The MLB Signing Deadline is fast approaching as all teams have until midnight tonight to sign their draft picks or they will head to college for the 2012 season. Here is the latest news and notes from around the country from the weekend. We will have a new thread article up starting around noon on Monday with the latest news and notes from our team of reporters.
A couple of the big names have not signed including seven out of the top 10 players in our 2011 Preseason Top 100 list. The players unsigned are 1. Anthony Rendon (Rice), 2. Matt Purke (TCU), 3. George Springer (UConn), 4. Gerrit Cole (UCLA), 5. Jackie Bradley Jr., 6. Taylor Jungmann (Texas), and 9. Matt Barnes (UConn).
The biggest news of the weekend is the Philadelphia Phillies signing their compensatory round pick Larry Greene according to Baseball America’s John Manuel. He signed for one million dollars according to Jim Callis of Baseball America which is the largest outside of the first round. He had committed to Chipola College for the 2012 season.
The Toronto Blue Jays signed 53rd overall selection Dwight Smith Jr. the team announced on Sunday evening. Smith Jr., is the son of Dwight Smith who finished second in the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year race. Smith Jr. was committed to Georgia Tech.
Continuing with the Toronto Blue Jays news, they also announced the signings of third round pick John Stilson (Texas A&M), sixth rounder Anthony Desclafani (Florida), and eighth rounder Matt Biggs (Louisville signee).
Baseball America’s Jim Callis said that Kent State’s Andrew Chafin has signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon. It was quickly rebutted by the Diamondbacks scouting director Ray Montgomery that the two teams have not signed a deal according to Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro. (Tweet 1 | Tweet 2)
The Seattle Mariners announced the signing of catcher Tyler Marlette, a fifth-round draft pick out of Hagerty High School in Florida. He was signed with Central Florida for next season.
The Brewers still not have come to terms with their two top unsigned picks in Texas RHP Taylor Jungmann and Georgia Tech’s Jed Bradley. Both players are expected though to sign deals before the deadline tonight.
Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has a full list of the first round and compensation rounds pick that are not signed which can be checked out by clicking here.
I will be joined tomorrow by William Knox, Kat Cornetta, and Mark Rafferty will have updated coverage throughout the day on the latest signings with our twitter @CB_Daily, Facebook Page and updating our post throughout the evening. Feel free to tweet at us any questions or comments.
