Did Yankees somehow blow it with exciting fourth-round pick Roc Riggio?

Yes, the New York Yankees still have a week (until July 25) to finish negotiations with their 2023 MLB Draft Picks and finalize their facts and figures.

But it would take a more optimistic man than I to read the Yankees' Tuesday press release announcing the signing of 17 of their 18 picks as, "That 18th one's coming soon, too! Just wait!"

When the Yankees announce something, it feels like a stamp of finality. While there's still wiggle room for negotiating, one can't help but worry that fourth-rounder Roc Riggio, the Oklahoma State slugger with both the stature and swagger of Dustin Pedroia, is headed back to school for his junior season.

Not only is Riggio in possession of a fantastic name, but he appears to be built from the exact emotional mold that the modern Yankees could use a hefty dose of. While time remains on the clock, we're left wondering what could've possessed the Yankees to tweet out an almost-filled list a week ahead of the deadline.

I guess ... this assuaged worries that they were going to miss out on their first-rounder George Lombard Jr. Like most things attached to the Yankees these days, though, the worries it created clouded the fears it removed.

Why haven't Yankees signed 2023 MLB Draft Pick Roc Riggio?

Even when the Yankees make the right pick -- the exact right choice -- they somehow find a way to introduce drama and speculation to the proceedings. Very fun time to be a fan. Definitely didn't need a distraction like a completed draft class right about now.

Just a week ago, Bryan Hoch was writing on Riggio's rise from a perspective of someone who was anticipating his swift arrival in the Yankees' system, closing his insightful article on his attitude with the quip, "And now, for Riggio, a new chapter appears to be beginning. Pro ball awaits."

One must wonder what intervened to keep pro ball waiting. Did the Yankees plow through their bonus pool too early? Is Riggio's camp leveraging his ability to return to school against them? If both things are true, and the Yankees are maxed out, there may be no recourse but for both parties to go their separate ways. At a certain point, New York legally isn't allowed to add to their offer.

Rumors have been circulating for days that a photo of Riggio signing had emerged on his private Instagram account. The Yankees' announcement counteracts this sentiment and confuses us, to say the least.

Maybe it really was too good to be true. Maybe Dustin Pedroia types just aren't meant to don this uniform. Maybe the fan base is never meant to be invigorated.

One more week to let it Roc. Change my mind, Yankees. I dare you.