2012 Indians Draft: Signing deadline day

UPDATE: The Indians signed 11th round pick outfielder Logan Vick for $125K right before the 5:00PM ET deadline.

Today is the MLB Draft signing deadline (5:00pm ET). The Indians have now signed all of their top ten round picks and have 25 of their 40 picks in the fold.

It is sort of an anticlimactic day since all of the big signings have been made and there is very little the Indians can do to add much, but they still have the means to add another player or two or three today. Still, what a drastic change to the signing process this year and deadline day as the past three years it had been mass hysteria around the industry on this day.

If you have been following the signing updates the past month here at the IPI, you found out about almost every signing the Indians made two to three days - sometimes a week - before it was announced anywhere else. Today this final signing update is non-premium and I am just going to run down the gauntlet of the remaining picks and also note what – if anything – the Indians can do today.

- The Indians have about $220K leftover in bonus pool money that they can still spread as they please among any unsigned picks. The limit for post-10^th round picks is $100K, and after that the amount is subject to a tax and potential loss of a first round pick. The Indians absolutely do not want to be taxed or lose a pick, so with that in mind they are confined to signing any remaining players up to $100K and can pull from that $220K “bank” they have to cover any overage to any players signed today.

- It should be noted that while the $220K is the reported amount they have left over from their bonus pool, it is possible that it is a little less as it is not known if 15^th rounder catcher/first baseman Nelson Rodriguez received more than a $100K bonus or if any other post-10^th rounders may have as well. Most if not all probably fell at $100K or below, but Rodriguez could be one that may have eclipsed that amount.

- Assuming the $220K amount is correct, the Indians could throw that entire amount at one player and offer up a $320K signing bonus to them. Looking at what is out there, that is just not going to be enough to sign the likes of 26^th round RHP Justin Garza, 30^th round pick SS Josh Lester, or 33^rd round pick SS Cory Raley as all of them wanted well over that amount. Maybe one of them surprises, but it is very doubtful. Where that $320K could come into play is signing guys like 11^th round pick OF Logan Vick, 17^th round pick OF Andrew Calica, and 19^th round pick RHP Colyn O’Connell. To me at least, these are the other guys left unsigned that could command six figures and be “big” signings today.

- The Indians could also split up that $220K amount over a player or two. For example, if they wanted to sign two guys they could give one guy $250K and another $170K. Or if they wanted to sign three guys they could give one $200K, another $150K, and the other $170K.  There are lots of scenarios at play here, although, again, most of the heavy lifting has been done with signing guys as 25 picks have been signed so I am not sure if they really want to sign 27 or 28 players. I think they at most add two more players today.

- It should be noted that sometimes a last minute decision can change things. Last year, when the Indians lost out on Dillon Peters and Stephen Tarpley on deadline night, the Indians gave a last minute offer to Shawn Armstrong right before the deadline and signed him. He had previously declined to sign and was set to go back to school, but then a last minute $325K offer later, he was an Indian.

- Here is the status of the unsigned 15 picks going into today:

• 11^th round pick OF Logan Vick: Reports initially said he would sign, and I still think there is a good chance he does.
• 17^th round pick OF Andrew Calica: I have not heard much if anything on him, which leads me to think he goes to school.
• 19^th round pick RHP Colyn O’Connell: He said he wants a sizable bonus to sign. Whether $320K is up his alley or the Indians even want to go that high is the question.
• 25^th round pick RHP Cameron Cox: He said he is not signing and is going back to school.
• 26^th round pick RHP Justin Garza: He declined a big offer from the Indians, and is going to school.
• 27^th round pick RHP Ray Castillo: Last I heard he was still weighing his options. He could be a sleeper signing today.
• 28^th round pick INF Joshua Pigg: He said he is not signing and will attend junior college in the fall.
• 29^th round pick LHP Randall Fant: Not much is known on his status, but at this point he looks like he is returning to school.
• 30^th round pick SS Josh Lester: He wants big money and is very committed to Missouri (he’s already there and in class). Not signing.
• 31^st round pick OF Dan Holst: He is very committed to Texas A&M and probably won’t sign.
• 32^nd round pick INF Paul Hendrix: He could be one of those last minute signings and for $100K or less.
• 33^rd round pick SS Cory Raley: Like Lester and Garza, he’s almost unsignable unless the Indians want to pay a tax and maybe lose a pick. Not happening.
• 34^th round pick CA Matt Fultz: Likely to go to college and improve his draft standing.
• 37^th round pick OF Jacob Morris: Not much has been heard about him, but he is another last minute possibility that should not cost a lot.
• 40^th round pick OF Anthony Hawkins: He said he is not signing and is going to see how things go next year after a healthy year in junior college.

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