Luke Hochevar, SP, Wichita Wranglers

According to the Kansas City Star, Royals general manager Dayton Moore is sounding confident about the Hochevar negotiations. He said he feels "very comfortable with the direction of the negotiations" and expects to get him signed. They're not giving out specific details on the latest offer, but here's what the front office is dishing out:

The Royals are believed to be offering terms similar to those the Mets reached in January with right-hander Mike Pelfrey, a Boras client who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Pelfrey’s deal included a $3.5 million signing bonus and guarantees sweetening the overall value to $5.3 million. It also contained escalator clauses that further boost the value if he is on the major-league roster in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

$5.3 million is a pretty nice deal for a prospect even though I'm not expecting him to remain a prospect for long. I read a tidbit on the Official Royals Site about how he's keeping in shape through simulated games and may play fall or winter ball. I'm just looking forward to the day when I get to update after one of those games instead of posting the weekly contract negotiation update.