A good week got even better today for the Rockies after they signed their top draft pick, left-handed pitcher Christian Friedrich, with a $1.35 million bonus, according to multiple major-league sources.
His signing bonus is pending a physical, which is likely to be conducted today at Coors Field.
Friedrich was chosen No. 25 overall in the recent baseball amateur draft after starring at Division I Eastern Kentucky. The left-hander predicted then that negotiations would go smoothly and was proven right.
Friedrich’s bonus, as expected, is based on what comparable picks received last season and what other picks near him in the draft have already received.
Friedrich will likely report to one of the Rockies’ short-season minor-league teams, possibly Single-A Tri-City in Washington, to begin his pro career.
He’s been compared to pitcher Jeff Francis, the team’s previous left-handed top draft choice. Draft experts felt the Rockies got great value with the pick, as Friedrich was projected to go as high as No. 12 in the draft.
