Astros come to terms with third-round pick Davis
HOUSTON -- The Astros have reached an agreement with third-round pick, Cal State-Fullerton two-way standout J.D. Davis. He was the first pick of the second day of the First-Year Player Draft, taken at No. 75 overall.
Davis will receive a bonus of $748,600, which is the assigned pick value for that selection. He will report to short-season Tri-City later this week. Davis was a hitter and pitcher in college, but will play third base in the Astros' system. The club has not confirmed the deal.
"I'm pretty excited," he told MLB.com. "I just can't believe it's finally here. I got drafted three years ago and it didn't work out, and now it's finally come true. I can't wait to get out there and be a part of the Astros organization."
Davis, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander, led Fullerton with a batting average of .338, a slugging percentage of .523 and an on-base percentage of .419. He also led the team with 53 strikeouts and 32 walks.
"J.D. Davis was one of our favorite players in the draft this year," scouting director Mike Elias said the day he was drafted. "He's one of the best power bats available in the top three rounds of the draft. We love his swing. We think he can play third base."
In Fullerton's NCAA Tournament game against Nebraska, Davis hit a two-out, eighth-inning grand slam in a 5-1 victory. Fullerton was later eliminated by No. 1 seed Oklahoma State. Davis was named to the 2014 NCAA Stillwater Regional All-Tournament Team as the designated hitter.
MLB.com previously reported the Astros had agreed to terms with ninth-round pick Bryan Radziewski, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Miami, eighth-round pick Bobby Boyd, a center fielder from West Virginia University, and 10th-round pick Jay Gause, a right-handed pitcher from Faulkner University in Alabama.
Astros' sixth-round pick Brock Dykxhoorn, a right-handed pitcher from Central Arizona College, said Saturday he had agreed to a signing bonus and was sorting out the final details of the contract.