Cleveland Guardians Officially Sign No. 1 Overall Pick Travis Bazzana

Per MLB.com's Jim Callis, the Cleveland Guardians signed Travis Bazzana to a $8,950,000 deal.

Jun 9, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Oregon State Beavers infielder Travis Bazzana (37) throws the ball during the second inning against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Bazzana joined the Cleveland Guardians organization on Sunday evening, when they selected him with the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. However, the two sides still needed to figure out the financial aspect of the selection.

Bazzana and the Guardians officially reached terms on Friday afternoon, as Jim Callis of MLB.com reported that Cleveland and the second baseman agreed on a $8,950,000 deal.

No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana signs w/@CleGuardians for $8,950,000 (slot = $10,570,600). @BeaverBaseball 2B, best pure hitter in @MLBDraft, batted .407/.568/.911, second in NCAA D-I in OBP, SLG & OPS, school-record 28 HR. pic.twitter.com/bmtDEyWrHd

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 19, 2024

This signing is the fourth-highest in MLB draft history. Chase Burns (Cincinnati Reds), who was drafted directly after Bazzana, signed for $9,250,000, which is the highest in history. The other two are Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates) who signed for $9,200,000 in 2023 and Dylan Crews (Washington Nationals) who signed for $9,000,000 last year.

The intriguing part of this agreement is that the Guardians signed Bazzana for significantly less than the slot value. MLB set the value for the No. 1 pick at $10,570,600 this year, meaning Cleveland saved nearly $1.5 million with this pick.

What can Cleveland do with the remaining money the club saved? 

Well, they can spread that money across other draft picks and pay over slot for them.

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announces Minnesota Twins draft pick Travis Bazzana as the first pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Guardians were already widely praised for selecting Bazzana with this pick. He’s been identified by multiple outlets as the best pure hitter in the draft and has a lot of potential to be a solid defensive second-baseman as well. Now, Cleveland gets their guy and is on a deal at that.

Next, Bazzana will officially sign his agreement, and the front office will figure out what minor league level the 22-year-old will be assigned to officially start his pro-baseball career.