue Reading »

The Newark Star-Ledger’s Dan Graziano and Ed Price–a former BA staffer, in the interest of full disclosure–have reported that the Yankees have signed their first-round pick, righthander Andrew Brackman. Baseball America has confirmed the contract’s details with another source with knowledge of the deal.The former North Carolina State two-sport talent signed a major league contract, worth a guaranteed $4.55 million with a $3.35 million bonus.

However, that’s the low-end guarantee. Even though Brackman might need elbow surgery–he’s in Birmingham, Ala., right now to see Dr. James Andrews–the Yankees have signed him to a deal that could be worth up to $13 million when escalator clauses and team options are included. [...] Continue Reading »

There have been conflicting reports as to the exact terms of Rick Porcello’s contract, but they’re available now that it has been officially reported to MLB’s office. Porcello matched Josh Beckett’s record guarantee for a high school draftee, with a four-year major league contract worth $7 million.

Porcello’s bonus was $3.58 million. He’ll receive major league salaries of $95,000 (prorated from $380,000) in 2007, $1.1 million in 2008, $1.2 million in 2009 and $1.025 million in 2010. The Tigers also have club options for $1.536 million in 2011 and $1.344 million in 2012.

I haven’t heard any official signings in the last couple of hours, but I just did an all-draft-deadline chat over at ESPN.com. It’s linked at our site at http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/features/264674.html.

Now back to the draft phones . . .

While the majority of focus during today’s deadline watch centers around the remaining unsigned first-round picks, one of the players who slid because of signability concerns is Rockies 14th-rounder Kentrail Davis. [...] Continue Reading »

The Giants have announced the signing of No. 10 overall pick Madison Bumgarner, leaving a total of eight unsigned first-round picks. Bumgarner signed for $2 million, which was equivalent to MLB’s 2006 slot recommendation and $200,000 above this year’s slot.

Two more over-slot deals have trickled in: [...] Continue Reading »

It’s no surprise that announcements of above-slot bonus deals for 2007 draft picks almost entirely were put on hold until August. Though several such deals were in place, clubs didn’t want to draw the ire of Major League Baseball, which was adamant that teams toe the line.

The surprise is that we’re here on Deadline Day—deals must be in place before the clock strikes midnight Eastern tonight—and there still hasn’t been much concrete news. Just four more above-slot deals have come to light since yesterday afternoon. [...] Continue Reading »

The Giants have signed No. 29 overall pick Wendell Fairley for $1 million, $10,000 above MLB’s slot recommendation of $990,000. A Mississippi high school outfielder, Fairley was one of the best all-around high school athletes in the draft.

Fairley’s signing leaves 10 first-rounders who have yet to come to terms.

A source familiar with the terms of Rick Porcello’s yet-to-be-finalized contract with the Tigers says the four-year big league deal is worth $7 million, matching the highest guarantee ever given to a high school draftee. The Tigers also are close to completing two other deals well in excess of MLB’s bonus recommendations. [...] Continue Reading »

As Rick Porcello nears completion of a record contract with the Tigers, the aftershocks will be felt in several other negotiations with first-round picks, most notably David Price (No. 1 overall, Devil Rays), Mike Moustakas (No. 2, Royals) and Matt Wieters (No. 5, Orioles).

All four ranked among the 2007 draft’s top five prospects, but only Porcello dropped significantly because of signability, falling all the way to No. 27. The New Jersey high school righthander is wrapping up a $7 million major league contract with Detroit, a record guarantee for a prep draft pick signing with the club that selected him. [...] Continue Reading »

The Red Sox announced the signing of California high school shortstop Ryan Dent on Monday. Dent, the 62nd overall pick, signed for $571,000 and reduced the total of unsigned supplemental first-rounders to three. [...] Continue Reading »

For the fourth straight year, the Tigers are going to make a huge splash with an above-slot deal in the first round. After signing Justin Verlander (2004), Cameron Maybin (2005) and Andrew Miller (2006), Detroit is closing in on a record deal with New Jersey high school righthander Rick Porcello. [...] Continue Reading »

The Marlins have agreed to terms with second-round pick Mike Stanton, and the deal will be completed once he passes a physical. Stanton signed for $475,000 as the 76th overall pick, for which the draft slot was $418,500. Stanton’s bonus will be spread over four years (though not the usual five) under MLB’s provision for multisport athletes, and MLB calculates the net present value at $442,500. [...] Continue Reading »

As I returned home from a two-week stint on the high school showcase circuit, it’s time to shake out the notebook and share a few tidbits I picked up along the way during conversations with the most respected scouting minds in the industry. [...] Continue Reading »

Though baseball’s first-ever official draft signing deadline is fast approaching (11:59 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday), there was little activity over the weekend. The Braves did announce the signing of first-round pick Jason Heyward, but otherwise no official deals came to light.

Atlanta signed Heyward, a Georgia high school outfielder drafted 14th overall, for $1.7 million. That’s $170,000 more than MLB’s slot recommendation of $1.53 million and represents the 2006 slot amount that the Blue Jays gave Travis Snider a year ago. [...] Continue Reading »

SAN DIEGO–On a field full of the most talented rising senior high school players in the country, the most fundamental skill escaped them.

The East scored two runs on three walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball in the ninth inning, then took the lead on a sacrifice fly to claim a 5-4 victory over the West in the fifth annual Aflac Classic at Tony Gywnn Field in San Diego.

[...] Continue Reading »

SAN DIEGO–On the eve of the fifth-annual Aflac Classic, there’s plenty of anticipation, as 37 of the nation’s top rising seniors assemble for Saturday’s 3 p.m. EDT first pitch at Tony Gywnn Stadium at San Diego State. [...] Continue Reading »

SAN DIEGO–As the 21st annual Area Code Games began to wind down, many of the scouts and a some of the top players headed a couple of hours south to San Diego, where Wednesday preparation for Saturday’s Aflac Classic began. [...] Continue Reading »