Top Marlins Draft Pick Garrett Reaches $4.1M Deal
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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Left-hander Braxton Garrett, the seventh overall selection in this year's amateur draft, has signed with the Miami Marlins for a bonus of $4,145,900.
The deal, announced Friday, was for $389,600 over slot value.
Garrett, 18, was the 34th and last of the first-round picks to reach an agreement. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder had a 0.53 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings for Florence High School in Alabama.
Friday was the deadline to sign Garrett, who had a commitment to attend Vanderbilt.
Garrett's curveball was considered one of the best in the country among high school prospects.
"He was rated the No. 1 left-hander on our board coming into the draft, so we were very excited when he was there and available to us at 7 and we're happy we were able to get him signed," team president Mike Hill said.
Garrett will report to the team's training facility in Jupiter, Florida, on Saturday with the expectation that he will begin his career in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
"He drives that train to what he's going to be, but a tremendous, young high school left-handed pitcher," Hill said. "Everyone who saw him liked the ability, the athleticism, the ability to repeat his delivery, mechanics, three plus pitches."
The Marlins have signed all their draft picks through the first 12 rounds.
"The draft is extremely vital to our success," Hill said. "We look at the field now, so many of our core players are drafted and developed as Marlins and it's nice to get them signed."
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