The Indians have signed 1st-round pick Bradley Zimmer for a $1,900,000 bonus, which is $108,100 below slot.
Zimmer hit .368 this season as junior at the University of San Francisco, with 7 home runs and 31 RBI in 54 games. He also stole 21 bases. Zimmer won playoff MVP honors in the Cape Cod League last summer, and also played on the U.S. college national team. His bat is probably his strongest too. He is also said to manage the strike zone well and have strong pitch recognition. He is 6'5", and still has a ways to go in terms of filling out/developing muscle, so he could develop more power. He has solid speed and good instincts on the base paths, making him a plus runner. He has a chance to play center field, but also has a strong arm and could fit into right field.
Here is the interview Zimmer gave to the MLB Network a few minutes after he was drafted:
The Indians also announced that they have agreed to terms with 3rd round pick Bobby Bradley, for a bonus of $912,500, which is $372,900 above slot. He was one of the top high school bats in the draft, and it was well known that he'd require much more than slot to sign, and I'm glad the Indians were able to make room in the draft budget for him by drafting some players willing to sign far below their slot value.
The Tribe have two remaining unsigned picks. Mike Papi should be signed for something very near slot, maybe even a bit below, but Sam Hentges is a high school pitcher, and might require above-slot money, which the Indians won't really be in position to offer unless Papi signs for less than expected. I guess we'll have to hope Hentges isn't particularly interested in college.
Here are all 12 of the Indians draft picks who fall within the first 10 rounds, and are thus part of the set budget:
Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | School | Slot Value | Actual Bonus | Difference |
1 | 21 | Bradley Zimmer | OF | U of San Francisco | $2,008,100 | $1,900,000 | - $108,100 |
1 | 31 | Justus Sheffield | LHP | Tullahoma HS | $1,733,000 | $1,600,000 | - $133,000 |
CB | 38 | Mike Papi | OF | U of Virginia | $1,495,400 | ||
2 | 61 | Grant Hockin | RHP | Damien HS | $928,700 | $1,100,000 | + $171,300 |
3 | 97 | Bobby Bradley | 1B | Harrison Central HS | $539,600 | $912,500 | + 372,900 |
4 | 128 | Sam Hentges | LHP | Mounds View HS | $400,200 | $700,000 | + 299,800 |
5 | 158 | Julian Merryweather | RHP | Oklahoma Baptist | $299,600 | $20,000 | - $279,600 |
6 | 188 | Greg Allen | OF | San Diego State | $224,300 | $200,000 | - $24,300 |
7 | 218 | Simeon Lucas | C | Grant Community HS | $168,200 | 168,200 | 0 |
8 | 248 | Mich Miniard | RHP | Boyle County HS | $154,800 | $350,000 | + 195,200 |
9 | 278 | Alexis Pantoja | SS | Puerto Rico Baseball Academy | $144,600 | unknown | ??? |
10 | 308 | Steven Patterson | 2B | UC Davis | $137,600 | $10,000 | - $127,600 |
Total | $8,234,100 | $2,930,000 | + $366,600 |