The Blue Jays director of amateur scouting feels that Toronto struck an important balance at this year’s Major League Baseball draft.
Shane Farrell said Toronto did well to get younger talents fresh out of high school and some more seasoned college prospects in the draft on July 9. The Blue Jays announced on Thursday that they have signed 15 of their draft picks as well as three non-drafted free agents.
“I think that balance was accomplished, looking at a couple of our picks,” said Farrell in a Zoom call from Cape Cod, Mass. “Obviously, Arjun Nimmala in the first round, Landen Maroudis in the fourth, and then balancing it out with some college guys in the middle of Day 2.
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“Then taking another swing at a high-school player we like in Sam Shaw a little bit later on that second day.”
Nimmala, a 17-year-old shortstop out of Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, Fla., was signed on Monday. The signings of the other 17 prospects were announced Thursday.
The new signings include pitchers Maroudis and Connor O’Halloran, selected in the fourth and fifth rounds.
Outfielder Jace Bohrofen, shortstop Nick Goodwin, outfielders Braden Barry and Sam Shaw as well as pitcher Josh Mollerus, selected in the sixth through 10th rounds, agreed to deals.
Pitchers Grant Rogers and Chay Yeager, outfielder Brennan Orf, pitcher Kelena Sauer, catcher Jackson Hornung and pitchers Aaron Munson and