PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system, thin on starting pitchers with power arms, might have gotten a lot deeper in a matter of minutes.

Houston high school right-hander Jameson Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick in the June amateur draft, agreed to a minor-league contract Monday night for a $6.5 million bonus.

Second-round pick Stetson Allie, another right-hander with a high-90s fastball, also agreed to a contract Monday night.

Leaning heavily on the draft to rebuild a franchise that is closing in on a record 18th consecutive losing season, the Pirates kept up their recent tradition of being among the highest-spending teams in the draft.

"This is highest we've invested in three years — it will come in at around $12 million, and $31 million the last three years," general manager Neal Huntington said.

Huntington rated Taillon and Allie as being the two best power pitchers in the draft. The 6-4 Allie's fastball was rated as the second best in high school baseball to Taillon's by industry publication Baseball America. Allie played at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio.

"When you throw in the mid- to upper 90s, you've got a chance to move quickly," Huntington said.

The Pirates bypassed Florida high school shortstop Manny Machado to choose the 6-foot-6Z\x Taillon, who was 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 62X\c innings at The Woodlands High. Taillon had planned to play for Rice. Some teams apparently didn't draft Allie because they believed he would attend North Carolina.

"Taillon is advanced for a high school pitcher, absolutely," said Huntington, who said both pitchers immediately become among the Pirates' top prospects.

The Pirates went against their own history by choosing Taillon. Since the draft began in 1965, none of the seven high school pitchers drafted on the first round by Pittsburgh have pitched more than one season in the majors.

Pittsburgh also signed Texas first baseman Jared Lakind, a 23rd round pick, and Arizona State shortstop Drew Maggi, a 15th-rounder, to a deal worth an estimated $460,000 on the final day for signing picks in this year's draft.

"We knew coming in that we were going to have to be very aggressive in the draft," Pirates manager John Russell said. "It's exciting to see."

Because there is so little time left in the short-season Class A leagues, it is unlikely that either Taillon or Allie will pitch competitively the rest of this season. Huntington expects both to start pitching in the fall Florida Instructional League.