Toronto had a pair of first-round draft picks this year thanks to failing to sign last year’s first-rounder and they’ve agreed to deals with both of them.
No. 9 overall pick, right-hander Jeff Hoffman, and No. 11 overall pick, catcher Max Pentecost, have reportedly agreed to the slot-recommended signing bonuses of $3.1 million and $2.9 million respectively.
Hoffman slipped in the draft following Tommy John elbow surgery, which also likely played a part in his accepting a slot signing bonus. He’ll miss all of this season and perhaps the early part of next year as well while recovering from the mid-May operation. He was in the mix to be a top-three pick before the injury.
Pentecost won the Johnny Bench Award as the country’s top college catcher, putting up incredible offensive numbers at Kennesaw State. He has the potential to move pretty quickly through the Blue Jays’ farm system.
