Jim Callis at Baseball America notes that 20 of 32 first-rounders remain unsigned, and the last one was almost a month ago. He's got some very helpful news to expand upon our update on unsigned draft picks from last night. Check out his post for more specifics on names, but here's a quick rundown:
- MLB seems very keen on their push to keep draft pick signings at their recommended slot price tags. They've gone so far as to essentially re-calculate the contract given to Jiovanni Mier, the only first-rounder signed above slot, by saying that a part of his bonus is deferred, thus making his bonus officially below slot.
- Stephen Strasburg will likely have to settle somewhere in between the record $10.5MM bonus awarded to Mark Prior and the $50MM figure Scott Boras has previously suggested.
- Five of the top high school players had "alarmed clubs" with high bonus demands, some likely due to the fallout of Rick Porcello's record-setting $7MM figure from '07.
- High-school arm Zack Wheeler didn't demand nearly as much as his peers, but still figures to sign above slot.
- Aaron Crow, Grant Green and Alex White, all once highly-touted as top-five talent, are seeking a payout more in line with such touting despite their mid-round draft spots.
- In general, high-schoolers have been asking for more slot money than their draft positions called for even last year, where slot recommendations were higher.
