Alright, so with the signing bonuses rolling in, let's do some math and figure out how the Astros are doing financially with the new system:
Total Bonus Pool: $11,200,000 to spread over 11 players.
Committed Bonuses: $5,150,000 (Correa, Phillips, Minor)
Other signees, at slot: $889,900 (Rodgers, Aplin, Bircher)
Total bonuses: $6,039,900
Recommended bonuses for unsigned players: $2,754,800
If we add up the total bonuses (again, we're having to guess at Rodgers, Aplin, and Bircher), both committed and recommended, we get $8,919,700 - or $2,280,300 under the allotment. So it's possible that the Astros could bump McCullers' offer up to $2.5m and still have $1,039,000 left to go after the prep unsignables (Ruiz, Virant, Hinojosa, Traver). Also, keep in mind that if the Astros do not sign Ruiz, they lose the $360,200 recommended for his draft position.
10th Rounder Joe Bircher was a senior (as is 7th Rounder Preston Tucker), so it's doubtful they signed right at slot, likely giving more wiggle room to the numbers.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
