MLB Draft 2013: Red Sox 1st-round pick Trey Ball to sign Wednesday

The Red Sox will sign their first pick from the 2013 MLB draft on Wednesday, reports WEEI's Alex Speier. Trey Ball, the seventh-overall selection, passed his physical on Monday, and is expected to officially sign on Wednesday before he is introduced.

Speier cites multiple sources, with those same sources also telling him that Ball's deal -- as expected -- will come in under slot. While it's not expected to be hugely under slot, it should be, in combination with second-round pick Teddy Stankiewicz's below-slot bonus, enough to cover the above-slot payment to third-round pick Jon Denney. Denney received $875,000, while he was projected for just $671,200 as the #81 pick in the draft.

MLB Draft 2013: Where does Trey Ball rank in the Red Sox system?

Boston's first-round selection has some impressive company in a talented farm system.

If he is indeed signing under slot, that pushes the Red Sox' draft budget even further below where it could be, as they entered the day $237,900 under budget. Combine that with the near $342,000 they have to work with before they are penalized a draft pick for going over budget as well as whatever amount Ball's bonus comes in under slot, and the Red Sox have plenty of financial flexibility left to them to sign the remaining four picks from their first 10, as well as maybe a few over-slot deals for picks from the latter rounds.

As for Ball, there's no word on where he will begin the season. As a high school arm, though, it's likely to be the Gulf Coast League, or, if the Red Sox are in a pushing mood, short-season Lowell and the New York-Penn League.

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