political footing during a rare congress of North Koreas ruling Workers Party in May.Choe regaining a seat on the powerful Presidium of the partys Central Committee was seen as one of the most significan | Forum

NEW YORK -- Just one first-round selection failed to sign under the second year of baseballs new draft restrictions, with Toronto unable to reach an agreement with No. Mark Borowiecki Jersey . 10 pick Phil Bickford. Only nine players taken in the first 10 rounds didnt strike deals. There were fewer deadline-day contracts Friday than in recent years after more players signed in the weeks after the draft was held from June 6-8. "That was one of the goals, getting guys signed and getting them out there earlier," Major League Baseball Executive Vice-President Rob Manfred said. "Its obviously good for the clubs, because it allows the development process to start, but we think over the long haul its good for the players because they get to the major leagues faster." In the hours leading up to the deadline, the Chicago Cubs finalized a deal with No. 2 pick Kris Bryant ($6,708,400), Miami agreed with No. 6 selection Colin Moran ($3,516,500) and the New York Yankees completed a contract with No. 32 pick Aaron Judge ($1.8 million). Five first-round picks signed on the final day last year, down from 22 in 2011, the last year before restraints on signing bonuses were put in place. In addition to Bickford, the other picks who failed to sign among players in the first 10 rounds were left-hander Matt Krook (Miami with the 35th selection), shortstop Ben Deluzio (Miami, 80), left-hander Ben Wetzler (Philadelphia, 151), outfielder Jason Monda (Philadelphia, 181), right-hander Stephen Woods (Tampa Bay, 188), third baseman Dustin DeMuth (Minnesota, 230) and second baseman Ross Kivett (Cleveland, 291). Bickford, who turned 18 on Wednesday, is a right-hander with a 97 mph fastball from Oaks Christian High School in California, and he appears set to attend Cal State Fullerton. His pick had a slot value of $2,921,400. The Blue Jays will get the No. 11 pick in next years draft as compensation. Teams are given bonus pools in the labour contract, which imposes penalties on clubs that exceed their threshold -- the total of the slots for a teams selections in the first 10 rounds. A team that goes as much as 5 per cent above its threshold incurs the first level of penalty, a 75 per cent tax on the overage. Ten teams went above their thresholds last year, but none by more than 5 per cent. Going over means losing a first-round pick the next year. Spending on amateur draft picks dropped 10 per cent last year, to $209.4 million from $233.6 million in 2011, but it was the second-highest total. Figures for this year will not be available until next week. Bonuses for international players dropped 18 per cent, from $95.6 million to $78.7 million, in the first year of restrictions, which ended July 1. While players signed from the Dominican Republic increased by 23 to 432, Venezuelans dropped by 30 to 201. The total each year has fluctuated, depending on which Cuban defectors were available. "The international numbers are very difficult to compare year to year because of that," Manfred said. Jean-Gabriel Pageau Senators Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Christian Jaros Senators Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http:///...ker-senators-jersey/ . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Saturday sent a high-level delegation led by a top aide to leader Kim Jong Un to Rio de Janeiro for the upcoming Olympics, state media said.North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said the delegation, headed by Choe Ryong Hae, vice chairman of the countrys State Affairs Commission, left Pyongyang, but did not provide details about what the senior officials plan to do in Rio de Janeiro or how long they will stay.South Koreas Yonhap News Agency reported that Choe and the other North Korean delegates arrived in Beijing on Saturday morning, and that it wasnt clear whether they would meet with Chinese officials before heading to Brazil.North Korea, which has been put under heavy international sanctions over its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch earlier this year, has previously used international sporting events as stages for attempting diplomatic breakthroughs.Choe was part of a senior North Korean delegation that visiited South Korea in October 2014, when the rivals held rare high-level talks during the Asian Games in Incheon to ease tensions. Dylan DeMelo Senators Jersey. Once considered to be Kims No. 2, Choe was believed to have been briefly banished to a rural collective farm last year for re-education before regaining his political footing during a rare congress of North Koreas ruling Workers Party in May.Choe regaining a seat on the powerful Presidium of the partys Central Committee was seen as one of the most significant promotions at the congress, and some experts believe Kim could use Choe as his diplomatic point man for improving relations with China, the Norths most important strategic and economic partner.North Korea has reportedly sent about 30 athletes to Rio de Janeiro to participate in Olympic events such as wrestling, judo, weightlifting and table tennis. ' ' '