The Pirates have officially signed their third round draft pick, infielder/pitcher Bubba Chandler.
The signing means the Bucs have now signed three of their four top picks.
First reported by Fan Pirates Insider Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette, the Pirates paid out $3 million even though the value of the pick is at $870,000.
Chandler told reporters after being selected that he intended to sign with the Pirates, forgoing an offer to play quarterback at Clemson.
Baseball America had Chandler as the 20th best player in the 2021 MLB Draft with MLB Pipeline slotting him in at 21st.
Chandler was a force on the mound and at the plate going 8-1 with a 1.25 ERA with 96 strikeouts over 44.2 innings at North Oconee High School in Georgia. He also set a North Oconee High record striking out 17 batters during the playoffs his senior year.
On the offensive side, Chandler hit .411 with 12 doubles, eight homeruns and 35 RBI while playing shortstop.
Talking to the Fan Morning Show Thursday, Mackey said the Pirates are still debating if they'll commit to him pitching or playing infield.
"I don't think they know. My guess would be probably a pitcher. But I do think they're going to let him do both. I think it's a legit offer to do both."
The Pirates gamble of drafting Chandler paid off, with him falling to the third round because other teams thought he would choose Clemson over starting an MLB career.
Only two of the Pirates top 10 picks still need to be signed.
Outfielder Lonnie White Jr. (committed to Penn State) and right-handed pitcher Owen Kellington.
After signing Chandler, the Pirates have $1,521,500 in money left to sign both White and Kellington.
Slot money for White Jr. (a second round compensatory pick) is $1,050,300 with Kellington's at $571,400.
In addition to their remaining pool money, the Pirates can go over by up to five percent without having to give up future draft picks.
That extra money comes out to a little over $700,000
