THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Carlos Correa, taken by Houston with the top pick in this week’s amateur draft, agreed to a contract with the Astros for a signing bonus of $4.8 million on Thursday.
The deal for the 17-year-old shortstop is the first for a top pick since the new collective bargaining agreement that places restraints on spending for selections in the first 10 rounds. It is the lowest guarantee for a top selection since Kansas City gave pitcher Luke Hochevar $3.5 million in 2006.
Under the labour deal, agreed to in November, the recommended slot value for the top pick was $7.2 million. The values of the slots for a team’s picks in the first 10 rounds are added up, and teams exceeding their totals are penalized with a tax and possibly the loss of future draft picks. All selections are limited to minor league contracts.
"We’re absolutely thrilled to have him as a part of our organization," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "It’s a monumental day for us and for him and for the city of Houston. We’re delighted."
Correa was at Minute Maid Park on Thursday for the announcement and met players and took batting practice with the team. He said he picked the No. 12 jersey he donned on Thursday because he was the top pick in 2012 and because he admires fellow Puerto Rican Roberto Alomar, who wore the number.
Correa will return to Puerto Rico to graduate from high school this weekend before joining the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League on Tuesday. He’s happy they were able to get a deal done quickly so he could begin his career.
"It means a lot," he said. "I want to play baseball. I want to play for the Houston Astros. I don’t want to lose time. I feel comfortable signing early. I like this team. I just want to work hard."
Correa is the highest draft pick ever from Puerto Rico. He also is the first shortstop to go first overall since Tampa Bay selected Tim Beckham in 2008, and the fourth shortstop taken with the top pick since 1994.
St. Louis players Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina, who are both from Puerto Rico, came on the field early before their game against the Astros to meet Correa and also talked to and posed for pictures with his family.
Beltran was excited that Correa was chosen first in the draft.
"It really means a lot," Beltran said, adding that he called to congratulate him on draft night. "I think Correa is a hero in Puerto Rico being the first pick overall. At the same time, it’s going to motivate a lot of kids back home in Puerto Rico to continue to play the game of baseball."
The Astros, who fell to a franchise-worst 56-106 last season to earn the top pick, are looking for Correa to develop into a superstar. He seems ready for the challenge.
"I just want to get to the big league level the quickest that I can," he said. "I want to be a leader. I want to be the face of the franchise. That’s what I want as a player. I will work hard right now to be a great player, an impact player in the big leagues."
Royals sign No. 5 overall pick Zimmer to deal that includes $3 million signing bonus
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kyle Zimmer wasn’t interested in holding out for an extra buck. He was interested in getting on the field as quickly as possible for the Kansas City Royals.
The No. 5 pick Major League Baseball’s amateur draft signed with the Royals on Thursday, less than three days after he was chosen and for a bonus that should help the franchise sign the rest of its top draft picks.
"I’m ready to go out here and compete and get on the mound again," said Zimmer, who converted from third base to pitcher while he was player college baseball for San Francisco.
Zimmer visited Kauffman Stadium just before the Royals departed for an interleague series at Pittsburgh on Thursday, getting his first glimpse of the ballpark and a chance to chat up a few of the guys in the clubhouse before they boarded a bus and headed for the airport.
Zimmer was joined by his parents and his agent, Mark Pieper. He pulled on a Royals hat and slipped into the bright white jersey that he hopes to be wearing in the next few years.
"I didn’t know exactly how it would play out," Zimmer said. "It’s been a fast process, so I haven’t had a chance to sit back and reflect on the whole road yet."
The early signing is a departure from previous years, when high draft picks often negotiated right up to an August deadline, creating some tense moments on both sides of the table.
The new collective bargaining agreement moved this year’s deadline to July 13 and created a bonus pool structure that serves as a compromise between Major League Baseball’s desire for a hard slot system and the player union’s argument that draft picks deserve individual bargaining rights.
Kansas City has a bonus pool of $6,101,500 that it can use for its first 10 picks.
The recommended figure for the No. 5 player in the structure was $3.5 million, which means the Royals managed to save $500,000 on Zimmer’s signing. That becomes additional money that they can use to help sign the other nine players they chose in the first 10 rounds.
"Every negotiation is different," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "Kyle really wanted to get out and play. He had a desire to get out and play right away."
That was welcome news for the Royals, who have grown accustomed to tense negotiations.
They signed third baseman Mike Moustakas, the No. 2 overall pick in 2007, to a $4 million bonus about 10 minutes before that year’s deadline. First baseman Eric Hosmer signed for a $6 million bonus the following year, once again just minutes before the deadline.
Last year may have been the most anxious, when outfielder Bubba Starling was weighing an offer to play football at Nebraska. The Royals ended up signing him to a $7.5 million bonus in the final seconds before the deadline, setting a franchise record for the largest signing bonus.
Those kinds of numbers may be a thing of the past, though.
Under the new structure, the Houston Astros were able to sign shortstop Carlos Correa, the No. 1 overall pick this year, to a relatively modest $4.8 million bonus.
"The advantage we’re starting to see already is guys are going to get out and start playing this summer," said J.J. Picollo, the Royals’ assistant GM for player personnel. "It meets the players’ needs and it meets the club’s needs."
Zimmer plans to head to Arizona in the next few days, where he’ll rehab a hamstring injury that turned into a groin strain. Once he’s ready, he’ll start off in the rookie Arizona League.
Moore said there is no timetable on Zimmer’s progression, though he indicated that he hopes the right-hander can finish the season in the Midwest League. That would put him in position to start next season at Class-A Wilmington in the Carolina League.
"Wherever they think is best for my development," Zimmer said.
The 20-year-old Zimmer began his college career as a third baseman, but wound up switching to the mound when it became clear that he wouldn’t receive much playing time.
Zimmer admits that he was reluctant to make the switch at first, but he’s grown to love pitching. He went 6-5 with a 3.73 ERA his first full season, outdueling UCLA’s Gerrit Cole — the eventual first overall draft pick in 2011 — to win an NCAA regional game.
With a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s, a sharp curveball and encouraging changeup, Zimmer managed to go 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA this season. He tossed two shutouts among his 13 starts.
It was enough to make him the No. 1 pitcher on the Royals’ draft board.
"We’re extremely proud to have him as part of our organization, and extremely proud and happy that he was willing to get out here as quickly as he did," Picollo said. "His desire is to play professional baseball. We’re just fortunate it’s with us."
Braves 1st-round pick Lucas Sims signs; RHP will report to Gulf Coast League team
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves first-round draft pick Lucas Sims has signed a contract and is expected to join their Gulf Coast League affiliate Tuesday.
Sims, a right-hander from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga., led his team to the state championship game this year and was taken with the 21st overall pick this week.
He had committed to pitch at Clemson, but signed Thursday with the Braves and received a signing bonus of $1.65 million.
