Who Will Become a Pumpkin at Midnight?

With the deadline to sign 2011 draft picks rapidly approaching (midnight tonight), you can check Baseball America's free database for up-to-the-minute signings. The Yankees have inked the following prospects thus far:

1s. Dante Bichette, Jr.
4. Matt Duran
5. Greg Bird
7. Austin Jones
8. Phil Wetherell
9. Zach Arneson
11. Mark Montgomery
12. Cody Grice
13. Justin James
14. Rookie Davis
16. Brandon Pinder
18. Hayden Sharp
19. Ben Paullus
23. Corey Maines
24. Matt Tracy
25. Adam Smith

Yankees Draft Picks Sam Stafford and Justin James

As per Kirk Bohls of The Statesman:

Texas pitchers Cole Green and Sam Stafford have both reached terms on contracts with the major-league baseball teams that drafted them earlier this month, two sources told me.

Green, a senior right-hander, signed for about a $100,000 bonus with the Cincinnati Reds, who took him in the ninth round. Stafford, a junior left-hander with one year of eligibility left, signed with the New York Yankees, who picked him in the second round as the 88th pick of the draft.

One Longhorn source said Stafford signed for slot money and agreed to a $400,000 bonus.

Stafford features a mid-90s four-seamer and a big-bending curve, which work hand-in-hand with his inability to locate either within the strikezone. There's a great deal of upside here ... and an equally large amount of risk.

As per Kevin Levine-Flandrup:

The super intriguing 13th round #mlbdraft pick Justin James has signed with the #Yankees after taking his physical in Tampa today.

James is an ultra-toolsy prospect with plus speed and plus power potential. He's also incredibly raw, having given up baseball in his senior year of high school to focus on basketball. His father Dion played in the Majors for parts of eleven years, including four seasons with the Yankees (where he batted .302/.368/.410, good for a 111 OPS+).

(UPDATED) Yanks Sign Top Draft Pick

UPDATE: Mark Feinsand is now reporing that he signed for $750K.

ESPN New York is reporting that the Yankees have signed their No. 1 pick, Dante Bichette Jr., and have assigned him to the Gulf Coast League Yankees. The GLC Yanks begin their season on Monday.

A Couple Draft Links

Here are a few links I wanted to pass along to you guys. If you're interested in the draft, they're both worth checking out.

- The full list from of the Yankees picks from MLB.com.

- Yankees Vice President of Amateur Scouting Damon Oppenheimer had a conference call with the media today to discuss the draft. Chad Jennings has all the info from the call here. Lots of good info in that post... You can also listen to the interview over at NJ.com.

Draft Update: Yanks Take Dante Bichette Jr. With 1st Pick

Here is the press release from the Yankees:

The Yankees were drawn to a big league pedigree as they considered their first choice in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, using it to select third baseman Dante Bichette Jr. with the 51st overall pick.

The son of the former four-time All-Star of the same name, Bichette Jr. has some impressive credentials of his own. The Orangewood Christian (Fla.) High School standout is a two-time All-Central Florida Player of the Year.

"Dante is one of the guys in this Draft we thought had an impact bat and the potential to hit for big power in the middle of the order," said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' vice president of amateur scouting. "He's someone with an advanced makeup and work ethic who possesses the desire and drive to be a special Major Leaguer."

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Bichette Jr. batted a team-high .640 (55-for-86) with 58 runs, 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 30 games as a senior in 2011, as Orangewood Christian fell in the Florida Class-2A state finals.

The 18-year-old has already committed to the University of Georgia, where he would be in line to be the team's starting third baseman. However, the Yankees may have a leg up in convincing him to sign a professional contract instead.

Quotes from the experts:

John Manuel: "Big-time raw righthanded power for Bichette Jr"

Baseball America: "Dante Bichette, 3b, FL HS – A lot of movement in his swing but has toned it down, still producing big power; plenty of bat speed."

Frankie Piliere: “a little unorthodox at the plate” but “this kid can really hit.”

Here's an article on Bichette Jr. from Maxpreps.

And finally, some highlights of the kid and the MLB.com video of the pick and analysis: