The Oakland Athletics and supplemental first-round pick Kevin Merrell have agreed to terms on a deal, MLB.com's Jim Callis reported Tuesday morning. The club has not confirmed the report.
Merrill, the No. 33 overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft, will receive a $1.8 million bonus from the Athletics. The suggested slot value for the pick is $2,033,500.
A shortstop out of the University of South Florida, Merrell may have been the fastest player in all of college baseball this season. The junior led the American Athletic Conference with a .384 batting average and became the only player in Bulls history to lead the team in hitting for three consecutive seasons. He also scored 48 runs and stole 19 bases in 2017.
The 6-foot-1, 180 pound Merrell possesses some gap power as evidenced by his 11 doubles, three triples and seven home runs for the Bulls this year. He played both shortstop and second base for South Florida, but he could end up in center field in the future, according to Callis.