According to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, the Blue Jays have agreed to a bonus of $2.5 million for prep catcher Will Brick, well over the slot value of $581,100. This signing isn’t surprising by any means. Since the beginning of the Ross Atkins/Mark Shapiro, the Jays have never failed to sign a player selected in the first 10 rounds. With the other under-slot signings from rounds five through 10, it was pretty clear that Brick would end up signing.
Brick, 18, ranked as Pipeline’s 46th-best draft eligible prospect, as well as ranking as their fourth-highest catcher and highest ranked high school catcher. He has a terrific arm, graded at 65, while also being a strong fielder. Batting right-handed, Brick’s bat lags behind, but there is some solid raw power in his bat. He instantly becomes the best catching prospect in the system, which is desperately needed since Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno, and Danny Jansen all graduated.
The $2.5 million bonus is the largest bonus they’ve ever given to a player picked outside of the first round. Now as for the Blue Jays’ remaining finances, this bonus is just under $1.919 million over the allocated slot value for this pick. But since they were able to sign Nolan Higgins, Gable Mitchell, Jake Bennett, Joey Urban, and Bryce Chance to a bonus worth $5,000 or below, they can afford to sign Brick.
Accounting for the five percent overage that’s allowed, the Jays have about $65,000 remaining. Players selected rounds 11 through 20 have a slot value of $150,000, which doesn’t count towards the bonus pool. Anything over that does, meaning the Jays can sign someone selected in those rounds for a maxim of about $215,000.
The most likely candidate to earn an over-slot deal is their 19th round selection, Cole Travers, as 20th rounder Eddie Rosado signed for $150,000.
It’s not uncommon for the Blue Jays to select unranked prep players this late in the draft and give them a little over the slot value. A good example of that was when they signed 2024 17th-rounder Gavin Smith to a bonus of $200,000, meaning $50,000 went towards the bonus pool.
We’ll see if they have anything else up their sleeve.
