All you draftniks: Calm down!

Posted by Andrew Baggarly on July 24th, 2008 at 4:18 pm | Categorized as Uncategorized

I'm getting a lot of breathless-sounding emails from some of you worrying about the fact that none of the Giants' top four draft picks have agreed to terms yet. The group includes fifth-overall pick Buster Posey, supplemental first-rounder Conor Gillaspie, third-rounder Roger Kieschnick and fourth-rounder Brandon Crawford.

Here's what I know: All are believed to want more than their slot value because each of them perceived that they should have been taken higher. Posey nearly went to Tampa Bay with the first overall choice, then won the Golden Spikes award. Gillaspie thought he should've been a first-rounder and was so disappointed he declined to take part in a conference call with reporters on draft day. Kieschnick was supposed to have gone in the sandwich round, and Crawford was talked about as a potential first-rounder before a terrible showing in the Cape Cod League.

I can understand the nerves here. The Giants were touted as having one of the strongest hauls of any team, and because all four players are college juniors, they could be in position to help the big league club in the nearer term. (And we all know, the club needs a lot of help.) I know you want to see these guys signed, sealed and on the field as soon as possible.

My advice: Take a deep breath. Now repeat.

While the Giants have no official update and player personnel director Bobby Evans has been very careful to avoid characterizing negotiations, the fact is that college juniors almost always sign. Other than nobly working toward a degree, there's no incentive for them to go back to school. I guarantee you all four of them want to play. Plus the Giants are pouring resources into player development, so they aren't going to pinch pennies. They aren't dumb. They know what's at stake. So I'd venture to say it's a 99 percent certainty that all four will agree to terms before the Aug. 15 deadline.

That said, it's a dance. These guys won't see significant major league money for many years, and that's if they have successful careers. This is their shot to max out and get a nice nest egg to sustain them for years. It takes time for the whole process to play out.

Usually, teams don't give out 2008 contracts to a player who signs closer to the deadline. So expect them to sign 2009 deals, participate in instructional league and report to full-season affiliates next year.

• http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2008/07/24/all-you-draftniks-calm-down/