Gulliver’s George Lombard, Miami’s Yohandy Morales sign big deals to start pro careers
Even though he slipped to the second round of the 2023 MLB draft, Yohandy Morales still cashed out with a big, over slot contract Monday to start his professional career.
George Lombard Jr., who was the first player picked out of Miami-Dade County in the first round of the MLB Draft, did the same.
Lombard and Morales are two of four South Floridians to already sign professional contracts after getting drafted last week, and both signed deals worth more than the assigned value for their slot.
Lombard, who was the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Boys’ Athlete of the Year for Classes 4A-2A as a shortstop and two-sport star at Miami Gulliver Prep, signed with the New York Yankees for $3.3 million — more than $200,000 over the slotted value of about $3.1 million for No. 26. Morales, who starred at Braddock and then was an All-American third baseman for the Miami Hurricanes, signed with the Washington Nationals for $2.6 million — almost $500,000 million more than the slotted value of about $2.1 million for No. 40.
Doral Academy shortstop Adrian Santana also signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for a little more than $2 million — well under the slot value of almost $2.7 million — after he was the No. 31 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A on Day 1 of the draft last week and Hurricanes shorstop Dominic Pitelli, also a Doral alumnus, signed slightly under slot value for $222,500 on Monday after he was the No. 198 overall pick in the seventh round by the Cincinnati Reds on Day 2 last week.
Nearly a dozen players with ties to South Florida remain unsigned, including:
Versatile pitcher and Hialeah High alum Hernandez selected on Day 3 of MLB Draft
▪ Florida Atlantic first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who went to Park Vista and was the No. 11 pick in Round 1 by the Angels;
▪ Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield, who went to Plantation American Heritage and was the No. 17 pick in Round 1 by the Orioles;
▪ Hurricanes outfielder C.J. Kayfus, who went to Palm Beach Central was the No. 93 overall pick in Round 3 by the Guardians;
▪ Hurricanes pitcher Alejandro Rosario, who went to Miami Christian and was the No. 144 overall pick in Round 5 by the Rangers;
▪ Bethune-Cookman pitcher Nolan Santos, who went to Miami Beach and was the No. 207 overall pick in Round 7 by the Twins;
▪ Pitcher Gavin Adams, who went to St. John Paul II Academy and Indian River State College — a junior college in Fort Pierce — and was the No. 315 overall pick in Round 11 by the Nationals;
▪ Arizona State pitcher Timmy Manning, who went to Cardinal Gibbons and was the No. 360 overall pick in Round 12 by the Giants;
▪ Elite Squad Baseball Academy third baseman Daniel Cuvet, who has already announced he won’t sign and will instead fulfill his commitment to the Hurricanes after he was the No. 497 overall pick in Round 17 by the Pirates;
▪ Pitcher Carlos Rey, who went to Miami Springs and Division II Nova Southeastern University in Davie, and was the No. 505 overall pick in Round 17 by the Diamondbacks;
▪ JUCO Miami Dade College pitcher Herick Hernandez, who went to Hialeah and was the No. 558 overall pick in Round 19 by the Reds.
