Seattle Mariners sign Justin Lavey to Free Agent Deal
After going undrafted in the 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, University of Louisville senior infielder Justin Lavey has signed a deal with the Seattle Mariners, according to the program's official Twitter page.
When MLB and the MLBPA agreed to reduce the 2020 iteration of the draft to just five rounds compared to the normal forty, it was included in the deal that all draft eligible players who go undrafted would be eligible to sign with organizations for a maximum of $20,000. Lavey is the second Louisville player to go this route, following senior outfielder Danny Oriente.
Over the course of his collegiate career, the Kenosha, WI native has a .277 batting average in 173 games played and 143 starts. He has eight home runs, 88 RBI and 31 doubles over 527 at-bats, with 56 walks to boot.
Before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 season to be cancelled just one month into competition, he hit .316 with 1 home run, a team-best 17 RBI, 7 doubles and a triple. He was also one of just three players to start all 17 games.
The Cardinals (13-4, 2-1) were ranked as high as the No. 2 team in the country (D1Baseball, Perfect Game) at the time of the season's cancellation. They had previously been tabbed as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation and were also voted by league coaches as the favorite to win the ACC.
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