If Kalai Rosario doesn’t get what he wants for his 18th birthday, he can just go out and buy it.
The Waiakea grad and fifth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins signed, it was announed Wednesday, a day shy of his birthday, for a bonus of $270,000. As the No. 158 selection in the last month’s draft, Rosario’s slot value was $330,100.
Rosario, an outfielder, will forgo a commitment to Cal Baptist.
“(Rosario) can do real damage to the baseball,” Twins scouting director Sean Johnson told MLB.com after the draft. “He’s strong. He’s got a good swing. Much in line with the three hitters we took, these guys are hitters who can do a lot of damage with the baseball, and all have a chance for real power. To get him in the fifth round, we felt really good about.”
That wraps up the signings for Minnesota’s four draft choices.
First round pick Aaron Sabato, a first baseman from the University of North Carolina, got $2.75 million as the 27th overall pick.
Second-round pick Alerick Soularie, an outfielder from the University of Tennessee, signed for a $900,000 bonus. Fourth-round pick Marco Raya, a righthanded high school pitcher from Laredo, Texas, got $410,000. The team did not have a third-round pick.
The five free agents signed were Zarion Sharpe, a pitcher from UNC-Wilmington; lefthander Lucas Sweany of Pacific; Fordham righthander John Stankiewicz; catcher Allante Hall from Pensacola State junior college; and 18-year-old shortstop Willy Diaz Vasquez, who was playing at the Prairie Baseball Academy in Lethbridge, Alberta. They all got $20,000 bonuses.
