Once upon a time, the draft was just half the battle.
Then came the hard part—signing the players.
Just read Allan Simpson’s epic Ultimate Draft Book. It’s six pounds worth of stories about the draft, and roughly three of those pounds seem to detail stories of difficult signings of draft picks.
That’s no longer the case. Just as every draft since 2012 has had a signing deadline, this year’s draft has one, too—and this year it’s earlier than ever on July 7. That was just after Baseball America went to press, and in the past, we would have stopped the presses, held the issue up a day or two and made sure to get all the signings in print.
What we do know is the signings drama this year came down to how much No. 2 overall pick Hunter Greene would get, and if he would become the third $7 million signee of this class, joining No. 4 overall pick Brendan McKay (Rays) and No. 5 pick Kyle Wright (Braves).
Now, we know that all the signings are available at baseballamerica.com/draftdb. And these days, the draft signings drama really happens before and during the draft, when teams negotiate with players and their agents to make sure they will sign—within parameters set in the Collective Bargaining Agreement—before the players are drafted.
Last year, just two players in the first 10 rounds failed to sign, and signs point to a similar result in 2017. However, there was late drama when the Rays failed to sign supplemental first-rounder Drew Rasmussen, taken 31st overall out of Oregon State. It was unclear at press time if Rasmussen would be declared a free agent; the Rays had time to offer him the minimum 60 percent of slot to get a compensation pick in the 2018 draft.
This story is from the July 21 2017 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 21 2017 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.