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"ARLINGTON, Texas — With the amateur draft less than two weeks away, scouting director Doug Laumann believes a deep, pitching-heavy draft will enable the White Sox to get some "pretty good players" despite not having a pick until No. 47. "I've eliminated 20 to 25 guys," said Laumann, who won't have a first-round pick because of the free-agent signing of Adam Dunn. "The claim that people are saying this is the best draft in 20 years, I don't have a great feel for. But at 47, I feel there are a lot of quality guys who will be there around the second, third and fourth rounds."

Shortstop Orlando Cabrera will decline the White Sox's salary arbitration offer and become a free agent at midnight, SI.com has learned.

When you look at Danks as a whole: the length, the projection, the speed, the defense, the plate discipline, the power potential, and the propensity to strike out--one player that comes to mind is Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler. The difference is that Fowler has officially broken out and has turned potential power into actual power production. Fowler's overall swing looks better and he's a better runner, but much of the same tools possessed by Fowler are also possessed by Danks. However, even if Fowler didn't develop any power, he would still make for a pretty good ball player because of the others things he brings to the table, specifically his defense and patience at the plate. So while the hope is that Danks will at some point develop power, he doesn't necessarily need it to be good ball player at the professional level.

Negotiations between the White Sox and John Danks' younger brother Jordan could last deep into the summer, but their father is hopeful an agreement can be reached before the Aug. 15 deadline. "We won't know what's going to happen for a while," John B. Danks said Tuesday. "But Jordan is very excited to be drafted again by the White Sox.

The Miami-based agent to Cuban defectors such as Jose Contreras and Alexei Ramirez, Jaime Torres, has yet another high-profile defector now in Dayan Viciedo, a 19-year-old outfielder who is generally regarded as Cuba’s best teen talent. Torres said that Viciedo is in Miami with him. In fact, he asserts that Viciedo was in the U.S. before the 2008 draft, coming into the country in late May. "He was processed at the end of may. To me, he was not drafted and should be a undrafted free agent. We’ll see if the union agrees with me." Of course, the fact that Viciedo is being declared as being in the U.S. is quite a gambit for Torres. Had Viciedo gone to Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic or some other nation not subject to the draft, he clearly would become a free agent. Now that he’s in the U.S., he’s subject to draft rules. The question will be whether he’s subject to the ‘08 draft, which would go the way Torres wants it to go, or if he’ll be tied to the 2009 draft class. One scouting director said he doubted Viciedo would be made a free agent because draft rules are clear about who’s eligible and who’s not.

Jonathan Mayo has reported in his blog and Baseball America has confirmed with two scouts that Fresno State junior righthander Tanner Scheppers has a stress fracture in his shoulder and will not be able to throw for six weeks. This is obviously a significant blow to the draft stock of a player who had a strong chance to go in the top 10 picks in June, not to mention a crippling blow to Fresno State’s postseason aspirations. (more details at link)

Certain players might be deemed as less-than-feasible options, though, based on the thought of unreasonable contractual demands. "It's not just because the name is Scott Boras. "If the financial demands are such that they are higher than we value a player, then it could be Scott Boras or Scott Baio. If they tell us a guy wants $15 million, and we only thinks he's worth $3 million, then we probably won't draft him." "History tells us which agents have unfair demands, in our opinion," Laumann said. "But again, it's not just about Boras. We have a fiscal responsibility."