Alex White Signs

More on this soon, but 2009 1st round pick Alex White has signed.

EDIT: 12:18 AM: Baseball America is reporting White signed for $2.25M.

This is a deal that came down to the final hour, but still something was expected to get done regardless. This was typical agent-team-player drama carried out until the last possible moment for the player to get the last dollar or the team to hold strong to get the player cheaper. As mentioned previously, White was always expected to sign as the Indians drafted him with the intention of signing him and money would not be a hangup.

Here is the Indians press release:

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed RHP ALEX WHITE, the 15th overall pick of the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

White, 20, completed the 2009 season, his junior year at the University of North Carolina, going 8-4 with a 3.87 ERA (107.0IP, 93H, 49R/46ER, 44BB, 121K, .233 avg) in 16 starts for the Tarheels who advanced to the College World Series. The 6-3, 200-pound Greenville, NC native limited opponents to a .233 average against and in the Tarheels first game of the College World Series allowed just 1 run/earned on 7 hits in 9.0 innings while walking 3 and striking out 12. Following the season he was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference first team for the second consecutive season. Prior to the draft, White was ranked as the 6th best prospect (4th best pitcher) in the entire 2009 draft by Baseball America.

White was the 14th round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2006 draft out of D.H. Conley high School (Greenville, NC) before opting to attend the University of North Carolina. In 2008, he went 13-3 with a 2.83 ERA (101.2IP, 78H, 43R/32ER, 42BB, 113K, .215 avg against) in 20 games/15 starts for the Tarheels as he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year and a third team All-America by Baseball America.

“By reaching an agreement with Alex White, we feel that we have added a very talented, young pitcher into our organization,” said Cleveland Indians Director of Scouting BRAD GRANT. “Alex’s combination of power stuff, competitiveness, intelligence and overall athleticism made him an attractive draft pick for us, and we look forward to him beginning his career with us.”

The Indians signed each of their first 20 picks from the June First-Year Player Draft and 28 of their overall 50 selections.

Posted in: Alex White