Red Sox sign first-round pick Houck

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Boston Red Sox and first-round draft pick Tanner Houck have agreed on a contract that gives the University of Missouri pitcher a $2,614,500 signing bonus, which is slot value for the 24th overall selection.

The Red Sox announced the deal on Wednesday.

Houck will report to Class-A Lowell in the short-season New York-Penn League to begin his professional career.

The 20-year-old right-hander went 4-7 with a 3.33 ERA as a junior last season, striking out 95 in 94 2/3 innings and holding opponents to a .220 batting average. Houck set the Missouri record for innings pitched by a three-year player and had the fourth-most strikeouts in school history.

The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Houck in the 12th round out of high school in 2014, but he opted to go to college.

The Red Sox have signed four of their top 10 selections in this year's amateur draft.

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