View full sizeShortstop Francisco Lindor received a $2.9 million signing bonus from the Indians Monday as the team's top draft pick.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It took almost $5 million and every tick on the clock to the midnight deadline late Monday, but the Indians signed their first two picks in the June draft.
High school shortstop Francisco Lindor received a $2.9 million signing bonus, while Dillon Howard, a high school right-hander from Searcy, Ark., received $1.85 million. Both bonuses were well above the recommended slotting prices. The slotting price for Lindor was $2.043 million. It was $545,400 for Howard.
Lindor and Howard had bargaining power. Lindor had a free ride to Florida State, while Howard had signed a letter of intent to attend Arkansas.
The only unsigned pick among the Indians' first 10 choices was left-hander Stephen Tarpley. The Indians drafted Tarpley, another high school senior, out of Gilbert (Ariz.) High School with their eighth-round pick. He has a scholarship offer to Southern California.
The Indians had until midnight to reach agreement with all their unsigned picks.
Lindor came to the United States from Puerto Rico when he was 13. He played shortstop at Montverde Academy in Florida. Many high school players are drafted as shortstops, but eventually change positions.
The Indians feel Lindor is talented enough to be an everyday shortstop in the big leagues.
"He has the ability to stay at shortstop," said Brad Grant, Indians director of amateur scouting, the day they drafted Lindor in June.
Baseball America's scouting report says he has a line-drive swing from both sides of the plate with smooth and fluid actions defensively. There are questions of just how much power he'll generate.
He had committed to play college at Florida State, but his father, a former semi-pro baseball player, is suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. His sister has multiple sclerosis.
In his senior year at Montverde, Lindor hit .528 (28-for-53) with 31 runs, six homers, 13 RBI and 30 stolen bases.
Howard is a right-hander from Searcy (Ark.) High School. He usually throws between 92-94 mph with sink. The Baseball America scouting report said command can be sometimes be a problem. He's played catcher, shortstop and third base as well. His curve and change-up need work, but he does have a feel for both pitches.
Howard had committed to play college at Arkansas. Standing 6-4 and 210 pounds, he was 9-1 with a 0.31 ERA, allowing two earned run in 58 innings. He struck out 115 and walked 25 in 12 starts this year at Searcy.
The Indians completed the night by signing 18th round pick Shawn Armstrong, a right-hander from East Carolina University, for $325,000. The Indians signed 17 of their top 19 picks. Overall, they signed 29 of the over 50 players they drafted.
The Indians entered deadline Monday having already reached deals with third-round pick RHP Jake Sisco, Merced (Calif.) College, $325,000; fourth-round pick C Jake Lowery, James Madison, $220,000; fifth-round pick RHP Will Roberts, University of Virginia, $150,000; sixth-round pick OF Bryson Myles, Stephen F. Austin (Texas) College, $112,500; seventh-round pick C Eric Haase, Divine Child (Westland, Mich.) High School, $580,000; ninth-round pick 3B Jordan Smith, St. Cloud (Minn.) State, $125,000 and 10th-round pick RHP Jeff Johnson, Cal Poly State, $100,000.
The Indians also signed 18th-round pick Shawn Armstrong, a right-hander from East Carolina before Monday's deadline.
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