If this is how the new draft is going to work, then count us all in.
photo courtesy of the Washington Post
Less than 72 hours after being selected by Houston with the first-overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, shortstop Carlos Correa signed a contract with a $4.8 million signing bonus. As noted by FoxSports, Correa’s bonus is the lowest for a first-overall pick since Luke Hochevar signed with Kansas City back in 2006 for $3.5 million.
The Astros had an allotment of $7.2 million with which to sign Correa, and they’ll now put that leftover sum ($2.4 million) towards a deal with a few of their other prospects whose intentions toward signing were less than clear. We’re looking at you Lance McCullers!
And you, Hunter Virant!
And you, Mitchell Traver!
After a short trip back to Puerto Rico, where he’ll be picking up his high school diploma, Correa will be assigned to the Astros Gulf Coast League affiliate.
In other signing related news, a few other early-round picks agreed to deals that were likely negotiated before the draft. They are:
RHP Kyle Zimmer (pick #5, Kansas City Royals) – $3 million
RHP Lucas Sims (pick #21, Atlanta Braves) – $1.65 million
C Bryan de la Rosa (pick #116, Atlanta Braves) – $408,300
RHP Ryan Warner (pick #128, Colorado Rockies) – $363,700
Several other players drafted in the first few rounds are expected to sign in the coming days, including Gavin Cecchini (New York Mets), Matt Smoral (Toronto Blue Jays), Tyler Gonzales (Toronto Blue Jays)
Stay tuned to our signing bonus tracker on the home page to keep aprised with which players have and have not signed.
