Zach Lee

LSU has lost both a pitcher and a quarterback. Zach Lee has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“This was a very personal decision for Zach and his family,” LSU head coach Les Miles said through the school's Athletic Department. “This opportunity was just too difficult to pass up. We wish Zach and his family the very best. He’s an outstanding young man and we hope he develops into a great Major League pitcher.”

TigerBait's Bryan Lazare reports that two-sports star will receive around $4 million as a signing bonus, much higher than the $1.2 million slotted for Lee, the 28^th overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft this past June. And it could be even more money than that. A source tells ESPNLosAngeles.com that Lee's bonus is between 5 and 6 million dollars. Steven Henson of Yahoo Sports reports the contract is for $5.25 million over five years.

At McKinney (TX) High School, the right-handed Lee had 11 victories, a 2.15 ERA and 90 strikeouts as a senior on the mound. On the football field, Lee passed for 2,565 yards and 31 touchdowns with an additional nine rushing touchdowns in 2009.

Expected to serve as LSU's third string quarterback as a true freshman this Fall, Lee had been in Baton Rouge preparing for the season with the Tigers but did not attend football practice this afternoon as negotiations continued with the Dodgers.

For Paul Mainieri and the LSU baseball team, the day was even more costly.

Anthony RanaudoAs expected, the Tigers' ace right-hander Anthony Ranaudo, the second Red Sox selection in the compensatory 1st round (38th overall), signed a pro contract Monday. Ranaudo and advisor Scott Boras were asking for bonus money normally reserved for a top-ten pick and hit the mark by accepting a $2.25 million bonus, a total much higher than the roughly $850,000 slotted for that spot in the draft.

Ranaudo was projected as a high-first round selection before an elbow injury cost him weeks of playing time during the 2010 season with the Tigers. He struggled to regain top form whe he returned late in the year, posting a 7.32 ERA over 51 and 2/3rds innings.

Delgado outfielder Lucas LeBlanc and Barbe High infielder Garin Cecchini both opted to sign with the Boston Red Sox.

Sources tell NewOrleans.Com/Sports that LeBlanc, Boston's 11th round pick this year, may have received close to $500,000 to sign after turning down $325,000 last week.

The Lockport native and former Central Lafourche star hit .420 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI and was named first-team Junior College All-American and  was named to the NJCAA All-Region 23 team.

Cecchini agreed to a deal with the Red Sox today for an estimated $1.31 million. He was the Red Sox 4th round pick and received money beyond the usual amount slotted for where he was drafted.

Essentially, Boston paid Cecchini as a first rounder because that is where he likely would have been selected if he had not suffered a torn ACL during his senior season in Lake Charles.

Kevin Gausman, another Dodgers draft pick (6th round) and LSU signee, has reported to campus and did not sign.  Gausman turned down a 7-figure bonus to stay with the Tigers.

The hard-throwing hurler out of Grandview, Colorado hits the mid- to-upper-90's with his fastball. He was the 7th-best high school baseball prospect entering 2010, according to Baseball America.