Sox first-round pick close to signing

NOTES — White Sox

The White Sox are on the verge of agreeing to terms with first-round draft pick Jared Mitchell, reports Mark Gonzales.

Mitchell drew more attention after hitting a three-run home run to lead LSU past Texas in the World Series title game.

Mitchell’s superb performance garnered him more praise across the nation. Among them was San Francisco Chronicle columnist and longtime baseball writer Bruce Jenkins.

In Jenkins’ popular 3-Dot Lounge column that’s published on Saturdays, he raised the question of whether San Francisco should have selected Mitchell, who was selected 23rd overall, with the sixth pick in the draft.

The White Sox have agreed to terms with five additional players from the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, including catcher Josh Phegley, the 38th overall pick from Indiana University. Phegley, 21, hit .344 (76-for-221) with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs as a junior for the Hoosiers. The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award (college baseball’s top catcher) and the Golden Spikes Award (best amateur player).

The Sox also signed right-handed pitchers Matthew Heidenreich
(fourth round), Kyle Bellamy (fifth), and Jimmy Ballinger (11th)
and infielder Jared McDonald (21st). The Sox have come to terms with 35 members of their draft class.