Last year, the Padres inked their top draft pick, left-hander Ryan Weathers, five days before the deadline. The feeling this year is they get a deal done with Georgia prep shortstop CJ Abrams, the sixth overall selection, much sooner and without a whole lot of drama.
The real game, of course, is what happens with the later-round selections as they position themselves to lure other draftees away from their college commitments.
Third-rounder Hudson Head out of Winston Churchill High in San Antonio, Texas, could qualify as a prospect hoping to top his recommended bonus of $721,900. The ace up his sleeve is a full ride to the University of Oklahoma.