The Red Sox have signed first-round pick Brian Johnson for $1,575,000.
Johnson was a two-way standout at Florida, where he appeared in three College World Series in three seasons. Boston drafted him as a lefthanded pitcher, and on the mound he throws strikes with four pitches. He also offers intriguing lefthanded power as a first baseman.
Johnson's bonus matches the assigned value for his No. 31 overall selection.
View our Red Sox Draft Database here.
The Cardinals and first-round pick James Ramsey have agreed to terms on a $1.6 million bonus, pending a physical later this week.
The highest-drafted college senior in 2012, Ramsey was the 23rd overall choice, which carried an assigned value of $1.775 million. His bonus is the fifth-highest in draft history for a senior. The only seniors to receive more are Matt LaPorta ($2 million from the Brewers in 2007), Kenny Baugh ($1.8 million from the Tigers in 2001), Casey Weathers ($1.8 million from the Rockies in 2007) and Josh Fields ($1.75 million from the Mariners in 2008).
Ramsey led Florida State to a third-place finish at the College World Series and batted .378/.513/.652 with 13 homers and 11 steals. A center fielder, he has average to solid tools across the board. The Twins drafted him in the 22nd round a year ago, but he turned down the equivalent of second-round money.
The Cardinals have now signed 12 of their 14 picks in the first 10 rounds. The only exceptions are shortstop Alex Mejia (fourth round) and righthander Kurt Heyer (sixth round), who completed a CWS championship with Arizona on Monday night.
View our Cardinals Draft Database here.
The Astros have agreed to terms with fourth-round pick Rio Ruiz on a $1.85 million bonus.
That's the biggest bonus compared to assigned pick value thus far in the 2012 draft, coming in at $1,489,800 over the $360,200 allocated for the 129th overall pick. Ruiz beats the standard set by fellow Astros draftee Lance McCullers Jr., who signed for $2.5 million as the 41st overall pick.
Ruiz had a chance to go in the first round before missing most of his senior season following surgery to remove a blood clot in his neck in March. The Bishop Amat HS (La Puente, Calif.) star projects as a third baseman with an average bat, plus raw power and a strong arm. He had committed to Southern California.
Ruiz's signing effectively ends any chance Houston has of landing 11th-rounder Hunter Virant, a California high school lefty who dropped because of a seven-figure price tag. The Astros still should be able to sign their three College World Series participants in the first 10 rounds (Florida shortstop Nolan Fontana and outfielder Preston Tucker, UCLA catcher Tyler Heineman) without blowing past their bonus pool of $11,177,700 by 5 percent. If they did exceed their pool by that much, it would cost them a first-round pick next year.
View our Astros Draft Database here.
The Twins signed supplemental first-round pick Luke Bard for $1,227,000. His bonus matches the assigned value for his No. 42 overall selection.
A righthander like his brother Daniel (Red Sox), Bard missed much of his junior season at Georgia Tech after tearing a lat muscle in late March. When healthy, he can sit at 93-95 mph with his fastball and throw a hard breaking ball with late bite.
View our Twins Draft Database here.
The Cubs signed supplemental first-round pick Pierce Johnson on Tuesday. He received a $1,196,000 bonus, matching the assigned value for his No. 43 overall slot.
The fourth Missouri State pitcher drafted in the first or supplemental first round since 2001—the Bears have sent seven pitchers to the big leagues in that span—Johnson is a righthander with a 92-93 mph fastball that touches 96, a hard breaking ball and an 86-87 mph cutter. He might have gone in the first round had he not missed two starts with a forearm strain this spring.
View our Cubs Draft Database here.
The Athletics have agreed to terms with supplemental first-round pick Matt Olson on a $1,079,700 bonus, matching the assigned value for his No. 47 slot.
Olson was a two-way star at Parkview HS (Lilburn, Ga.), which won its second straight Georgia 5-A state title as well as the national championship in 2012. He'll focus on hitting as a pro, as he has the bat to produce for average and power. He also has a strong arm. He had committed to Vanderbilt.
View our Athletics Draft Database here.
The Blue Jays signed supplemental first-rounder Matt Smoral to a $2 million bonus on Monday, doubling the assigned value for his No. 50 slot. He's the fourth player in the 2012 draft to have signed for $1 million or more over his pick value, joining Astros sandwich pick Lance McCullers Jr., Cardinals second-rounder Carson Kelly and Red Sox fourth-rounder Ty Buttrey.
A lefthander from Solon (Ohio) HS, Smoral projected as a mid-first-round pick until he broke the fourth metatarsal bone in his right foot, an injury that limited him to one regular-season start. When healthy, the 6-foot-7, 225-pounder has shown a pair of plus pitches in his fastball and slider. He had committed to North Carolina.
Toronto now has signed four of its five selections before the second round, with No. 22 overall choice Marcus Stroman the lone exception.
View our Blue Jays Draft Database here.
The Red Sox have agreed to terms with Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero, their top selection in the draft, on a $2.05 million bonus.
Marrero is a rare college shortstop who projects to remain at that position in the major leagues, as he's a slick fielder with a plus arm. He hit a disappointing .284/.340/.436 this spring, the main reason he slipped from his preseason top-five-overall draft status, but his proponents believe he can more than hold his own with the bat. He also shows plus speed at times.
The assigned value for Marrero's pick, 24th overall, is $1.75 million. His signing leaves Boston a total of $331,700 over the assigned values for its signees in the first 10 rounds, though the club probably saved a third of that amount on 10th-rounder J.T. Watkins, whose bonus is not yet known. The Red Sox have yet to sign lefthander Brian Johnson (first round) or righty Austin Maddox (third), who are pitching for Florida the College World Series.
View our Red Sox Draft Database here.
The Astros and supplemental first-round pick Lance McCullers Jr. have agreed on a $2.5 million bonus, pending a physical on Monday.
The assigned value for McCullers' No. 41 selection was $1,258,700. McCullers exceeded that amount by $1,241,300, eclipsing Cardinals second-rounder Carson Kelly for the highest bonus over pick value thus far in this year's draft. McCullers was considered a mid-first-round talent but dropped amid signability concerns.
The son of former big league pitcher Lance McCullers Sr., Lance Jr. has one of the most electric arms in the 2012 draft. Both his 94-96 mph fastball and his mid-80s slider grade as plus-plus pitches at times, and he has reached triple digits on the radar gun. He had committed to Florida, where he would have been a two-way player.
Because the Astros inked No. 1 overall choice Carlos Correa for $4.8 million (versus a $7.2 million pick value), they still remain $1,296,400 under their bonus cap for their signings so far. That should allow them to make a run at third baseman Rio Ruiz (fourth round) and lefthander Hunter Virant (11th), high schoolers who could command seven-figure bonuses.
View our Astros Draft Database here.
The Padres and supplemental first-round pick Zach Eflin have agreed on a $1.2 million bonus, contingent on him passing a physical on Monday.
A righthander from Hagerty HS in Oviedo, Fla., Eflin has a fastball that has reached 97 mph and a changeup that was one of the best in the high school ranks this spring. He also shows signs of at least an average curveball. He had committed to Central Florida.
The assigned value for his No. 33 slot was $1,525,000, which means the Padres saved $325,000 toward their bonus pool for the top 10 rounds. Eflin was pitching his way toward the middle of the first round until coming down with triceps tendinitis and missing all of April.
View our Padres Draft Database here.
The Cardinals will announce the signing of supplemental first-rounder Stephen Piscotty on Saturday afternoon. He'll receive a bonus of $1,430,400, matching the assigned value for his No. 36 overall pick.
An outfielder/third baseman from Stanford, Piscotty was one of the best college bats available in the 2012 draft. he won the 2011 Cape Cod League batting title with a .349 average and has some gap power. He also offers arm strength and was a member of Stanford's weekend rotation at the end of the season.
View our Cardinals Draft Database here.
The Athletics have agreed to terms with third baseman Daniel Robertson, their first of two supplemental first-round picks. His $1.5 million bonus exactly matches the assigned value for his No. 34 overall selection.
A product of Upland (Calif.) HS who had committed to UCLA, Robertson has a quality bat with a chance for average to plus power. He also has good hands and arm strength, helping him profile as a valuable defender as well.
View our Athletics Draft Database here.
The Cubs have agreed to terms with supplemental first-rounder Paul Blackburn on a $911,700 bonus, matching the assigned value for his No. 56 slot.
A righthander from Heritage HS in Brentwood, Calif., Blackburn is athletic and projectable. He throws a 90-94 mph fastball and backs it up with a curveball and changeup that both qualify as potential plus pitches. He had committed to Arizona State.
View our Cubs Draft Database here.
The Red Sox signed Ty Buttrey for $1.3 million, the highest bonus outside of the top two rounds thus far this year. A fourth-rounder, he got a bonus $1,008,700 in excess of the assigned $291,300 value for the No. 151 pick.
The latest prospect from baseball factory Providence HS in Charlotte, Buttrey works at 90-93 mph with his fastball and peaks at 96. He also has a hard knuckle-curve and shows some aptitude for a changeup. He was an Arkansas recruit.
View our Red Sox Draft Database here.
The Padres have signed the first high school pitcher selected in the 2012 draft, No. 7 overall selection Max Fried. He'll receive a $3 million bonus, matching the assigned value for his slot.
When Harvard-Westlake HS (Studio City, Calif.) teammate Lucas Giolito went down with a sprained elbow ligament in March, Fried supplanted him as the best prep pitcher available. Some scouting directors called him the best pitcher in the draft, including the college crop.
An athletic 6-foot-4, 180-pound lefty, Fried has an fastball that ranges from 88-95 mph, a nasty curveball and a changeup that could give him a third plus pitch. He had committed to UCLA.
View our Padres Draft Database here.
The Red Sox signed Monmouth righthander Pat Light, their supplemental first-round selection, for $1 million.
Light is a physical 6-foot-6, 200-pounder capable of running his fastball up to 96 mph. His slider and changeup show enough potential for him to become a starter, and his velocity also could be a weapon in a late-inning relief role.
The assigned value for Light's No. 37 overall slot was $1,394,300. Boston has signed seven players in the first 10 rounds for a total of $1,011,400 under their assigned values. They may need much of that money to sign fourth-rounder Ty Buttrey.
View our Red Sox Draft Database here.
The Yankees have signed their second-round pick, Austin Aune, to a $1 million bonus. That's nearly double the assigned $548,400 value for the No. 89 overall selection.
Aune was a two-sport star at Argyle (Texas) HS, quarterbacking his team to the state 3-A football championship game last fall while passing for 3,411 yards and accounting for 42 touchdowns. He had signed a football scholarship and planned to play both sports at Texas Christian.
On the diamond, Aune is a shortstop whom most scouts believe will wind up in center or right field. His raw power and arm strength are plus tools, and he runs well.
The Indians have agreed on a $1.75 million bonus with first-rounder Tyler Naquin, pending a physical.
A Texas A&M product, Naquin was one of the best pure hitters and had one of the strongest outfield arms in this year's draft. He was the second college position player selected in June, and he runs well enough that he may be able to move from right field (his position with the Aggies) to center.
The assigned value for Naquin's pick at No. 15 was $2.25 million.
The Cardinals officially signed their top pick on Thursday, paying Texas A&M righthander Michael Wacha a $1.9 million bonus, matching the assigned value for the No. 19 overall selection.
The fifth college pitcher selected, Wacha had one of the best changeups and some of the best command in the draft. He also has a 90-93 mph fastball that tops out at 96, and is making progress with a slider.
The Athletics agreed to terms with Addison Russell on Thursday, giving the 11th overall pick a $2,625,000 bonus that matches the assigned value for his slot.
A shortstop from Pace (Fla.) HS, Russell stands out most with his bat speed and raw power. He got into better shape this spring, and more scouts now believe he can stay at shortstop, where he shows a plus arm. He had committed to Auburn.
Russell's bonus is the third-largest for a draftee in franchise history, trailing only the $3.2 million Oakland paid Mark Mulder in 1998 and the $2.75 million it gave Grant Green three years ago.
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