The deadline for major league teams to sign draft picks is a week away.  Kentucky lost one signee last week (RHP Stephen Inch) to the Phillies and Louisville lost one (SS Jason Thompson) to the Red Sox. We also learned that UK football signee Brian Adams will miss the football season after suffering a blod clot this summer.  Adams met with the UK baseball staff this week, and UK coach Gary Henderson is excited about Brian possibly playing baseball in the spring.  I’ve updated the list of unsigned players with Kentucky ties below.  (Contract status is according to Baseball America’s draft database)

UK Players and Signees

• LHP James Paxton — 1st Supp. (37) Toronto Blue Jays
• RHP Jordan Cooper — 17th Round Pittsburgh Pirates — Central HS, Shelbyville, Tenn.
• LHP Taylor Rogers — 37th Round Baltimore Orioles — Chatfield HS, Littleton, Colo.
• RHP Sam Kidd — 39th Round Philadelphia Phillies — Ohio County High School, Hartford, Ky.
• C Luke Maile — 43rd Round Boston Red Sox — Covington Catholic HS, Park Hills, Ky.
• OF Brian Adams  (Football)– 45th Round Cincinnati Reds — South Forysth HS, Cumming, Ga.

UofL Players and Signees

• 1b Andrew Clark — 31st Round Chicago Cubs
• RHP Matt Koch — 37th Round Boston Red Sox — Washington HS, Cherokee, Iowa

WKU Players and Signees

• RHP Matt Ridings — 25th Round Washington Nationals

Other Kentucky Natives

• RHP Tyler Blandford — Davies County High School; Oklahoma State — 5th round Seattle Mariners
• RHP Daniel Webb — Heath High School, Paducah, Ky.; Northwest Florida State JC — 18th round Toronto Blue Jays
• RHP Patrick Cooper — Boyle County, Ky.; Des Moines Area CC — 34th round Arizona Diamondbacks
• 1b Jon Hedges — Owensboro, Ky., Olney Central College — 43rd round Minnesota Twins
• RHP James Jones — Ballard County High School, John A Logan College — 45th round Cleveland Indians
• RHP Tim Dunn — Carlisle County High School, Tevecca Nazarene University — 46th Round Cincinatti Reds

Kentucky pitcher James Paxton is the only one of the listed players who is almost certain to sign, and Davies County product Tyler Blandford was said to have second-round talent so the Mariners might offer him over slot money to not return to Oklahoma State.  Inch and Thompson each signed for a $300,000 bonus according to Baseball America with the Phillies (6th round) and Red Sox (11th round) respectively.  The news about Adams’ blood clot most likely ends any chance of him signing with the Reds.