Blaze Jordan is picking the Red Sox over the state of Mississippi, and Boston is paying him handsomely for it.
The Red Sox are set to give the 17-year-old infielder a $ 1.75 million signing bonus, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reported Wednesday.
That $ 1.75 million deal is more than double the $ 667,900 slot value for No. 89 pick, which is where the Red Sox led Jordan in the 2020 MLB Draft.
But Boston had extra money to spend after it reportedly signed first-round recruit Nick Yorke to a deal below its $ 3.61 million value.
Jordan also has a tantalizing advantage: The Mississippi native became a YouTube star by launching 500-foot home runs when he was 13 and has made comparisons to Bryce Harper, who entered the majors at 19.
Jordan committed to the state of Mississippi in eighth grade and could have delayed his major league career by joining the Bulldogs this fall. That decision would have allowed him to reenter the MLB Draft after his college career and potentially be drafted by another team.
By signing it now, however, the Red Sox will make sure Blaze comes to Boston and enters the team’s minor league system. The young phenomenon will fly to Boston next week to take his physical exam and make his contract official, according to Cotillo.
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