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Virginia Baseball: Anthony Stephan, Three UVA Commits Sign MLB Deals

Matt Newton

Anthony Stephan has signed an MLB deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
Anthony Stephan has signed an MLB deal with the Cincinnati Reds. / Virginia Athletics

All four members of the Virginia baseball team who were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft have now signed contracts with their respective MLB teams. Additionally, three UVA baseball commits have also inked their MLB deals, officially closing the door on the option of joining the Cavaliers.

Let's check in on the list of Virginia baseball players and commits who were selected in the draft to see who has been signed so far, who hasn't been signed, and who is expected to get signed before the August 1st deadline.

Anthony Stephan rounded out Virginia's quartet of draft picks, getting selected 389th overall in the 13th round by the Cincinnati Reds. The default slot value signing bonus for all draft picks in rounds 11-20 is $150,000 and that's exactly how much Stephan got for signing with the Reds.

Meanwhile, Virginia high school shortstop commit and second round draft pick Caleb Bonemer signed with the Chicago White Sox for a $3 million signing bonus, more than $827,200 over his slot value of $2,172,800 as the 43rd overall pick of the draft.

VMI right-handed pitcher and eight round draft pick Will Riley, who had committed to transfer to Virginia prior to the draft, signed with the Seattle Mariners for $120,000. Riley must have felt that he could not significantly raise his draft status with a year at Virginia because that signing bonus is nearly $100,000 less than his slot value of $212,900 as the 243rd overall pick.

Conversely, Virginia lost a prized high school recruit due to an MLB team paying way over slot value. Right-handed pitcher Trey Gregory-Alford, who was projected as the No. 105-ranked prospect in the draft in MLB.com's Top 250 prospect rankings, fell all the way to the 11th round, where he was selected 322nd overall by the Los Angeles Angels. Though his slot value at that pick was just $150,000, the Angels saved quite a bit of money in their early-round selections and were able to offer him a $1,957,500 signing bonus, more than $1,800,000 above slot value and the largest signing bonus ever offered to an 11th round draft pick. Gregory-Alford, who was reportedly intending to come to Virginia, couldn't turn down that offer and will turn pro instead.

That leaves three UVA baseball commits who have yet to sign MLB deals. Second-round draft picks Luke Dickerson and Bryce Meccage should both sign for at least a million, but 14th-round pick James Nunnallee should be at least strongly considering going to Virginia.

See below for a list of the Virginia baseball players and commits who were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft along with their updated signing status:

SS Griff O'Ferrall
Pick: 1st round (PPI), No. 32 overall
Drafted by: Baltimore Orioles
Slot value: $2,835,400
Actual signing bonus: $2,700,00
Read more on Griff O'Ferrall's draft selection here.

SS Caleb Bonemer
Pick: 2nd round, No. 43 overall
Drafted by: Chicago White Sox
Slot value: $2,172,800
Actual signing bonus: $3,000,000
School: Okemos HS (Michigan)

SS Luke Dickerson
Pick: 2nd round, No. 44 overall
Drafted by: Washington Nationals
Slot value: $2,122,200
Actual signing bonus: N/A
School: Morris Knolls HS (New Jersey)

RHP Bryce Meccage
Pick, 2nd round, No. 57 overall
Drafted by: Milwaukee Brewers
Slot value: $1,562,100
Actual signing bonus: N/A
School: The Pennington School (New Jersey)

C/UT Ethan Anderson
Pick: 2nd round, No. 61 overall
Drafted by: Baltimore Orioles
Slot value: $1,418,900
Actual signing bonus: $1,172,500
Read more on Ethan Anderson's draft selection here.

RF Casey Saucke
Pick: 4th round, No. 107 overall
Drafted by: Chicago White Sox
Slot value: $682,800
Actual signing bonus: $847,500
Read more on Casey Saucke's draft selection here.

RHP Will Riley
Pick: 8th round, No. 243 overall
Drafted by: Seattle Mariners
Slot value: $212,900
Actual signing bonus: $120,000
School: VMI (UVA transfer commit)

RHP Trey Gregory-Alford
Pick: 11th round, No. 322 overall
Drafted by: Los Angeles Angels
Slot value: $150,000
Actual signing bonus: $1,957,500
School: Coronado HS (Colorado)

OF Anthony Stephan
Pick: 13th round, No. 389 overall
Drafted by: Cincinnati Reds
Slot value: $150,000
Actual signing bonus: $150,000
Read more on Anthony Stephan's draft selection here.

C James Nunnallee
Pick: 14th round, No. 425 overall
Drafted by: Milwaukee Brewers
Slot value: $150,000
Actual signing bonus: N/A
School: Lightridge (Virginia)

More Virginia Baseball News

Virginia Baseball: Griff O'Ferrall, Ethan Anderson, Casey Saucke Sign MLB Deals

Virginia Baseball: Recapping the 2024 MLB Draft and What It Means for 2025

Jay Woolfolk to Return to Virginia Baseball in 2025 for Senior Season

Casey Saucke Selected 107th Overall by Chicago White Sox in 2024 MLB Draft

Published
Matt Newton

MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.