SEATTLE—The Blue Jays believe they have signed a player equivalent of a first round pick even though they failed to sign their actual first round pick ahead of Monday's deadline for draft signings.

The night ended on a somewhat sour note with Toronto and Tyler Beede, the club's first round pick, 21st overall, coming up short in negotiations by a reported $1 million.

Beede, who will now report to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, was said to be asking for $3.5 million while the Jays were said to have offered $2.5 million.

But while those negotiations stalled, Toronto reached an aggreement with left-handed pitcher Dan Norris, reportedly for $2 million, while signing supplemental first-round pick Kevin Comer and 13th-round third baseman Matt Dean.

Norris was pegged as a first rounder but his draft position fell following indications from the player and reports that he would be seeking over $3.5 million for his signing bonus.

“What we paid for (Norris) is reflected in his bonus,” Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said in a conference call early Tuesday morning.

“No question Dan Norris should have been a first round pick. We're happy the opportunity presented itself. Dan Norris was a consideration for us at 21st overall.”

Anthopoulos praised the work of scouting director Andrew Tinnish, who handled the negotiations on all four players signed Monday. Much of the background work that the organization based its player evalauations on was done by assistant GM Jay Sartori and others.

“We could have signed both of them (Norris and Beede) but it had to be at our value,” said Anthopoulos. “We set values on players long ago. One player will not make or break the organization. You do your best and we have structures and policies in place. It comes to the point if we meet those values, great, if we don't, we get the picks back next year, so it works out.”

Toronto will get the 22nd-overall pick next year as compensation for not signing Beede.

Anthopoulos and his staff certainly took an aggressive, even risky approach to this year's draft. They went after Beede and Norris despite both players hinting at huge money values.

In Beede's case, he said, after being drafted, that his decision would come down to money. He signed a letter of intent to attend Vanderbilt, where he believes he has a chance to win a college world series.

With his decision, Beede will not be eligible to re-enter the draft until 2014.

Beede's ‘slot’ - the evaluation placed on the player based on his draft position - was at $1.332 million while Norris, drafted 74th overall, was $492,300.

Norris had previously committed himself to attend Clemson University in the fall.

But the Jays paid well over slot for several players this year and have shown as an organization that they will set aggressive, competitive evaluations on players - but not exceed them.

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“Not in our minds, no,” Anthopoulos said when asked if the Jays overpaid for their draft picks. “It's the same thing we do for free agency and salary arbitration. You always have a choice after that.”

With Monday's signings, the Jays signed 33 of 55 players they drafted, and 11 of their top 13.

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