The Guardians agreed to the terms of the No. 1 draft pick. 1 in total Travis Bazzana, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com. The Oregon State second baseman will receive an $8.95MM bonus worth $1.62MM in lieu of the No. 1 pick's slot value. 1 for $10.57MM.
It is the highest bonus in draft history but the third largest among this year's draft picks; Red is fine Chase Burns, selected with the No. 2 overall pick, received the largest bonus in draft history at $9.25MM when he agreed to a deal with Cincinnati earlier this week. Georgia is easy Charlie Condon (pick #3) matched Burns' money in his deal with the Rockies. Pirates ace Paul Skenes ($9.2MM) and high expectations at National Dylan Crews ($9MM) hold the third and fourth largest bonuses in draft history.
Aussie-born Bazzana posted a historic season for the Beavers in 2024. In 60 games and 296 plate appearances, he compiled a .407/.568/.911 batting line with a school record 28 home runs and more than twice as many walks (76) as strikeouts (37). The left-hander added 16 doubles, four triples and 16 steals (in 21 attempts). Bazzana's .407 batting average ranks eighth among all DI players. He was the second best hunter in Georgia Corey Collins in on-base percentage and trailed only the Georgia slugger Charlie Condon (3 picks overall) in slugging percentage. Bazzana's 28 strikeouts tied for seventh among DI hitters.
There was no surprise when Cleveland selected Bazzana with the top pick. The 6'0″, 199-pound 21-year-old is ranked as the No. 1 prospect. 1 or No. 2 in pre-draft rankings from MLB.com, Baseball America, FanGraphs, ESPN and The Athletic. Funny articles from all those outlets may have Bazzana as the scouts' choice or at least noted that he is among the few selected players that Cleveland was considering, because it is believed that he seemed to have a lower number than Skenes. ' record that has now been broken – thereby allowing the Guard to be more aggressive down their draft board.
Bazzana is universally admired for his superior bat-to-ball skills, his ability to maximize his raw upper-middle power, and his added sprint speed. Keith Law of The Athletic wrote in his scouting report that Bazzana may have the highest floor of any hitter in this year's division, calling him an All-Star on the strength of his bat alone. There is little hope about Bazzana's defense. It's rare for a second baseman to be caught like this – a testament to the quality of Bazzana's bat – and Baseball America notes in their report that he “often pitches to a strange sideline that some question.” That said, BA also suggests that Bazzana has the speed and athleticism to perhaps be a playmaker.
Defensive questions notwithstanding, Bazzana is a hitting machine, and “superior bat-to-ball skills” have become the hallmark of a custodian organization that often prioritizes hitters and consistently registers the lowest strikeout rate of any major league club. If the plan is for Bazzana to play second base in Cleveland, he can push Andres Gimenez – who signed a seven-year contract – in his natural position of playing shortstop. Bazzana would give the Rangers another leadoff or middle hitter to pair with franchise-leading Gimenez. Jose Ramirez again Josh Naylor (assuming Bazzana is a quick turnaround and ascends to the majors before Naylor hits free agency following the 2025 campaign, that is).
Bazzana should quickly slot in as the Guardians' No. 1 prospect. 1 or No. 2 (depending on how one feels about the young player Chase DeLauter). By getting him a bonus that was lower than the slot and lower than the previous record, Cleveland also saved some money that should prove useful in trying to sign high school draft picks in the later rounds. Left hand Joey Oakie widely considered a top-50 prospect and Day 1 talent but settled with Cleveland for the No. 1 pick. 84 on Day 2. Round seven right Cameron Sullivan and the tenth round is correct Chase Mobley they were generally ranked in the top 125 of this year's class. Bazzana's price tag and savings could allow the Rangers to come up with a nice collection of names if all of those recommended prep players eventually sign.
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