Feeling the draft (and other topics)

D.J.Baxendale led Arkansas in wins, innings pitched and
strikeouts this year and started their first game in the
College World Series.

According to Baseball America's draft database, the Twins have signed nine of the 13 players they selected in the first 10 rounds.

One of the unsigned, RHP D.J. Baxendale (10th round), is pitching for Arkansas in the College World Series, so that he's unsigned is to be expected.

The most prominent of the unsigned players is RHP Luke Bard (supplemental pick). Bard is slotted for $1.227 million, and he may be angling for something more than that (the Twins are, according to Baseball America, more than $200,000 under their bonus cap so far). Bard's leverage is that as a college junior he could return to school and hope to be drafted higher next year. The Twins' leverage is that he doesn't sign,  this pick is "protected," meaning that the Twins would get the 43rd pick in next year's draft.

I expect Bard will sign.

The Twins have inked 19 of their 40 draftees.

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Byron Buxton, the Twins first-rounder (No. 2 overall) was Baseball America's high school player of the year. Their story on him is here.

David A. Dorsey of the Fort Myers News-Press profiles Buxton here.

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I took note the other day of Johan Santana's struggles in his first two starts after his no-hitter, so I should take note of his outing Tuesday against Baltimore: Six shutout innings, then an exit with 101 pitches. A good sign.

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Scott Diamond spluttered a bit again Tuesday against Pittsburgh -- 5.1 innings, four runs, eight hits, just one strikeout, and command issues. He had nine GB outs and six FB outs, which isn't as strong a groundball rate as he has usually had.

I don't think his magic is gone, but I have to say I expected better against the Pirates.