Blue Jays and first-rounder Trey Yesavage have a deal at $4,177,500, per industry source.
2024 first-round pick Trey Yesavage signs with the Blue Jays
Aug 1, 2024, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 1, 2024, 10:59 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed their first-round pick in the 2024 draft.
With the 20th-overall pick, the Toronto Blue Jays selected Trey Yesavage from East Carolina University. With just hours before Thursday’s 5:00 PM ET deadline, the pitcher signed a bonus of $4,177,500, slightly over the slot value of $4,073,400.
The Blue Jays’ signing bonus pool, including the 5% overage, now has $105,300 remaining, with three drafted players remaining unsigned. Those three players are Gavin Smith (17th-rounder), D’Marion Terrell (19th-rounder), and Bryce Martin-Grudzielankek (20th-rounder).
Both Smith and Terrell were selected from high school, meaning they have some leverage with their college commitments. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Blue Jays sign Terrell, as he ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 153rd-best available draft prospect.
Those three players have a slot value of $150,000, with none of that counting towards the bonus pool. However, if they go over the slot, as they did for high school pitchers Troy Guthrie and Carson Messina, anything over $150,000 cuts into their pool.
As for Yesavage, the 21-year-old right-handed pitcher spent three seasons at East Carolina University, where he posted a 2.58 ERA in 195.1 innings pitched, along with a 37.4 K% and a 9.4 BB%. In 2024, Yesavage had a 2.03 ERA in 93.1 innings pitched, along with a 40.4 K% and an 8.9 BB%.
Trey Day did not disappoint! All 12 of @treyyesavage's strikeouts for your viewing pleasure ⤵️
Prior to the draft, Yesavage ranked as Pipeline’s 11th-best draft prospect, the second consecutive draft the Jays selected the 11th-ranked prospect with the 20th-overall pick. The 21-year-old features a fastball that sits 93-95 mph, touching 98 mph. He pairs it with an excellent slider, as well as a great splitter and solid curveball. He was able to command his fastball high in the zone, dropping for 11 home runs in 2023 to four this past collegiate season.
At the trade deadline, the Blue Jays acquired eight new prospects that rank in their top 30 list on MLB Pipeline. The signing of Yesavage improves the farm system even further, and given their season record, the Jays will get a high draft pick in the 2025 draft.
It shouldn’t take Yesavage too long to make the big leagues, as he was one of the more polished pitchers in the draft. It’ll be interesting to see how he starts his professional career!
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