The Blue Jays found a way to make a third-round pick look like a first-day splash.
Toronto reportedly agreed to a $2.5 million signing bonus with catcher Will Brick, a prep star from Christian Brothers High School in Tennessee, according to MLB Pipeline. That figure is the highest bonus ever given to a third-round pick, and it came in well above Brick’s assigned slot value of $582,000.
The move only works because the Blue Jays reshuffled their draft money elsewhere. Major League Baseball’s bonus pool rules don’t let a team go past its total allotment, but clubs can distribute that money however they want. Toronto clearly decided Brick was worth the squeeze.
To make it happen, the Blue Jays signed first-round pick Cole Carlon, a pitcher from Arizona State, for $2.4 million, which came in below his $2.571 million slot value. That still left a big gap, so Toronto pushed savings even further down the board.
Fourth-round pick Nolan Higgins, a pitcher from Michigan State, agreed to just $2,500. Fifth-round pick Gable Mitchell, a shortstop from Iowa, will get $5,000.
Both players had slot values attached to their picks - Higgins at $421,000 and Mitchell at $330,000 - but both are fourth-year seniors, which meant they couldn’t go back to school. Toronto took advantage of that leverage.
The same approach showed up with three more fourth-year seniors: eighth-round pick Jake Bennett of Dallas Baptist, ninth-round pick Joey Urban of Southern Miss and 10th-round pick Bryce Chance of Mississippi State. Those three combined for only $6,000.
Put it all together, and the five players could have received $1.068 million. Instead, they took home a combined $13,500, allowing Toronto to save $1.054 million and funnel it to Brick.
Brick was ranked No. 46 by MLB Pipeline and had been committed to Mississippi State. The Blue Jays wanted him to begin his pro career immediately, and they were willing to get creative to make it happen.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Suddenly Linked To The Kind Of Deadline Swing Fans Fear
The Blue Jays are being mentioned in a conversation that instantly gets attention at this time of year, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting Toronto is at least weighing a major infield swing. The idea carries a familiar front-office thread too, since Ross Atkins knows Francisco Lindor from their Cleveland days, and any pursuit of a player with that kind of profile would come with the sort of financial and roster complications that can reshape a deadline plan in a hurry.
For Toronto, the appeal is obvious: if the club is going to make a bold push, it would be for a name that changes the conversation around the lineup and the infield. But this is also the kind of deal that forces real sacrifice, and the Blue Jays would have to decide how far they are willing to go to chase a star while keeping the rest of the roster intact. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Bichette Just Added More Intrigue To Blue Jays Deadline Buzz
Bo Bichettes situation has become one of the more interesting subplots as the Mets move toward selling at the MLB trade deadline. The infielder is in the middle of a three-year deal with opt-outs after each season, and the combination of his contract structure and uneven performance has left the market trying to sort out what kind of value he really carries right now.
For the Blue Jays, it is the kind of name that naturally pulls attention back home, even without anything close to a resolution. Bichettes future is still unsettled, the Mets have not made any definitive move, and teams weighing a run at him are left to judge both the money and the uncertainty that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face A Deadline Decision That Could Push Out A Fan Favorite
With the trade deadline closing in, the Blue Jays are in that awkward middle ground where the standings do not point cleanly toward a push or a teardown. At 46-53, Toronto has roster questions everywhere, and the next few weeks could determine whether the front office leans into the present, starts thinking more about next year, or settles somewhere in between.
Davis Schneider is one of the more interesting pieces caught in the squeeze. The versatile player who made such a memorable debut in 2023 has struggled badly at the plate this season, and with regular roles already spoken for by Daulton Varsho, George Springer and Andres Gimenez, there are fewer easy paths to steady at-bats. Add in the possibility of injured players returning and deadline moves changing the mix, and Schneiders place on the roster suddenly feels a lot less secure than it did not long ago. [Read more 🡒]