Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers are doing some work when it comes to getting their draft picks signed. While three players picked in the first five rounds remain unsigned, they’ve set themselves up pretty well to get them inked.
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| Round | Player | Slot | Bonus | Savings |
| 1 | Kody Hoese | $2,740,300 | $2,740,300 | $0 |
| 1c | Michael Busch | $2,312,000 | unsigned | ? |
| 2c | Jimmy Lewis | $793,000 | unsigned | ? |
| 3 | Ryan Pepiot | $571,400 | $547,500 | $23,900 |
| 4 | Brandon Lewis | $430,800 | $372,500 | $58,300 |
| 5 | Jack Little | $321,100 | unsigned | ? |
| 6 | Aaron Ochsenbein | $249,000 | $72,500 | $176,500 |
| 7 | Nick Robertson | $195,700 | $177,500 | $18,200 |
| 8 | Ryan Ward | $163,400 | $160,900 | $2,500 |
| 9 | Alec Gamboa | $150,100 | $17,500 | $132,600 |
| 10 | Zac Ching | $142,300 | $2,500 | $139,800 |
| 11 | Logan Boyer | $125,000* | $297,500 | ($172,500) |
| Total | $8,069,100 | $4,388,700 | $376,800 |
If Busch and Little sign for about slot, the leftover savings could be used to get Lewis signed. As their lone prep player drafted in the top 20 rounds, it’d be difficult to see the Dodgers let him get away. But it also means they probably won’t go much over the $125,000 mark in the remaining round 11-40 guys because they can’t afford it without going too far over. Boyer might end up being their big post-10th round signee.
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Let’s review the rules behind the draft signing bonus pools.
The picks within the first 10 rounds get a slot amount allotted to them, and they must be signed in order for their slot amount to go towards the overall bonus pool. If a draftee in the first 10 rounds does not sign, teams lose that signing bonus from their overall pool (like what happened with J.T. Ginn last year). Additionally, if any picks from rounds 11-40 or undrafted free agents are signed for more than $125,000, the overage will count against the bonus pool. And here’s how the overage penalties shake out.
| Overage (percentage) | Penalty (taxed amount) |
|---|---|
| 0-4.99 | 75 percent tax on overage |
| 5-9.99 | 75 percent tax on overage Loss of 2020 1st-round pick |
| 10-14.99 | 100 percent tax on overage Loss of 2020 1st- and 2nd-round picks |
| 15-plus | 100 percent tax Loss of 1st-round picks in 2020 and 2021 |
The Dodgers can go up to $403,454 (5 percent, less $1) over their allotted slot amount of $8,069,100 without losing a draft pick. No team has ever exceeded this bonus pool since this system was implemented in 2012, and it isn’t going to happen now.
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The signing deadline is July 12 at 2 p.m. Here’s hoping for no drama this year.
