The Minnesota Twins have signed their supplemental first-round draft pick Luke Bard, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. The Twins selected Bard with their third and final draft pick, and he was the only that remained unsigned according to our MLB Draft Signings Tracker.
Bard, the 42nd overall draft pick, signed for Major League Baseball's recommended slot signing bonus, valued at $1.227 million dollars. Luke Bard, brother of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard, is also a right-handed pitcher like his older brother. He, too, can "wow" people with his fastball. According to ESPN's Keith Law, "Bard hit 97 this spring as a starter and has a future-plus slider, although he's got a low slot similar to his brother Daniel and might also profile in relief."
Baseball America's Jim Callis writes:
Bard missed much of his junior season at Georgia Tech after tearing a lat muscle in late March. When healthy, he can sit at 93-95 mph with his fastball and throw a hard breaking ball with late bite.