Braves on verge of signing first-rounder Davidson

DENVER -- Braves first-round Draft selection Braxton Davidson will graduate from high school this weekend and then make the three-hour drive to Turner Field to sign his first professional contract.

Davidson is scheduled to be on the field to meet Braves players and coaches before Sunday night's game against the Angels. The power-hitting outfielder, who will turn 18 years old on Wednesday, is expected to sign for something in the neighborhood of the $1.705 million figure slotted for the 32nd overall selection in the First-Year Player Draft.

The Braves have already reached agreements with each of the three players -- right-handed pitchers Garrett Fulenchek, Max Povse and Chad Sobotka -- they selected immediately after Davidson. Fulenchek agreed to a $1 million signing bonus, slightly above his slotted $860,000 slotted figure, and Povse signed for $425,000, below his slotted $514,200 figure.

Sobotka's $400,000 signing bonus was also above the $381,300 figure he was slotted. Still, the Braves view this as a potential bargain. The big right-hander out of South Carolina-Upstate would have likely been a first- or second-round selection had he not missed this season with a small bone fracture in his back.

The Braves are nearing an agreement with fifth-round selection Chris Diaz, a left-hander from the University of Miami. They also remain in negotiations with seventh-round selection Luke Dykstra, who is the son of former Major Leaguer Lenny Dykstra. A source with knowledge of Dykstra's thoughts said the 18-year-old second baseman will sign at his $163,900 slotted figure.