In a feat that’s pretty uncommon in today’s age, it looks like the Braves have signed all 22 of their draft picks from the 2022 MLB Draft — a very critical process for Atlanta in particular:
The Braves have now signed all 22 draft picks https://t.co/nGQnmKhxil
— Garrett Spain (@BravesMILB) July 30, 2022
The Braves actually got this done quickly, with 14th-round pick Landon Harper being the last to sign right before the deadline. The Braves’ farm system is one of the worst in baseball; they couldn’t afford not to sign four or five of their later-round prospects. If a first-round pick doesn’t sign, a team gets a compensation pick the following year, but with later-round prospects, that simply isn’t the case. The Braves took a big risk with Adam Maier, the Oregon righty who could have been a first-round pick if he had returned to school next year. Instead, the Braves gave him a huge bonus, and the seventh-round pick is headed to camp in Florida:
The Braves have agreed to terms with seventh-rounder Adam Maier (No. 215 overall) for $1,200,000 (slot value: $215,400), per @jimcallisMLB.
Here's where Atlanta's Draft signings stand: https://t.co/7UlyNHVgdT pic.twitter.com/9cdRP3lsq9
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 23, 2022
The Braves signed some high school talent in the early rounds, which is always risky, but they managed to put pen to paper with many of their later-round picks. As expected, Atlanta heavily targeted signable college players — they need bodies in the system quickly. Many of these later-round players have big tools, so hopefully, a few of them can develop, and the Braves can gain some traction in the international markets again. With a farm system this barren, the Braves are going to have to build up some prospects to either use as trade chips or potential future replacements a few years down the road. Signing all 22 guys in your class is a good start.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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