Deadline to Sign Draft Picks Nears

Major league teams have until midnight Aug. 15 to sign their draft picks for 2008 and thus prevent them from going or returning to college. As of this writing, only four of the top 10 picks have signed on the dotted line.

Here's a quick rundown of the negotiation status for all 30 players selected in the first round.

1. Tim Beckham, SS, Rays: Beckham signed with Tampa Bay back in June, and is currently hitting .304 in rookie ball. He hit his first professional home run on Tuesday.

2. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pirates: These might be the most contentious negotiations of any in the draft. Alvarez wants a major league deal, which would put him on the 40-man roster immediately and accelerate his ascent to the major leagues, but so far Pittsburgh has been unwilling to offer him one. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the team is optimistic a deal will get done. Here's hoping a deal gets done. Signing Alvarez coupled with what the club did at the trade deadline would represent the first real progress toward winning in years in the Steel City.

3. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Royals: Widely considered the best high school hitter in the draft, Hosmer's adviser Scott Boras is reportedly seeking a $6 million bonus, twice the slot bonus recommended by MLB. It seems likely a deal will be worked out.



4. Brian Matusz, SP, Orioles: Matusz is in Baltimore to take a physical, though no official agreement has been reached. It's expected that the southpaw will receive a major league deal.

5. Buster Posey, C, Giants: The polished Florida State catcher is expected to get a $7.5 million bonus and a major league deal from San Francisco, though again no official agreement has been reached.

6. Kyle Skipworth, C, Marlins: The top high school catcher in the draft signed long ago and has hit .194 in his first 35 pro games in the Gulf Coast League.

7. Yonder Alonso, 1B, Reds: The Miami star is seeking a major league deal and a $7 million bonus. GM Walt Jocketty says Cincinnati is "50-50" to sign the slugger, but considering how much payroll the team has cleared by trading Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. in recent weeks, he has little excuse not to get a deal done.

8. Gordon Beckham, SS, White Sox: The Georgia infielder signed earlier this week. He'll debut with Kannapolis in the South Atlantic League later this month.

9. Aaron Crow, SP, Nationals: The right-handed pitcher has agreed to a contract with an independent team in preparation for the possibility that he won't get the major league deal that he covets from Washington. The Nats don't appear willing to budge and with the other nine of their top 10 picks already inked it seems possible a deal won't be worked out.

10. Jason Castro, C, Astros: Castro has already signed and has a .389 OBP in Short Season A-ball.

11. Justin Smoak, 1B, Rangers: Talks have progressed slowly but positively. There's no indication he'll return to South Carolina.

12. Jemile Weeks, 2B, A's: The brother of Milwaukee Brewer Rickie signed in late July and is playing well for Single-A Kane County.

13. Brett Wallace, 1B, Cardinals: Signed long ago, Wallace has been red-hot in his pro debut, posting a .969 OPS and pounding out 14 extra-base hits in his first 36 games.

14. Aaron Hicks, OF, Twins: Signed and hitting .312 in the Gulf Coast League.

15. Ethan Martin, SP, Dodgers: Has signed, but yet to make debut in GCL.

16. Brett Lawrie, C, Brewers: Signed, but might not make his pro debut this year because he is playing on the Canadian Olympic team in Beijing.

17. David Cooper, 1B, Blue Jays: The Cal product was one of the first players drafted in the first round to sign. He's hitting .336 across three different levels in the minors, and is likely to finish the season with High-A Dunedin.

18. Ike Davis, 1B, Mets: Signed and struggling through his first 40 games in Short-Season A-ball.

19. Andrew Cashner, SP, Cubs: Signed and has struggled in five professional appearances.

20. Josh Fields, RP, Mariners: Because Fields is a college senior and can not return to school, Seattle does not have to reach a deal with him by tomorrow night. Fields and the Mariners will come to a deal eventually, but it's unlikely he'll make his professional debut this year now.

21. Ryan Perry, RP, Tigers: Signed and has made eight appearances in the minors.

22. Reese Havens, SS, Mets: Like fellow Mets first-rounder Davis, Havens has signed and is playing for Single-A Brooklyn.

23. Allan Dykstra, 1B, Padres: Remains unsigned, and a spotty examination on the slugger's hip leaves San Diego and Dykstra far apart on a deal. Of all the first-rounders, Dykstra seems the most likely to return to school, perhaps hoping to go down the Matt LaPorta route and cash in at a higher draft slot in 2009.

24. Anthony Hewitt, SS, Phillies: Has signed, but is yet to really take off in the GCL.

25. Christian Friedrich, SP, Rockies: Has signed and been pretty impressive in his first seven starts.

26. Daniel Schlereth, RP, Diamondbacks: Signed and recently made his pro debut, pitching four scoreless innings so far.

27. Carlos Gutierrez, RP, Twins: Reliever has signed and been solid, but unspectacular in his first 10 professional appearances.

28. Gerrit Cole, SP, Yankees: Things just aren't going well for the Yankees in any facet right now. According to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, Cole, widely regarded as the best high school arm in the draft, will go to UCLA no matter what the Yankees offer him.

29. Lonnie Chisenhall, SS, Indians: Signed and already almost 50 games into his pro career.

30. Casey Kelly, SS, Red Sox: Signed and has made his pro debut as a position player, though the Red Sox will likely try and turn him into a pitcher as soon as next season.