Waiting game   First-round draft choices in 2004, shortstop Steven Drew with the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-handed pitcher Jered Weaver with the Los Angeles Angels, agreed to terms shortly before the deadline for them to sign or enter this year's draft, which begins Tuesday. They were the longest holdouts for first-round picks who signed with the teams that drafted them.   The longest first-round holdouts:   Year Player Team   2004 Steven Drew D'backs Signed May 30, 2005   2004 Jered Weaver Angels Signed May 30, 2005   1994 Jason Varitek Mariners Signed April 20, 1995   2002 Bobby Brownlie Cubs Signed March 5, 2003   1998 Jeff Austin Royals Signed Feb. 20, 1999   2004 Jeff Niemann D-Rays Signed Jan. 20, 2005   2004 Philip Humber Mets Jan. 11, 2005   1998 Kip Wells White Sox Dec. 23, 1998   1997 Matt Anderson Tigers Dec. 23, 1997   2002 Mark Schramek Reds Dec. 18, 2002

The most curious thing about baseball's 2005 amateur draft, which starts Tuesday, is how much agent Scott Boras' latest group of new recruits will be affected by what happened with last year's draft. On Monday night, shortly before the deadline for the 2004 draft picks to sign, two first-round holdouts agreed to deals - shortstop Steven Drew with the Diamondbacks and pitcher Jered Weaver with the Los Angeles Angels. Drew signed a five-year, major-league deal with a guarantee of $5.5 million, which includes a $4 million signing bonus that can be spread out over the length of the contract. Weaver turned down a major-league deal, opting for a $4 million bonus, $2 million when then the contract is approved and $2 million in December 2006. So what did the holdouts get Drew and/or Weaver? It doesn't appear they got anything. They could have had similar deals in June or July. They both lost one year of development. Drew started the season last week in the independent Atlantic League, but Weaver has not pitched in a competitive game since his Long Beach State team was eliminated in the NCAA tournament last year by the UA. Word was, if Drew had gone back into the draft, the New York Yankees would have had interest, but there was a growing concern Weaver could slip out of the first round. The signings of Drew and Weaver leave pitcher Wade Townsend as the only unsigned first-round pick from last year. But it was not Townsend's fault. He was selected No. 8 by Baltimore. Ownership overruled the scouts - Baltimore was set to take high school shortstop Chris Nelson, who went No. 9 to Colorado - and mandated the team draft a college pitcher. Then, when the scouts agreed on Tim Diamond from Richmond, the folks upstairs again stepped in and Townsend was selected. The Orioles never made a serious offer to Townsend. The signing of Drew allowed this year's draft to start to shake down. There has been speculation that Arizona, which has the first selection, was going to take high school shortstop Justin Upton, who recently moved to third base. With Drew under contract, however, and new ownership having a valid concern about the lack of depth in the D'backs' farm system, particularly with pitching, scouting director Mike Rizzo apparently has been directed to pursue a college pitcher. The two pitchers on the Diamondbacks' radar are right-handers Mike Pelfrey of Wichita State and Craig Hansen of St. John's. Hansen is a reliever, and with the recent success college closers have had in quickly reaching the majors ( Chad Cordero with Washington and Ryan Wagner with Cincinnati), Hansen's stock is up. It's a good thing Rizzo was able to work out the Drew deal with Boras. He probably will have to try to get another deal done this year with Boras, who advises both pitchers. Upton figures to wind up going No. 3 to Seattle, where current general manager Billy Bavasi and former general manager-turned-special-assistant Pat Gillick long have expressed desires to take high-reward draft choices. And Seattle president Chuck Armstrong learned a long time ago to stay out of the way during the draft. The first lesson came when former owner George Argyros tried to force Cal State-Fullerton pitcher Mike Harkey on the scouting department, which resisted and instead took high school outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. A few years later, the Mariners ignored Boras' attempt to orchestrate a move of Alex Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and took the high school shortstop instead of Wichita State pitcher Darren Dreifort. Kansas City has the second selection in the draft, but Upton is out of the Royals' financial reach. The Royals have set their sights third baseman Alex Gordon of Nebraska. The question is whether the left-handed hitter will take the $2.2 million or so the Royals have set for the bonus. Boston and Florida have a chance to make an impact on the draft. The Marlins have five of the first 44 selections and seven of the top 79, which includes Florida's only two picks in the first two rounds plus the first-round picks of San Francisco, for reliever Armando Benitez, and the Yankees, for Carl Pavano. The Marlins also receive supplemental picks after the first round for the loss of those free agents and a supplemental pick after the second round for the loss of catcher Mike Redmond to Minnesota. Boston has five of the first 44 selections and seven of the first 76. The Red Sox lost their own first-round pick to St. Louis for shortstop Edgar Renteria. However, the Red Sox picked up first-round picks and supplemental picks after the first round for the loss of shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the Angels and pitcher Derek Lowe to the Dodgers. The Red Sox also have a compensation pick after the first round for the loss of Pedro Martinez to the Mets in addition to their own and the Mets' second-round selections. Around the NL West

 

DIAMONDBACKS: Arizona has the first selection in the draft Tuesday, but the D'backs learned quickly an impact can be made in the later rounds. The 36th round worked out well in successive drafts for Arizona, which selected second baseman Junior Spivey in 1996 and infielder Alex Cintron in 1997. ROCKIES: Colorado made strides in its first draft. Not only did 10 of the players from the draft make it to the majors, but outfielder Quinton McCracken, now with Arizona, was the 25th-round pick that year, when the Rockies took current Arizona second baseman Craig Counsell out of Notre Dame in the 11th round. DODGERS: Los Angeles has hit big on two catchers. The Dodgers selected Mike Piazza in the 62nd round in 1988 - he was the 1,390th player taken - mainly as a favor to then-manager Tom Lasorda, who is Piazza's godfather. The Dodgers did not have to wait that long in 1993, but it still was the 25th round before they took Paul Lo Duca. PADRES: San Diego figured pitcher Tim Worrell was worth a gamble in the 20th round in 1989. He was, after all, the brother of Todd Worrell, who had been a first-round pick of St. Louis. Worrell has nearly 12 years of service time, although he currently is on Philadelphia's disabled list because of personal reasons. GIANTS: San Francisco has a rookie of the year candidate, center fielder Jason Ellison, who was a 22nd-round pick five years ago. The Giants were successful twice in the 50th round, picking outfielder Marvin Benard in 1992 and catcher-infielder Edwards Guzman in 1995. Waiting game First-round draft choices in 2004, shortstop Steven Drew with the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-handed pitcher Jered Weaver with the Los Angeles Angels, agreed to terms shortly before the deadline for them to sign or enter this year's draft, which begins Tuesday. They were the longest holdouts for first-round picks who signed with the teams that drafted them. The longest first-round holdouts:

 

Year Player Team 2004 Steven Drew D'backs Signed May 30, 2005

 

2004 Jered Weaver Angels Signed May 30, 2005 1994 Jason Varitek Mariners Signed April 20, 1995 2002 Bobby Brownlie Cubs Signed March 5, 2003 1998 Jeff Austin Royals Signed Feb. 20, 1999 2004 Jeff Niemann D-Rays Signed Jan. 20, 2005 2004 Philip Humber Mets Jan. 11, 2005 1998 Kip Wells White Sox Dec. 23, 1998 1997 Matt Anderson Tigers Dec. 23, 1997 2002 Mark Schramek Reds Dec. 18, 2002