The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Jon Harris, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi tweets. Harris still needs to take a physical, but the deal could become final tomorrow. Harris will receive the recommended bonus pool allotment for the pick, which is $1,944,800.
Harris, a righty from Missouri State, was the No. 29 overall selection in the draft. The Jays forfeited their regular first-round pick when they signed Russell Martin, but they received the No. 29 selection as compensation for the departure off Melky Cabrera. The Jays are drafting Harris for the second time, having also selected him in the 33rd round out of high school in 2012.
MLB.com notes that Harris throws in the 92-94 MPH and that there might be some potential for him to throw a bit harder as he matures. His slider, curveball and changeup are also potentially good pitches. Baseball America (subscription required) ranks Harris the No. 25 prospect in the draft, noting that control isn’t always his strong suit but offering praise for all four of his pitches and for his ability to work deep into games.
Good move jays, with a young pitching core of Stroman, Sanchez, Norris, Hoffman, Osuna, Castro, and Harris. Not to mention Hutch is still young. Just incredible.