Here’s the roundup of some of the latest prominent signings from this year’s draft class. For more on the 2021 draft, check out the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.
- The Diamondbacks signed second-round pick Ryan Bliss for a $1.25MM bonus, Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports (Twitter link). This represents some noteworthy savings for Arizona’s draft pool, as the 42nd overall pick has an assigned slot price of $1,771,100. A shortstop from Auburn, Bliss might move to second base in the pros, and he displayed a lot of contact skills at the plate while also flashing some added power potential this year.
- The Yankees signed second-rounder Brendan Beck, with Collazo reporting that a $1.05MM bonus for the Stanford right-hander. It’s another below-slot deal, as $1.307MM is the assigned price for the 56th overall selection. Beck does a good job of mixing a four-pitch arsenal and he already has good command, and Baseball America feels Beck “projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who has a chance to be more.”
- The Orioles announced the signing of second-rounder Connor Norby on Friday, with The Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli reporting (via Twitter) that Norby received a $1.7MM bonus. The 41st overall selection has a $1,813,500 assigned price, so Norby signed for slightly below slot. Fangraphs and Keith Law each had the East Carolina second baseman ranked 25th on their boards, as Norby received praise for his well-rounded approach at the plate.