Correa fits into Astros’ future plans
Amid signability concerns surrounding Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, the Houston Astros turned to Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa with their No. 1 pick.
Appel, one of a handful of players advised by agent Scott Boras, could have commanded a signing bonus too steep for the Astros at the No. 1 spot.
The last two pitchers to go No. 1 overall, UCLA’s Gerrit Cole and San Diego State’s Stephen Strasburg, received $8 million and $15.1 million signing bonuses, respectively.
Appel was eventually drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 8 overall.
Per baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, teams have a set pool of bonus money to pay their selections in the first 10 rounds.
If teams go over that allotted money, there are strict penalties based on the amount the team goes over.
Any bonus of more than $100,000 for a pick after the 10th round also counts as part of a team’s signing allowance.
Correa, the first player from Puerto Rico to go No. 1 overall, has drawn comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and Troy Tulowitzki.
“Carlos has a chance to be a star,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told the Houston news media. “If things fall our way, we could have one of the best drafts in the history of the organization.”
The other player Houston reportedly sought leading up the draft, Georgia High School outfielder Byron Buxton, went No. 2 overall to the Minnesota Twins.
“There’s a system in place, there’s a process in place,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“We’re very optimistic we have a legitimate shot to sign Mark.”
Appel didn’t do a conference call with news reporters and, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, said he was concentrating on his studies and winning a national title at Stanford.
“I will address the possibility of a professional career in due time,” Appel said in a statement released by the team.
Teams have until July 13 to sign their picks.