It's 2am and I can't stop reading all the stuff that's out there on the draft signings. The back and forth, the suspense, the intrigue! It's riveting stuff. There's usually some back and forth between the draftees and their drafters but the team wants the player and (most of the time) the player wants to play and/or get paid. So the problems usually fix themselves by midnight. But not always. Tyler Beede turned down a reported $2.3 million offer from Toronto and Senquez Golson opted for college instead of accepting millions of clams from John Henry. Can you imagine being offered $2.5 million and turning it down? I mean, I had fun in college too, but do these kids know there is drugs* and sex** after college?
*By "drugs" of course I mean Tylenol and Vitamin C.
**By "sex" of course I mean sex.
Link time!
Signing day: the day that actualizes draft day. While you were sleeping Theo Epstein went out and dropped $10,625,000 on the 2011 draft class. To put that into context, that's ten one million dollar ducks with over half a mill left over for gas and cheetos. Instead of the ducks though, the Sox netted themselves some organizational depth. Last night the Sox signed:
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First round pick Matt Barnes - Barnes is a starter from the University of Connecticut. He was a senior so his leverage was limited. Still, it wasn't like he got pocket change. Dude signed for $1.5 million. The Red Sox received this pick for losing Victor Martinez to Detroit this past off season.
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First round pick Blake Swihart - A switch hitting high school catcher with the bat and athleticism to play elsewhere should he need to be moved, Swihart was going to be a tough sign (i.e. expensive) from the beginning. The reason: he had a commitment to play at the University of Texas and, as a high schooler, he could use the threat of going to college as leverage. Also, and don't undersell this reason, he's really good. Swihart picked up $2.5 million. The Red Sox received this pick as compensation for the loss of Adrian Beltre to the Rangers.
- Supplemental round pick Henry Owens - Owens is a projectable (i.e. he's going to get better/bigger/stronger) high school lefty pitcher. The comp I've heard associated with Owens is Jon Lester, which I'm going to tell you right now isn't true. Owens isn't Jon Lester II. But, he could be very good. The Sox bet $1.55 million on it. The Owens pick also came from the loss of Martinez to the Tigers.
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Supplemental round pick Jackie Bradley - When Bradley signed, the Globe's Peter Abraham tweeted him to ask if he had any comment for the paper. He said, and I quote, "Eat more chicken! (chick-fil-a) :)". AWESOME! Bradley slipped in the draft after a sub-par season at South Carolina partially brought on by a wrist injury. People thought could make him a top fifteen pick before his mediocre season dirt bombed that idea. He's still got the talent though, and the Sox spent $1.1 million to see if they can develop it into an All Star center fielder. The 40th overall pick used to select Bradley was the second pick received from the loss of Adrian Beltre to Texas.
- Fourth round pick Noe Ramirez - Ramirez is a starting pitcher who combines the make up and drive of Pedro Martinez and Nolan Ryan with the power of a Sandy Koufax and Justin Verlander and the finesse of Greg Maddux. Or not. He'll get $625K.
- Fifth round pick Mookie Betts - Betts was the consolation prize when Senquez Golson decided he wanted to go to college. He's a high school shortstop full of athleticism. He'll get about $700K for his troubles.
- Seventh round pick Cody Kukuk - Another projectable lefty starter from high school because, really, you can't have too many of those around. They are the proverbial box of chocolates. For the record, WEEI.com's Alex Speier mentions Jon Lester in his write-up on Kukuk.
The one that got away may turn out to be eighth rounder Senquez Golson who was wrestling with a scholarship offer from his hometown Ole Miss University to play football and baseball. The Sox got Golson up to Boston to talk and presumably take a physical, a prerequisite to complete a deal, but at the end Golson decided he wanted to play football for Ole Miss.
Finally, ProJo's Brian MacPherson takes a look at last year's first round pick, Colbrin Vitek. Vitek's hitting is coming around but apparently he plays third with the dexterity and effectiveness of a poached elephant. Or if you prefer, me. I'm paraphrasing.