NewsAstros have deal in place with top pick
Mier, No. 21 overall, says last hurdle is passing physical
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
06/24/09 4:06 PM ET
HOUSTON -- Jiovanni Mier, the Astros' top pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft, told MLB.com on Wednesday afternoon he had reached a deal with the Astros, pending a physical to be performed later this week."We finally came to a deal," Mier, who will receive a $1,358,000 signing bonus, said from his home in California. "I'm glad we came to a conclusion and my [agents] got it done. I'm trying to get out there and play."
Astros assistant general manger/director of scouting Bobby Heck wouldn't confirm a deal was in place, but the confirmation from Mier comes after multiple media reports that the Astros and Mier had reached a deal.
Mier, 18, is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-handed hitter with a power arm who hit .394 with 10 doubles, five home runs, 18 RBIs and 22 walks and had a .545 on-base percentage in his senior season at Bonita High School in Laverne, Calif.
Mier, who was picked No. 21 overall, said he will arrive in Houston on Thursday and be at Minute Maid Park on Friday after taking a physical.
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
