The Dodgers brought a bit of good news tonight, signing their first round pick, Zach Lee away from LSU, where he was to play quarterback. Per Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:
Zach Lee got a $5.25MM bonus from the #Dodgers. Payments will be spread over 5 years.
"I’m ecstatic for Zach, his family and for the entire Dodger organization," said Dodgers Assistant General Manager, Scouting Logan White. "We’re bringing an outstanding talent into the fold. I have tremendous confidence in this young man and it’s clear that he signed because he has a lot of faith in the Dodgers and in their tradition of developing young pitchers."
The 18-year-old won 11 games with a 2.15 ERA and 90 strikeouts during his senior season at McKinney High and throws three different pitches for strikes, including an effective breaking pitch and changeup. Lee entered the draft as the 14th-best right-handed pitcher and ranked 29th overall among draft-eligible prospects according to Baseball America.
Lee, the 28th overall pick in this year's draft, signed a letter of intent to play football and baseball at LSU, but will now leave the school to concentrate solely on baseball. From the LSU Football Blog:
"This was a very personal decision for Zach and his family," Miles said. "This opportunity was just too difficult to pass up. We wish Zach and his family the very best. He’s an outstanding young man and we hope he develops into a great Major League pitcher."
The $5.25 million is the largest bonus ever given by the Dodgers, surpassing the $2.3 million given to seventh overall pick Clayton Kershaw in 2006.
Everybody Wang Chung tonight!