© Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas Rangers Draft Clemson Signee Brock Porter in Shrewd Move
Clemson signee Brock Porter was selected by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft on Monday afternoon as the pro organization attempts to lure him away from the Tigers.
The Rangers made a shrewd move Sunday night when they used their third overall pick to draft former Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker, who was selected in 2021 but didn't sign with the Mets. According to a report from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Texas is offering Rocker $5.2 million, which is over $2 million below his slot value for that pick.
It was an attempt to free up pool money so the Rangers could draft high-end prospects on the second day, and Porter, a right-hander from Michigan, turned out to be one of them. It was a surprise that Porter didn't go during the first 80 picks on Sunday, and the Rangers didn't own a second- or third-round selection, so this move is a roll of the dice for the pro organization.
Grant wrote that it could take a large sum of a guaranteed signing bonus to get Porter to commit to the Rangers.
Clemson would love to hold on to Porter, the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year and one of the prized recruits for new head coach Erik Bakich. CBS Sports ranked him as the 11th-best player eligible in the entire draft and the top high school pitcher in the country. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder possesses a fastball that consistently gets into the high 90s and a devastating changeup.
Porter touched 100 mph during his senior season and is still developing his control.
The Tigers dealt with a similar situation as Porter's last year when pitcher/quarterback Bubba Chandler left Clemson's campus to join the Pittsburgh Pirates after he was drafted in the third round and promised $3 million -- way above his slot value.
Porter will now enter the negotiation process with the Rangers by staying at Clemson as leverage in his favor, but Texas took a shot believing it can get a deal done.
The Rangers' odds of hoisting the trophy at the end of the 2022 season are slim at best, with Fanduel having their current odds at +100000.
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