CINCINNATI (AP) -First baseman Yonder Alonso from Miami, the seventh overall pick in the amateur draft, agreed to a contract with the Cincinnati Reds shortly before baseball’s midnight deadline on Friday.
On the day he was drafted, Alonso said he was eager to get to Cincinnati and meet outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, two of his favorites. Both were traded before Alonso signed with the team.
The Reds already have a young, left-handed-hitting first baseman. Joey Votto, a 24-year-old rookie, won the starting job this season with his consistent play. Jay Bruce, a 21-year-old outfielder, also bats left-handed.
Alonso hits so well that the Reds couldn’t pass him up. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 18 homers as a sophomore last year, batting .376 with 74 RBIs.
As a junior this season, he hit 21 homers, drove in 66 runs and batted .370.
The last time the Reds failed to sign their top draft pick was 2001, when left-hander Jeremy Sowers chose to go to Vanderbilt. Sowers, the 20th overall pick that year, had insisted on $3 million to sign, but the Reds offered less than half that.
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