NEW YORK — After two months of little movement, six of the top 11 draft picks agreed to contracts in the hours before the deadline passed.

No. 2 pick Pedro Alvarez agreed Friday night to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates that included a $6 million signing bonus. Kansas City and first baseman Eric Hosmer, the third overall pick, agreed to a minor league contract, also for a $6 million signing bonus.

"Teams don't even make offers until hours before the deadline and in many cases minutes before the deadline," said Scott Boras, who advised Alvarez and Hosmer. "This deadline creates a major administrative problems and it completely, for most draft picks, removes almost in its entirety the negotiation process."

Baltimore and University of San Diego left-hander Brian Matusz, the No. 4 selection, agreed to a four-year deal that guarantees him $3,472,500. That was just one of two major league deals given to players in this year's draft.

Florida State catcher Buster Posey, the No. 5 choice, got the highest amount for a drafted player this year, agreeing to a minor league contract with San Francisco for a $6.2 million signing bonus. Tim Beckham, a high school shortstop taken by Tampa Bay with the top pick of this year's draft, received a $6.15 million signing bonus on June 19.

"It's been a long summer," Posey said. "Obviously being 21 years old, this is the first of this type of experience for me. It was different. I'm extremely excited to be a Giant and I can't wait to get started."

Miami first baseman Yonder Alonso, the seventh pick, agreed to a $4.55 million, five-year major league contract with Cincinnati. South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak, the No. 11 pick, agreed with Texas for a $3.5 million signing bonus. San Diego agreed to a $1.15 million signing bonus with Wake Forest first baseman Allan Dykstra, the 23rd pick.

Just two first-round picks facing the deadline failed to reach agreements.

Washington didn't sign Missouri right-hander Aaron Crow, the No. 9 selection. The New York Yankees didn't agree with right-hander Gerrit Cole, the 28th pick, who decided to attend UCLA.

The Nationals and Yankees will both get an extra pick in the first round of next year's draft as compensation.

"We were extremely competitive trying to sign him. We offered a major league contract," general manager Jim Bowden said of Crow. "We were there, doing everything we could to sign the player. Obviously, we're very disappointed."

The deadline didn't apply to Seattle and right-hander Joshua Fields, who finished his senior season at Georgia and can continue to negotiate with the Mariners.

Alvarez, a 21-year-old third baseman, spent three years at Vanderbilt and hit .317 with nine homers and 30 RBIs in 40 games this season, missing six weeks with a broken hamate bone in his right hand.

"Bob Nutting has made a commitment to provide the club with the tools and resources necessary to return the Pirates to the greatness that this organization has achieved so often in its rich history," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said of his owner. "He has further demonstrated that commitment by his active involvement throughout this process and by providing us with the significant dollars necessary to sign Pedro Alvarez."

The draft deadline began last year, when all first-round picks agreed to deals, including 11 whose signings were announced on the final day.