Should be a crazy day for major league signings, as the deadline to get a deal done with players drafted in June is at 12:01 p.m. (EST). Connecticut's three big prospects are all expected to sign, the question is when and for how much.

New Britain's George Springer (Houston) and Bethel's Matt Barnes (Boston), taken 11th and 19th overall, and Bethany's Jason Esposito (Baltimore) have all been in heavy negotiations the past two weeks. Springer is expected to command in the vicinity of $1.8 million; Barnes around $1.4 million and Esposito roughly $600,000.

Anything can happen. Should be interesting.

Branford's Mike Olt, out since May with a fractured collar bone suffered in a collision at home plate, returned to game action Sunday. On a rehab stint at the team's spring training facility in Arizona, Olt homered and drove in three runs. He could return to advanced Class A Myrtle Beach (S.C.) of the Carolina League this week.

There seems to be no stopping former Yale All-American Ryan Lavarnway lately. Since being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket last month, Lavarnway, a highly-regarded catcher in the Red Sox organization, is hitting .381 (45-for-118) with 10 homers and and 28 RBIs in just 31 games. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he's now hitting .319 with 24 home runs (best in the Sox minor league system) and 66 RBIs.

Need a few more mind-blowing numbers? Lavarnway is hitting .431 in July and .579 in the five games since the All-Star break. And if that's not enough to get him a promotion to Fenway by September 1, consider his .464 average against left-handers in the International League.

Greg Nappo proved he was a little too good for the short-season New York/Penn League. After striking out 10 of the 15 batters he faced in a July 4 start for Jamestown (N.Y.), he pitched five perfect innings in his next start (he was removed after reaching his pitch count both games).

On Wednesday, Nappo was promoted to low Class A Greensboro (N.C.) of the South Atlantic League.

Nappo, a LHP, was the No. 2 starter at UConn this spring and an 18th-round pick of the Marlins in June.

Madison's Greg Nappo made his first professional start memorable by striking out 10 batters in four shutout innings for Jamestown (N.Y.) of the short-season New York/Penn League on Independence Day. The Florida Marlins, who drafted Nappo in the 18th round last month, are taking things slow; the plan was for him to throw only four innings Monday. The former UConn LHP had made three relief appearances since being signed shortly after the college season ended last month. He hasn't allowed a run in nine innings, and has struck out 16.

Hebron's A.J. Pollock batted third and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base for the South at Tuesday's Double-A Southern League All-Star Game in Jackson, Tenn. Pollock, a first-round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2009 out of Notre Dame (17th overall), is hitting .289 with four homers, 38 RBIs and 15 stolen bases for Mobile (Ala.) after missing the entire 2010 season with a broken bone.

Groton's Matt Harvey, the seventh overall pick of the Mets in 2010 after an All-American career at North Carolina, earned his much-anticipated promotion to Double-A. Harvey will join the roster of the Binghamton Mets today. He went 8-2 with a 2.37 earned run average in 14 starts for Class A St. Lucie (Fla.). He struck out 92 batters in 76 innings, allowing just 67 hits and 24 walks.

"Harvey is a starter -- major league arm, major league stuff; big time," B-Mets manager Wally Backman told the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin. "He's can throw 95, 96, with a great breaking ball, great changeup. He's the real deal."

Harvey will make his first appearance in Connecticut since his high school days at Fitch-Groton July 8-11, when Binghamton visits the New Britain Rock Cats for four games.

With the draft in the rear view mirror and UConn's season over, expect the signings to commence soon. A total of 10 Huskies were taken last week, and it's likely all will sign pro contracts soon. On a side note, a pair of UConn players selected in 2009 by the Marlins were both released last week -- outfielder Harold Brantley, a 30th-round pick and pitcher Dan Mahoney, a fourth-round pick. Obviously, expectations were much higher for Mahoney, who made just 22 appearances in his career, none above short-season, and hadn't pitched at all this season.

Tolland's Mike Gallic, an outfielder out of Marist and an 18th-round pick of San Diego, was the first state player to sign a deal.

A few other area notes: New Haven's Casey Frawley ended the longest game in Carolina League history when he drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 23rd inning to lift Kinston (N.C.) past Myrtle Beach Sunday. Frawley was 2-for-11 with six strikeouts in a game that lasted six-and-a-half hours.

Naugatuck's Pat Dean continues to perform well, tossing 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball Saturday before being removed in Class A Beloit's victory. Dean was taken out simply because he'd already thrown 107 pitches. His replacement entered the game and immediately gave up a hit.

Former Yale All-American Ryan Lavarnway was called up to Triple-A Pawtucket today. The catcher and sixth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2008 had been on a recent tear at Double-A Portland, hitting .365 with eight homers and 19 RBIs over the last 23 games. For the season, Lavarnway is at .284 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in 55 games.

Maxx Catapano of Milford was taken by Seattle in the 46th round. A RHP out of Lee, an NAIA school in Tennessee, Catapano pitched his team to a third-place finish in the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho earlier this month, compiling a 9-5 record, 2.29 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched. Catapano played for four different colleges in four years, beginning at UConn as a freshman, Southern Conn. State as a sophomore and Bellevue, an NAIA school in Nebraska, as a junior before landing at Lee.

A couple other late rounders with state ties taken Wednesday: Mike Bourdon, a senior catcher at the University of Tampa and a Simsbury resident went to the Rays in the 42nd round. Bourdon was picked by Boston coming out of Northwest Catholic High School. His brother, Tom, was drafted last June but opted to attend Boston College.

James Lynch, an outfielder and pitcher at the Salisbury School, went to the Dodgers in the 45th round. Salisbury has emerged as quite the program of late, producing 2008 1st-round pick Anthony Hewitt (now a South Atlantic League all-star in the Phillies system) and Chris Dwyer, who pitched Clemson to the College World Series in his lone season, was drafted in the fourth round and is now a highly-regarded prospect in the Kansas City organization.

Max Krakowiak of Westport, a RHP out of Fordham, was taken by Seattle in the 48th round. David Elmore, a 2B at Yale, went to Milwaukee in the 49th round.