SB Nation Chicago - MLB Draft 2012: White Sox Select OF Courtney Hawkins At No. 13

Kyle Hansen Contract: RHP Agrees To Terms With White Sox

2012-06-19T22:29:39Z

The White Sox have agreed to terms with sixth round draft pick Kyle Hansen, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. The deal is for $70,000 over the assigned slot value of the pick.

#WhiteSox signed 6th-rder Kyle Hansen for $250k ($180k pick value). St. John's RHP, low 90s to 96 FB, brother of Craig. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 19, 2012

Hansen started 16 games for St. Johns in 2012, going 5-5 with a 3.62 ERA. He struck out 109 batters and walked 30 in 99-1/3 innings of work.

The White Sox have now signed all of the players they drafted in the first 10 rounds. You can track all the signings at Baseball America.

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MLB Draft 2012: Courtney Hawkins To Sign With White Sox For $2.475 Million

2012-06-13T19:21:02Z

Chicago White Sox first round pick Courtney Hawkins will travel to Chicago to officially sign his first professional contract with the team on Monday, as MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports. Hawkins will receive a signing bonus of $2.475 million, which matches MLB's recommended value for the 13th overall pick.

Mayo rated Hawkins as the 12th-best prospect in the entire draft class, an explosive athlete that flashes major power potential. Like most prospects that get drafted out of high school, Hawkins will likely take four-plus years to make an impact in the majors, but he's got rare star potential.

Upon signing, Hawkins will presumably become Chicago's best prospect, although the team has to be pleasantly surprised with the breakout of former first round pick Jared Mitchell this season.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit White Sox blog South Side Sox. For more general baseball news coverage, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: White Sox Have Signed 24 Of 41 Picks

2012-06-13T00:41:47Z

The Chicago White Sox have made good progress since the completion of the 2012 MLB Draft, signing over half of their 41 selections, including eight of the top 11.

The Tribune has an update on some of the major signees and where they will be heading to start their pro careers.

Second-round pick Chris Beck, a pitcher from Georgia Southern, agreed to a $600,000 bonus. He will report to Advanced Rookie-Great Falls and will be joined by pitchers Brandon Brennan (fourth round) of Orange Coast College, Zach Isler (eighth) of the University of Cincinnati and Brandon Hardin (10th) of Delta State and second baseman Micah Johnson (ninth) of Indiana.

You can track all the signings at Baseball America.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit White Sox blog South Side Sox. For more general baseball news coverage, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: Zach Isler, Micah Johnson Agree To Deals With Chicago White Sox

2012-06-12T00:29:36Z

According to Jim Callis of Baseball America, both Zach Isler and Micah Johnson have agreed to contracts with the Chicago White Sox. Isler was taken in the eighth round, Johnson in the ninth.

#WhiteSox ink 8th-rder Zach Isler for $136,600 (full pick value). #Cincinnati RHP is 6-ft-5 & can sit 93-94 w/heavy sink. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 11, 2012

#WhiteSox have signed 9th-rder Micah Johnson for $127,600 (full pick value). #Indiana 2B has plenty of bat speed & foot speed. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 11, 2012

Isler was primarily a reliever for the Bearcats this past season. He finished the year with 55 strikeouts and 26 walks in 55 innings pitched.

Johnson hit .225/.303/.388 in limited action for the Hoosiers.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit White Sox blog South Side Sox. For more general baseball news coverage, check out Baseball Nation.

Joey DeMichele Contract: 2B Agrees To Terms With White Sox

2012-06-12T00:12:56Z

The Chicago White Sox have signed Arizona State second baseman Joey DeMichele for $400,000, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. DeMichele was Chicago's third round selection.

#WhiteSox sign 3rd-rder Joey DeMichele for $400k (pick value=$441,100). #ArizonaState 2B is a line-drive machine. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 11, 2012

DeMichele hit .336/.398/.548 with six home runs and 47 RBI for Arizona State in 2012. He led the team in batting average (.336), stolen bases (12) and triples (7). By signing a pro contract, DeMichele has given up his final year of college eligibility.

The White Sox signed DeMichele for $41,100 below slot value, which means they can now disperse that money to other draftees (if they choose to do so).

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit White Sox blog South Side Sox. For more general baseball news coverage, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: Keon Barnum Signs With White Sox For $950,000

2012-06-11T18:47:12Z

According to Jim Callis of Baseball America, first round supplemental pick Keon Barnum has officially signed with the Chicago White Sox. The young prospect reportedly signed for $950,000, which is more than $100,000 under his slot value of $1,052,500, freeing up some cash for the other picks.

The left-handed Barnum went to the White Sox at the No. 48 overall selection -- a reach according to prospect guru Keith Law -- and the organization hopes he can develop into a solid slugger at either the first base or left field position.

Barnum's contract with the Sox will cause him to forego his scholarship to play baseball at the University of Miami. He hit five home runs with an impressive .417 batting average in his final season in high school.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit White Sox blog South Side Sox. For more general baseball news, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: Keon Barnum Likely To Sign With White Sox

2012-06-11T12:30:02Z

The Chicago White Sox selected Keon Barnum with the No. 48 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, and if Barnum passes his physical in Arizona on Monday, he'll sign a contract with the Sox and forgo a college career at the University of Miami (FL).

Barnum, who stands 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, is flying to Arizona to take a physical Monday. If he passes, he will officially sign with the White Sox and forgo his scholarship to Miami. In his senior year, he hit .417 with hit five home runs, five doubles and two triples to go along with 26 walks, 27 runs scored and 15 RBIs. The slotted bonus for the 48th overall pick is $1,052,500.

(Via CSN Chicago)

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2012 MLB Draft: White Sox Earn Praise For Hawkins Selection

2012-06-07T19:37:29Z

One of the media's top prospect analyst, ESPN's Keith Law, has published his latest analysis of the draft selections from the American League. According to Law, the Chicago White Sox made a prudent and fortuitous move when they made OF Courtney Hawkins their top choice in the 2012 MLB Draft:

Chicago White Sox

Summary: They capitalized when Courtney Hawkins (1), expected to go right ahead of them, fell into their laps, grabbing the kind of high-upside position player prospect their system has lacked over the past few years. His backflips probably made him a fan favorite already but his performance should cement that soon.

But they did not make the right call with their first round supplemental pick:

Keon Barnum (1A) had no business going on Day 1, not after a poor performance this spring that had him struggling with contact even though he's already 19 years old.

Overall, though, Law praised the White Sox selections, which could be a good sign with respect to improving a minor league system ranked worst in the MLB.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit White Sox blog South Side Sox. And to learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball. For more general baseball news, check out Baseball Nation.