Walker Jenkins might’ve been the first overall pick most MLB drafts, but he fell all the way to No. 5 where the Twins selected him this year thanks to one of the most talented draft classes in MLB history.
As of Monday morning, the Twins had yet to agree to terms with Jenkins. They have until 4 p.m. CT Tuesday to strike a deal or Jenkins will go through the draft process again in 2024. And, yes, that would mean the Twins don’t get him.
Every other first-round pick has signed with their respective team.
According to MLB.com, Jenkins’s slot value as the No. 5 pick calls for a signing bonus of $7,139,700.
The Twins started the draft process with a bonus pool of $14,345,600 to give to draft picks taken in the first ten rounds. So far, per MLB.com, they have spent $7,041,400, which leaves them $7,304,200 to give to Jenkins as he’s the only draftee from the first ten rounds yet to sign with Minnesota.
The first overall pick in the draft, LSU right-hander Paul Skenes, agreed to a $9.2 million signing bonus, just over a half-million dollars less than his slot value.
The second pick, LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, received a $9 million signing bonus from the Nationals, which is a sliver more than his slot value of $8,988,500.
Third overall pick Maxx Clark, a high school outfielder who was taken by the Tigers, had a slot value of $8,341,700 and he took $7.7 million.
Fourth overall pick Wyatt Langford, a college outfielder from Florida, got an $8 million signing bonus which was more than his slot value of $7,698,000.
The Twins could exceed the $14,345,600 bonus pool, though doing so would come with a penalty. Per MLB rules:
Clubs that outspend their allotment by 0-5 percent pay a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, teams lose future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing their pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.
The clock is ticking. Will Jenkins sign by Tuesday’s deadline?
