The first-round Draft choice -- the 11th player selected overall in June's First-Year Player Draft -- must be under contract before 9 p.m. PT on Wednesday or he returns to the talent pool next June. Seattle would receive a compensation pick.

But as the clock ticks towards the deadline, industry officials believe most of the remaining unsigned Draft choices -- including Aumont -- will be signed in the next two days.

As of Monday night, seven of the top 11 choices were still unsigned and most of the first-round Draft selections who have signed received less than players that were drafted in the same slot last season. The lone exception is Matt Dominguez, a high school pitcher that received a $1.7 million signing bonus on Monday from the Marlins. He was the No. 12 pick overall.

Bob Fontaine, the Mariners' vice president of scouting, said the Mariners are "cautiously optimistic" that Aumont would sign before the deadline.

The 18-year-old Aumont, from Quebec, Canada, starred for the Canadian Junior National Team last year and was voted by Perfect Game as the Canada East Player of the Year. He was rated by Baseball America as one of the top right-handed pitchers heading into the 2007 Draft, including the No. 9 high school prospect and the top Canadian prospect.

At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, Aumont already has a frame that exudes power, and he should get even stronger down the road.

"Phillippe is a power pitcher and we are confident he will be able to contribute to the success of our organization very quickly," Fontaine said the day Aumont was drafted. "He has a live arm. Everything is easy. He's strong, challenges hitters, competes and wants to win. We're very happy."

The Mariners were hoping that Aumont would sign quickly and begin his career in the Minor League system. But that hasn't happened.

Now, even if an agreement is reached before Wednesday's deadline, it probably would take at least two weeks for Aumont to get a working visa, allowing him to play for the Mariners' organization.

One possibility is for the Mariners to sign him and request permission for Aumont to play for Team Canada, until he receives the visa.

After being idle for a few weeks after the June Draft, Aumont reportedly has been working out and pitched four innings on Saturday, striking out eight of the batters he faced and topping out at 94 mph on his fastball.

The Mariners, meanwhile, have signed all of the other Draft choices they wanted to sign -- including third baseman Matt Mangini, a sandwich selection between the first and second rounds as compensation for losing pitcher Gil Meche to the Royals.

Trivia challenge: Raul Ibanez was named Monday as the American League Player of the Week for Aug. 5-12. Who and when was the last Mariner selected as Player of the Week?

Quiet time: Right-hander Jeff Weaver pitched so well in Sunday afternoon's game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field that the phone in the visiting bullpen never rang.

"It didn't ring at all and I might not have answered it anyway," joked bullpen coach Jim Slaton. "I think that's the first time this year. I was trying to think back to the game Felix [Hernandez] pitched against the Red Sox, but I can't recall."

That was the night when Hernandez pitched a one-hit shutout against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Manager John McLaren said he was sure that this was the first time this season that no one at least got loose in the bullpen.

As for Weaver's 6-0 gem on Sunday, Slaton said he and the relievers just sat back and "we watched. I was hoping that some of the guys didn't have to get up, and they didn't. It was very nice to have the day off."

Beltre gets breather: Third baseman Adrian Beltre, who went 4-for-22 but drove in six runs during the just-completed six-game road trip to Baltimore and Chicago, decided that Monday night's series opener against the Twins would be a good time to sit back and relax.

"I have wanted him to take a day off," McLaren said, "and he actually called me [Sunday night] about it. He has been reluctant to take a day off, but I have told him that we have a long grind ahead of us and if he didn't take a day off now, taking a day off in September wouldn't help.

"This is a good time for him to take a break."

Betre had played in 103 of the Mariners' first 115 games. Versatile reserve Willie Bloomquist started at third base in Monday's series opener and Beltre will return there on Tuesday night.

The answer is: The last time the Mariners had someone named AL Player of the Week was on Sept. 24, 2006. That player was ... Raul Ibanez.

On deck: The three-game series against the reigning AL Central champions resumes Tuesday night at Safeco Field where left-hander Horacio Ramirez (7-3, 7.12 ERA) opposes Twins right-hander Matt Garza (1-3. 1.70) in a 7:05 PT game.