The Houston Astros are "highly unlikely" to be able to sign No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken after the July 18 deadline, according to a source.

The source was surprised at a recent report that Houston could still sign the high school left-hander.

Bud Selig was asked by 10News, a San Diego television station, to address Aiken's situation on Wednesday and Selig said "we're working on that right now."

"There are a lot of things in movement there so it would be inappropriate for me to comment," Selig said, "but I would say we are working towards a hopeful solution."

According to the source, the commissioner could only have been referring to Jacob Nix, Houston's fifth-round draft pick, who also went unsigned and has filed a grievance against the Astros.

The Astros could be forced to sign Nix by an arbitrator.

Bud Selig hasn't denied that the Houston Astros may still be able to sign No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken.

The two sides weren't able to reach a deal before the July 18th deadline. An extension may have been granted amid reports of a possible grievance filed by Aiken's camp.

"We're working on that right now," Selig said while at Petco Park on Tuesday. "There are a lot of things in movement there so it would be inappropriate for me to comment, but I would say we are working towards a hopeful solution."

It is still possible for the Houston Astros to reach a deal with No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken.

"The expectation from those close to the negotiations" is that the two sides will reach an agreement around the time of Jacob Nix's grievance hearing.

However, owner Jim Crane downplayed the possibility of a deal soon.

"There's nothing to report, nothing going on there," Crane said.

The grievance filed against the Houston Astros after two high draft picks went unsigned last month was filed on behalf of fifth-round pick Jacob Nix, not No. 1 pick Brady Aiken, according to a pair of sources.

There will not be any movement in the grievance until after the regular season.

"Nix will not be resolved before the offseason," a source said. "Nothing has changed since deadline day."

Nix passed a physical and agreed to a $1.5 million signing bonus with the Astros, but the deal was not honored when Aiken went unsigned.