The Reds announced Tuesday they’d come to terms with Jay Allen, selected with the compensatory pick for losing a qualified free agent (Trevor Bauer) last offseason. Allen received a $2.4M signing bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). That’s a touch above the $2.3655M slot value that comes with the No. 30 selection.
Allen landed between 25th and 40th on the pre-draft rankings of each of Baseball America, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, and Keith Law of The Athletic. A center fielder from a Florida high school, Allen’s generally expected to contribute on both sides of the ball. He’s athletic enough to have a chance to stick in center, with advanced bat-to-ball skills and some physical projection on a 6-foot-3, 190 pound frame.
The Reds signed Allen away from his commitment to the University of Florida. The 18-year-old outfielder was one of three Day One picks for Cincinnati. The team has yet to finalize agreements with first-rounder Matt McLain (an infielder from UCLA) or Competitive Balance Round A selection Matheu Nelson (a catcher from Florida State).
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