The Braves signed three of their four draft picks, including first-round left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster.
Shuster, outfielder Jesse Franklin and right-handed pitcher Spencer Strider inked deals with the Braves, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. Fifth rounder Bryce Elder, a right-hander from Texas, is their remaining unsigned draftee.
As expected, the Braves signed Shuster under slot value. They signed him for $2,197,500, which ranks below No. 25 overall’s slot value ($2,740,300), according to Callis. Franklin’s under-slot deal, per Callis, is for $497,500. His spot, No. 97, is valued at $599,100.
Shuster was a Wake Forest southpaw whose command and velocity had made noticeable strides since the Cape Cod League last summer. Baseball America ranked him its 43rd overall prospect, while MLB Pipeline rated him 77th. There was an expectation the Braves would sign him under slot.
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Franklin broke his collarbone in a skiing incident this January, so the Michigan outfielder didn’t play in the shortened season. He hit .287 (122-for-425) with 23 home runs and 102 RBIs in 115 games with the Wolverines.
In somewhat a surprise, the Braves signed Strider for full slot value at $451,800. Strider had college eligibility remaining and could’ve returned to Clemson to help his stock. He’d missed the 2019 season after Tommy John surgery and appeared in only four games this year.
“We feel good about the fastball, 96 (mph) with good rise,” vice president of scouting Dana Brown said. “Really good breaking ball that he can get out left-handed hitters with. At the end of the day, we feel like we got a good package. He’s on the rebound and the arrow’s pointing in the right direction.”
Brown anticipated going over slot to sign Elder, who was a third-round value that slipped to the fifth due to signability concerns. The Texas right-hander was Baseball America’s No. 83 prospect. He was pitching well in the shortened season, earning a 2.08 ERA through four starts.
The Braves saved $542,800 in the Shuster signing and $101,600 in the Franklin deal. Those agreements give the team valuable dollars that could make signing Elder possible.
The Braves had the third-smallest bonus pool in this year’s draft at $4,127,800. Compare that to the Orioles, whose $13,894,300 pool was largest among the 30 teams. Only the Yankees ($3,520,000) and Astros ($2,202,600) had smaller pools than the Braves.
Through their maneuvering, the Braves have roughly $981,000 remaining, meaning they can sign Elder at around third-round value — where he expected to be picked — instead of trying to sign him at the fifth-round number, which would almost assuredly push him back to the Longhorns.
The Braves have not confirmed or commented on any signings.
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