The Dodgers over the last week have signed a slew of 2025 draft picks through various reports, including each of their top four selections.
Pitcher Zach Root and outfielder Charles Davalan, Arkansas teammates and the Dodgers’ first two selections drafted with back-to-back picks, signed for a reported $2.2 million and $2 million respectively, per both Jim Callis of MLB.com and Baseball America.
Root said he grew up as a Dodgers fan because of another left-handed pitcher on the team, per Alex Martin of the Fort Myers News-Press:
“Growing up, my dad always made me watch (Clayton) Kershaw and learn to pitch like him. I’ve just been watching Dodger baseball for as long as I can remember, because of Kershaw.”
Nine of the top 11 draft picks have reportedly signed. Nothing has yet been announced by the team, but Root, second-rounder Cam Leiter, third-rounder Landyn Vidourek, fifth-rounder Davion Hickson, eighth-rounder Jack O’Connor, and a few others have already been assigned to the Arizona Complex League. Though that placement just means getting work in at Camelback Ranch, as the ACL season schedule ended on Thursday.
Other draft picks have shared their signings on social media, including Arizona-assigned pitchers Logan Lunceford (12th round) and Davis Chastain (14th round).
Also signing was 19th-round catcher Anson Aroz as well as Cullen McKay, who was with Coastal Carolina this year after two years at Viriginia, and signed as an undrafted free agent.
Blessed to have accomplished my life long goal of becoming a professional baseball player! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the journey! Beyond grateful! Romans 11:36
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” pic.twitter.com/3oahVXsZFq
— Anson Aroz (@a_aroz_) July 25, 2025
One player who did not sign is Mason Ligenza, the outfielder out of Tamaqua Area High School in Pennsylvania drafted in the sixth round. Ligenza announced on Twitter on Friday that he’ll stay an amateur for now and will stay in state to play college baseball at the University of Pittsburgh.
The slot value for the 195th overall pick, where Ligenza was drafted, is $317,200. By not signing, that reduces the Dodgers bonus pool by that amount, lowering it from $9,031,300 to $8,714,100.
The draft picks who haven’t yet been reported to have signed include two high schoolers — fourth-round shortstop Aidan West, 20th-round pitcher Shane Brinham — one 19-year-old out of junior college (Finn Edwards, 18th round), and two college pitchers coming off injuries — 11th-rounder Dylan Tate from Oklahoma and 17th-rounder Sam Horn from Missouri.
The Dodgers still have quite a bit of financial flexibility to left to sign most if not all of these players. Root and Davalan both signed for below the recommended slot value of their picks. Vidourek and O’Connor signed for 75 percent of their slot value. Per Carlos Collazo of Baseball America, ninth-round catcher Connor O’Neal signed for a reported $2,500 and 10th rounder Jacob Frost signed for $50,000, both well under slot value.
The one above-slot reported signing is pitcher Mason Estrada, who excelled at Division III MIT and was set to transfer to Tennessee. He signed with the Dodgers for a reported $450,000, per Baseball America, well over his recommended slot value of $250,300.
All the reported signings add up to the Dodgers being $1,013,775 under slot thus far. They can spend up to five percent over their total bonus pool and pay only a 75-percent tax on the overage, but anything higher would bring the loss of future draft picks. In the 14 years under the slotting system, no MLB team has spent over five percent over their bonus pool.
That gives the Dodgers an additionsl $435,704 in bonus money to spend in addition to the $1,013,775 they are currently under slot, for a total of $1,449,479.
The slot value of the 135th pick, where West was selected is $544,900. Any bonus over that amount would eat into the extra the Dodgers have accumulated, as would any bonus amount over $150,000 for Tate, Horn, Edwards, or Brinham.
The deadline for draft picks to sign is Monday at 2 p.m. PT.