Scott Griggs is the most recent draftee to sign. The eighth-round pick out of UCLA signed today for slot amount ($135,100).
The Dodgers' bonus pool was set at $5,202,800. So far, they've spent $2,340,500. The team has yet to sign first-round pick Corey Seager and second-round pick Steven Rodriguez.
Seager's slot amount is $1.95 million. Rodriguez's slot amount is $610,800. Rodriguez was overdrafted for sure, but if he signs for less than slot, it might be worth it.
If Rodriguez does, it allows the Dodgers to give a little more money to Seager, who, as a high schooler, has the option to go to college. He's committed to the University of South Carolina.
Here's a list of the Dodger draftees (in the first 10 rounds) who have signed so far.
| Round | Player | Slot | Bonus | Savings |
| 1s | Jesmuel Valentin | $984,700 | $984,700 | $0 |
| 3 | Onelki Garcia | $420,300 | $382,000 | $38,300 |
| 4 | Justin Chigbogu | $305,700 | $250,000 | $55,700 |
| 5 | Ross Stripling | $228,900 | $130,000 | $98,900 |
| 6 | Joey Curletta | $171,600 | $171,600 | $0 |
| 7 | Theo Alexander | $144,600 | $144,600 | $0 |
| 8 | Scott Griggs | $135,100 | $135,100 | $0 |
| 9 | Zachary Bird | $126,100 | $140,000 | ($13,900) |
| 10 | Zach Babbitt | $125,000 | $2,500 | $122,500 |
| Total | $2,642,000 | $2,340,500 | $301,500 |
Thank you Zach Babbitt for saving the Dodgers a ton of money in this draft. The Academy of Arts "star" was massively overdrafted.
The only player the Dodgers have had to spend more than the recommended amount for was Zachary Bird, the first high school pitcher the team selected in the 2012 draft. He wasn't expected to sign for the slot amount, but the Dodgers got themselves a nice deal. Some have (lazily?) compared him to Edwin Jackson.
So, let's say Rodriguez signs for $500,000 (hopefully that's conservative). That means the Dodgers would be able to offer Seager as much as $2,362,300. They could even offer him at least a couple hundred thousand more without any draft pick penalty.
The biggest surprise might be Garcia's less than slot signing. He was ineligible for the draft last year and was said to be seeking a $7 million bonus. The Dodgers selected knowing full well Garcia wouldn't get anywhere near that amount. But I'm not sure they knew he'd sign for less than slot. That could end up being a steal.Some of the first nine picks have already made their debuts in the Pioneer League with the Ogden Raptors or with the Arizona League Dodgers.
The Dodgers are in good shape. Even if Rodriguez signs for slot, the Dodgers can still offer Seager a deal worth about $2.25 million. So, those concerned the Dodgers might not sign their first-round pick, I'd breathe easy.
Before too long, Seager will sign and make his debut shortly after. I'd like to see him begin in Ogden, but I could see him beginning with the AZL Dodgers.
The Dodgers have also signed 16 of their 30 selections after the 10th round. High schoolers Josh Henderson, Kevin Maxey and Cuban left-hander Alfredo Unzue remain some of the biggest names unsigned. The only player who has said he will not sign is Korey Dunbar. He's a catcher from Nitro High School in West Virginia. It'd be a big shock if he ends up signing.
The Dodgers are doing an admirable job in the first year of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The signing process is vastly different than it has been in the past.
The Dodgers once paid Andy LaRoche a $1 million bonus as a 39th-round pick. Those days are long gone.
Here's to getting Seager signed and a few of the later-round guys under contract soon.
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My latest at Chad Moriyama is my scouting report on Garrett Gould. Here's an excerpt:
"For Gould, his success depends on his fastball velocity. During the 2010 season, his velocity sat more in the upper-80s than the low-90s, but in 2011, he was closer to the low-90s on a consistent basis. When I saw him live, he was sitting between 87-91 MPH with his fastball, and he threw his two-seamer in the 86-88 MPH range. He touched 91 MPH with hi four-seamer and generally sat around 88-90 during his five innings of work. To be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with his fastball. He located it well at times, but it also got him into a little trouble during the game. His control was adequate, but he walked three batters in his five innings."
Photo credit: Courtesy of Perfect Game
Isn't $1 million to a 39th round pick still possible since the bonus pool is only for the first 10 rounds.
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