Blue Jays sign 16 of 19 2023 Draft picks
Below is a list of every player drafted by the Blue Jays.
Each club had until 5 p.m. ET/2 PT on Tuesday to come to terms with its Draft selections. If a player has exhausted his collegiate eligibility, he can sign at any time up until one week prior to the next year’s Draft.
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Draft-and-follow picks -- high school and junior college players selected after the 10th round who attend a two-year college after the Draft -- can sign with their selecting teams for up to $250,000 up until a week prior to the following year’s Draft.
Players drafted from Round 11 on do not count against the bonus pools unless their signing bonus exceeds $150,000; any amount over that total will count against the pool.
Total bonus pool: $6,529,700
MLB rank: 26
1 (20): Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS (FL)
Pick value: $3,746,000
Signing bonus: $3,000,000
The Blue Jays were thrilled to land Nimmala's talent where they did, and by saving nearly $750,000 against the slot value, this allows them to be more aggressive elsewhere with signings. Nimmala brings serious power potential, especially for his age and position, and should benefit from the Blue Jays' new player development complex as much as anyone. With the potential to be the first player of Indian descent in the history of Major League Baseball, Nimmala immediately becomes one of the most interesting -- and talented -- young players in the Blue Jays organization.
3 (89): Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Oklahoma State
Pick value $771,500
Signing bonus: $1,002,785
The Blue Jays went over slot value to land Watts-Brown, who comes with an intriguing amount of upside for a college arm. His fastball sits in the 91-93 mph range, reaching the mid-90s, but Watts-Brown’s best pitch is an excellent slider, which misses bats and shows better control than any of his other offerings. You’ll hear the words “athletic delivery” around Watts-Brown, which is a trait the Blue Jays actively target in player development. Adding velocity to his fastball could really help to elevate Watts-Brown, and the Blue Jays have a high-upside project in the 21-year-old.
4 (121): Landen Maroudis, RHP, Calvary Christian HS (FL)
Pick value: $547,100
Signing bonus: $1,500,000
The Blue Jays went to nearly triple the slot value to sign Maroudis, using the bonus pool space they saved by signing first-rounder Arjun Nimmala to an under-slot deal. Maroudis is a big swing on big upside for the Blue Jays, who can’t wait to see how this 18-year-old develops now that he’ll be focusing on pitching full-time after playing shortstop in high school when he wasn’t pitching. As an athletic high school pitcher with upside, Maroudis is the perfect candidate to benefit from the Blue Jays’ new player development complex.
5 (157): Connor O'Halloran, LHP, Michigan
Pick value: $385,000
Signing bonus: $337,500
A Canadian who grew up the son of a big leaguer? O’Halloran has “Blue Jays pick” written all over him. The lefty out of Michigan is coming off back-to-back seasons with 100 strikeouts, making him the first pitcher in his school’s history to do so. O’Halloran was named the 2023 Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year. With a fastball that sits in the low-90s and a low-80s slider that profiles as his best pitch, O’Halloran’s appeal is more about his present-day readiness and consistency than his far-away upside, and the Blue Jays should feel comfortable challenging him early in the Minor Leagues.
6 (184): Jace Bohrofen, OF, Arkansas
Pick value: $304,700
Signing bonus: $302,200
7 (214): Nick Goodwin, SS, Kansas State
Pick value: $238,700
Signing bonus: $236,200
8 (244): Braden Barry, OF, West Virginia
Pick value: $194,600
Signing bonus: $147,500
9 (274): Sam Shaw, LHP, Lambrick Park OF (BC)
Pick value: $175,900
Signing bonus: $282,500
10 (304): Josh Mollerus, RHP, Oregon
Pick value: $166,200
Signing bonus: $47,500
11 (334): Grant Rogers, RHP, McNeese State
Signing bonus: $150,000
12 (364): Chay Yeager, RHP, Pasco Hernando CC (FL)
Signing bonus: $150,000
13 (394): Brennan Orf, OF, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Signing bonus: $150,000
14 (424): Joe Vogatsky, RHP, James Madison University
Did not sign
15 (454): Kelena Sauer, RHP, San Diego State
Signing bonus: $150,000
16 (484): Jackson Hornung, C, Skidmore College
Signing bonus: $150,000
17 (514): Sam Kulasingam, 1B, Air Force
Did not sign
18 (544): Chase Brunson, OF, San Clemente HS (CA)
Did not sign
19 (574): Aaron Munson, RHP, Angelo State University
Signing bonus: $150,000
20 (604): Kai Peterson, LHP, Sierra Junior College
Signing bonus: $150,000
Every team's signings:
How bonus pools and pick values work
Each choice in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned value, with the total for a club's selections equaling what it can spend in those rounds without incurring a penalty. If a player taken in the top 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value gets subtracted from his team's pool. Clubs near the top of the Draft often spend less than the assigned value for those choices and use the savings to offer more money to later selections.
Teams that exceed their bonus pool face a penalty. Clubs that outspend their allotment by 0-5 percent pay a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, clubs lose future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing their pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.
Bonus pools by club
Pirates: $16,185,700
Tigers: $15,747,200
Nationals: $14,502,400
Twins: $14,345,600
Athletics: $14,255,600
Reds: $13,785,200
Mariners: $13,170,900
Marlins: $12,829,600
Royals: $12,313,500
Rockies: $11,909,800
D-backs: $11,084,300
Brewers: $10,950,600
Rays: $10,872,100
Orioles: $10,534,800
Red Sox: $10,295,100
Rangers: $9,925,300
Giants: $9,916,900
White Sox: $9,072,800
Cubs: $8,962,000
Guardians: $8,736,700
Mets: $8,440,400
Braves: $8,341,700
Angels: $8,328,900
Dodgers: $7,274,600
Astros: $6,747,900
Blue Jays: $6,529,700
Cardinals: $6,375,100
Padres: $5,416,000
Yankees: $5,299,400
Phillies: $5,185,500