Astros sign 5 more players In addition to Abraham Toro and Ryne Birk, Chad Donato (11), Kevin Hill (25), and Ian Hardman (36) have signed. I can no longer update the OP. Forrest Whitley has also signed. Bold: Has signed, or has given indications that he will sign Name stricken through: Player will not sign Status as of June 22 Round 1, Pick 17: Forrest Whitley, RHP, Alamo Heights High School (San Antonio); signed for $3,148,000 ($643,800 over slot recommendation) Round 2, Pick 61: Ronnie Dawson, OF, Ohio State (JR); signed for $1,056,800 (full slot value), to Tri-City Round 3, Pick 97: Jake Rogers, C, Tulane (JR); signed for $614,000 (full slot value), to Tri-City Round 4, Pick 127: Brett Adcock, LHP, Michigan (JR); signed for $430,000 ($29,700 below slot) Round 5, Pick 157: Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B, Seminole State College (Oklahoma) (JUCO FR); signed for $250,000 ($94,300 below slot value) Round 6, Pick 187: Stephen Wrenn, CF, Georgia (JR); signed for $257,900 (full slot value), to Tri-City Round 7, Pick 217: Tyler Buffett, RHP, Oklahoma State (JR) Round 8, Pick 247: Nick Hernandez, RHP, Houston (JR); signed for $125,000 ($51,600 below slot) Round 9, Pick 277: Ryan Hartman, LHP, Tennessee Wesleyan (SR); signed for $10,000 ($154,900 below slot), says he's heading to Tri-City Round 10, Pick 307: Dustin Hunt, RHP, Northeastern (JR); signed for $135,000 ($21,600 below slot) Round 11, Pick 337: Chad Donato, RHP, West Virginia (JR); signed for $100,000 (slot value for rounds 11-40) Round 12, Pick 367: Carmen Benedetti, LHP, Michigan (JR); signed for $100,000 (slot value for rounds 11-40) Round 13, Pick 397: Ryne Birk, 2B, Texas A&M (JR) Round 14, Pick 427: Carson LaRue, RHP, Cowley CC (JUCO SOPH) Round 15, Pick 457: Alex Degoti, SS, Barry (SR) Round 16, Pick 487: Spencer Johnson, LF, Missouri State (SR); to Greeneville Round 17, Pick 517: Brian Howard, RHP, Texas Christian (JR) Round 18, Pick 547: Colin McKee, RHP, Mercyhurst (redshirt JR); to Greeneville Round 19, Pick 577: Taylor Jones, 1B, Gonzaga (SR) Round 20, Pick 607: Louis-Philippe Pelletier, 2B, Seminole State College (Oklahoma) (JUCO FR) Round 21, Pick 637: Chuckie Robinson, C, Southern Mississippi (JR) Round 22, Pick 667: Ray Henderson-Lozano, C, Grayson College (JUCO SOPH); signed for $100,000 (slot for rounds 11-40), says he's heading to Greeneville Round 23, Pick 697: Tyler Britton, RHP, High Point (SR) Round 24, Pick 727: Troy Sieber, 1B, Saint Leo (JR); signing on Saturday, to GCL Round 25, Pick 757: Kevin Hill, RHP, South Alabama (redshirt SR) <strike>Round 26, Pick 787: Avery Tuck, CF, Steele Canyon High School (Spring Valley, California)</strike> Round 27, Pick 817: Nathan Thompson, LHP, Oklahoma Baptist (SR) Round 28, Pick 847: Johnny Ruiz, 2B, Miami (JR) Round 29, Pick 877: Elliott Barzilli, 3B, Texas Christian (JR) Round 30, Pick 907: Brody Westmoreland, 3B, College of Southern Nevada (JUCO SOPH) Round 31, Pick 937: Howie Brey, LHP, Rutgers (SR) Round 32, Pick 967: Darius Vines, RHP, St. Bonaventure High School (Ventura, California) Round 33, Pick 997: Toby Handley, CF, Stony Brook (JR) Round 34, Pick 1027: Stijn van der Meer, SS, Lamar (SR) Round 35, Pick 1057: Nick Slaughter, C, Klein High School (Klein) Round 36, Pick 1087: Ian Hardman, RHP, Seminole State College (Oklahoma) (JUCO SOPH) <strike>Round 37, Pick 1117: Anthony DeFrancesco, 3B, Red Mountain High School (Mesa, Arizona)</strike> Round 38, Pick 1147: Chaz Pal, OF, South Carolina-Aiken (SR) Round 39, Pick 1177: Tyler Wolfe, IF, Kansas State (SR) Round 40, Pick 1207: Lucas Williams, RHP, Central Missouri (SR) Undrafted Free Agents Sean Stutzman, LHP, Dallas Baptist Reggie Johnson, RHP, Hampden-Sydney College Devin Raftery, RHP, Nova Southeastern Devon Carr, LHP, Florida Atlantic The First 10, with Slot Values Round 1, Pick 17: Forrest Whitley, slot value $2,504,200 (signed for $3,148,000; $643,800 over slot) Round 2, Pick 61: Ronnie Dawson, slot value $1,056,800 (signed for slot) Round 3, Pick 97: Jake Rogers, slot value $614,000 (signed for slot) Round 4, Pick 127: Brett Adcock, slot value $459,700 (signed for $430,000; $29,700 below slot) Round 5, Pick 157: Abraham Toro-Hernandez, slot value $344,300 (signed for $250,000; $94,300 below slot) Round 6, Pick 187: Stephen Wrenn, slot value $257,900 (signed for slot) Round 7, Pick 217: Tyler Buffett, slot value $193,300 Round 8, Pick 247: Nick Hernandez, slot value $176,600 (signed for $125,000; $51,600 below slot) Round 9, Pick 277: Ryan Hartman, slot value $164,900 (signed for $10,000; $154,900 below slot) Round 10, Pick 307: Dustin Hunt, slot value $156,600 (signed for $135,000; $21,600 below slot) Total bonus pool: $5,928,300 Bonuses for the first 10 (9/10 signed): $6,026,700 Remaining pool as of 6/22: Exceeded pool by $98,400 Breakdown 29 College (16 juniors, 11 seniors, 1 redshirt junior, 1 redshirt senior) 6 Junior College (4 sophomores, 2 freshmen) 5 High School By position 13 RHP: Forrest Whitley, Tyler Buffett, Nick Hernandez, Dustin Hunt, Chad Donato, Carson LaRue, Brian Howard, Colin McKee, Tyler Britton, Kevin Hill, Darius Vines, Ian Hardman, Lucas Williams 6 OF: Ronnie Dawson, Stephen Wrenn, Spencer Johnson, Avery Tuck, Toby Handley, Chaz Pal 5 LHP: Brett Adcock, Ryan Hartman, Carmen Benedetti, Nathan Thompson, Howie Brey 4 C: Jake Rogers, Chuckie Robinson, Ray Henderson-Lozano, Nick Slaughter 4 3B: Abraham Toro-Hernandez, Elliott Barzilli, Brody Westmoreland, Anthony DeFrancesco 3 2B: Ryne Birk, Louis-Philippe Pelletier, Johnny Ruiz 2 1B: Taylor Jones, Troy Sieber 1 IF: Tyler Wolfe Remember, college seniors are not subject to the signing deadline. The Astros can negotiate with them up until one week before the 2017 draft. The signing deadline is Friday, July 15. Baseball America/Perfect Game Top 500 Players 1. Forrest Whitley (BA #18, PG #18) 2. Ronnie Dawson (BA #53, PG #143) 3. Jake Rogers (BA #95, PG #70) 4. Brett Adcock (BA #224, PG #249) 6. Stephen Wrenn (BA #212, PG #129) 7. Tyler Buffett (not ranked by BA, PG #142) 8. Nick Hernandez (not ranked by BA, PG #277) 10. Dustin Hunt (BA #345, PG #291) 11. Chad Donato (BA #351, PG #316) 12. Carmen Benedetti (BA #275, PG #144) 13. Ryne Birk (BA #481, not ranked by PG) 14. Carson LaRue (not ranked by BA, PG #471) 16. Spencer Johnson (not ranked by BA, PG #401) 17. Brian Howard (BA #276, PG #385) 26. Avery Tuck (BA #177, PG #93) Where are the high school/JUCO players committed? I'm trying to dig for this. Forrest Whitley - Florida State Abraham Toro-Hernandez - unknown Carson LaRue - Houston Louis-Philippe Pelletier - unknown Ray Henderson-Lozano - Oral Roberts Avery Tuck - San Diego State Brody Westmoreland - Central Florida Darius Vines - unknown Nick Slaughter - Houston Anthony DeFrancesco - Gateway CC (Phoenix) Ian Hardman - unknown Players in College World Series 7. Tyler Buffett (Oklahoma State) 17. Brian Howard (TCU) 28. Johnny Ruiz (Miami) 29. Elliott Barzilli (TCU) Where they're headed Tri-City Ronnie Dawson (2) Jake Rogers (3) Brett Adcock (4) Stephen Wrenn (6) Ryan Hartman (9) Carmen Benedetti (12) Ryne Birk (13) Alex DeGoti (15) Taylor Jones (19) Chuckie Robinson (21) Kevin Hill (25) Stijn van der Meer (34) Greeneville Spencer Johnson (16) Colin McKee (18) Ray Henderson-Lozano (22) Tyler Britton (23) Nathan Thompson (27) Howie Brey (31) Chaz Pal (38) Tyler Wolfe (39) Lucas Williams (40) Devin Raftery (NDFA) Sean Stutzman (NDFA) Devon Carr (NDFA) GCL Forrest Whitley (1) Chad Donato (11) Louis-Philippe Pelletier (20) Troy Sieber (24) Brody Westmoreland (30) Ian Hardman (36) Reggie Johnson (NDFA)
Assuming Whitley and Buffet sign for slot, the team could offer a guy like Tuck $753,515 ($100K pool allotment + $357,100 savings + 296,415 5% overage) plus college education. That is early 3rd round money. I'm guessing Whitley is after more than slot.
In a draft like in 2016 where Mickey Moniak went number #1, Forrest Whitley can claim that he is the most talented & highest upside player in the draft. Luhnow's comments and the way Astros drafted in Top 10 rds, makes me believe that Whitley is looking for 3 million.
So of the remaining guys: Whitley: probably going to require overslot, but still likely to sign Buffett: in CWS, likely to sign LaRue: may require overslot, 50/50 Howard: may require overslot given how he's pitched in the CWS Britton: not sure what the hold up is Ruiz: probably won't sign Barzilli: probably won't sign Vines: not sure what his plan is, but unlikely to sign Handley: will sign Vendermeer: will sign Slaughter: UH Pal: will sign Wolfe: will sign Williams:will sign
I'm guessing that the Astros and Whitley had an agreement prior to the Astros drafting him. Most of the first round picks have yet to sign. If anything other than exactly at slot, Whitley agreed to less than slot.
If Tuck is good at math, he will sign for the $750,000. If not, he will get three years in college to work on his math skills Early third round implies about top 100 talent in a given draft. I am guessing that it is less than a 50/50 proposition that Tuck is till a top 100 talent after three years in college.
There are four HS draftees not yet signed: Round 1, Pick 17: Forrest Whitley, RHP, Alamo Heights High School (San Antonio) Round 26, Pick 787: Avery Tuck, CF, Steele Canyon High School (Spring Valley, California) Round 32, Pick 967: Darius Vines, RHP, St. Bonaventure High School (Ventura, California) Round 35, Pick 1057: Nick Slaughter, C, Klein High School (Klein) Whitley will sign. I suspect one of the following three HSers will sign. The Astros will offer Tuck their max available. If Tuck does not bite, the Astros will then try Vines at a lesser offer. Most of the unsigned 11-40 (except the HSers) picks will sign if they want to play baseball professionally. Players like Ruiz and Barzilli are juniors and can return to school for their senior years, but likely not increase their prospect status to get drafted in the top 10 rounds next year.
I'm sure they do have a basic agreement. My view on Whitely wanting more than slot has to do with drafting guys later under slot may have been for him. I don't think the amount would be severely over, but wouldn't surprise me if it was looking for a couple of slots up. He definitely should take the money, unless he somehow just wants to experience being on a college baseball team. The smart money decision is to take the cash. He was ranked 177 by BA for this draft, which is 6th round value.
If Tuck gets offered anything over $300k and turns it down, he's making a bet on himself he's likely to lose.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> just annouced they signed 1st-round pick <a href="https://twitter.com/ForrestWhitley">@ForrestWhitley</a>, a RHP from Alamo Heights. Press conference at noon. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBDraft?src=hash">#MLBDraft</a></p>— Angel Verdejo Jr. (@ahverdejo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ahverdejo/status/745645438800257024">June 22, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">1st-rder Forrest Whitley signs w/<a href="https://twitter.com/astros">@Astros</a> for $3,148,000 (pick 17 = $2,504,200). Texas HS RHP, physical 6-ft-7, 92-97, power curve. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBDraft">@MLBDraft</a></p>— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcallisMLB/status/745657630950039552">June 22, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
