Three First-Round Picks for the Price of One

When Brian McTaggart and Zach Levine reported on the Astros' signing of Rio Ruiz Monday, they both emphasized that Jeff Luhnow had achieved the team's goal of signing three first-round type players. 

The bountiful haul of potential was accomplished in large part when Houston signed their first pick Carlos Correa for a reported $2.4 million under the amount that was allocated by MLB for the pick.  This savings was in turn used to bring in Ruiz, Lance McCullers and on a smaller scale sixth round pick Brett Phillips.

Ruiz, who was selected in the fourth round, signed for $1.85 million(almost $1.5 over his slotted amount).  Ruiz's bonus was equal to the amount allocated for the 20th pick in the FIRST ROUND.  McCullers signed for $2.5 million, which was approximately double his budgeted amount as a supplemental first round selection.  His actual signing bonus fell between the amounts for a 12th and 13th pick in the FIRST ROUND.

The club's thriftiness in signing the first over-all pick also allowed them to get a potential fourth-round talent in the sixth-round of the draft.  Brett Phillips, a sixth-round selection, signed for $300,000(about $100,000) over his slotted amount.  The amount Phillips signed for is equivalent with a fourth-round draft pick's budgeted signing bonus within MLB's guidelines.