In what was thought to be a difficult signing season for Los Angeles Dodgers’ draftees, the team made deals with second round pick Ralston Cash and third round selection Leon Landry on Wednesday.
The details of the contracts are unknown, as many of the deals are sometimes kept under tight wraps until the signing deadline passes on August 16.
According to the Gainsville Times, a newspaper in Georgia, Cash will complete his deal by the end of the week, and upon signing will immediately be dispatched to begin pitching in the Arizona rookie league.
Cash previously committed to start classes at the University of Georgia in the fall, but has decided to forego college for now, and instead begin a career in professional baseball.
Cash himself hinted that his deal could be upwards of $500,000 for the life of the contract, but the exact specifics won’t be known until he signs on paper at week’s end.
Cash, the 78th overall selection in the draft, is a right-handed pitcher from Lakeview Academy, a high school in Marietta, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta.
He is known for his tremendous athleticism, but his pitching repertoire is graded average at best. However, with his excellent frame and his athletic talent, scouts rate his projectability as high as just about everyone taken in the first three rounds.
The LSU student newspaper, The Daily Reveille, has reported that Leon Landry, the Dodgers’ third selection and 109th overall pick in the draft, has also agreed to a deal with Los Angeles.
No details regarding the specifics of Landry’s contract are known at this time.
Landry is a center fielder, who recently completed his junior year at LSU.
He is very athletic, and can provide power at the plate. His speed doesn’t rank as high as the top base stealers in the game, but his quickness is deceptive and is certainly one of his strengths.
Because of his experience in college, it is possible that Landry may bypass the Arizona League, and head straight to the Ogden Raptors, which is just a step below single A in the Dodgers’ farm system.
Zach Lee, who was the 28th overall selection and the first pick of the Dodgers draft, still remains unsigned. At this point, all signs are indicating that he will be attending LSU, where he will play both football and baseball.
However, assistant general manager of the Dodgers Logan White has conveyed that money is not an issue in the front office, and Los Angeles will make every possible effort to sign Lee.
Leon Landry and Ralston Cash are now the fifth and sixth players respectively from the draft who have signed with the Dodgers this summer.
Other players drafted by Los Angeles who have signed include Jake Lemmerman, a shortstop from Duke who was selected in the fifth round; Jesse Bosnick, a third baseman from St. Bonaventure selected in the 13th round; Alex McRee, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Georgia selected in the 14th round; and Mike Drowne, who is a center fielder from Sacred Hart University selected in the 28th round.
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