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Dodgers reportedly sign 12th-round pick RHP Kam Uter

The high school pitcher signed for a reported bonus of $200,000.

Tom Pennington

The Dodgers have reportedly signed their 12th-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Kam Uter out of Pace Academy in Atlanta. Uter was one of just eight high school players drafted by the Dodgers, and the two-sport star was committed to play baseball and wide receiver in football at Wake Forest.

Instead he will get a $200,000 bonus to sign with the Dodgers, per Jim Callis of MLB.com, who described Uter (in the tiny confines of a tweet) as "athletic" with a fastball between 92-94 mph.

The 6'4, 205-pound Uter was signed by Dodgers scout Lon Joyce. Here is video of Uter pitching in a game on April 9:

With Uter in the fold, the Dodgers have signed 31 of their 40 draft picks, including each of the top 18.

Any bonus amounts over $100,000 for picks in and after the 11th round count against a team's allotted draft bonus pool, meaning half of Uter's bonus will count against the Dodgers draft cap.

Here is a look at the Dodgers' draft bonus pool:

Dodgers 2014 Draft Bonus Pool
Round Pick Name Pos Bonus Slot amount Overage
1 22 Grant Holmes RHP $2,500,000 $1,980,500 $519,500
2 62 Alex Verdugo OF $914,600 $914,600 $0
3 98 John Richy RHP $534,400 $534,400 $0
4 129 Jeff Brigham RHP $396,300 $396,300 $0
5 159 Jared Walker 3B $296,700 $296,700 $0
6 189 Brock Stewart RHP $190,000 $222,200 ($32,200)
7 219 Trevor Oaks RHP $161,600 $166,600 ($5,000)
8 249 Hunter Redman C $30,000 $154,500 ($124,500)
9 279 Matt Campbell RHP $20,000 $144,300 ($124,300)
10 309 Colin Hering OF $5,000 $137,600 ($132,600)
Bonuses over $100,000 (rounds 11-40):
RHP Kam Uter (12th round)

+$100,000

$0

$100,000
Totals $5,148,600 $4,947,700 +$200,900 (+4.06%)

In 2013, the Dodgers paid bonus larger than $100,000 to two draft picks: 11th-rounder Spencer Navin ($300,000; $200,000 of which counted against the bonus pool) and 17th-rounder Greg Harris ($175,000; $75,000 toward the bonus). The Dodgers are now $200,900 over slot, which will be subject to a 75 percent tax on the overage.

Here are the penalties for going over slot:

Excess amount Dodgers 2014 range Penalties
0-4.99% $4,947,701 - $5,195,084 75% tax on overage
5-9.99% $5,195,085 - $5,442,469 75% tax on overage
loss of first round pick
10-14.99% $5,442,470 - $5,689,854 100% tax on overage
loss of first and second round picks
15%+ $5,689,855+ 100% tax on overage
loss of first round picks in next two drafts
Per collective bargaining agreement

For now, the Dodgers' penalties amount to $150,675 (75 percent of their $200,900 overage). Any bonus amounts over $100,000 for picks after the 10th round will be subject to penalty as well. As long as the Dodgers' overage doesn't reach $247,385 (five percent over their allotted amount), they won't forfeit a draft pick.

That means the Dodgers now have an extra $46,484 in bonus money to add to the $100,000 max for their remaining unsigned draft picks before getting into the real punitive penalties.

The deadline to sign 2014 draft picks is July 18.