Rays, Richie Shaffer Nearing Deal

The Rays are "very close" to a deal with first round draft pick Richie Shaffer, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). The sides have until tomorrow at 4pm CDT to reach an agreement.

Schaffer, a third baseman selected out of Clemson, has big-time power and the ability to hit for average, according to Baseball America. Most teams saw him as a future first baseman entering the draft. MLB recommends a bonus of $1.725MM for the 25th overall selection.