4:58pm: Buehler will require Tommy John surgery, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. While it’s impossible to guess exactly how much the injury cost Buehler, the slot value for the No. 24 pick was $2,094,400. He signed for $314,400 under-slot.
4:24pm: Buehler will receive a $1.78MM bonus, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com. As previously noted, his physical revealed some concerns about his arm health which affected his bonus.
3:03pm: Buehler is said to have an issue in his elbow, according to Heyman (Twitter link), which may explain both the delay in his signing and the under-slot bonus.
2:29pm: The Dodgers and first-round pick Walker Buehler have agreed to terms on a contract that is below the Vanderbilt right-hander’s No. 24 slot value of $2,094,400, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Buehler was advised by Excel Sports Management.
The Dodgers learned earlier today that No. 35 overall pick Kyle Funkhouser will return to Louisville for his senior season, making it all the more important for the club to secure Buehler’s services. Buehler was mentioned as a potential Top 10 pick in various mock drafts leading up to the actual draft but slipped to the Dodgers at 24th overall due to concerns surrounding his durability, according to Baseball America’s Teddy Cahill.
Buehler entered the draft ranked 11th, 12th, 17th and 22nd on the respective lists of MLB.com (Jonathan Mayo/Jim Callis), the Baseball America staff, ESPN (Keith Law) and Fangraphs (Kiley McDaniel). Callis and Mayo praise his 90-96 mph heater but note that he has some inconsistencies in terms of his curve, slider and changeup, though all three can be above-average at times. Buehler’s 6’2″, 170-pound frame has some question his ability to remain a starter, but the MLB.com duo likes his chances. So, too, does Baseball America, who cite his athleticism, clean delivery and deep arsenal as reasons that he can remain in the rotation. Law likes the manner in which he attacks hitters, while McDaniel puts future grades of 60, 55+ and 50 (on the 20-80 scale) on Buehler’s fastball, curveball and changeup, respectively.
