Weaver signs deadline deal

[volzok]

CHICAGO -- The Angels and Jered Weaver came to terms at the 11th hour.

With Monday's 9 p.m. PT deadline looming, Weaver, whom the Angels selected 12th overall in last year's First-Year Player Draft, agreed to terms on a Minor League deal. Details of the contract were not disclosed.

"It has taken a while, but finally, at the deadline, we got a deal done with Jered Weaver," general manager Bill Stoneman said.

Negotiations were lengthy and really did not begin in earnest until early this year. By Spring Training, it appeared the chance of the two sides finding a common ground and coming to terms was remote, as a reported $2 million gap remained on a Major League contract. Weaver and his agent Scott Boras dropped their asking price further. Stoneman, however, would not increase the team's offer of $5.25 million.

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Baseball America

Minutes before the midnight Eastern Time deadline before they would have re-entered the draft, 2004 first-rounders Jered Weaver and Stephen Drew agreed to terms late Monday night and ended the longest holdouts in draft history.

Weaver, a former Long Beach State righthander selected 12th overall by the Angels, accepted a $4 million bonus pending a physical. Los Angeles scouting director Eddie Bane said Weaver likely would begin his pro career at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga.

"Now everybody's happy," Bane said. "We can just talk about baseball now. We're pretty excited."

Drew, a former Florida State shortstop, signed a five-year big league contract with the Diamondbacks, who took him 15th. Drew will receive a $4 million bonus over to be paid over four years and is guaranteed a minimum of $5.5 million. He also can make another $2 million in incentives that a source close to the negotiations describes as easily attainable.

[volzok]

I had to edit it b/c after I posted I saw that Drew signed too. Very interesting moves right before the deadline.

[love_that_reefer]

Well its about ****ing time. Look at where these primadonnas will be in five years. I am guessing on the bench.

[Witlon]

Those signing bonuses would've been cut in half had they waited.

Good move to get signed by the players, and the teams certaining got solid talent for the cash.

[Slyder]

Those signing bonuses would've been cut in half had they waited.

Good move to get signed by the players, and the teams certaining got solid talent for the cash.

I dont usually like to quote John Kruk but this one time is appropriate. Baseball is the only sport where you get to the penicle and take a pay cut.

The baseball setup of a draft is a joke. The agent is a joke for making his clients miss a whole year. The players are a joking for thinking the clubs were going to blink and give them more. You have teams that are passing on top talent because they are afraid of them not signing b/c of the agent, the draft is suppose to give the worse teams help. Most of them are your poorer teams that dont have the money idiots like Boras demands so they take their #2,3,4,5th option thats not what the draft is suppose to be.