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The Deadline For Signing Draft Picks

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [June 10, 2009 at 3:51pm CST]

As day two of the draft rolls along and teams continue to select, the countdown begins. Teams have until August 17th to sign their picks. Here are the details behind the deadline:

The deadline is typically 11:59pm on August 15th.
As Jon Heyman and John Manuel pointed out yesterday, it's been pushed back two days this year until August 17th.
The deadline doesn't apply to college seniors, which is how Josh Fields signed with the Mariners in February. It doesn't apply to players drafted out of independent leagues or those who don't play college baseball again between two drafts.

Here's what happens to players who don't sign:

High schoolers who enrol in a four-year college program after being drafted aren't eligible again until after their junior year of college or their 21st birthday. For example, Mark Prior wasn't available between 1998, when the Yankees drafted him, and 2001, when the Cubs did.
Drafted players who go on to attend junior college are again eligible after their freshman and sophomore years.
College juniors who don't sign are available in the next draft.
These players can't be drafted by the same team twice in a row unless they give permission.
Check out Maury Brown's article on the drama that unfolded between the Pirates and Scott Boras over Pedro Alvarez and last year's deadline.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts.

Full Story | Comments (4) | Categories: MLBTR Glossary

Comments

I think you need to clarify that a little bit about a high school player that doesn't sign. Unless something has changed I know players that were drafted in high school and went to JUCO and were drafted every year. Andrew Cashner was drafted out of high school and then drafted his next two years out of a JUCO in Texas adn then drafted out of TCU.

Posted by: H-Town-Baller | June 10, 2009 at 03:56 PM

Yeah, Junior College players play by different rules... I'll make that clear.

Posted by: Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 10, 2009 at 04:19 PM

What happens draft wise to a HS player that doesn't sign and doesn't attend college?

Posted by: A | June 11, 2009 at 11:48 AM

If Ordonez played in every game at the rate he was logging plate appearances prior to being benched, his $ 18 million option for 2010 would have vested on August 15th. Coincidentally, Ordonez has the same agent, Scott Boras, as the Tigers' first round pick, Jacob Turner.
Look for Ordonez to be used ever more sparingly as the season wears on, maybe even being platooned and eventually only playing against LHP's, so that his option doesn't vest.
With $ 71.1 million in bad contracts to Ordonez, Sheffield, Guillen, Bonderman, Robertson, and Willis for 2009, and with only Sheff coming off the books leaving $ 65.5 million for 2010, Magglio's contract is the only one that the Tigers can get rid of, and he's doing everything in his power to give them an excuse to not play him.
BTW- the Tigers are gonna tell Selig to shove it up his slot once again and sign Turner for more than he wants them to. Rightly so.

Posted by: Tigerdog | June 28, 2009 at 01:34 PM

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The Deadline For Signing Draft Picks

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