Braves sign fifth-round pick Bryce Elder

The Braves finally went over slot with the signing of Bryce Elder
Braves sign fifth-round pick Bryce Elder
Braves sign fifth-round pick Bryce Elder /

MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports the Braves have signed fifth-round pick Bryce Elder to a contract for $850,000. The slot value for that pick was $336,000, so the Braves went over the slot by $514,000.

Many, including Callis, believed the Braves got a steal with Elder lasting into the fifth round.

So, here are the Braves picks, what they signed for, what the slot was for that pick and any savings or addition to the slot:

1 – 25 – Jared Shuster - $2,197,700 - $2,740,300 – Savings of $542,800
3 – 97 – Jesse Franklin - $497,500 - $599,100 – Savings of $101,600
4 – 127 – Spencer Strider - $451,800 - $451,800 – Signed for slot
5 – 156 – Bryce Elder - $850,000 - $336,000 – Signed for $514,000 above slot

The Braves pool allotment was $4,127,800. These figures of what the four picks signed for add up to $3,997,000.

Are the Braves just saving that $130,800? Or are they maybe saving that money to PAY THEIR AMATUER SCOUTS. There is no reason to not pay the amateur scouts less money starting July 1. It’s an embarrassment that the organization is even thinking about not protecting the people who have worked so hard to find their talent.

Elder reportedly has an excellent slider. He’s a sinker, two-seam fastball pitcher with ordinary velocity that ranges from 88-95 mph. Callis listed Elder as having one of the four best sliders of the pitchers in this year’s draft.

In four games this season for the Longhorns, Elder was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA. He allowed six earned runs on 18 hits in 26.0 innings, with seven walks and 32 strikeouts.

Last season, Elder started in 13 games. He had a 2-4 record with a 2.93 ERA. He allowed 70 hits in 83.0 innings, with 33 walks and 86 strikeouts.

As a freshman, Elder was 6-1 with a 5.55 ERA in 22 games (one start) and had 18 walks and 31 strikeouts in 35.2 innings.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.


Published