MathewFinger

Once again delivering on a promise to spend liberally on the Draft, the Pirates paid out more than $17 million in signing bonuses on 24 players. Such an amount is unprecedented in Major League history, but it was also very much necessary in order for the Pirates to sign No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole and second-rounder Josh Bell.

Cole and Bell both agreed to deals on the final day that players taken in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft were allowed to negotiate with teams. Bringing both into the organization was something most thought would be nearly impossible for the Pirates, even given Pittsburgh's commitment to paying above-slot dollars.

It took an $8 million signing bonus to sign Cole, who, according to a source, can make more than $9 million in guaranteed money if he reaches the Majors by 2013. Cole's deal was a Minor League one, though it is the highest-paying Minor League deal ever handed out.

Bell's deal is worth $5 million, a sum that is usually reserved for players taken at the very top of a Draft class. But given how strong a commitment Bell had to play at the University of Texas, the Pirates were well aware that it was going to take significant dollars to lure Bell away from that.

"We felt like we had a chance to have a terrific Draft in terms of adding talent to the system, and we've been able to do that." general manager Neal Huntington said. "We've added a lot of quality players, obviously headlined by Cole and Bell, but we believe in a lot of other players in our Draft. We obviously invested a significant amount in the Draft again, thanks to [owner Bob Nutting's] support."

Cole's bonus represents the largest the Pirates have ever given to a player. Jameson Taillon, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2010 Draft, previously held that distinction after signing for $6.5 million on this date last year. The last time the Pirates held the first pick in the Draft, they handed out a $4 million signing bonus to college pitcher Bryan Bullington in 2002.

Lauded for committing close to $31 million in signing bonuses over the past three Drafts, the Pirates exceeded their previous franchise high ($11.9 million in 2010) by more than $5 million this year.

The Pirates' investment in the Draft this year easily surpassed the $12 million in signing bonuses the Nationals spent on their 2010 Draft class. That had been the MLB record for signing bonuses given by one team to one Draft class.

Cole joins the Pirates after three years at UCLA. As a junior, the right-hander went 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts. He gave up 103 hits in 114 1/3 innings but also struck out 119.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s deep into his starts. His two secondary pitches -- a slider and a changeup -- are also already advanced. This would all suggest that Cole has a chance to make a quick ascension through the Minors to Pittsburgh.

While Cole was always expected to sign, the same couldn't be said for Bell. Upon drafting the outfielder out of high school, the Pirates knew that he was going to be an extremely difficult sign.

The 19-year-old had made a commitment to play at Texas and had informed teams before the Draft that he intended to honor that college commitment. Such a stance persuaded many other clubs to pass on Bell, but it didn't deter Pittsburgh. With the first pick of the second round, the Pirates took a chance.

"We loved the player," Huntington said of Bell. "We felt like we could be aggressive in a contract offer to him. We felt like it was worth the risk of not being able to sign him. And we went into it with full respect of his commitment to Texas. We wanted the opportunity to explain who we were, how we do things and we were hoping that Josh was ready to take the step to professional baseball if we were to find a common financial ground."

Without such a public pronouncement of his college intentions, Bell would almost certainly have been taken in the first round. He was ranked by Baseball America as the fifth-best position player available in the Draft after hitting .548 with 13 homers, 54 RBIs and 54 runs scored as a senior at Dallas Jesuit High School.

With only three weeks remaining in the Minor League season, Cole and Bell are not expected to make their professional debuts this year. The two will travel to Pittsburgh sometime this week to take part in formal news conferences and to get acquainted with the organization.

"From there," Huntington said, "we've got to establish what they've been doing the last 10 weeks, and based on that information, we will put our plan in place for them from this point forward."

The Pirates signed one other player on Monday -- ninth-rounder Clay Holmes, a recent high school graduate who agreed to a $1.2 million signing bonus. That is the highest signing bonus ever handed out to a player drafted in the ninth round. It shatters the previous record of $750,000 given to Jason Middlebrook by San Diego in 1996.

At the time of the Draft, Holmes, a right-hander who had committed to play at Auburn University, had a 6-2 record and 2.06 ERA for Slocumb (Ala.) High School. He was valedictorian of his high school class and was ranked by Baseball America as the 76th-best prospect coming into the Draft.

With Monday's three signings, the Pirates ended up agreeing to terms with each of their top 10 picks

UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole was among 22 of 23 first-round draft picks beating the deadline to sign, with the top selection in June's amateur draft agreeing late Monday night to a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates that includes an $8 million signing bonus.

"It's essentially the largest signing bonus ever given an amateur player," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "Sometimes, it's more advantageous for a player to take a minor league contract with a bonus that can be spread over nine months than a major league contract that would be spread out over four years."

Cole turned down an $8.5 million major league contract running through 2016. His agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher projects to earn an additional $1.4 million under this deal.

"We feel Gerrit is going to be in the major leagues in a year," Boras said.

Only 10 first-round picks -- and just one among the first nine players selected -- had agreements with one hour left before the midnight deadline. By the end of the night, the only first-round pick without a deal was right-hander Tyler Beede, taken by Toronto with the 21st pick. Because he failed to sign, the Blue Jays will receive an extra-first round selection after the 21st choice next year.

Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen, the No. 2 pick, agreed to an $8.5 million, five-year contract with Seattle that included a $6.35 million signing bonus. Dylan Bundy, a high school right-hander selected fourth by Baltimore, got a $6.25 million, five-year contract.

Among the lower rounds, the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $1,275,000 signing bonus with California high school outfielder Shawon Dunston Jr., an 11th-round pick. His father was the No. 1 overall pick by Chicago in 1982. The Cubs also agreed to a $375,000 bonus with seventh-round selection Trevor Gretzky, the baseball-playing son of hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

Dereck Rodriguez, son of the 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez, agreed to a $130,000 deal with Minnesota. D-Rod was a sixth-round pick.

Boras was negotiating for the top pick for the third straight year after reaching agreements with Washington for pitcher Stephen Strasburg ($15.1 million over four years) and outfielder Bryce Harper ($9.9 million over five years).

Three years ago, Cole decided not to sign after the Yankees selected him with the 28th overall pick. He was 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA for the Bruins as a junior, but the Pirates decided his potential outweighed his latest statistics.

The deal was reached about 15 minutes before the deadline.

"There was an ebb and flow to them all night," Huntington said. "At times, everything seemed to be going really well and then there would be times where we seemed to be moving apart."

Pittsburgh also gave a $5 million deal to second-round pick Josh Bell, a high school outfielder from Dallas who had said he was committed to attending the University of Texas.

"After the draft, we had the opportunity to sit down with Josh and his family and let him know what our organization is about and how we operate," Huntington said. "We made it clear that we would really like him to be part of our organization. We left with the idea that they were open-minded and that if we were able to reach a financial agreement that both sides were comfortable with that he would be willing to begin his professional career with us."

Boras also negotiated a $7.5 million signing bonus for high school outfielder Bubba Starling with the Kansas City Royals, and a $7.2 million, four-year major league contract for Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon with the Washington Nationals, a deal that would be worth up to $10 million, including an option year. Starling was the fifth overall pick and Rendon sixth.

Boras' son, California high school third baseman Trent Boras, failed to reach an agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers. Trent Boras, a 30th-round pick, will attend the University of Southern California.

Scott Boras spoke with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Doug Melvin in the hours before the deadline.

"We made the decision long ago that we wanted him to go to college," Scott Boras said. "The Brewers gave us every courtesy of working with him."

With two outs in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday night, Phil Hughes took a breath, steadied himself and peered in against White Sox designated hitter Carlos Quentin, a slugger who has hit 20 home runs this season.

Even so early in the game, it was an important moment for Hughes, who had not been explicitly told that he was pitching for his spot in the Yankees’ rotation but certainly knew the gravity of his situation.

On Monday, one day ahead of what many expected to be his final audition in the competition with Ivan Nova, Hughes had vowed to be more aggressive with his fastball, using that pitch to set up his others and, when necessary, to finish off a hitter. This was a perfect opportunity to follow his plan.

Against Quentin, Hughes wasted no time. After throwing a 91-mile-per-hour fastball for a strike, he fired three more fastballs at 95 m.p.h., the third one freezing Quentin for a called third strike to end the inning. Quentin argued, to no avail, and Hughes walked slowly off the mound toward the Yankees’ dugout, satisfied with his execution and on his way to his best performance in more than a year.

Hughes allowed no runs and three hits over six innings, his first shutout performance in a start since May 12, 2010, as the Yankees beat the White Sox, 6-0, in a rain-shortened game that was called in the middle of the seventh inning.

“It was great,” Hughes said afterward. “Obviously this year hasn’t gone the way I would have liked, but I just tried to get back to basics and do what I do well.”

Hughes was backed by another explosive night from the Yankees’ hitters. Mark Teixeira set a major league record by hitting home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game for the 12th time in his career. It increased Teixeira’s season total to 31, marking the eighth straight year that he has hit 30 or more.

“It’s not easy,” Teixeira said of his switch-hitting record. “You don’t get a lot of opportunities to drive the ball from both sides of the plate in the same game, so I’m pretty proud of it.”

The game was delayed twice, first for 45 minutes before first pitch (when the forecast was poor but there was no rain), then again for 57 minutes before it was called (when a thunderstorm did, in fact, rip across the sky above U.S. Cellular Field).

After Russell Martin, who added a home run of his own in the second inning, made the last out of the top of the seventh, the White Sox players ran off the field and the umpires signaled for the grounds crew to roll out the tarp. Hughes, however, was oblivious to the delay, so he ran out to the mound, picking up the ball as if to warm up before the home-plate umpire, Ted Barrett, told him that the game was going to be stopped.

Hughes’s exuberance was understandable. He had thrown only 65 pitches, by far his most efficient performance this year. His commitment to his fastball also allowed him to mix in his changeup, his cutter and, occasionally, his curveball as he faced only two hitters over the minimum.

Earlier this season, when Hughes was flummoxed by a mysterious loss of velocity (eventually attributed to shoulder inflammation), he went away from his fastball because he lost confidence in its effectiveness. After working his way back from a stint on the disabled list, he is rediscovering the strength of repertory.

“We saw that, and we haven’t seen that this year,” Girardi said of the velocity on Hughes’s fastball. “That’s why we’re not always in such a hurry to judge. We want to see what we’ve got from guys.

“I’ve been saying he’s basically a couple weeks out of spring training his last few starts. This is something that we can build on. We need to talk about it, but he was very good tonight.”

What comes next for Hughes is a lingering question. Coming into the game, Hughes could have been considered a considerable underdog in his battle with Nova, who is scheduled to pitch here Thursday.

Although Hughes has a greater track record with the Yankees (he won 18 games as a starter last year), Nova has clearly been better this season, going 9-4 with a 4.01 earned run average through 18 games. After this week, however, Manager Joe Girardi said, it is likely that one of them will either be headed to the bullpen or Class AAA.

After Hughes’s performance, Girardi was not ready to make any declarative statements, though he did indicate he might push off a decision for another week. Of course, Nova is still yet to pitch.

“Maybe we stay at six-man rotation through another time,” Girardi said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do at this moment, but I’m happy with what I saw tonight and I really liked it.”

Girardi was surely pleased by what he saw from the Yankees hitters, too, as they had immediate success against starter John Danks. Robinson Cano drove in the game’s first run with a R.B.I. double in the first inning, and Martin crushed his 11th home run of the season to left in the second. Teixeira’s first home run — batting right-handed — was a two-run shot in the third inning, and his second, batting left-handed, came off reliever Jason Frasor in the seventh.

The way Hughes was pitching, it was more than enough. The only downside to the evening, Hughes said, was the rain. With such a low pitch count, Hughes said he could have pitched a nine-inning complete game, and that is why he went out to the mound for the seventh. He was hoping the umpires might change their mind about calling for the grounds crew.

“I was just hoping they wouldn’t run me over with the tarp,” Hughes said.