Saw where Austin Nicely is in Houston today and signed with the Astros. 10th round pick signed for $610K is what is reported. Passing on opportunity to play at UVA.
Spotswood's Nicely signs with Astros today
- Thread starter gtownfencecrew
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That's a nice chunk of change and I certainly wish him the best...saw him pitch several times. I just think he should have gone to UVA to develop physically and mentally. My gut thinks he's not ready, but it's his decision to make with his family. Obviously, the Astros think he can be molded.
News item from Houston....
HOUSTON -- The Astros locked down another high pick from the 2013 First-Year Player Draft on Thursday, as high school pitcher Austin Nicely signed a deal with the team in Houston.
Nicely, a left-handed starter out of Spotswood High School in Virginia, was the club's 10th-round pick. A lanky two-sport athlete at Spotswood, Nicely turned down a commitment to the University of Virginia to pursue a pro career.
"I'm happy it's finally a done deal," Nicely said. "It's definitely the toughest decision I've had to make in my life. It's a dream becoming reality for me, and I couldn't pass that up."
The Astros have now signed 24 of their 40 Draft picks, including eight of the top 10.
Nicely wrapped up the deal while on the final leg of a vacation with his family, and Astros director of amateur scouting Mike Elias gave them the tour of the locker room and had a custom-made jersey ready for Nicely.
Typically, Draft picks beyond the second or third round are signed remotely, but Nicely wanted to be in Houston for the occasion.
"It just happened to work out that it was easier for me to get out here than it was for them to get to me," Nicely said. "It's a special feeling, signing and being here to take the moment in."
It just so happens Nicely's favorite player growing up was former Astros All-Star closer Billy Wagner (now living in Crozet area), who is also a Virginia native. Though Nicely said he doesn't emulate Wagner in style, it still made him eager to join his idol's former team.
"He was a lefty, threw way harder than I do and was from Virginia, a local boy," Nicely said of Wagner. "I like the way he came at people and challenged people. Just a bulldog out there. If I could pick my career to be like his, I'd take it right now."
Elias said the Astros aren't going the closer route with Nicely, and they will assign him to the club's Gulf Coast League rookie squad in the coming weeks.
(That's likely at the GCL's Astros training site in Kissimmee (right near Orlando) Maybe his next stop could be Appy League team in Greeneville Tenn.)
This post was edited on 6/20 6:16 PM by DiamondDude
HOUSTON -- The Astros locked down another high pick from the 2013 First-Year Player Draft on Thursday, as high school pitcher Austin Nicely signed a deal with the team in Houston.
Nicely, a left-handed starter out of Spotswood High School in Virginia, was the club's 10th-round pick. A lanky two-sport athlete at Spotswood, Nicely turned down a commitment to the University of Virginia to pursue a pro career.
"I'm happy it's finally a done deal," Nicely said. "It's definitely the toughest decision I've had to make in my life. It's a dream becoming reality for me, and I couldn't pass that up."
The Astros have now signed 24 of their 40 Draft picks, including eight of the top 10.
Nicely wrapped up the deal while on the final leg of a vacation with his family, and Astros director of amateur scouting Mike Elias gave them the tour of the locker room and had a custom-made jersey ready for Nicely.
Typically, Draft picks beyond the second or third round are signed remotely, but Nicely wanted to be in Houston for the occasion.
"It just happened to work out that it was easier for me to get out here than it was for them to get to me," Nicely said. "It's a special feeling, signing and being here to take the moment in."
It just so happens Nicely's favorite player growing up was former Astros All-Star closer Billy Wagner (now living in Crozet area), who is also a Virginia native. Though Nicely said he doesn't emulate Wagner in style, it still made him eager to join his idol's former team.
"He was a lefty, threw way harder than I do and was from Virginia, a local boy," Nicely said of Wagner. "I like the way he came at people and challenged people. Just a bulldog out there. If I could pick my career to be like his, I'd take it right now."
Elias said the Astros aren't going the closer route with Nicely, and they will assign him to the club's Gulf Coast League rookie squad in the coming weeks.
(That's likely at the GCL's Astros training site in Kissimmee (right near Orlando) Maybe his next stop could be Appy League team in Greeneville Tenn.)
This post was edited on 6/20 6:16 PM by DiamondDude
According to every media source I've seen, they've all said $610k.
From the Houston Chronicle: "
The Astros gave Nicely a reported $610,000 signing bonus, which was almost $500,000 above the $139,400 recommended slot value, sign out of Spotswood High in Penn Laird, Va."
From the Houston Chronicle: "
The Astros gave Nicely a reported $610,000 signing bonus, which was almost $500,000 above the $139,400 recommended slot value, sign out of Spotswood High in Penn Laird, Va."
Thanks for clarifying! Great for the kid. There must be some more to this story as it looks like the Chronicle reported the imbalance as well. I would guess that will put some pressure on the kid from various execs and teammates in the organization. Good luck to him.
They think very highly of Nicely and thought he should have went higher in the draft. They also knew in order to lure him away from the UVA committment they were going to have to throw more money at him. The organization, from everything I read, thinks he has a high ceiling so they're assuming by spending the extra now, it will pay off in the future. As an Astros fan, and a guy that lives 2 miles from Spotswood, I'm hoping he does well for the Astros.
gtownfencecrew is right. I read the same article. I did some more reading and this year each team was given a budget of how much they could spend on the draft. Each pick was given an amount but teams did not have to pay that amount however if a team went over on a pick it meant that it took money away from another pick. The Astros had the first pick in the draft and given the highest budget of 11.6 million so this meant they had more money to spend. This amount of money in this round is highly unusual so the Astros have seen something special in this young man. Lefthanders committing to Virginia have a history of being pretty good Doolittle, Hultzman, Crockett to name a few. Congratulations to this young man and I wiish him the best!!
Grading the 18 year old "pro."
In truth, aw, you NEVER know if a kid, that young, is ready. He will be grouped in with college players and players from foreign lands as well, you know. And those kids from the Dominican have been hitting good stuff since they were probably 14 or 15. Sure he's a lefty that is said to throw 90 (maybe that's where he tops out) and he definitely must have been wanted all fronts if he was headed to UVa to be taught by the best college pitching coach in the land in Karl Kuhn. But let's see how he does first in the GCL or if he gets sent up to Greensville in the Appy League. The Astros have a poor minor league system and have been known to burn out many a young arm before they can even get to AA. Good luck to Nicely. I never saw him pitch in high school but I do know he was a pretty good hoops player at Spotswood as well.
In truth, aw, you NEVER know if a kid, that young, is ready. He will be grouped in with college players and players from foreign lands as well, you know. And those kids from the Dominican have been hitting good stuff since they were probably 14 or 15. Sure he's a lefty that is said to throw 90 (maybe that's where he tops out) and he definitely must have been wanted all fronts if he was headed to UVa to be taught by the best college pitching coach in the land in Karl Kuhn. But let's see how he does first in the GCL or if he gets sent up to Greensville in the Appy League. The Astros have a poor minor league system and have been known to burn out many a young arm before they can even get to AA. Good luck to Nicely. I never saw him pitch in high school but I do know he was a pretty good hoops player at Spotswood as well.
Re: Grading the 18 year old "pro."
yeh I agree if he don't make it, and if he is not a moron and blow all his money, he can pay for his college education easily if he wants to go back. It was a great decision, and most of all it was HIS decision. Good for him!
yeh I agree if he don't make it, and if he is not a moron and blow all his money, he can pay for his college education easily if he wants to go back. It was a great decision, and most of all it was HIS decision. Good for him!
Re: Grading the 18 year old "pro."
I kind of expected this from you. You know, no one's "hating" with this kid. I was just trying to put some logic out there. Nice signing bonus (hope he doesn't blow some of it on the "friends" that will come out of the woodwork now), but pitching for Kuhn would have better served this guy instead of pitching an inning or two a week in the GCL or Appy league this summer. Kuhn would have improved his stock and he would have been a top-two rounder and possibly been drafted by a club with a better track record than the Disastros in '15. But that 600g is hard to turn down, I know.
I kind of expected this from you. You know, no one's "hating" with this kid. I was just trying to put some logic out there. Nice signing bonus (hope he doesn't blow some of it on the "friends" that will come out of the woodwork now), but pitching for Kuhn would have better served this guy instead of pitching an inning or two a week in the GCL or Appy league this summer. Kuhn would have improved his stock and he would have been a top-two rounder and possibly been drafted by a club with a better track record than the Disastros in '15. But that 600g is hard to turn down, I know.
Re: Grading the 18 year old "pro."
From a baseball standpoint, I agree with you also Base. His pitching refinement could possibly be better served in College. But he could also get hurt, hit by a car, or change his mind in career path once he sees the grind of a major league player. My vote is take the money, give it your best shot , save the money, just in case......For the record , I wasn't doing any hating Base. I love you buddy!
From a baseball standpoint, I agree with you also Base. His pitching refinement could possibly be better served in College. But he could also get hurt, hit by a car, or change his mind in career path once he sees the grind of a major league player. My vote is take the money, give it your best shot , save the money, just in case......For the record , I wasn't doing any hating Base. I love you buddy!
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