Blue Jays Sign First-Round Pick JoJo Parker to Under-Slot Contract

The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly made their deal with first-round pick JoJo Parker and will have a bit more money to spend on their remaining draft class.

Purvis' Jojo Parker (1) celebrates the team's win after playing West Lauderdale during the MHSAA class 6A baseball championships at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., Friday, June 2, 2023. | Hannah Mattix/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly have a deal done with their first-round pick, prep shortstop JoJo Parker.

Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reported the deal. It comes at a discount under the slot value for his selection.

Parker signed a deal worth $6.2 million, less than the expected slot value for the No. 8 overall selection, which was $6.813 million. Toronto can take the savings and apply it to other selections.

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The Purvis High School star, out of Mississippi, was committed to play college baseball at Mississippi State before he signed the deal.

Parker is the fourth draft pick to sign with the Blue Jays. Per MLB.com, fourth-round pick Micah Bucknam signed a $678,300 deal, just under the $680,000 slot value for the No. 143 overall pick.

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Two other selections signed for just $5,000, which was well under their slotted values — eighth-round pick Danny Thompson Jr. and 10th round pick Austin Smith. Thompson is a pitcher and Smith is an outfielder. Both are collegiates that were out of eligibility.

It’s a tactic some teams use to amass money to sign players that have eligibility, which means they’re not obligated to sign and can either return to college or honor their college commitment.

Toronto did not have a second-round pick. But, third-round pick Jake Cook, an outfielder from Southern Miss, was taken No. 81 overall and comes with a slot value of $993,000. The Blue Jays could overspend to get him to sign.

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Toronto’s fifth, sixth and seventh-round picks all have the option to go back to school, too.

Pitcher Trey Yesavage was Toronto’s first-round pick last July. The former East Carolina right-hander has blown away hitters all season and has already reached Double-A New Hampshire.

Toronto’s 2023 first-round pick, shortstop Arjun Nimmala, is at High-A Vancouver. The prep star from Strawberry Crest in Dover, Fla., is not yet 20 years old but he is considered the Blue Jays’ top overall prospect.

The Blue Jays went with pitching in back-to-back years before that. In 2022 Toronto selected left-hander Brandon Barriera out of American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla. In 2021, the Blue Jays selected right-hander Gunnar Hoglund out of Ole Miss.

In 2020 Toronto had the No. 5 overall pick and selected shortstop Austin Martin out of Vanderbilt. He is now with the Minnesota Twins.

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