The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted third baseman Eric Wood in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Wood, a right-handed hitter, attended Blinn College and comes from the JuCo ranks. He didn’t rate on Baseball America’s top 500, making him the first guy who could really qualify as a signability pick.
Wood hit for a .318/.425/.486 line in 173 at-bats this year for Blinn, with four homers. He showed some power, winning his team’s home run derby last fall. He also showed a strong arm, being considered one of the top four or five arms for Blinn’s pitching staff, although he only threw four innings, playing mostly in the field. Wood was taken last year in the 37th round out of high school by the Oakland Athletics. He’s got a 6′ 2″, 195 pound frame, and doesn’t turn 20 until November, so he’s basically a high school guy.
The slot price for the sixth round is $188,800. Wood seems more signable in the sixth round than he was in the 37th round last year. I don’t know if he’d command the full slot amount, which could create some money for Mark Appel if he signs.
