The Red Sox announced Saturday the signing of six more of their draft picks (Friday was the deadline to sign). Boston was able to sign 29 of their picks, including their top 16.

Boston used one of its advantages as a major market team - it payed out big bucks, especially to high school players who demanded whopping signing bonuses to give up their college scholarships.

Boston spent $9-million on its first 12 picks - $6-million of that going to three high school kids - 1st-rounder Casey Kelly ($3-million), a shortstop/pitcher, 5th-rounder Ryan Westmoreland ($2-million), an outfielder; and 4th-rounder Peter Hissey ($1-million), another outfielder.

Other high school kids scored six-figure bonuses, despite being drafted later. 27th-round pick, pitcher Colby Cervenka, received $350,000.

Even the last pick in the draft, 50th-rounder Kyle Stroup, a pitcher, got $150,00 (the same bonus as 7th-round pick, catcher Tim Federowicz, out of the University of North Carolina).

Now a quick look at the minors:

Pawtucket pitcher Michael Bowden is 0-3, although he dropped his ERA to 3.21 after a 1-0 loss to Buffalo. Bowden went 6 innings (3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K).

In Portland, Aaron Bates and Josh Reddick hit home runs for the second straight night (Bates' 10th, Reddick's 5th).

Lancaster's new outfielder, Ryan Kalish, went 2-for-5. (Prediction: Kalish, 20, will be in Portland before July of next year ... Reliever Cody McCalister got his fourth save with 3 dominant innings (0 H, 0 BB, 6 K). His ERA is at 3.26.

Lowell starter Kyle Weiland (1.37) was a third-round pick in June, out of Notre Dame, receiving a modest $322,000. He went 5 innings Saturday (3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K).

In the Gulf Coast League, infielder Derrick Gibson (.314) went 2-for-3. Gibson was a second-round pick out of high school this year and signed for "only" $600,000. Kelly, the $3-million man, continues to scuffle at the plate (.171), going 0-for-5 (4 K).

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