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Most Of Rays Draftees Have Signed Deals

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 14, 2008

OAKLAND, Calif. - On any given night, Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison can go online, check the box score for the Princeton or Hudson Valley game, and feel pretty good about the work he and his staff did this year.

The deadline for signing players from the June draft is Friday, and only one high-profile Rays selection remains unsigned. Second-round pick Kyle Lobstein, the No. 47 overall choice, still hasn't officially come to terms but both sides expect a deal to get done by Friday.

"I definitely have confidence we're going to be able to agree to terms - it's just a matter of getting everything sorted out," Lobstein said Wednesday from his home in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Harrison expressed similar hopes about the left-hander out of Coconino High School.

"We're pretty optimistic about it," Harrison said, "but I'll feel better when we have a signed contract."

Both sides seem to be on the same page, but the holdup is that the Rays are prepared to pay Lobstein a signing bonus that exceeds MLB's recommended value for where he was picked.

Harrison wouldn't discuss numbers, but Lobstein is expected to receive around $1 million, which would be about $200,000 more than slot for the top of the second round.

"I understand there are hoops we have to jump through," Lobstein said.

The Rays understood they would have to go a bit higher to get Lobstein, who previously signed with the University of Arizona.

Once that deal is wrapped up, the Rays will have signed 26 of their top 28 picks from this year's draft. The only exceptions are 15th-rounder Brandon Meredith and 21st-rounder Ryan Carpenter. The Rays are still holding out hope Carpenter, a left-handed pitcher, might sign with them rather than enroll at Gonzaga University, but Meredith, a first baseman, has made it clear he intends to attend San Diego State University.

All in all, though, the Rays have few complaints.

"We're really happy with what's gone on," said Harrison. "If we have Lobstein signed by Friday, anything else is gravy."

Lobstein said he doesn't expect to make any starts this year once he signs because it has been so long since he pitched in a game, but he probably will join Princeton for the balance of the season just to get acclimated.

Most of the class of 2008, including top overall pick Tim Beckham, has been soaking up experience in the minor leagues for weeks now, laying the foundation for their first full professional seasons next year. Fourth-round pick Ty Morrison, who recently signed an over-slot $500,000 deal, made his pro debut Wednesday with Princeton, starting in center field and going 1-for-3.

Beckham has picked it up at the plate lately after a slow start, collecting his first home run Tuesday night, and others in the draft class are having all kinds of success.

Seventh-round pick Jason Corder is hitting .347 with 10 doubles and four homers for Hudson Valley, and third-rounder Jake Jefferies is hitting .301. On the pitching side, two lower-round picks have dominated in relief, with 25th-rounder Josh Satow going 3-0 with a 0.94 ERA for Hudson Valley and 26th-rounder Michael Jarman at 2-2 with a 1.82 ERA for Princeton.

The only real setback so far is a wrist injury to fifth-round pick Mike Sheridan that has limited the first baseman to 12 games for Hudson Valley.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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