Orioles close to signing top draft picks: What we know

By Jake McDonnell 

With Major League Baseball's July 12 cutoff date for clubs to sign 2019 draft picks two and a half weeks away, the Orioles appear close to signing their top two picks. 

Earlier today reports started swirling regarding the status of first-overall selection, Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman and second-round high school infielder Gunnar Henderson. Per MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman, Baltimore is close to reaching a deal with Rutschman that could break the record for the largest signing bonus given to a drafted player. 

Adley Rutschman's deal, once official, is expected to be in record territory. Gerrit Cole's $8M bonus is the current record bonus. #Orioles

Regarding Henderson's status, a local reporter from an Alabama news station said in a tweet yesterday that the young shortstop will sign with Baltimore sometime this week. Then earlier today MLB Pipeline writer Jim Callis released the assumed dollar figure of Henderson's pending contract. 

2nd-rder Gunnar Henderson will sign with @Orioles for $2.3 mil (pick 42 value = $1,771,100). Alabama HS SS, one of best all-around prep hitters in @MLBDraft, solid runner with plus arm who may stay at SS. Auburn recruit.

Should both of these signings go through, the Orioles will have 31 of their 41 draft selections under contract. 

The expectation all along was that both of these players would get signed, but sometimes high school prospects take some time to put pen to paper due to prior college commitments. 

It was never a question whether Rutschman would get signed. The most pressing question with him seems to be figuring out at which level of the Orioles minor league pipeline he'll be assigned to. Many baseball pundits have already said that Rutschman is talented enough to skip rookie ball. It will be exciting to see if the Orioles go the classic route and start him at Aberdeen or ship him to Delmarva to play with his former Oregon State teammate Cadyn Grenier. 

The reports about Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have to be exciting for Orioles fans. These signings were never really in doubt, just a matter of time and going through a process. That is coming to completion. Great news Birdland. (He said from the Seattle airport).

Although the deals remain unofficial as of this writing, it appears that some of the "big fish" Mike Elias referred to after the draft are close to officially becoming Baby Birds. After that point, it's just a matter of getting these players to their appropriate levels and finding out if Rutschman's rapid acceleration to the major leagues comes to fruition. 

UPDATE: The Orioles officially signed Rutschman just after 6:00 p.m. on Monday night. Per MASN's Roch Kubatko, Rutschman will take part in a press conference Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Orioles 7:05 start against the Padres. Then during the game, Rutschman will wave to the fans to give Baltimore a chance to welcome the second first-overall pick in franchise history. Henderson is believed to have agreed to a deal with the dollar figure mentioned above but it is not confirmed that he has been in the building yet to put pen to paper. 

IT'S OFFICIAL - The Orioles have signed No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman.Hit RETWEET to welcome him to Baltimore! pic.twitter.com/ExkPtRooSW

No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman signs with @Orioles for $8.1 mil (pick value = $8,415,300). New @MLBDraft bonus record, eclipsing Gerrit Cole's $8 mil as No. 1 overall in 2011. Oregon State, best catching prospect in recent @MLBDraft history, huge offensive & defensive upside.