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ETHAN PAUL, SHORTSTOP
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| Born: August 27, 1996 Height: 5’10” Weight: 180 Bats: Left Throws: Right Drafted: 9th Round, 274th Overall, 2019 How Acquired: Draft College: Vanderbilt University Agent: N/A |
WTM’s PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES |
| The Pirates drafted Paul as a junior but didn’t sign him, then they took him again as a senior. He played primarily second base as a sophomore and junior, but moved to short as a senior after the departure of Connor Kaiser, whom the Pirates drafted in 2018. Baseball America rated Paul 326th in the 2018 draft class, as he lost status during a weak season in which he batted just .240 with a very high strikeout total (60 in 216 at-bats). He bounced back with a 325/392/524 line as a senior and cut his strikeouts to 55 in 252 ABs, although that’s still a high rate. Paul went 17-for-18 in steals in 2018 and 8-for-10 in 2019, though he is more of a smart runner than a fast runner. Defensively, his arm is average and he probably profiles more as a utility player going forward. BA in 2019 rated Paul 335th in the draft class and 12th in Tennessee. Paul signed about a month after the draft as his team was in the College World Series. His bonus was $92,300 below the slot value.
2019 Paul played short more or less regularly after he signed, although he missed the final week of the season. His final batting line was very close to the league averages. He had a good walk rate, but struck out a lot for a hitter who isn’t projected to hit for power. He hit LHPs slightly better than RHPs. Paul will probably play short at Greensboro in 2020, although Francisco Acuna could be there, too. Bradenton would not be an option, with Ji-Hwan Bae almost certainly there. Going forward, Paul looks more like a utility player than a potential regular. |
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CONTRACT INFORMATION
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| 2020: Minor league contract |
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PLAYER INFORMATION
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| Signing Bonus: $60,000 MiLB Debut: 2019 MLB Debut: MiLB FA Eligible: 2025 MLB FA Eligible: Rule 5 Eligible: 2022 Added to 40-Man: Options Remaining: 3 MLB Service Time: 0.000 |
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TRANSACTIONS
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| June 6, 2018: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 26th round, 774th overall pick. June 4, 2019: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 9th round, 274th overall pick; signed on July 1. |
