The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with righthander Felipe Perez, the highest-ranking undrafted player on our predraft BA 500 rankings, on a $400,000 bonus.

Any eligible player who goes undrafted is eligible to sign with any team as a free agent until he attends class at a junior college or college. Per baseball's new draft rules, nondrafted free agents are treated similarly to players selected after the 10th round. Any bonus money in excess of $100,000 counts against the team's bonus pool for the first 10 rounds.

The Diamondbacks saved $113,500 against their $3,818,300 pool this summer, and could spend up to $404,415 on Perez without exceeding their total allotment by more than 5 percent, which would have cost them their 2013 first-round pick. Arizona will have to pay a 75-percent tax on their $186,500 overage, which comes to $139,875. Perez's bonus is more than what all but two of the team's draft picks received this year.

Perez attended Fairmont Prep in Anaheim and pitched this summer for the Cowlitz Black Bears in the West Coast League, a summer collegiate circuit. A UCLA recruit, he saw his stuff improve a little bit from the spring. He touched 93 mph with his fastball and showed three pitches that could be average to plus at some point.

Teams spent $207.9 million on draft bonuses in 2012, the second-highest total ever. The record was set a year ago, when the clubs combined to spend $228 million on bonuses and another $8.1 million on guaranteed salaries as part of major league contracts.

With new draft rules allocating specific bonus pools and prescribing harsh draft-pick penalties to teams that exceeded them by more than 5 percent, several clubs changed their shopping patterns. The Pirates and Nationals were the two biggest draft spenders under the old Collective Bargaining Agreement, which covered the 2007-11 seasons. Pittsburgh plummeted from a record $17 million in 2011 to $3.8 million this year, while Washington dropped from $15 million (and another $2.6 million in salary guarantees) to $4.9 million.

On the other side of the spectrum, both the Twins and Astros had ranked in the bottom third in bonus spending under the old CBA. With the top two draft slots and bonus pools this year, Minnesota and Houston led all clubs by paying $12.6 million and $12.1 million in bonuses, respectively.

Editor's note: This chart has been updated from its original version to reflect the Astros' signing of seventh-rounder Preston Tucker for $100,000 (July 18), the Red Sox' signing of 40th-rounder Kevin Heller for $1,000 (Aug. 8), the Pirates' signing of 21st-rounder Jordan Steranka for $1,000 (Aug. 31), the White Sox' signings of 29th-rounder Jason Coats (Jan. 8) and 39th-rounder Mitch Glasser (Jan. 15) for $1,000 each, and the Athletics' signing of 31st-rounder Ryan Gorton for $1,000 (April 9).

Most teams spent very close to their allocated bonus pools, which cover the first 10 rounds and any bonus money over $100,000 paid to players in subsequent rounds. The Pct. column below reflects the percentage of pool money spent by a club, while the Plus/Minus column shows how much a team spent below/above its pool once the money for unsigned players in the top 10 rounds was removed.

The Yankees ($406,300) and Twins ($298,500) saved the most money versus their bonus pools, though that wasn't necessarily their intention. New York renegotiated its bonus with first-rounder Ty Hensley (from $1.6 million to $1.2 million) and Minnesota did the same with sixth-rounder Andre Martinez ($260,000 to $80,000) after physical examinations prompted questions about their shoulders.

No club exceeded their bonus pool by more than 5 percent, which would have resulted in the loss of a 2013 first-round pick. The Blue Jays came within $341 of doing so and are one of 10 teams that must pay a 75 percent tax on their pool overage.

The tax bill for those teams comes to $1,588,193. The tax money will be divided up among 12 revenue-sharing recipients who didn't exceed their bonus pools: the Athletics, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Indians, Marlins, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rays, Reds, Rockies and Tigers. The Cardinals and Royals also would have qualified for tax proceeds if they hadn't surpassed their pools.

Editor's note: This chart has been updated from its original version to reflect the Astros' signing of seventh-rounder Preston Tucker for $100,000 on July 18.

When MLB and the MLB Players Association negotiated assigned pick values for the purposes of determining bonus pools for the first 10 rounds, their numbers closely matched how the market played out in the first year of the new draft rules. The top 50 bonuses totaled $104.2 million, while the first 50 values added up to $105.8 million. That relationship stayed close throughout the first 10 rounds, as the 338 pick values totaled $189.9 million and the 338 highest bonuses equaled $190.2 million. By contrast, when MLB unilaterally determined slot recommendations a year ago, the top 50 bonuses ($120.5 million) were 72 percent higher than the first 50 slots ($70 million).

Three of the five highest bonuses in draft history were paid in 2011, including a record $8 million to No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole by the Pirates. This year, the largest bonus went to No. 2 overall choice Byron Buxton, whose $6 million from the Twins tied for the 11th-most ever.

With 15 minutes to go before today's Friday 5 p.m. Eastern signing deadline, 15 picks in the top 10 rounds remained unsigned. From top to bottom, here's what happened with them:

Kevin Gausman (Orioles, first round, No. 4 overall): Signed for $4.32 million. That made him one of the few players to get more than his assigned pick value ($4.2 million ) in the first round. He got the third-highest bonus in the draft, behind No. 2 overall pick Byron Buxton ($6 million) and No. 1 overall choice Carlos Correa ($4.8 million).

Mark Appel (Pirates, first round, No. 8 overall): Did not sign. A source said Pittsburgh offered him $3.8 million, the most it could without forfeiting a 2013 first-round pick. Considered the likely No. 1 overall choice before the draft, he will return to Stanford for his senior season.

Lucas Giolito (Nationals, first round, No. 16 overall): Signed for $2,925,000. He likely would have gone in the top three picks had he not injured his elbow in March. While he didn't get the money he would have commanded at the top of the draft, he got well in excess of his $2,125,000 pick value. [...] Continue Reading »

As reported by Baseball America's Jim Callis, the Orioles signed Louisiana State righthander Kevin Gausman for $4.32 million shortly before the 5 p.m. Eastern deadline.

Gausman, the No. 4 overall pick, was a draft-eligible sophomore with two premium pitches in his 94-96 mph fastball that touches 98 and his 85-86 mph changeup. Scouts have questions about his breaking ball, as he switched between a curveball and a slider during his college career. He still went 12-2, 2.77 as a sophomore for the Tigers with a 135-28 strikeout-walk ratio in 124 innings.

As reported by Baseball America's Jim Callis, the Nationals signed one of the best talents in the 2012 draft class, righthander Lucas Giolito, for $2,925,000.

Teammates with lefthander Max Fried at Harvard-Westlake High (Studio City, Calif.), Giolito was considered to be a strong candidate to be the first-ever high school righthander to be picked first overall. But a slight tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in March in his right elbow kept him out of games for the rest of the season. He began throwing on flat ground in early May and fell to the Nationals at 16th overall in the draft.

When healthy, Giolito sits in the mid 90s with his fastball and even touched 100 this spring. His curveball is a well-above-average pitch that sits in the mid 80s and he also works with a plus changeup that is 82-84 mph.

The Rays have signed first-round pick Richie Shaffer for $1.71 million.

Some scouting directors considered Shaffer the best offensive player from the college crop in this year's draft. The Clemson third baseman hit .336 with 10 homers and 63 walks in 63 games this spring. He shows power to all fields and has the arm strength for the hot corner.

Shaffer's bonus was $15,000 less than the assigned $1,725,000 value for his No. 25 overall slot. Tampa Bay has saved $46,700 versus its bonus pool for the top 10 rounds.

View our Rays Draft Database here.

Note: The original version of this blog post incorrectly reported Shaffer's bonus as $1,712,500.

After telling Andrew Heaney on Tuesday that they wouldn't sign him and confirming that yesterday, the Marlins have agreed to terms with their first-round pick for $2.6 million.

A lefthander from Oklahoma State, Heaney was the most polished pitcher available in the draft. He sits at 90-92 mph with his fastball and command his solid breaking ball and changeup as well. Heaney's bonus was $200,000 less than the $2.8 million assigned value for his No. 9 selection.

Miami now has saved $316,000 versus the values of its signed players in the first 10 rounds, and likely will sign third-rounder Avery Romero and 19th-rounder Cody Gunter later today.

View our Marlins Draft Database here.

Sweeping changes to baseball's draft rules have led to a drastically different signing deadline day.

A year ago, when MLB tried to limit bonus spending through an informal slotting system, 23 of 33 first-round picks were unsigned on deadline day (Aug. 15). Eleven of 27 supplemental first-rounders hadn't come to terms, and 98 of the 331 selections in the first 10 rounds hadn't done so. The commissioner's office pressured clubs into delaying lucrative offers and announcing extravagant deals for as long as possible.

With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement levying harsh penalties for teams that exceed their assigned bonus pools—such as the loss of a first-round pick for an overage of more than 5 percent—MLB has taken a laissez-faire attitude and let the rules work as intended.

So despite the deadline being moved up more than a month to today, almost all of the top choices have signed. Just five of the 31 first-rounders haven't turned pro, and one of those (Rays third baseman Richie Shaffer) has agreed to terms. All 29 supplemental first-rounders are under contract, and all but 17 of the 338 choices in the top 10 rounds have signed. [...] Continue Reading »

The Yankees have signed first-round pick Ty Hensley, a righthander from Santa Fe HS in Edmond, Okla., for $1.2 million. 

Hensley originally agreed to a $1.6 million bonus shortly after the draft, matching the assigned pick value for his 30th overall selection. But during his physical on June 8, an MRI revealed an abnormality in his right shoulder.

Hensley never has had a shoulder injury or pain, and he consistently impressed scouts during the spring. He repeatedly worked at 92-95 mph and touched 96-97 with his fastball. Scouts considered his upper-70s curveball even better than his fastball. He's a 6-foot-5, 220-pound athlete who also played quarterback at Santa Fe and showed power from both sides of the plate. He had been committed to Mississippi.

"People have told me all along that there was the game of baseball and the business of baseball," Hensley said in a statement released by his adviser, Rob Martin of ICON Sports. "All I know is that I’m ready to get back to playing baseball. I’m healthy and throwing up to 98 mph and have never had any shoulder trouble, period. At the end of the day I have decided that the best place for me to prove that this ‘abnormal’ is my ‘normal’ is on the field in pro ball, and I can't think of an organization I’d rather do it with than the New York Yankees. I feel blessed to be a part of an organization with such history and I’m ready to work!"

Hensley also said he was happy with how the Yankees treated him during the signing process.

"They have had to work through things just like I have," he said. "We are in this together. A deal like this says they want me and I want them. By being honest about what happened, I’m hoping that this situation will lead to a better understanding of medicals like mine in the future.  There’s no sense in being bitter about my reduced bonus or medical situation. I’m still living a dream and grateful for the opportunity. Right now I think we all just want to put this behind us and concentrate on the impact I can have on the Yankees now and in the future."

By saving $400,000 on Hensley's bonus versus his pick value, New York is now $406,300 under budget with its bonus pool for the first 10 rounds.

View our Yankees Draft Database here.

The Cubs have agreed with No. 6 overall pick Albert Almora on a $3.9 million bonus, pending the outcome of a physical on Monday.

A center fielder from Mater Academy (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.) and a perennial standout on U.S. national teams, Almora was the most polished high school player available in the draft. The sixth overall selection, he has plus tools across the board and even better instincts. He could develop into a .300 hitter with 20 homers per season. He had committed to Miami.

Almora's bonus exceeded the assigned value for the No. 6 pick by $650,000, leaving the Cubs $373,800 above their $7,933,900 bonus pool for the first 10 rounds. They'll pay a 75-percent tax on the overage as a penalty under the new draft rules, a bill that will come to $280,350.

View our Cubs Draft Database here.

The Cubs and Duane Underwood have agreed on a $1.05 million bonus, pending a physical on Monday. That's the third-highest bonus in the second round this year, trailing only Carson Kelly ($1.6 million, Cardinals) and Joe DeCarlo ($1.3 million, Mariners).

A righthander from Pope HS in Marietta, Ga., Underwood was inconsistent this spring but lights out at his best. At times, his fastball sits at 91-94 mph and tops out at 98, and he also shows aptitude for spinning a curveball. One of the youngest players in the 2012 draft—he doesn't turn 18 until July 20—he had committed to Georgia.

Though Underwood's bonus exceeds the $769,600 assigned value for his No. 67 slot, the Cubs are still $276,200 under budget for their signings in the top 10 rounds. Their only unsigned player in that range is No. 6 overall choice Albert Almora, whom Chicago can pay up to $3,922,895 without forfeiting a future first-round selection.

View our complete Cubs Draft Database here.

The Padres have agreed to terms with supplemental first-round pick Walker Weickel on a $2 million bonus.

The last of the 29 sandwich picks in this year's draft to turn pro, Weickel more than doubled the $925,900 assigned value for his No. 55 selection. He's the sixth player to receive $1 million or more above his pick value, joining Lance McCullers Jr. (Astros, supplemental first round), Matt Smoral (Blue Jays, supplemental first), Carson Kelly (Cardinals, second), Rio Ruiz (Astros, fourth) and Ty Buttrey (Red Sox, fourth).

A righthander from Olympia HS in Orlando (which also produced Reds sandwich-rounder Jesse Winker), Weickel is a projectable 6-foot-6, 200-pounder who shows a low-90s fastball at his best. He has the potential for three average or better pitches once he fills out. He had committed to Miami.

Weickel was the last unsigned Padres draft pick in the top 10 rounds. They currently stand at $90,100 under their bonus pool allotment of $9,903,100.

View our Padres Draft Database here.

The Blue Jays signed Marcus Stroman, their second of two first-round choices, for $1.8 million. His bonus matches the assigned value for his No. 22 overall selection.

Several scouting directors thought Stroman had the most electric arm in the draft, but he lasted 22 picks because he's 5-foot-9. Though he lacks size, the Duke righthander works at 92-94 mph and touches 96 with his fastball as a starter. His slider is even more devastating than his heater. If Toronto elects to develop him as a reliever, he could be the first player from the 2012 draft to reach the majors, and it's possible he could contribute in September if needed.

The Blue Jays have now signed all 14 of their players in the first 10 rounds, coming in at $110,200 over their allocated bonus pool of $8,830,800. They'll pay a 75 percent tax on their overage, which comes to $82,650.

View our Blue Jays Draft Database here.

The Mariners have signed Mike Zunino, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, for $4 million.

Baseball America's College Player of the Year, Zunino led Florida to its third straight College World Series appearance by batting .322/.394/.669 with 19 homers. His plus power is his best tool, and he also has a solid bat and defensive skills.

Zunino's bonus was the third-highest thus far in the 2012 draft but also $1.2 million less than the assigned value for the third choice. The Mariners are now $36,600 over budget for their signings in the first 10 rounds. Seattle's lone unsigned player in that group is eighth-rounder Nick Halamandaris, a California high school first baseman.

The Mariners previously had handed out above-value bonuses to second-rounder Joe DeCarlo ($1.3 million), supplemental third-rounder Tyler Pike ($850,000), fifth-rounder Chris Taylor ($500,000) and sixth-rounder Timmy Lopes ($550,000). Unless Seattle signs eighth-rounder Nick Halamandaris to a below-value deal, it will be subject to a 75 percent tax on its overage ($27,450) under MLB's new draft rules.

View our Mariners draft database here.

The Dodgers have agreed to terms with first-round pick Corey Seager. He'll receive a $2.35 million bonus in a deal expected to be finalized today.

Seager was one of the best high school bats available in this year's draft. He possesses an easy lefthanded swing and power to all fields. A shortstop at Northwest Cabarrus HS (Concord, N.C.), he'll probably move to third base as a pro. The younger brother of Mariners starting third baseman Kyle Seager, Corey had been committed to South Carolina.

Seager's bonus exceeded the assigned value for his No. 18 slot by $400,000 and leaves the Dodgers $98,500 over budget for their signed picks in the first 10 rounds. Los Angeles has one unsigned player remaining in those rounds: Florida lefthander Paco Rodriguez, its second-rounder.

View our Dodgers Draft Database here.

The Reds have signed supplemental first-round pick Jeff Gelalich for $825,000. 

After hitting a combined .284 with four homers in his first two seasons at UCLA, Gelalich led the Bruins to the College World Series by batting .351 with 11 longballs this spring. A right fielder, he has average or better tools across the board.

The assigned value for Gelalich's No. 57 slot was $897,800. Cincinnati also signed UCLA outfielder Beau Amaral (seventh round) for $146,000 and agreed to terms with Arizona third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean (eighth) for $125,000, wrapping up all of their picks in the first 10 rounds and leaving them $92,400 under their total bonus pool of $6,653,800.

View our Reds Draft Database here.

The Padres have signed supplemental first-round pick Travis Jankowski for $975,000.

Jankowski was a catalyst in Stony Brook's improbable run to the College World Series, hitting .414/.475/.620 and stealing 36 bases from the leadoff spot. A standout defender in center field, he has plus speed and makes consistent contact at the plate.

Jankowski's bonus was less than the assigned $1,165,800 value for the 44th overall pick. San Diego is now $1,237,200 under budget for its signings in the top 10 rounds, with Florida high school righthanders Walker Weickel (supplemental first round) and Walter Lockett (fourth) still negotiating. Barring a snag, both should be signed by the end of the week.

View our Padres Draft Database here.