NEW YORK (AP) — UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole is among 23 first-round draft picks facing a Monday midnight deadline to reach agreements with major league teams.
Cole is represented by agent Scott Boras, who was negotiating for the top pick for the third straight year after reaching agreements with Washington for pitcher Stephen Strasburg ($15.1 million over four years) and outfielder Bryce Harper ($9.9 million over five years).
Just 10 of the 33 players selected in the first round June 6 had reached agreements entering Monday, including just one of the first nine picks: No. 3 Trevor Bauer, a teammate of Cole’s on the UCLA pitching staff, agreed July 25 to a $4.45 million, four-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Cole was selected by Pittsburgh.
