Martin (87th pick) agrees to deal with Phillies
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies could not have been happier that Casey Martin slid to them in the third round of the 2020 Draft.
MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis reported Thursday that the Phillies and Martin agreed to an above-slot signing bonus of $1.3 million. The assigned slot value of the No. 87 selection in this year's Draft was $689,300. The club has not confirmed the deal.
The Phillies have signed or agreed to terms with all four of their Draft picks.
MLB Pipeline ranked the Arkansas shortstop as the No. 30 prospect in the Draft, but he slid from the first round because of concerns following a rough spring. But Martin is regarded as one of the most athletic players in the Draft due to his raw power and incredible speed.
"We didn't think Casey would have any chance of getting to us when the day started yesterday and we didn't have any intention of letting him get by us when that opportunity presented itself," Phillies amateur scouting director Brian Barber said after the Draft.
Barber sees Martin as a shortstop, but expects he also could play second base, third base or center field.