Here’s a very in-depth look from SI.com’s Ben Reiter on what happened & why the Astros didn’t sign the 1st pick in the draft. Reiter was right there with the guys who evaluated who the Astros would take & how Aiken became their guy. He also gives a very measured look at what the Astros reasoning would’ve been for not spending the money on Aiken.
And here’s another detailed breakdown of the Aiken debacle & where the Astros go from this point in this Nick J. Faleris Baseball Prospectus story.