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Pirates strive to finalize contract with No. 1 draft pick Henri davis and could have a deal in place “soon,” according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette add that the two sides could finalize a deal as quickly as this weekend.
Davis, a 21-year-old wide receiver from Louisville, catapulted himself into the mix for the No. 1 overall selection with a massive junior season. The Bedford, NY native scored 0.370 / 0.482 / .663 and clubbed 15 home runs to go with nine doubles – while walking (31 times) more than he pulled out ( 24).
Davis was not the consensus or even the expected first pick in the draft, although the majority of rankings before the draft put him in the top 5 talent. He ranked # 2 on FanGraphs and The Athletic; No. 4 in Baseball America and ESPN; and # 5 on MLB.com, for example. The Pirates’ decision to go for Davis could potentially save them a bit of cash compared to the first overall draft slot, but any savings figure must be reallocated to an impressive crop of top talent they have. managed to secure in the draft slots. at the bottom of the board.
As Baseball America’s JJ Cooper points out, the Pirates’ top four caps – of which the fourth came in at No. 72 – were all considered first-round talents in the BA rankings. Left handed Antoine Solometoacrobat Lonnie white jr. and right handed / shortstop Bubba chandler all ranked among the top 32 BA players. Not all outlets were so optimistic about this trio, but all were considered the top 75 talent; Chandler, in particular, was greatly appreciated. Specific rankings aside, it’s an impressive crop of talent to take away from a single project.
The Bucs will need to sign all four, of course, for this impressive group to pay dividends, but it looks like they have a decent chance of doing so. Chandler, who was Clemson’s rookie as a quarterback, already told ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren this week that he intends to sign with the Pirates (Twitter link).
The exact terms of the talks between Davis and the Pirates are not yet clear, but his overall No. 1 location is worth $ 8.42 million. Again, based on the collection of names below it, the ultimate bonus might come a little south of this mark. The Bucs likely saved money with their fifth, sixth and ninth round picks by drafting college seniors, who often sign well below the slot.
Whatever number Pittsburgh and Davis agree on, it will immediately add one of the game’s most beloved capture hopes to a Pirates system that sophomore GM Ben Cherington and his front office are quickly working to rebuild. . Davis is praised for his mix of punching tools, excellent power, and more or more arm strength. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs calls him “rare offensive talent for a backstop”. Longenhagen and Athletic’s Keith Law both recognize certain elements of his defensive game that need to be tweaked, but Law believes Davis “will work on everyone to be an above average defender.” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel calls him the “best college hitter by a good margin” in the draft and virtually every report on Davis says he has more than enough bats to make him work at another position even if he is. do not stay behind the dish.
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