Yankees Still Looking to Sign Heathcott

The Yankees and their first round draft Slade Heathcott are working this weekend to iron out a deal. I asked Slade how things stood:

"Were trying to work things out right Now we will know for sure on monday(sic)".

Monday is, of course, the deadline for signing 2009 draftees. Buck Showalter, for one, thinks the "slotting of money" is causing teams and their picks not to find common ground. On Baseball Tonight earlier this evening, Buck feels that this year's draft and lack of signings will change the way the amateur draft is conducted.

Yankees Draft Recap - Lucky 7

We've told you about Zachary "Slade" Heathcott, very cool name by the way. Here is a little about the Yankees next 6 picks.

76. John Murphy R/R Catcher - The Pendleton School, Bradenton, FL

Baseball America -Scouts were split this spring on whether or not Murphy can stick behind the plate. If he can’t, Murphy can play outfield and has some upside in the bat.

135. Adam Warren R/R RHP - UNC

Baseball America - North Carolina righthander Adam Warren to the Yankees. Warren pumps his fastball up to 93 mph regularly, sits average with it and his slider and has solid-average command of both pitches.

165. Caleb Cotham R/R RHP - Vanderbilt

Baseball America - Tough sign alert—Vanderbilt eligible sophomore righthander Caleb Cotham went to the Yankees near the end of the fifth. Cotham made some money with a complete game effort in the Louisville regional. At his best, he’s a power sinker-slider pitcher, with his slider reaching 87 mph in shorter outings.

195. Robert Lyerly S 3B - UNC-Charlotte

Transferred from Campbell U after frosh season.
Enquirer Journal (registration req'd) - Lyerly led the 49ers with a .401 batting average, 18 doubles, .725 slugging percentage, .493 on-base percentage. He also had 12 home runs and 49 RBI, ranking second on the team in both categories.

Lyerly also finished off the season with a career-high 25-game hit streak.

225. Sean Black R/R RHP - Seton Hall U.

Baseball America - Sean Black was a second-round pick out of high school in 2006, but he turned down an over-slot bonus offer from the Nationals to go to Seton Hall. He was the highest-drafted player who didn’t sign that year, and you have to question the wisdom of that decision now, at least from a financial perspective (though certainly there is inherent value in the college experience). Just about as expected, Black slipped to the seventh round this year, going No. 225 overall to the Yankees. He won’t get nearly the offer he turned down three years ago.

255. Samuel Elam L/L LHP - Notre Dame

Was chosen by Baseball America as their top Big East draft prospect for the 2008 draft (ranking prior to '07). Hard thrower with control problems.

285. Gavin Brooks L/L LHP - UCLA

A teammate of the Yankees #1 pick last year, Gerrit Cole. Averaged 8 strikeouts per 9 innings in his first two years in college. Way too many walks though.
The College Baseball Blog - Has struggled some in college primarily due to a torn rotator cuff he suffered in high school.

More later