The Reds have agreed to terms with first round pick Rhett Lowder, tweets Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He’ll receive a $5.7MM bonus that comes in below the $6.28MM slot value of the seventh overall selection.
Lowder becomes the first top ten pick of the class to agree to terms. The Wake Forest right-hander appeared among the back half of the top 10 on pre-draft rankings from MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law and Baseball America. Evaluators credit him with a plus changeup, solid breaking ball and low-mid 90s velocity on a sinking fastball.
The 6’2″ hurler was the ACC’s pitcher of the year in each of his final two seasons for the Demon Deacons. He posted a 1.87 ERA over 120 1/3 innings as a junior. Lowder fanned 30.4% of opponents against just a 5.1% walk percentage.
Cincinnati used their first two choices on college pitchers, selecting LSU’s Ty Floyd with their Competitive Balance Round A selection. Second rounder Sammy Stafura and fourth round pick Cole Shoenwetter both appeared higher on most pre-draft rankings than their actual selection placements would suggest. Cincinnati could reallocate some of their savings on Lowder to overslot deals for those prep players.
Good to see. Excited about this guy but he’s a good three years away at least. Third wave guy. They need to keep them coming as the large markets throw money at the young vets producing now.
3 years away? He was the 2nd best pitcher in college baseball and was drafted for his plus command and ability to reach MLB quick
It usually takes college pitchers 2 years after they get drafted to get to the show. A lot depends on health and if they’re producing in the minors
Starts 2024 in Nooga, In Louisville next July. Then it’s about earning an sp slot with the Reds.
My thoughts are high A ball for a few starts and if he excels quickly to AA
Like anything else it depends on performance except for CES Then it’s who is blocking you.
We sure have came a long way from wasting 1st rounds picks in Robert Stephenson, Nick Travieso and Phil Ervin in successive years. By the way, we passed on Giolito to pick Travieso!
Mike Leake came straight from college to the bigs. Didn’t go minors at all.
as a Wake fan who’s seen plenty of Lowder he’ll be a fast mover.
What? Three years. If that turns out true, horrible pick.
Why? Most players take longer than that to make the bigs. History shows the Reds do not rush their players.
He will only have a half year in A ball. Even if he gets through AA and AAA next year, assuming no setbacks, they wouldn’t bring him up until September. But more likely he makes the club out of spring the next year.
Hearing he’ll likley start at Dayton and could drink some coffee later next season. This kid is shiny, but not polished. But then again.. there’s Mike Freakin Leake..
I wonder why he didn’t get full slot value. He was drafted close to his projection.
What would MLB do if they just offered him a deal for 9 years and 30 million to bypass the bonus? I assumed they would eventually make a rule, but what about now? Can one team act first and then apologize later?
They’d probably look around the room and say, “does this dude and his agent have severe mental deficiencies? He just signed away his bonus to essentially get a 9 year/24 million contract.”
Then they would probably follow that up by asking if the deficiency is contagious because the team just locked up a roster spot on an unproven player for a long period of time, while opening up the possibility of another team taking them when they get sent down.
No. You don’t seem to get the idea here. 3 years in the minor leagues and then 6 in the majors would cost about that, and the pay can reflect minor league wages the first 3 years.
Teams can’t bypass a bonus. That was the whole issue of international players vs the draft. So, it would be draft, then extend. Meaning the bonus would be paid.
And no agent would ever agree to that. Unless the agent was a team plant. It’s such an insane scenario. Like the agent and player would both have to be head over heels in love with the franchise and hate money.
Long-term security is not hating money here. Keep in mind that many players don’t get the millions some of these guys get in bonuses. If it’s a 125k bonus, why not just go for a 4/450k deal or something like it?
If you want to violate the CBA. I haven’t read it. But I’m sure they do a good job outlining how all this works.
I would assume such a contract would be voided very quickly.
I like how you’re explaining how the draft works because he doesn’t know and is still arguing with you.
Tell us you don’t understand how the draft and the bonus pool process works, without telling us you don’t understand how the draft and bonus pool process works.
Jesus did that deGrom guy just ask the stupidest question that’s ever been asked on the internet. It sure seems that the Reds would be about $24m over slot on just one player. Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!
No roster spot would be locked up and no risk of another team taking him as long as it’s not a major league contract
Tell us you don’t understand how the draft and the bonus pool process works, without telling us you don’t understand how the draft and bonus pool process works.
The Red’s, by almost every evaluation I’ve seen, murdered this draft.
They have drafted and developed well in recent years. The scouting and player development staffs have been awesome.
Totally agree. I still wished they had resigned Castillo for the same money Seattle gave him. Let’s see if they are willing to spend money to fill the holes that need plugging going forward.
Totally agree pn Castillo. They could have easily done that contract. It is easy to determine from that they didn’t even try.
Sadder still is no one from that deal has contributed to the current big league club.
True. Marte should going forward but right now there in no where for him to play at the ML level.
Reds have done even better signing international talent of late !
Rhett, Lowder.
Okay, FRANKLY MY DEAR, I DON’T GIVE A DAMN!!