Reports: Diamondbacks sign draft picks Ryan Waldschmidt, JD Dix
Jul 23, 2024, 4:59 PM | Updated: 8:57 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks took the next step adding a large segment of their 2024 draft class to the organization, signing three of their four Day 1 picks.
Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt posted on Instagram Tuesday he had signed, and MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reported he agreed to a signing bonus of $2,904,000 (full slot value).
Arizona took Waldschmidt with the No. 31 overall pick acquired via Corbin Carroll winning Rookie of the Year in 2023.
“I met with them prior to the draft … and I knew they definitely had interest,” Waldschmidt said after the draft. “I was super excited when I got the call from the Diamondbacks. The calls all went great. I really loved what they had to say.”
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With the No. 35 pick in the Competitive Balance Round A, the D-backs took high school switch-hitting shortstop JD Dix, who signed for $2,150,000, Callis reported on Tuesday. That is below the slot value for the 35th pick of $2,632,500.
“A lot of comfort in the bat there from both sides, right-handed and left-handed. He’s a plus runner. He’s super athletic,” D-backs director of amateur scouting Ian Rebhan said after the Day 1 of the draft.
Arizona signed second-round pick Ivan Luciano, a 17-year-old catcher from Puerto Rico, at under-slot value for a $990,000 bonus, according to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo. The slot value for the No. 64 overall pick is $1,319,200.
The D-backs also agreed to terms with high school shortstop and fourth-round pick Tytus Cissell for $800,000, according to Callis — slot value was $535,800.
Dix was committed to play college ball at Wake Forest, Luciano was a Miami (Ohio) commit while Cissell had committed to Missouri. Instead, the teenage talents will get their pro ball start in Arizona’s farm system.
“I think when all that came together on Ivan, you’re getting a 17-year-old really advanced hitter,” Rebhan said. “He doesn’t swing-and-miss, he controls the strike zone. He can grow into power and he plays a premium position.”
“Super athletic, our area scout did a great job on this one building the relationship, getting us in there early, helping us build history,” Rebhan added on Cissell. “The process was really thorough on him. We see him as a shortstop, a switch-hitting shortstop. He’s at least a plus runner, if not more. He came to the combine and kind of scored off the charts on the athletic testing portion. This is a really interesting upside high school shortstop.”
Fifth-round pitcher Connor Foley from Indiana signed for well above slot value ($392,300) at $1 million, according to Callis.
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Foley was a sophomore last season who racked up 82 strikeouts in 63 innings.
Rebhan said there is some untapped potential with Foley since he did not start pitching until his senior year of high school. Foley had the option of returning to Indiana as he continues to progress with eyes set of getting drafted higher next year.
“We’ve seen him up to 99 mph, he was a starter at Indiana and we see him as a starter in the future,” Rebhan said. “He’s got two different breaking balls. He’s got a changeup, but you’re buying a pretty elite arm talent there and super athletic.”
Rebhan had said after Day 1 he expected to get Arizona’s top four picks signed.
That includes No. 29 selection Slade Caldwell.
Reported Diamondbacks draft pick signing tracker
– Round 1, PPI: OF Ryan Waldschmidt, $2,904,000 (MLB Pipeline)
– Round 1, CB-A: SS JD Dix, $2,150,000 (MLB Pipeline)
– Round 2: C Ivan Luciano, $990,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 3: RHP Daniel Eagen, $650,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 4: SS Tytus Cissell, $800,000 (MLB Pipeline)
– Round 5: RHP Connor Foley, $1 million (MLB Pipeline)
– Round 6: RHP Mason Marriott, $241,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 7: LHP Luke Craig, $190,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 9: 3B Ben McLaughlin, $75,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 10: OF Trent Youngblood, $50,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 11: OF Bo Walker, $500,000 (MLB Pipeline)
– Round 12: RHP John West, $150,000 (Baseball America)
– Round 13: LHP Kyle Ayers, $150,000 (Baseball America)
