The Pirates signed second-round pick Blake Taylor with a bonus of $750,000, about $315,000 below slot value for the 51st overall selection in the MLB Draft, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
#Pirates 2nd-rder Blake Taylor's bonus = $750k. California HS LHP, 6-3/210, 88-91 to 94, tight curve. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) June 16, 2013
The Pirates save some of their slot money ($1,065,400 was the slot value for the pick) just as they did with signing fourth-rounder Cody Dickson below slot. Since they can go 4.9% over the draft pool without losing future draft picks, the Pirates currently have the ability to spend $701,345 on more over-slot picks.
From WTM’s player profile: “Taylor is a projectable prep left-hander whose performance has been inconsistent so far but who has very good potential. He currently throws 89-91 with good movement, and has reached 94 in the past… One interesting factor with him is that he’s unusually young; he won’t turn 18 until over two months after the draft.”
The Draft Pick Signing Tracker has been updated with the bonus information. The Pirates have signed 15 of their 40 draft picks.
