Cal Catcher Caleb Lomavita Signs With Nationals

The No. 39 pick in the recent MLB draft, Lomavita will now report to West Palm Beach, Florida

Caleb Lomavita / Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY

Former Cal catcher Caleb Lomavita flew from his home in Hawaii to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to sign his contract with the Washington Nationals.

Lomavita was the 39th overall pick in the recent Major League Baseball Draft, and he received a signing bonus of $2.325 million, according to masn sports. That’s slightly below the MLB recommended slot value of $2.4 million for the 39th selection.

Also, former Cal pitcher Christian Becerra, a 20th-round draft pick of the Twins, signed with Minnesota.

Lomavita was all smiles at his signing press conference, as you can see in the video of that meeting with the media”

“I can only stop playing baseball for so long,” Lomavita, 21, said. “When I was younger, everything was year-round, especially in Hawaii -- no bad weather. … I think this is the longest stretch I've gone without playing baseball.”

Lomavita will now head to West Palm Beach, Florida, to participate with the rest of the Nationals’ draft picks at the Florida Complex League Nationals, who play at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. 

Lomavita hit .322 with 15 homers and 52 RBIs for Cal this past season. Lomavita was one of just eight Division I catchers to steal at least 10 bases and hit at least 10 home runs.

“It's been a blast watching him since high school,” Nationals vice president of amateur scouting Danny Haas said, according to MLB.com. “He's been consistent as a high-energy [guy] -- someone said ‘warrior’ to me the other day and 'congrats' when we picked him. He’s gifted physically -- obviously, he’s very strong, and he will shock you with run times. It’s a big arm, but he shows up ready to play. He’s fought through [18] hit-by-pitches this year. He’s pretty much almost everything we look for as a backstop.”

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