The Reds announced yesterday they’d come to terms with Jay Allen, selected with the compensatory pick for losing a qualified free agent (Trevor Bauer) last offseason. Allen received a $2.4MM signing bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). That’s a touch above the $2.3655MM slot value that comes with the #30 selection.
Allen landed between 25th and 40th on the pre-draft rankings of each of Baseball America, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, and Keith Law of the Athletic. A center fielder from a Florida high school, Allen’s generally expected to contribute on both sides of the ball. He’s athletic enough to have a chance to stick in center, with advanced bat-to-ball skills and some physical projection on a 6’3″, 190 pound frame.
The Reds signed Allen away from his commitment to the University of Florida. The 18-year-old outfielder was one of three Day One picks for Cincinnati. The team has yet to finalize agreements with first rounder Matt McLain (an infielder from UCLA) or Competitive Balance Round A selection Matheu Nelson (a catcher from Florida State).
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