Many expected Nick Yorke to go much later in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, and he'll reportedly be compensated as such.
The Red Sox's No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft is expected to sign with Boston for less than the recommended $3.61 million for that selection, The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Wednesday.
MLB assigns a dollar amount to each pick in the first 10 rounds of the draft that teams can pay their selections without incurring a penalty. While many first-round picks get paid that full amount, clubs aren't obligated to sign them to that full allotted salary.
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Yorke is committed to the University of Arizona, so it makes sense why the Red Sox wouldn't shell out $3.61 million for the 18-year-old infielder. Yorke also wasn't projected as a first-round pick, as MLB Pipeline had him listed as its No. 139 prospect.
The Red Sox don't have a second-round pick as punishment for their role in a 2018 sign-stealing scandal, but they still have selections in Rounds 3, 4 and 5, which are set for Thursday night.