The Deadline For Signing Draft Picks

Here are the details behind next Monday's deadline for signing draft picks:

• The deadline is typically 11:59pm on August 15th. It gets pushed back during years that August 15th falls on a weekend. 
• The deadline doesn't apply to college seniors and 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 enroll 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.  
• Players can't be drafted by the same team twice in a row unless they give permission.  

This post was originally published on June 10th, 2009. Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts.