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| Ball Hurls Ball (Star Press Photo) |
The Red Sox are
not the only top-ten picking team that hasn't signed their first-round draft pick. In fact, only
two of the top ten picks have inked deals with their drafting teams—Colorado signing Oklahoma RHP
Jonathan Gray (#3 overall) for $4.8 million and Kansas City signing HS second baseman
Hunter Dozier (#8 overall) for $2.2 million. The Boston choice at #7 was HS LHP
Trey Ball—who is slotted in at $3,246.5 million. Things have been strangely silent on Yawkey Way regarding Ball—although the player has expressed excitement about joining the organization rather than honoring his commitment to play for the University Texas. Reports suggest that the Sox are angling to sign Ball for less than the slot figure (perhaps $3 million) so they can free up extra money to sign HS catcher
Jon Denney, an elite player they did not expect to have available for their third round pick. Denney is committed to play for the University of Arkansas, and may need to be wooed beyond his relatively low slot figure of $671,200. The Red Sox already signed their second pick, Seminole State CC RHP
Teddy Stankiewicz, for $129,600
less than
his slot figure.
