11:26am: Cron's deal is for $1.467MM and he'll sign it Monday, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
7:13am: Top Angels draft pick C.J. Cron announced on Twitter that he will sign early next week. The University of Utah first baseman says he has agreed to terms on his first professional deal.
"Off to Anaheim on Monday to sign the contract!" he wrote. "I'm going to be an Angel."
As Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times points out, Cron's pro debut will likely have to wait until 2012 despite the early deal. The powerful prospect has a tear in his throwing shoulder and surgery would sideline him for six months or more. Baseball America ranked Cron 26th among draft eligible prospects before the draft and the Angels selected him with the 17th overall pick.
Cron, the son of former big leaguer Chris Cron, doesn't move well or run quickly, but Baseball America says that's fine given his power and hitting ability. "He's the best all-around hitter in the country and should have no problem producing the numbers teams expect from a first baseman," BA explained. Here's MLBTR's complete list of top picks that have signed.
