Luke Dickerson has been a National for barely two weeks, but is already setting records.
Per MLB Draft insider Jim Callis, the Nats have signed Dickerson, their second-round pick, with a signing bonus of $3.8 million – nearly double his $2.122 million slot value at No. 44, and a record sum for any player not selected in the first round or supplemental first rounds in the bonus pool era.
That was announced Thursday as was the overslot signing of 15th-round pick Sir Jamison Jones, whose $500K bonus is $350K more than the maximum $150K a team can give a Day 3 pick without counting against the bonus pool.
Those two players were the Nationals’ only high school selections among 21 picks, and the $2 million overages from slot value were mitigated somewhat by the reported bonuses for first-rounder Seaver King and Competitive Balance Round A pick Caleb Lomavita collectively coming in about $900K below value.
Teams can go up to five percent over their bonus pool without non-monetary penalty (teams pay only a 75 percent tax on anything under five percent), meaning that Washington, with a $13,895,100 bonus pool, could spend up to another $694,755 more – so they’re still about $400K over that first level if every player signs at slot value.
The Nationals’ media relations department has officially revealed that Jones and Dickerson now make 19 of their 21 picks signed, with 14th-rounder Yoel Tejeda Jr. and 20th-rounder Colby Shelton – who were both draft-eligible sophomores – left unsigned.
Teams have until Aug. 1 to sign draft picks, although those who have exhausted college eligibility can be signed any time between now and a week before the 2025 Draft.