The Rangers have signed their first round draft pick, infielder Gavin Fien
The Texas Rangers officially announced the signing of first round draft pick Gavin Fien last night. In addition, the Rangers announced the signing of fourth rounder Mason McConnaughey, fifth rounder Ben Abeldt, and 18th rounder Julius Sanchez.
We previewed Fien prior to the draft. A shortstop out of Temecula, California, who turned 18 in March, Fien is expected to move to third base in the professional ranks. He’s a righthanded hitter who is considered one of the best high school hitters in the draft, and presents an enticing combo of hit tool and power potential.
Fien signed for a reported $4.8 million, which is almost $1 million less than the $5.75 million in bonus pool money allocated for that slot. McConnaughey, a righthanded pitcher from the University of Nebraska, reportedly received $495,825 as a signing bonus, below the $661,100 slot value for his pick. Abeldt, a lefty pitcher from TCU, reportedly got $450,000 as a signing bonus, also below the $489,200 slot value for where he was picked. That gives the Rangers an aggregate of approximately $1.15 million in money that they can allocate to above-slot deals for other picks.
Sanchez is a righthanded pitcher out of the University of Illinois. Like McConnaughey and Abeldt, his junior season was cut short due to injury. He reportedly received $150,000 to sign — the largest bonus a player selected after the 10th round can receive without it applying towards the total bonus pool.