Royals Dole Out More Than $10M In Signing Bonuses For Draftees
MLB's deadline for high school seniors and college underclassmen draftees to sign with their clubs passed on August 15, with all but three first round draft picks signing with their respective teams. The Royals led all clubs for signing bonuses doled out for the top 10 rounds with $10.2M, and the team gave their largest signing bonus ever to 1B Eric Hosmer, their top draft pick. The Pirates also handed out their biggest signing bonus ever to 3B Pedro Alvarez, while the Giants handed out their top bonus ever to C Buster Posey. The Red Sox also inked all of their top 10 picks, as well as picks 11-16. The Nationals and Yankees were the only teams not to sign their top picks, while the Mariners have until next year's draft to sign top pick P Joshua Fields. The Nationals will get a compensatory selection after the No. 9 pick in next year's draft, while the Yankees will get an additional first-round pick in '09. Agent Scott Boras had five of the 11 first-round picks who weren't signed heading into deadline day, and three of them ending up signing. The following lists the signing bonuses given out (to date) by MLB teams to the their draft picks in the top 10 rounds of the '08 MLB Draft (BaseballAmerica.com, 8/18).
|
TEAM
|
BONUS TOTAL
(ROUNDS 1-10)
|
TEAM
|
BONUS TOTAL
(ROUNDS 1-10)
|
|
Royals
|
$10,165,000
|
Indians |
$4,662,000
|
| Rays |
$9,357,000
|
Marlins |
$4,653,000
|
| Red Sox |
$8,990,000
|
Cubs |
$4,587,000
|
| Giants |
$8,703,000
|
Braves |
$4,371,000
|
| Pirates |
$8,256,000
|
White Sox |
$4,362,500
|
| Brewers |
$7,408,500
|
D'Backs |
$4,058,000
|
| Rangers |
$6,992,300
|
Dodgers |
$3,828,500
|
| Twins |
$6,708,000
|
Blue Jays |
$3,589,500
|
| Orioles |
$6,077,000
|
Yankees |
$3,473,000
|
| Astros |
$5,892,000
|
Reds |
$3,310,000
|
| Phillies |
$5,851,000
|
Tigers |
$3,284,500
|
| Mets |
$5,778,500
|
Nationals* |
$3,001,000
|
| A's |
$5,473,000
|
Rockies |
$2,998,000
|
| Padres |
$5,064,000
|
Mariners |
$1,769,000
|
| Cardinals |
$4,893,000
|
Angels |
$1,743,000
|
FIRST-ROUNDERS: Top overall draft pick SS Tim Beckham received the largest signing bonus among first-round draftees, with the Rays going $2.2M over MLB's recommended slot figure. The Pirates' Alvarez became the 32nd and final '08 draftee to agree to terms with the organization, as he signed just minutes before the deadline on August 15. Alvarez, however, did not receive a major league contract. The Red Sox were able to sign the team's first overall pick, P/SS Casey Kelly, who signed on July 17 after mulling an option to play QB for the Univ. of Tennessee. The Nationals were unable to come to terms with P Aaron Crow, who will now play for the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The Yankees and high school P Gerrit Cole didn't come to terms either, and Cole will instead head to UCLA (BaseballAmerica.com, 8/18).
|
SIGNING BONUSES FOR FIRST ROUND PICKS
|
|
PK
|
TEAM
|
PLAYER
|
'08 BONUS
|
'08 MLB SLOT
|
OVER/UNDER
|
|
1
|
Rays
|
SS Tim Beckham**
|
$6,150,000
|
$4,000,000
|
$2,150,000
|
|
2
|
Pirates
|
3B Pedro Alvarez
|
$6,000,000
|
$3,500,000
|
$2,500,000
|
|
3
|
Royals |
1B Eric Hosmer |
$6,000,000
|
$3,000,000
|
$3,000,000
|
|
4
|
Orioles |
P Brian Matusz^ |
$3,200,000
|
$2,750,000
|
$450,000
|
|
5
|
Giants |
C Buster Posey |
$6,200,000
|
$2,500,000
|
$3,700,000
|
|
6
|
Marlins |
C Kyle Skipworth |
$2,300,000
|
$2,400,000
|
-$100,000
|
|
7
|
Reds |
1B Yonder Alonso^ |
$2,000,000
|
$2,310,000
|
-$310,000
|
|
8
|
White Sox |
SS Gordon Beckham |
$2,600,000
|
$2,230,000
|
$370,000
|
|
9
|
Nationals |
P Aaron Crow |
Did Not Sign
|
$2,150,000
|
---
|
|
10
|
Astros |
C Jason Castro |
$2,070,000
|
$2,070,000
|
$0
|
|
11
|
Rangers |
1B Justin Smoak |
$3,500,000
|
$2,000,000
|
$1,500,000
|
|
12
|
A's |
2B Jemile Weeks |
$1,910,000
|
$1,910,000
|
$0
|
|
13
|
Cardinals |
3B/1B Brett Wallace |
$1,840,000
|
$1,840,000
|
$0
|
|
14
|
Twins |
OF Aaron Hicks |
$1,780,000
|
$1,780,000
|
$0
|
|
15
|
Dodgers |
P Ethan Martin |
$1,730,000
|
$1,730,000
|
$0
|
|
16
|
Brewers |
C/3B Brett Lawrie |
$1,700,000
|
$1,680,000
|
$20,000
|
|
17
|
Blue Jays |
1B David Cooper |
$1,500,000
|
$1,630,000
|
-$130,000
|
|
18
|
Mets |
1B Ike Davis |
$1,575,000
|
$1,580,000
|
-$5,000
|
|
19
|
Cubs |
P Andrew Cashner |
$1,540,000
|
$1,540,000
|
$0
|
|
20
|
Mariners |
P Joshua Fields |
Unsigned*
|
$1,500,000
|
---
|
|
21
|
Tigers |
P Ryan Perry |
$1,480,000
|
$1,480,000
|
$0
|
|
22
|
Mets |
SS Reese Havens |
$1,419,000
|
$1,430,000
|
-$11,000
|
|
23
|
Padres |
1B Allan Dykstra |
$1,150,000
|
$1,400,000
|
-$250,000
|
|
24
|
Phillies |
3B Anthony Hewitt |
$1,380,000
|
$1,380,000
|
$0
|
|
25
|
Rockies |
P Christian Friedrich |
$1,350,000
|
$1,350,000
|
$0
|
|
26
|
D'Backs |
P Daniel Schlereth |
$1,330,000
|
$1,330,000
|
$0
|
|
27
|
Twins |
P Carlos Gutierrez |
$1,290,000
|
$1,290,000
|
$0
|
|
28
|
Yankees |
P Gerrit Cole |
Did Not Sign
|
$1,260,000
|
---
|
|
29
|
Indians |
SS Lonnie Chisenhall |
$1,100,000
|
$1,230,000
|
-$130,000
|
|
30
|
Red Sox |
P/SS Casey Kelly** |
$3,000,000
|
$1,200,000
|
$1,800,000
|
NOTES: * = The August 15 signing deadline does not apply to college seniors like Fields, only underclassmen. ** = Two-sport contract. MLB rules permit teams to spread out payment of the signing bonus over five years with respect to two-sport athletes. Otherwise, the bonus must be paid in full by the end of the calendar year of the year following the year in which the player was drafted (within 1.5 years). ^ = Bonus was part of major league contract.
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