Bucs sign top draft pick
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday agreed to terms with left-hander Paul Maholm, their first-round pick in the June draft. Maholm, the No. 8 selection overall, agreed to a $2.2 million signing bonus, according to his agent Bo McKinnis.
“We are very pleased to come to terms with Paul,” Pirates senior vice president and general manager Dave Littlefield said. “He’s had a great deal of success at the collegiate level and we’re looking forward to him continuing that within the Pirates organization.”
Maholm will work out with Pittsburgh’s rookie league team in Bradenton, Fla., before he is assigned to a team.
“I think a combination of us watching him and him kind of giving us an idea of how he feels will determine in time where he goes, but I would anticipate he’ll be in Bradenton for a week or two to get his feet on the ground and get some pitches under his belt,” Littlefield said.
The 6-foot-3 Maholm was 9-2 at Mississippi State University this spring as a junior and had a 2.76 ERA. He was 27-10 with a 3.55 ERA in 46 games over three seasons.
Maholm thinks he matured as a pitcher in college but was ready to move on.
“High school, if you’re good enough to come out, that’s really great, but college is where I needed to be,” Maholm said. “Now I’m glad to take another step in my career.”
With Maholm, the Pirates have now taken a pitcher with their first-round draft pick for six consecutive years and seven of the past eight years.
Kris Benson, the Pirates’ No. 1 starter, was the first overall pick in the 1996 draft. Outfielder J.J. Davis, the eighth overall pick in 1997, is the last position player the Pirates drafted in the first round.
Bryan Bullington was the first overall pick in the draft last year and is now pitching in Lynchburg, Va., for the Pirates.