Jim Callis on the MLB Draft Deadline

The MLB deadline for clubs to sign draft picks with remaining college eligibility, August 15 is quickly approaching. While expected to do so, the Indians and Reds have yet to sign their top overall picks.

Earlier in the week, FOXSportsOhio.com spoke on the draft process needing change . As a significant bulk of the action between MLB clubs and its draft picks does not occur until the final days if not hour, today we begin a series of interviews called To the Wire.

Featured in question-and-answer sessions will be highly-respected members within the baseball community to get answers on a series of questions on the draft, the August 15 deadline, and marquee prospects.

None follow the draft and signing process as thorough and professional as Baseball America Executive Director Jim Callis. Here is what Jim Callis had to say to FOXSportsOhio.com on the basic structure of the draft and signing process as well as a few Indians and Reds draft picks.

Before the signing deadline was instituted starting with the 2007 draft, players could negotiate until they set foot in a college classroom or until a week before the following year's draft, whichever came first. To avoid the occasional near-year-long holdout and in the mistaken belief it would give teams extra leverage, MLB got an August 15 signing deadline in the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Teams don't want to draw the ire of the commissioner's office. If they wanted, they could submit contracts whenever they wanted, and MLB would have to approve them. But most teams let MLB tell them when to submit the contracts, as MLB wants the bigger deals to wait until the very end so as not to influence other negotiations. Whether one deal really has much influence on another is debatable.


: I don't think we're going to see mandated slotting in the next CBA, but I do believe we will get an earlier signing deadline. Everyone wants it and it would seemingly to be easier to agree on. I think we'll see a deadline sometime in the first half of July. The bonuses will be the same, but players can get their careers started rather than sit out what would be their first pro summer.

I expect both Francisco Lindor and Robert Stephenson to sign, though we'll likely have to wait until the last hours before the deadline. I think all 33 first-rounders will have signed by the time the clock strikes midnight on Aug. 15.

2007 MLB Fantasy First Basemen: Here Are Your Top 10 Fantasy ...

There is no question who the best first baseman is in the 2007 Fantasy Baseball Draft. It's Albert Pujols. He is also the top-rated fantasy player in all of baseball. However, there are plenty of legitimate arguments about who the next best MLB Fantasy First Basemen are. Here is an in-depth look at the best producing first sackers in the Majors. Use it to find the right Fantasy First Basemen for your 2007 MLB Fantasy Draft .

1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

In 2006, Pujols had another brilliant season. His final statistics for the season were as follows: a .331 Average, 49 HR, 137 RBI, 119 Runs, and a .431 On-Base Percentage. Over his six-year career, Pujols has been the best MLB Fantasy First Baseman every season. His 162 Game Averages over the course of his six-year career are staggering: a .332 Average, 42 HR, 128 RBI, 127 Runs, and 6 SB.

Keep in mind that Pujols is just 27 years old. Traditionally, players get better as they move into their late 20’s and early 30’s. He is also a workhorse who rarely misses time. Pujols has played in an average of 156 games a year over his career. With time, health and incredible skill all on his side, Prince Albert is the 2007 Top Fantasy First Basemen, and should also be the top pick in anyone's 2007 MLB Fantasy Draft.

2. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

Pujols is the only reason that Howard doesn't top this list. The young man from Philadelphia hit .313 with 58 HR and 149 RBI last season. The year before he won the Rookie of the Year Award, even though he played in just 88 games. Howard is a force of nature. He is not just a slugger; this man is a hitter. Watch for him to put up stats that are just a little less than Phat Albert's 2007 Numbers. Still, those numbers will be good enough to keep any fantasy team in the hunt.

3. Mark Teixeira, Texas Rangers

This guy allegedly had a bad season in 2006, and he still managed to hit .282 with 33 HR and 110 RBI. For most players, that would be a career year. Not Teixiera. In 2005, Big Mark hit .301 with 43 HR and 144 RBI. Teixiera came on strong in the seond half of 2006, and he is already off to a good start in spring training, so there is good reason to believe that Teixiera will hit around .300 with about 40 HR and 120 RBI in 2007.

4. Jason Giambi, New York Yankees

The steroid scandals are over.

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