Draft Deadline Update

MLB 2010 Draft signing deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, August 16

■ The best draft dealine preview you'll find (Baseball America Podcast)

• Jason Adam, Royals: "I think they'll definitely get that done"
  
• Nick Tepesch, Rangers: "I don't know how much the team thinks he's worth . . . he has developed asmuch as people hoped. He's guy, depending on what's he's ofered, who might get as much going back for another year."
  
• Matt Stites, Cubs: "One of my favorite pitchers "

■ Pressure rises as signing deadline looms (CollegeBaseball.Rivals.com)

Missouri hopes pitcher Nick Tepesch decides to return for another season. Tepesch, who has loads of potential, could benefit by returning. For now, though, the talented pitcher has a tough decision to make. The 14th-round pick by the Rangers is said to be 50-50 between returning to college and signing. He’s expected to be a deadline decision.

■ Rangers sign Jackson: What does it mean for Tepesch? (RockMNation)

• Bid Head: If the Rangers really wanted to sign Nick, they would have done it already since Nick really doesn't have much leverage.
  . . .
  Basically, the Rangers have already pushed Tepesch back a year. With the Rangers already spending way over slot for their 1st two picks, I don’t believe the Rangers really want to pay over slot for Tepesch, which they’d have to do
  
• Uribe Auction: Vitello leaving means Tepesch is going to have a new pitching coach next year regardless of whether he goes back to Mizzou or signs with Texas. I guess I’d rather have a minor league pitching coach whom you have no relationship with than someone who may be a good college pitching coach whom you have no relationship with.

■ Moving draft signing deadline a future topic (mlb.com)

If the real negotiating doesn't take place until right before the deadline, why not have it on, say, July 15?

"I am all for moving up the deadline, but nothing is going to happen until 2012," one American League scouting director said. "I expect significant changes in the Draft to be part of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement."

It's true that no changes to the Draft process are likely to be made until the next CBA is agreed upon -- the current one expires in December 2011 -- and most of the Draft-related focus will likely be centered around bonus slotting. But there are several reasons why teams would be in favor of truncating the signing period even further.

The biggest, and most often mentioned, advantage, would be the potential of getting players into systems more quickly. If a player signs on Aug. 15 or 16, he'll usually go to the Instructional League and perhaps play in a few games somewhere before the season ends. With a July 15 deadline, even a player who waits to the very end to sign can get six weeks of professional experience under his belt.