Yankees sign first round pick Heathcott

Lane Meyer at NoMaas is reporting that the Yankees have signed first round draft pick Slade Heathcott. Meyer spoke to Heathcott directly and was told that the bonus he received exceeds $2 million.

After the Yankees failed to sign last year's first round pick Gerrit Cole, this is certainly good news.

For more on Mr. Heathcott, here is his scouting report.

Update - 11:45 a.m.: Jim Callis (via River Ave. Blues) is reporting Heathcott's bonus was almost double the slot money MLB recommends.

Yankees draft someone named Slade Heathcott

I’m not even going to pretend to know anything about Slade Heathcott.  The Yankees drafted him with the 29th overall pick.

Here is the MLB.com scouting report on the outfielder:

Hitting ability:
Heathcott has plus hitting ability from the left side of the plate.

Power:
He has plus power to all fields.

Running speed:
Even with a knee brace, he showed above-average speed.

Base running:
Has great instincts on the bases and will be a base-stealer in the future.

Arm strength:
Also clocking in at 95 mph in the past off the mound, his arm from the outfield is a big plus.

Fielding:
He's a plus defender who can play all three outfield positions well.

Range:
His speed and his instincts allow him to cover a lot of ground.

Physical Description:
Heathcott is muscular with broad shoulders and a v-cut torso.

Medical Update:
He had ACL reconstruction surgery in November and has been playing with a knee brace, but shows no ill effects. He recently sprained a shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield, but sustained no structural damage.

Strengths:
Plus tools across the board. Intense competitor with instincts beyond his years.

Weaknesses:
There are some off-the-field issues that concern some. His makeup on the field is fine, but his character is the question.

Summary:
Heathcott is a very interesting high school outfielder with plus tools across the board. Even after November ACL surgery, he runs extremely well, has a plus arm from the outfield and can really hit for average and power from the left side of the plate. He's an intense competitor, but there is some concern over character issues off the field. The team that gets those questions answered could be the one to take him on Draft Day.

Draft Day

Today is draft day, called by some to be one of the most exciting days in baseball.

I'll be the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about the draft. While I admire those who keep up to date with the best high school and college prospects, I just don't care that much.

That said, the draft begins at 2:00 and you can follow everything here and watch the first round coverage on ESPN2.

With the, uh, 30th pick of the 2007 MLB draft...

...the Yankees select RHP Andrew Brackman (pictured) from North Carolina State. Being as I know nothing about college baseball, I will let the 2007 MLB draft report do the talking. Click on the link, read his scouting report and watch the video.

You can read this too.

Bud Selig is the most awkward man in America

The MLB draft on ESPN2 is great television. This is the first year the draft is being televised, and of course, some of the top players are in attendance.

When they get drafted, they go up on the stage, put on their new team's hat, hold up a jersey with the used car salesman, er, baseball commissioner Bud Selig (pictured), shake his hand and take pictures with him.

I feel bad for the draftees. This is the biggest day of their lives and they have to take the most awkward pictures with the most awkward man in America. Their day is pretty much ruined at that point. He's like that embarrassing uncle that you only see once or twice a year, but you dread it nonetheless.

This is worth watching just to see Selig announce the names of players you've never heard of. I guess there was a reason why this was never televised before. When he retires in 2009, they should hire a more TV-friendly commissioner, at least for the players' sake. Entertainment-wise, I want Selig to stay on forever. Hearing him say, "The Texas Rangers are on the clock" is music to my ears.