SEATTLE -- Even though the Astros didn't sign seventh-round pick Tyler Buffett, a right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State, scouting director Mike Elias said Friday the team was pleased to be able to sign 31 of 40 players taken in the MLB Draft, including 15 of the first 16.
Friday was the deadline to sign players taken in last month's Draft.
Astros' 2016 Draft picks
Buffett wrote on Twitter earlier this week he was going to return for his senior season at Oklahoma State. The assigned bonus slot for the pick was $193,000, which was deducted from the Astros' overall bonus pool of the first 10 rounds. The Astros will have to play a small penalty for going over their bonus pool, but not by enough to lose a Draft pick next year.
The first six players taken by the Astros were all signed rather quickly: first-round pick Forrest Whitley (RHP), second-round pick Ronnie Dawson (OF), third-round pick Jake Rogers (catcher), fourth-round pick Brett Adcock (LHP), fifth-round pick Abraham Toro-Hernandez (3B) and sixth-round pick Stephen Wrenn (RHP).
"There was a number of players we took knowing there would be chances of not signing them, but we thought their talent was worth taking them in the Draft and making our best pitch to them," Elias said. "It didn't work out every case. There was some players we took as contingencies in case some earlier picks might not sign, but that turned out not to be the case. We accomplished what we wanted to get down this year and signed a lot of good players, and we're out looking at the next crop as we speak."