May 1, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman talks to the media after signing designator hitter Hideki Matsui (not pictured) to a minor league contract at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
The Tampa Bay Rays have reached a deal with first-round pick Richie Shaffer, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America.
#Rays sign 1st-rder Richie Shaffer for $1,712,500 (pick value=$1.725 mil). Some directors said #Clemson 3B best college bat in #mlbdraft.
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) July 13, 2012
A third baseman out of Clemson, the twenty-fifth overall pick in last month's draft, Shaffer hit .336/.477/.565 with 10 home runs in 63 games for the Tigers this season. Shaffer boasts powers to all fields and is believed to have a strong enough arm to remain at third base when he begins his professional career.
Shaffer's agreement leaves Kevin Gausman, Lucas Giolito and Mark Appel as the only first-round picks yet to sign. Gausman is reportedly working his way towards a $4.2 million deal, while Giolito and Appel are still holding out just hours from the deadline.
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Will all the first-round draftees sign contracts before tonight's deadline?
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