When it comes to draft signings, a lot of emphasis is placed on how much money certain picks got and why.  With good reason, too - it can often explain why a draft pick went as high as he did or why another slid to the later rounds despite being a top talent.

However, another important indicator of a draft haul is the total amount of money a team spends on its draft class and its percentage above slot bonus.  The Red Sox, for one, did not hand out any extremely large contracts such as those given to Zach Lee of the Dodgers or Nick Castellanos of the Tigers, but spent the 3rd most money of any team in 2010, behind the Pirates and Nationals who each had a large chunk of their draft budget go to the #2 and #1 picks, respectively. 

Nick Castellanos got a record $3.45M signing bonus for a supplemental round pick from the Tigers

Similarly, the Yankees spent "only" $5.126M on their 2020 draft class, which would put them in the middle of the pack, but were 188% over slot value, good for fourth. 

The draft signing numbers are courtesy of Baseball America's Jim Callis who compiled the team numbers and plenty more.   For those of you who love to see the numbers behind baseball, especially as it pertains to money (like me), Jim's got a bunch of great charts to look at.

• Spending vs. Slots for the first 10 rounds
  
• Total draft bonus spending, 2008-2010
• Highest draft bonuses ever
• Largest contracts in draft history
• Highest bonuses by round, 2010

Players and teams agreeing to signing bonuses over the MLB slot recommendation is not something unusual for the first round, especially the top picks.  As of yet unsigned, guys like Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon and Manny Machado seem certain to sign for more than the MLB slot recommendations for the first through third overall picks.

The constant among the top picks, however, is that they are all likely to sign in some fashion.  On the rare instances when they do not, teams are compensated for their failure to sign a first round pick with a similar first round pick the next year. 

How much will it take for the Orioles to sign Manny Machado?

Where above slot signings become more interesting is with later round picks.  Often players with signability questions - particularly high school players who can go to college and re-enter the draft at a later date - slide in the draft because if teams select the players after the first round and do not sign them, they are left with nothing.  On the flip side, if a team can sign a player with a later round pick, they have a draft steal, so to speak.

Over the past week, a number of later round picks have signed for well over their slot bonus.  Jim Callis of Baseball America reported the signings with more information on each player in his posts.

• The Red Sox have signed high schooler (and Boston Celtic center) Kendrick Perkins to a $628K signing bonus.  Perkins was a sixth-round selection.

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We are eleven days after the 2010 draft and the signings continue to roll in.  There were a number of sandwich round picks who signed recently along with some first round signing rumors.

Check our signing bonus page for a complete list of first round signings.

• The Blue Jays signed The Citadel pitcher Asher Wojciechowski to a $814,500 signing bonus writes Jim Callis of Baseball America.  Wojciechowski was the 41st pick of the draft in the compensation round.

• Callis also reports that the 40th pick, high school outfielder Ryan Bolden got $15,300 more from the Angels, signing for $829,800.  
• The Blue Jays signed two more of their compensation round picks, high school pitchers Aaron Sanchez (34th) and Noah Syndergaard (38th) for less than slot money, writes Michael Huang of The Sporting News.  Each also got less than Wojciechowski, despite being picked ahead of him.  Sanchez signed for $775K while Syndergaard signed for $600K.
• West Virginia infielder and second round pick Jedd Gyorko signed with the Padres according to a team press release.  Terms were not disclosed.
• Similarly, the White Sox agreed to terms with second round pick Jacob Petricka, a pitcher from Indiana State, and pitchers Addison Reed (San Diego State) and Thomas Royse (Louisville) both third round picks. 
• Ball State outfielder Kolbrin Vitek's signing bonus with the Red Sox is reported as $1,359M.  Jim Callis notes that it is the same amount as the 20th pick in the 2009 draft, Chad Jenkins, received.  

It has been over a week since the first round of the 2010 MLB draft and a number of players have already agreed to terms with their teams, including a few first round players.  Let's take a look at who's signed.

Check our signing bonus page for a complete list of first round signings.

• The Rangers have agreed to terms with both of their first round draft picks: #15, outfielder Jake Skole and #22, catcher Kellin Deglan.  Skole received a $1.557M signing bonus while Deglan got $1M according to Michael Huang of The Sporting News.
• The 35th overall pick of the 2010 draft, high school shortstop Matt Lipka agreed to an $800K signing bonus with the Braves. 
• The Rays have signed high school catcher Justin O'Conner the 31st pick of the draft.  Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that the signing bonus is $1.025M.

• Jim Callis also reports that high school pitcher Jesse Biddle, the 27th overall pick, has agreed to a $1.16M signing bonus with the Philadelphia Phillies.
• Ball State outfielder Kolbrin Vitek, the 20th overall pick to the Boston Red Sox, has agreed to a signing bonus of "about $1.3M" according to Huang.
• The Red Sox have also agreed to terms with the 36th overall pick, Middle Tennessee State outfielder Bryce Brentz, for $892K according to Callis.

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For the first 32 picks of the first round of the 2010 MLB draft, click here.

33) Houston Astros: Michael Kvasnicka, Minnesota, C
34) Toronto Blue Jays: Aaron Sanchez, Barstow HS, RHP
35) Atlanta Braves: Matt Lipka, McKinney HS, SS
36) Boston Red Sox: Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee State

37) Los Angeles Angels: Taylor Lindsey, Desert Mountain HS, SS
38) Toronto Blue Jays: Noah Syndergaard, Legacy HS, RHP
39) Boston Red Sox: Anthony Ranaudo, LSU, RHP
40) Los Angeles Angels: Ryan Bolden, Madison Central HS, OF
41) Toronto Blue Jays: Asher Wojciechowski, The Citadel, RHP
42) Tampa Bay Rays: Drew Vettleson, Central Kitsap HS, OF
43) Seattle Mariners: Taijuan Walker, Yucaipa HS, RHP

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A review of the first round of the 2010 draft.

1) Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C
2) Pittsburgh Pirates: Jameson Taillon, The Woodlands, RHP
3) Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado, Brito HS, SS
4) Kansas City Royals: Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton, SS

5) Cleveland Indians: Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss, LHP
6) Arizona Diamondbacks: Barret Loux, Texas Tech, RHP
7) New York Mets: Matt Harvey, UNC, RHP
8) Houston Astros: Delino DeSheilds Jr., Woodward Park Academy, 2B
9) San Diego Padres: Karsten Whitson, Chipley HS, RHP
10) Oakland As: Michael Choice, UT-Arlington, OF
11) Toronto Blue Jays: Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, RHP
12) Cincinnati Reds: Yasmani Grandal, Miami, C
13) Chicago White Sox: Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast, LHP
14) Milwaukee Brewers: Dylan Covey, Marantha HS, RHP
15) Texas Rangers: Jake Skole, Blessed Trinity HS, OF

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We've presented mock drafts from a number of different writers and publishers and multiple versions of their mock drafts.  With just a few hours left before the draft, it is time for Baseball Rumor Mill's shot at a mock draft of tonight's first round.

1) Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C
Little left to say here as this pick is set in stone.

2) Pittsburgh Pirates: Jameson Taillon, The Woodlands, RHP
Multiple reports have the Pirates taking Taillon

3) Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado, Brito HS, SS
This pick is down to Taillon or Machado, whomever Pittsburgh doesn't take

4) Kansas City Royals: Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast, LHP
Rumors about a pre-draft deal with Yasmani Grandal are falling apart.  The Royals have been rumored to want to keep costs down anyway, so Sale makes sense.

5) Cleveland Indians: Yasmani Grandal, Miami, C
If the rumors about the Indians upping the Royals offer are true, Grandal will go here.

6) Arizona Diamondbacks: Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss, LHP
All reports have Pomeranz going here

7) New York Mets: Zack Cox, Arkansas, 3B
His rumored salary demands could send him tumbling, but the Mets have money and the big names have all gone in front of them.

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A few more last minute mock drafts to pass along in the hours ticking down before tonight's draft.  Frankie Piliere from AOL Fanhouse and Jonathan Mayo from mlb.com.

So what's interesting about their versions?

• Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon, Manny Machado, Yasmani Grandal, Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz go in order, #1 through #6 on both.  #1 through #3 seems fairly set in stone at this point, but Grandal to the Royals is anything but determined.  They've been rumored on Sale as well, so if they pass on Grandal, that'll affect the next 5-10 picks significantly.
• Mayo has the Reds taking Brett Eibner at #12.  Very high for the Arkansas product who has been left out of the first round of many mock drafts.
• Similarly, Piliere has the Reds taking OSU pitcher Alex Wimmers higher than expected at #12 too.  Wimmers has frequently been rumored to be headed to Minnesota at #21.  Mayo has Wimmers going #15 to Texas.

• Another new high placement is high school pitcher Jesse Biddle going to the Brewers at #14 according to Piliere.
• Piliere has the Red Sox taking LSU pitcher Anthony Ranaudo at #20, one of the most common rumors.  Mayo, does not, however, and goes with the second most common Red Sox rumor, Ball State 2B/OF Kolbrin Vitek.  Mayo does not have Ranaudo in the first round at all.
• Mayo has Arkansas third baseman Zack Cox going #7 to the Mets.  Pilere, however, supports our speculation that salary demands will send his draft stock tumbling and puts him at #22 to the Rangers.

Jim Callis of Baseball America and Keith Law of espn.com give their latest mock drafts of tonight's first round.  Here are some interesting aspects of each version.

• Both have Jameson Taillon going to the Pirates with the second pick.  This has been widely rumored this morning, culminating with Nick James of PNR Scouting saying he received a text saying a deal between Taillon and the Pirates has been consummated.  This almost certainly means high school shortstop Manny Machado will go to the Orioles with the third pick.

• Law has Miami C Yasmani Grandal going to the Royals at 4, but Callis has Kansas City taking Chris Sale.  Frankie Piliere from MLB Fan House tweets that the Indians are trying up the Royals rumored deal for Grandal in order to get him ate #5.
• Law has Texas A&M pitcher Barrett Loux going to the Diamondbacks at #6.  Certainly the highest we've seen him rumored.  Same with Law putting Delino DeShields Jr. to the Astros at #8.  Callis has the pair going #13 to the White Sox and #11 to the Blue Jays, respectively.

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Jonathan Mayo of mlb.com gives us his spin on how the first round of Monday's draft will play out.

1) Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C
2) Pittsburgh Pirates: Manny Machado, Brito HS, SS
3) Baltimore Orioles: Jameson Taillon, The Woodlands, RHP
4) Kansas City Royals: Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast, LHP
5) Cleveland Indians: Yasmani Grandal, Miami, C
6) Arizona Diamondbacks: Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss, LHP
7) New York Mets: Michael Choice, UT-Arlington, OF
8) Houston Astros: Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, RHP
9) San Diego Padres: Kolbrin Vitek, Ball State, 2B

10) Oakland As: Zack Cox, Arkansas, 3B
11) Toronto Blue Jays: Josh Sale, Bishop Blanchett HS, OF
12) Cincinnati Reds: Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee State, OF
13) Chicago White Sox: Barret Loux, Texas Tech, RHP
14) Milwaukee Brewers: Nick Castellanos, Archbishop McCarthy HS, 3B
15) Texas Rangers: Brandon Workman, Texas, RHP

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