May 24, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox helmet lays in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
According to Alex Speier of WEEI.com, the Red Sox have come to terms on a contract for first-round selection Michael Kopech.
The details of the contract have not yet been disclosed, but the deal is supposedly under the slot allotment for the 33rd pick of the draft, which is $1.678MM. Thus, the Red Sox have saved some money for later picks who could require a bit more money to sign.
In his three drafts with the Red Sox thus far, Ben Cherington has shown a propensity for selecting either polished, solid players or raw project players and Kopech certainly fits into the latter camp. Fellow BoSox Injection writer Drew Peabody posted about Kopech the night that he was drafted, so I won’t repeat Drew too much.
However, it bears repeating that the Red Sox could have found something special in Kopech. He is very raw and could take a while to move through the minor leagues, but there’s a lot to like with his pure stuff as he has been clocked as high as 98 mph and routinely sits in the mid-90’s. Kopech also has a breaking ball which shows a lot of promise, but the Red Sox will strive to correct issues with his control and delivery. There’s currently too much effort in his delivery, but his projectable frame (6’4″ and 195 pounds) and raw stuff combined with his youth (he only just turned 18 years old) makes him a very attractive prospect.
Kopech is the first draftee that the Red Sox have signed yet, and he will likely head down to the Gulf Coast League to start his professional career very soon.