DENVER — As Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams prepared to head with the team to Phoenix for the final series before the All-Star Break, it became more and more likely that the team's negotiations with No. 2 overall pick Hunter Greene could go down to the wire. The Reds have until Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern to sign Greene.

If they don't meet that deadline, Greene will be unable to enter the pros for at least another year. He could go to a junior college and re-enter the draft next year, or honor his commitment to UCLA and become draft eligible again in three years.

Sources on both sides of the negotiations think a deal will be struck, and Williams remained upbeat when speaking with reporters.

"There are a lot of other guys who haven’t crossed the finish line yet," Williams said. "For some reason, it takes people down to the final minutes to make sure they’re getting what they think is appropriate. In this case, we’re getting down to the last day. I’m hoping tomorrow we get a result.”

According to sources, the Reds have offered Greene a bonus that would constitute the largest ever doled out to a draft pick under the current draft system. The current record is held by No. 4 overall pick Brendan McKay, who signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for $7,005,000.

Greene's goal is to beat that number, and the Reds have the money to make that happen. But it's possible the 17-year-old standout also seeks to be the first-ever draft pick taken in the top two spots to get paid the full slot amount, which this year would be $7,193,200 for the second overall pick.

The Reds should be able to get close to that number, but it's unclear if they could meet it without incurring penalties for exceeding their draft bonus pool of $13,658,400. Any overage between zero and five percent of their total pool allotment would incur a 75 percent tax. An overage past five percent would cost the Reds their first-round draft pick in 2018 in addition to the tax.

The penalties for failing to sign Greene are much less severe than the ones for breaking the bank on his behalf. If Greene goes unsigned, the Reds would receive the No 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, in addition to whatever pick is guaranteed to them by their finish in the standings.

The Reds would prefer the player they drafted than the theoretical extra one they could get next season, and Williams is optimistic that preference will come to pass.

“I’m still very hopeful," he said.