July 24, 2024
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(AP) Travis Bazzana, the top over-
all pick in the MLB amateur draft out
of Oregon State, signed his first pro-
fessional contract with the Cleveland
Guardians on Friday.
Bazzana formally inked a deal at
Progressive Field, agreeing to an
$8.95 million contract, a person fa-
miliar with the negotiations told The
Associated Press. The person spoke
on condition of anonymity because
the amount of the contract has not
been announced.
MLB assigned a $10.57 million
slot value to the top pick, but the
21-year-old second baseman from
Australia was realistic about the pro-
cess, saying, “I was never going to
get slot money anywhere.”
“I wanted to be in a place where
I could flourish and, with the identi-
ty of the way the Guardians play the
game, this is where I wanted to be,”
the 6-foot, 199-pound Bazzana said.
“I put my trust in my great agents, but
they knew I wanted to be a Guard.”
The left-handed hitting Bazzana
will be assigned to Class-A Lake
County and could make his minor
league debut later this month. The
Captains play in Eastlake, Ohio,
an 18-mile drive from downtown
Cleveland.
Bazzana is scheduled to take bat-
ting practice with the Guardians on
Saturday before the second game of
the team’s series against San Diego.
He is the first No. 1 overall pick in
franchise history and the first second
baseman to be the top selection.
“I’ve been watching José Ramírez
highlights over and over, then you
get out there and say, ‘What’s up?’
to him,” Bazzana said of Cleveland’s
six-time All-Star third baseman.
“That’s when it sinks in a little bit.”
In three seasons with Oregon State,
Bazzana batted .360 with 45 home
runs and 165 RBIs. He hit .407 with
28 homers and 66 RBIs this season.
“I hope sports fans back in Austra-
lia will become Guardians fans and
follow Major League Baseball,” he
said. “It’s exciting, knowing that the
next Travis Bazzana can sit at home
and watch me on my journey.”