Quite often, a Major League team can have a very difficult time signing its high draft picks, especially its #1 pick. That problem may arise even more so with the first player taken overall. It appears, though, that the Houston Astros may have little to no trouble at all signing their top draft pick, Brady Aiken. CBS Sports.com’s Mike Axisa reports that the Astros have made a verbal agreement with Aiken.
There is nothing official yet, and the terms remain undisclosed at this time. However, Axisa says that the team expects to sign Aiken with little to no hassle. Axisa quotes the young left-hander discussing the verbal agreement. Said Aiken,
“I would say we have a verbal agreement in place. Next thing is to hammer out the details of the contract and hopefully that’ll be done in the next week or two. We should know more when we’re heading out to sign, take physicals, do all of that. Should be hearing back from the Astros in the next couple of days. I think they’re just finalizing Ts and Cs.“
Axisa cites Baseball America as identifying the signing bonus that Aiken will likely receive at $7,922,100. The Astros may spend as much as 13,362,000 on all their draft picks combined.
Aiken is a 6’4″, 205 lb., 17-year-old left-hander out of Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, California. He throws in the mid 90s and has what Axisa calls a “hammer curve ball and a promising change-up.” In addition, Dayn Perry, also of CBS Sports.com, adds even more about Aiken’s mechanics. Says Perry,
“Mechanically, Aiken has a clean and efficient delivery and good arm speed. It bears repeating that rarely do you find such a refined package at the high-school level.“
It appears that the signing will happen before too long — perhaps within a week as Aiken said himself. It is a great deal for both sides. Aiken will have his pay-day before he ever sets foot on a professional field, and the Astros get the best available pitcher in the draft. It is a great amount for a teenager to get but a relatively small amount for a Major League team to pay out considering today’s salaries.
The Astros will also have control over Aiken for several years, and if the organization continues to send its young talent to the Majors at its current pace, then the players will learn to play at the Major League level soon — and play there longer — making it easier for them to turn into a winning team within the next few years.
PHOTO CREDIT: Four-Seam Images/AP
[…] Manager Bo Porter keeps his team motivated after suffering through a dreadful 2012 in the N.L. Central and 2013 debut in the A.L. West. The young talent of Springer, Singleton, Carter, and Keuchel have started to blossom, and there is hope for the future in 2014 first-round draft pick Brady Aiken, who recently agreed verbally with the team. […]