 |
| Buxton's bonus beats top overall pick Carlos Correa's of $4.8 million. (AP) |
Byron Buxton, the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB draft, agreed to sign with the Twins for $6 million, breaking Joe Mauer's team record $5.1 million draft bonus and setting a high bar to be this year's top bonus.
Buxton, the five-tool high school center fielder from Baxley, Ga., beat No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa's $4.8 million bonus and seems unlikely to be topped by any of the players that followed him in the draft. Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, who was seen as the top college pitcher and became the No. 8 overall pick, was selected by the Pirates, who have a $6.5 million allotment for all their bonuses; they've said they will not lose their pick next year, which means they can only go five percent over the $6.5 million.
Buxton has many talents but his biggest attribute is his speed. He's viewed as B.J. Upton or Dexter Fowler type, but perhaps even better.
Jim Callis of Baseball America first mentioned the $6 million figure.
