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Boras And Angels Finally Talking Weaver Contract

After six months of little dialogue and virtually no progress toward an agreement, the Angels and the representative for first-round pick Jered Weaver are in "serious discussions" that both sides hope will result in the former Long Beach State ace's signing before the start of spring training in February.

Neither agent Scott Boras nor Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman would elaborate, but Boras confirmed Friday that they had spoken by phone several times this week and would have face-to-face meetings "shortly."

Weaver, ranked by Baseball America as the player closest to the major leagues among draftees, was expected to be the top pick in last June's draft but fell to No. 12 because many teams feared they couldn't meet his asking price.

Weaver, younger brother of Dodger right-hander Jeff Weaver, and Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew, who was selected 15th by Arizona, remain the only unsigned first-round picks.

The market seemed to gain definition with the recent signings of Rice University pitchers Philip Humber (five-year, $5.116-million deal from the New York Mets) and Jeff Niemann (five-year, $5.2-million deal from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays), the third and fourth picks in the draft.

No. 2 pick Justin Verlander, an Old Dominion right-hander, signed a five-year, $4.5-million deal with the Detroit Tigers in October, and top pick Matt Bush, a high school shortstop, agreed to a $3.1-million bonus with the San Diego Padres last summer.

But Boras has maintained that Weaver, who went 15-1 with a 1.65 earned-run average, 201 strikeouts and 19 walks in 136 innings for Long Beach last season, was by the far the best college pitcher in the draft, a player who "could help a major league club in less than a year," and should command a package similar to the $10.5-million deal Chicago Cub star Mark Prior got coming out of USC in 2001.

But with teams feeling pressured by Major League Baseball to hold down first-round signing bonuses, the Angels have been hesitant to go near $10 million. That, however, didn't stop them from giving 18th-round pick Mark Trumbo, a high school infielder, $1.425 million, a record bonus for a player selected after the 10th round, or 14th-round pick Nick Adenhart, a high school pitcher who had Tommy John surgery last year, $710,000.

Boras and Stoneman are believed to be millions apart on Weaver, but at least they are talking again. And though Weaver would like to go to spring training, that's not a hard deadline; the Angels wouldn't lose rights to Weaver until June.

"You always want to get a deal done," Boras said. "He wants to play baseball. But he also wants to be treated fairly."