Report: Marlins Agree To Terms With First-Round Pick
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – So much for all the talk about the Marlins refusing to sign their first round draft pick this year. According to Jim Callis of Baseball America, the Marlins have agreed to terms with their first round pick, pitcher Andrew Heaney.
Thursday, reports emerged from Callis and other media outlets that the Marlins were refusing to pay the slot value to Heaney, a left-handed pitcher out of Oklahoma State. Essentially, it broke down to a fight over $200,000.
Heaney's slotted money as the number 9 overall pick was $2.8million in a signing bonus. The Marlins refused to go above $2.6 million in their bonus offer. Knowing he didn't have any leverage against the Marlins, Heaney finally agreed to the bonus Friday morning, according to Jim Callis.
Heaney's other option was pitching in independent baseball and risking a major injury for not much money.
So the Marlins were able to pay less than what was set aside by Major League Baseball as the specific salary slotted for that position and get their pitcher, who Callis described as the most polished arm in the Major League Baseball draft.
