ATLANTA (AP) – Pitcher Kyle Wright and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a minor league contract with a $7 million signing bonus, the highest in baseball since 2011.
A 21-year-old right-hander who pitched for Vanderbilt, Wright grew up a Braves fan in Huntsville, Alabama. As a freshman, he played alongside current Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“He’s big brother to me,” Wright said Friday. “To see him was really cool. It brings back fun memories. I’m excited about it.”
Wright’s bonus, well over the slot value of $5,707,300, is the highest since restraints on signing bonuses began in 2012. The previous year, Gerrit Cole agreed to a $8 million signing bonus, and Stephen Strasburg and Bubba Starling agreed to $7.5 million each.
Under the system where teams are penalized for exceeding their assigned bonus pool, the largest amount had been Kris Bryant’s $6,708,400 deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2013.