LaPorta Actually Does Sign Today (Monday the 25th)

[tigerbrew]

Looks like the Brewers have not sign LaPorta yet according to Adam McCalvy Link

[colbyjack]

We weren't kidding when we said the signing would be bumped back to early next week.

[Never Outhustled]

BA now has Laporta listed as signed, for $2 mill. That would be full slot value. I guess Boras worked his magic again, as seniors don't usually get full slot value.

[1e Corbeau]

From the FL Today article at the top of the thread:

 

Quote:

---

LaPorta didn't want to say what his signing bonus was. The last three players chosen No. 7 in the draft received bonuses of $2.3 million.

---

 

If he signed for $2M, isn't that technically 15% below slot? Which fits in nicely with you're "Brewers are cheap" theory, X. ;-)

 

Conversely, they did cough it up for Gindl and there are certainly some candidates for over-slot bonuses.

 

I'm looking forward to the International Free Agent signing period, too. Anyone know when, who the big names are, and if we're going to do that discussion here or in the Minor League Forum, as in the past?

[Never Outhustled]

If he signed for $2M, isn't that technically 15% below slot? Which fits in nicely with you're "Brewers are cheap" theory, X. ;-)

 

MLB decreased slot value by 10% this year. Kershaw got slightly overslot last year at the 7th spot, and 7th pick Homer Baily got even more than 5th pick Mark Rogers in 2004, throwing the numbers out of wack. $2 million was the 7th pick slot and reported here.

 

Conversely, they did cough it up for Gindl

 

Gindel got a bonus of $144,900, which was %10 less than the same selection received last year, which is slot value.

 

there are certainly some candidates for over-slot bonuses.

 

Do you mean we might sign someone to an overslot bonus, or we already did? I don't see any evidence that we signed anyone yet to an overslot bonus yet. Hopefully we still do, considering we didn't have a 2nd round pick this year.

[1e Corbeau]

Touche. I wasn't sure if there was an official slo listing, or if it was solely based on historical data. I didn't know about the 10% reduction goal, either. Thanks for both of those.

 

As for Gindl, I thought I saw it reported as higher than the $144,900 that was later reported, perhaps in a local, hometown daily article on him. I thought is was mentioned at $200k, but I cannot find a link or article to back up the faulty memory.

 

As far as my last comment in the previous post, I meant there are some candidates for over-slot money, that we have yet to sign. I'm specifically thinking about Scarpetta, Hawn, Bell, Hague, Reid, and Zarraga--the late rounders who might honor 4-yr college commits, on whom we took a gamble.

 

I agree it would be nice to pony up to add some more exciting young talent into the system, but I am tempered, as we spent a lot on DFEs and I'd like to know what's out there in Latin America, too.

[Mass Haas]

You're looking for this article which was linked in the Minor League Transactions thread earlier:

 

www.pensacolanewsjournal....30350/1002

 

Gindl signed a contract -- a package of more than $200,000 -- with the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday and reported to the team's rookie club Monday in Phoenix.

 

That basically would be the value of schooling the Brewers include in most high draft pick packages. Even at the lower pick levels, schooling is normally included, if I'm not mistaken, it's predicated dollar-wise on the cost of a state school public education generally.

[mls4]

Powell mentioned on the Brewers' broadcast today about Baseball America reporting that LaPorta has signed. The Brewers have not announced- waiting to announce once they are back home- but Powell thinks LaPorta will be at Miller Park tomorrow.

[Never Outhustled]

I find it odd Laporta's signing hasn't been announced today. In the past, it was always announced before the game, wasn't it?

[JoeHova]

I'm with X. Is there any word on what's going on?

[And That]

Maybe they are either:

 

a) Waiting til the middle of the game to announce it, so they can trot him out at some point for the crowd already there to see Yo pitch something else exciting; or,

 

b) Waiting until tomorrow so they can have the Yo thing one day and the LaPorta thing the next day.

 

Either way, I wish they'd get it over with so he can, you know, play baseball.

[colbyjack]

It should still happen within the next day or two. It seems as though a few details are being worked out, but the signing should happen during the Giants series, and by the end of the week for sure.

[tigerbrew]

The LaPorta signing is very close now according to MJS Link

The money part has been agreed with Boras, now they're working on the "language" of the contract.

 

Quote:

---

The Brewers are closing in on a deal with first-round draft pick Matt LaPorta, a first baseman out of the University of Florida who will move to left field. Negotiations between the club and agent Scott Boras have reached the "language" stage, with the money already agreed upon.

 

LaPorta is expected to sign at or near the $2.07 million bonus recommended by MLB for the seventh pick overall.

 

"Financially we're on the same page," Boras said. "We've been talking for a few days. I think we're close."

 

As is their custom, the Brewers will bring LaPorta to Milwaukee to work out and meet reporters before assigning him to rookie ball.

 

"Everything is positive right now," scouting director Jack Zduriencik said. "We're moving forward."

---

[JoeHova]

Still nothing, huh? I was really hoping he'd get right out there and start playing.

[splitterpfj]

jsonline says "they're close."

 

This is reminding me of the earliest days of Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase as anchor of "Weekend Update"....

 

"Our top story tonight, General Elisimo Francisco Franco is still dead."

[SheetsCyYoung04]

If Boras wants to play hard ball, let him. What we get pick 7b next year if he doesnt sign? Somehow, I dont see Laporta getting 2.1 million if he re-enters the draft.

[tigerbrew]

An update on MJS Link. Jack Z hopes to have Laporta signed within the next 24 to 48 hours.

 

Quote:

---

Any day now:Jack Zduriencik, the director of amateur scouting, said he hoped something would break "in the next 24 to 48 hours" as the Brewers attempt to sign first-round pick Matt LaPorta, an outfielder from the University of Florida.

---

[brewmann04]

Only 3 out of the top 20 Not signed not very Bad for the Crew.

It looks like Laporta should be signed any day hopefully and that will Leave # 11 Scarpetta( who looks like a NO Sign) and # 18 Bramhall who should be signed now that the Rice Season has Ended.

[lithium75]

If there happens to be any Boras fans out there, this should put him over the top as the worst thing to happen to sports...ever. Man, who else would take more than a week to argue over "Language" of a contract? I understand that the "Language" part of a contract is very important, but just sit down for a good 3 hour lunch and hammer it out.

 

There are still 24 hours in a day, and i doubt that the contract is not 600 pages long. How long does it take? If Boras cared at all about his client, the thing would have been done already and LaPorta would have a week's worth of experience in W Va or Helena.

[AJhawk50]

LaPorta signs! Text as follows:

 

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers have signed 2007 First-Round Draft Pick Matt LaPorta to a contract, it was announced today by Special Assistant to the General Manager/Director of Scouting Jack Zduriencik. The signing marked the 29th of the Brewers 46 draft picks during the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

LaPorta, a senior at the University of Florida, is a two-time SEC Player of the Year (2007 and 2005). This past season, he hit .402 with 20 home runs, 52 RBI and 55 walks. He was a member of the 2005 USA Baseball National Team and was recently named a finalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award given to the nation's premier amateur baseball player.

 

LaPorta was a four-year letterwinner at Charlotte HS (Fla.) and earned second-team All-State honors as a senior in 2003. LaPorta was selected in the 14th round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft and in the 14th round of the 2003 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago Cubs, but did not sign.

 

 

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p&c_id=mil

[dpapo]

A little more information from JSOnline. I guess I should have known that he signed today since I will be at working till 8 (7 Central time) and will probably miss the interview they have with him on the Brewers pre-game show. Assuming they have an interview with him, which I would expect.

Should we mentioned his signing on the Major league section since more people check that out.

 

The Brewers today announced the signing of first-round draft pick Matt LaPorta, a first baseman at the University of Florida who will be shifted to left field.

 

LaPorta was expected to work out with the Brewers this afternoon before their game against Houston.

 

No terms were announced but LaPorta was believed to have signed at or near the $2.07 million recommendation by Major League Baseball for his slot in the draft.

 

The Brewers took LaPorta, 22, with the seventh pick of the first round of the June draft. They coveted his power enough to forget about his position in college and plan a move to the outfield.

 

LaPorta, who returned to Florida for his senior season after an injury caused him to slip to the 14th round last year, batted .402 with 20 home runs, 52 runs batted in and 55 walks for the Gators in 2007. He is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award given to the nation's top amateur player, which will be announced Friday.

 

LaPorta, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound right-handed hitter, struck out only 16 times in 169 at-bats. He had a .579 on-base percentage, tops in the nation, and .817 slugging percentage.

 

He led the nation with 26 home runs as a sophomore in 2005 before an oblique injury curtailed his production last year.

 

www.jsonline.com/watch/?w...7&id=25522

[gregmag]

Lithium, I have no love for Boras, but I have to take issue with your post on a few levels.

 

First, I'm sure I'm not the only lawyer on the board who can tell you war stories about complicated negotiations over contractual language. Language is what a contract is, and a contract where this kind of money changes hands has a lot of language in it, all of which means something to one party or the other.

 

Second, why do you assume the fault here lies with Boras? Maybe Boras told the Brewers exactly what LaPorta wanted, and the Brewers needed time to run it through their legal, financial, and baseball filters. As in any sports negotiating relationship, ownership is the party with a complex corporate structure, not the player.

 

Third, before I accept that anything players or their reps ever did is "the worst thing to happen to sports, ever" (and I'd nominate strikes and foot-dragging on drugs ahead of Boras), I'll have to get past the decades of the reserve clause, hijacking cities for stadium boondoggles, and the color line -- all the work of ownership. I don't see that happening any time soon.

 

Greg.

[brewmann04]

If the Brewers caan get their 11th and 18th Pick we would have our top 20 signed.Any chance will see either one signed soon?