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Pirates Officially Sign Reese McGuire

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Reese McGuire has officially signed.
Reese McGuire has officially signed.

Yesterday we heard that the Pittsburgh Pirates would be signing first round pick Reese McGuire today. Today the Pirates made the move official. No word yet on the bonus, although McGuire was expected to sign for close to slot. The catcher will head to the Gulf Coast League, which begins on Friday.

After the draft, Jessica Quiroli reported that McGuire had made the decision to go pro. He couldn’t sign until after his high school graduation, which was this past weekend.

McGuire was the top catching prospect in the 2013 draft. He’s got great defensive skills, which will allow him to stick behind the plate for the long-run. That’s never a guarantee for prep catchers, but McGuire’s defense is unlike most prep players, highlighted by above-average receiving, blocking, and arm skills. He’s also been calling his own games since the age of 10, so he’s well ahead of where most catchers are at that age.

The questions about McGuire surround his bat. Some think he has the hitting skills to be a starter in the majors, with a good stroke, good bat speed, the ability to hit for average and the ability to hit for some power. Others feel his bat won’t progress enough to hit as a regular.

UPDATE 2:04 PM: Travis Sawchik reports that McGuire’s deal is slightly under slot.

That’s only $9,800 saved from his total slot price, so it’s not a huge amount saved.

UPDATE 2:36 PM: Jim Callis has a different figure.

That makes a bit more sense, as it saves $200,800. That makes more sense than the Pirates signing McGuire for less than $10,000 under slot.

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Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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