Giants Sign Third-Rounder Kyle Harrison
The Giants have locked up third-round draft choice Kyle Harrison, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). It was known already that a deal was close, but it’s now in the books.
Harrison is said to be lined up for a $2.5MM bonus, well over the $710,700 slot allocation that came with the 85th overall choice. It was long believed the UCLA commit would require a sizable bonus to forgo college.
Draft observers weren’t universally sold on Harrison’s future. He didn’t rank higher than #54 on any draft boards, earning that placement from Keith Law of The Athletic.
That said, Harrison’s fastball velocity and draft profile were on the rise and might well have gained further ground had the season not been suspended. Fangraphs cited his “weird angle of attack,” “deception and great feel to pitch.” MLB.com, which ranked Harrison 63rd overall, credits the young southpaw with “a feel to use all three offerings.”
Giants Nearing Completion Of Draft Signings
The Giants appear to have all but tied up their draft business. Things aren’t quite official, but the San Francisco organization is said to have deals with its final two unsigned selections.
The club inked fourth-rounder R.J. Dabovich for a $200K bonus, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports on Twitter. Dabovich is a right-handed hurler out of Arizona State University.
That signing left $300K and change of extra pool money to work with, adding to an already well-stocked pile of untapped cash to utilize in signing third-rounder Kyle Harrison, a high-school hurler who has a commitment to UCLA. Per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (Twitter link), the deal with Harrison is not formally wrapped up but has been agreed to.
The Giants will push right up to the line to ink Harrison. The club is expected to incur a tax bill on the overage, while staying under the 5% excess line past which a team would sacrifice a future draft choice.
Harrison wasn’t widely regarded as a first-round talent by most draft pundits, but the Giants were clearly bullish on him. Keith Law of The Athletic, who ranked Harrison the 54th-best player available, explained that the youngster added heat to his fastball before play was suspended earlier this year.
Giants Agree To Above-Slot Bonus With 3rd-Rounder Kyle Harrison
The Giants have agreed to a $2.5MM bonus with third-round selection Kyle Harrison, according to Marc Delucchi (via Twitter). If indeed a contract is finalized, Harrison will forego his commitment to UCLA.
That’s a big number for a player chosen with the 85th overall selection, which came with a $710,700 slot allocation. But the Giants will evidently find a way to free up some funds by inking below-slot deals with other draft choices.
Harrison, a Bay Area high school southpaw, wasn’t generally graded as a top-end prospect entering the draft. But MLB.com (63rd) and Baseball America (71st) did rate him among the hundred best players available.
The lefty will enter the San Francisco organization with high hopes given the big bonus. Reports generally frame him as a fairly polished and crafty hurler rather than a high-upside power arm. It seems evident that the Giants see a clear path to a big league rotation, if not alaso some front-of-the-rotation potential.