2012 Draft: Final Signings

The final signings came in and the Giants were able to sign all their first ten rounds of picks, and 28 of their first 29.  The big signings was finally getting #2 Martin Agosta and #3 Mac Williamson to sign on their respective dotted lines.  However, they mostly struck out with their final picks, failing to sign any of their final 7 picks (including 4 high schoolers and 2 JCs).


Giants Thoughts


They ended up $56,200 over budget, resulting in a 75% fine for going over, but no loss of future draft picks. They finally signed #2 pick Martin Agosta (grew up Giants fan) and #3 Mac Williamson (wild swinging power hitter) by signing the former by about the same amount above as the latter by the same amount below (Agosta got $20,200 above his slot, or $612,500; Mac got $20,300 below, or $390,000).  Essentially, Agosta got what Mac was willing to give up.  


Given that the loss of a draft pick would have took another $50,000 or so, I don't see why the Giants just didn't give Agosta the amount they felt that Mac would eventually sign under for, in order to get him into professional ball sooner, rather than wait until the last minute.  The penalty for going over by that much is pretty much an immaterial accounting error in terms of size.  As long as they didn't go over the budget, they were fine.  


Though the similar could be said for Agosta, why did he have to fight for that final $20K?  That $20K extra just cost him extra development time he could have had right now.  It is not like he's a top prospect that far back in the draft, he will need all the development and training he can get, and hopefully start good professional habits this off-season, instead of waiting until next year.  If signing sooner, like Stratton, got him to the majors by even one month sooner, he would earn over $80K for that extra month of playing time.  Heck, if it got him to the majors even a week early, there's the extra $20K.  And after taxes and agent fee, he will probably net under $10K total.  I never understand prospects fighting for that final dollar when the amount is that small.

They also signed #4 Steven Okert for $29,900 below (or $270,000 with slot of $299,900) which covered the Giants going over on #6 Steve Johnson (nice reliever arm picked up late) with $180,000 vs. $168,300 slot.  Everyone else among the Top 10 picks were at slot except for the previously noted signing of Shilo McCall (doing well in rookie ball so far) for $74,400 over slot.  Given that equals the over-budget amount quoted by Baseball America, that implies that the Giants did not pay any pick above the 10th round over $100,000.

They signed more pitchers than position players again, with 16 pitchers, one pitcher/INF, and 14 position players (3 C, 1 C/3B, 1 1B/OF, 1 2B, 2 SS, and  6 OF) selected and signed.   Again, more pitchers than position players, even though the average major league team is composed of 13 position players and 12 pitchers.  They have been working the volume angle for pitchers for a long time.

There was 1 high school player and 30 college players.  Some have a problem with the lack of high school players, but with the two top international free agents signed by the Giants (Gustavo Cabrera and Natanael Javier), this does not bother me, they will probably have a great potential to do something than any of the high schoolers they could have potentially drafted after the 10th round.

I also expect the Giants to pick up some players as not drafted free agents, they usually try to sign some.  I think they have found a few promising prospect that way (only Jeremy Accardo comes to mind, though I'm not absolutely sure he was one, maybe it was another pitcher).