UNC Baseball: Vance Honeycutt signs with the Baltimore Orioles organization

The deadline for MLB draft picks to sign with their respective teams is August 1 at 5:00 PM EST.

As the deadline rapidly approached, one notable star remained unsigned: Vance Honeycutt.

Just hours before the buzzer sounded on the window for draft picks to negotiate deals with their respective teams, the former UNC baseball star reached an agreement on his first professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Honeycutt was the last first-round pick to reach an agreement with his team. According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, Honeycutt will take home a $4M signing bonus, which is higher than the projected $3.8M slot value. The Orioles made it official with the above social media post that surfaced early on Thursday morning.

Without a doubt, Vance Honeycutt will go down as arguably the greatest player to ever wear the Carolina Blue uniform. What Honeycutt has been able to do offensively and defensively is nearly impossible to match, as not many players in the country can impact the game in the ways that the Diamond Heels star regularly does.

Over his three seasons in Chapel Hill, Honeycutt was one of the top five-tool players in the country; Honeycutt showcased his speed, power, athleticism, and, of course, defensive skills throughout his three seasons as a Tar Heel.

Honeycutt has secured the program's all-time home run title as he led the Diamond Heels to the College World Series during his junior season. For his efforts, Honeycutt became the first Diamond Heel ever to earn first-team All-America honors as a player and first-team Academic All-America honors. He is a two-time ACC Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors and picked up a Rawlings Gold Glove for his stellar defensive play.

Not only was he a star on the field, but he strived off it as well. Honeycutt earned numerous accolades for his academic success, as he served as a great role model not only for his teammates but for the University of North Carolina as a whole.

With some time to spare, Honeycutt and the Orioles were able to strike a deal, as Honeycutt now aims to be the future centerfielder at Camden Yards.