PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It took a little time, as it often does when Scott Boras is the agent, but the Pirates did get a deal done with first round pick Derek Curiel.
The 21-year-old signed for a reported $6.2 million, which is below slot. He hit .345 as a freshman at LSU and last year hit .353 with a .957 OPS. His career on-base percentage .452 with 38 doubles and 13 home runs.
The 6’2”, 192-pound outfielder grabbed some attention when he told Pittsburgh reporters right after the MLB Draft.
“Just kind of gritty mentality, kind of Pete Rose-style baseball,” Curiel said. “I like to get dirty. I like to dive head first. I like to make diving plays, take the extra base when I can. Drag bunt, push bunt. Score runs on offense and save runs on defense is the best way I try to describe it.”
“I'm just trying to do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether that's draw a walk, make a diving catch. Whatever the game calls for, I try to do that.”
“Put it simply, athlete, left hand hitter,” said Pirates assistant general manager Kevan Graves. “He's shown really exceptional command of the strike zone, bat to ball skills, upside to to the damage profile, and it's a player who plays a pretty special center field. He checks a lot of boxes.”
“I'd say beyond that, you're talking about someone that you invest in at that level. It's someone that we have exceptionally strong confidence in the person, the human being, the teammate, the competitor, and sort of the growth-mindedness that we've seen in himself. Really excited to add a player of his caliber to the organization, and looking forward to seeing him take the field with us."
Derek Curiel is an outfielder who played a pair of years at LSU
Derek Curiel is an outfielder who played a pair of years at LSU
