Written by Greg Fertel
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10 August 2007
The signing deadline for 2007 draftees is only 5 days away, and a bunch of Yankee draftees remain unsigned. There is no reason to worry, as pretty much all signees who are going to be given bonuses exceeding the MLB's slot recommendation (read: a lot of the Yankee draftees) will be announced right around the deadline, as they have been held up by the commissioner's office. There are a lot of rumors floating around about who will or will not sign, and I will do my best to let you know what I've been hearing.
1st-round pick
Andrew Brackman remains unsigned, and the health of his elbow is complicating negotiations. However, Scott Boras has said that he believes the NC State hurler will get signed, and I believe him. I can't imagine the Yankees wasting a 1st-round pick on a guy they won't sign. I expect they will go over slot for Brackman, but he won't get the huge bonus he would have gotten if he had been healthy and effective this season. I doubt we'll see him pitch this season, and he will probably pitch in Hawaii this winter like Joba Chamberlain did if his elbow is healthy. 90% chance this gets done.
2nd-round pick
Austin Romine was supposed to be an easy sign all along, but as of yet no deal has been announced. The catcher from El Toro HS was supposed to be a candidate to sign for slot money, but maybe he has raised his price. I imagine he will sign, if there is not a deal already in place. 95% chance he signs.
4th-round pick
Brad Suttle, 3rd baseman from the University of Texas, remains unsigned. He has a lot of leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore, and supposedly wants around a million dollars to sign. The Yanks seem to be committed to signing Suttle, who is probably the top offensive prospect that they drafted. While negotiations may still be going on, it seems like this deal will get done, and maybe Suttle will report to Staten Island, Charleston or the GCL after the deadline. 90% chance Suttle is a Yankee.
6th-round pick Chase Weems, catcher from Columbus HS, has apparently agreed to an over-slot deal that will give him a bonus equivalent to 3rd-round money, more than double the slot recommendation. This deal sounds like it is done already, although we may have to wait until August 16th to know for sure. Weems and Romine could join
Jesus Montero as young talented catchers in the low minors, and will no doubt have to compete with each other. 99% chance this happens.
8th-round pick Taylor Grote, outfielder from Woodlands HS, has also reportedly agreed to an overslot deal double the slot recommendation for his draft position. The signing is probably held up in the commissioner's office, but I expect Grote will be a Yankee come August 16th. 99% chance he signs.
10th-round pick Carmen Angelini, a Barbe HS shortstop committed to baseball powerhouse Rice, has apparently agreed to a deal that will pay him around 750,000 dollars, sandwich round money, pending commissioner approval. The toolsy shortstop is the 2nd-highest priority sign among position players, and it's good to see that this one is apparently done. I'll give this one 99% as well.
16th-round RHP Daniel Mahoney apparently will not sign, and will be headed to UConn. 0%
18th-round pick Chris Carpenter from Kent State's status is still up in the air. He only made a few appearances in the Cape Cod League, and like Brackman, there are questions about his health. He is a draft-eligible sophomore like Suttle, although he missed a season because he had Tommy John surgery. He has a live arm, and could be another power pitcher in the Yankees' system if they give him the sandwich-round money it will reportedly take to sign him. I'm not sure if the Yankees want to take the risk on his health, and his asking price might have increased, but I think it's worth taking a flier on a pitcher with Carpenter's potential. The sides have been talking, but they have not agreed to terms. I think there is a chance he signs, I'll call it 45% at the moment.
24th-rounder Greg Peavey, from Hudson's Bay HS, is another tough sign who is represented by Boras, and he has a commitment to National Champion Oregon State. The Yankees have been monitoring him as he pitches in summer ball, but they have not agreed to a deal. He may want sandwich-round money, and possibly as much as a million. While I would love the Yanks to add another young power arm, Peavey seems like he wants to go to Oregon State, and I'm not sure if he's good enough to justify overpaying him to buy him out of his commitment. It could still happen, but I'll give it a 30% chance.
34th-round pick, HS pitcher Drew Storen, does not seem likely to sign. He is committed to Stanford, which hasn't lost a recruit in a long time, and I expect he will end up going to college. I'll give this one a 3% change of happening.
35th-round pick Greg Holle, a TCU recruit from New York, is an intriguing prospect both as a pitcher and outfielder. While there hasn't been much noise about him signing, I haven't heard anyone say that he has ruled out signing with the Yanks. The fact that he is a New Yorker may give the Yanks an advantage. I'll call this one a 51% chance of signing, and I hope they can bring this intriguing athlete into the fold.
38th-round pick Erik Komatsu, who is transferring from Junior College to Cal-State Fullerton, is not expected to sign. 5% chance he does.
39th-rounder Eric Thames, outfielder from Pepperdine, is also unlikely to sign. I'll give this one 5% as well.
40th-rounder Luke Murton, a draft-eligible sophomore, will not likely sign, and will look to improve his value next season. 3%.
45th-rounder, the switch-pitcher Pat Venditte from Creighton, is not likely to sign, although it hasn't entirely been ruled out. 10% chance this happens.
I'll update this if I hear any news, and obviously we'll report any signings as soon as they are officially announced. I'm hoping for another good haul for Oppenheimer and Cashman.
