Giants get their man....Nats sign Strasburg

I'M GOING TO WAIT 'TIL THE MIDNIGHT HOUR - E.D.T.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/17/SPAE199V02.DTL&feed=rss.giants

With four minutes to go before a 9 p.m. PDT deadline, the Giants announced they had signed first-round draft pick Zach Wheeler. Baseball America reported the bonus was $3.3 million.

I guess waiting until the last minute was worth it to Wheeler and his agent as they sign for $900K over the apparent slot level.

The Giants say in the article that Wheeler will not appear at the minor league level. They have previously reported that Buster Posey will not be brought up this year and I suppose they will also try not to rush Bumgarner as well.
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The Nats went to the wire but got their man as well, signing Stephen Strasburg for a reported 4 years, $15.1M.

In addition to Strasburg there was a late flurry of 1st round signings. And the after-party apparently was held at the Scott Boras Agency early this morning, according to ESPN:

Scott Boras represented six of the unsigned first-round picks, including Strasburg and the second, third, ninth, 13th and 30th selections.

In addition to Strasburg, he negotiated a $9.5 million five-year contract for Dustin Ackley, a North Carolina center fielder taken by No. 2 Seattle; a $3.25 million signing bonus for Donavan Tate, a center fielder from Cartersville High School in Georgia selected No. 3 by San Diego; a $5.5 million, six-year contract for Jacob Turner, a right-hander from Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri taken by No. 9 Detroit; and a $2.75 million signing bonus for Grant Green, a Southern Cal shortstop drafted No. 13 by Oakland.

Tate had planned to play football and baseball at North Carolina.

A source told ESPN's Steve Phillips that Strasburg will receive a $7.5 million signing bonus with $2.5 million paid 15 days after approval of the contract, $2.5 million paid in January 2010 and another $2.5 million paid in January 2011.

He is scheduled to receive a $400,000 salary in 2009, but that is prorated to approximately $100,000. He then will get a $2 million salary in 2010, $2.5 million in 2011 and $3 million in 2012.

The Texas Rangers failed to sign their first round pick HS LHP Matt Purke. The Kansas City Royals did not sign RHP Aaron Crowe, who is still eligible to sign having used up his college eligibility. The Rays also failed to sign their #1, HS 2B LeVon Washington.