Arizona agrees to terms with its top pick Grier

Center fielder from Auburn 'trying to soak everything in'

June 15th, 2016

PHOENIX -- The D-backs have signed supplemental first-round pick Anfernee Grier for $1.5 million, the club announced Wednesday.
Grier was at Chase Field on Wednesday afternoon for Arizona's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers. After watching the game from a suite with his family and D-backs scouting director Deric Ladnier, Grier was introduced to the media and given a No. 39 jersey, representing the number at which he was selected in last week's MLB Draft.
"It's been a great feeling meeting everybody in the organization," Grier said. "It's been a pretty busy week, but it was definitely worth it just coming out here and meeting with everybody. They treated me so well while I was here."

Just six days ago, Arizona selected Grier, a center fielder from Auburn University, in Lottery Round A. He was the D-backs' top pick, as they did not have a first-round selection after signing free agent pitcher Zack Greinke this past offseason.
On Thursday, Grier will join the Class A Short Season Hillsboro Hops for a team practice. Their season then begins on Friday.
"It's going by pretty fast, but I'm trying to enjoy every moment of it," Grier said. "I haven't been saying much. I've just been trying to soak everything in."
Grier was the leadoff hitter this season at Auburn, where he ranked among the batting leaders in the Southeastern Conference. He hit .366 with a team-best 12 homers and 41 RBIs, leading the SEC with 56 runs scored.
He participated in a pre-Draft workout for the D-backs, which was when Ladnier was first impressed by the 20-year-old outfielder.
"It was remarkable how he presented himself to the organization. He had a great workout," Ladnier said. "We had a chance to watch him over the last few years perform, and his performance speaks for itself. The organization is certainly thankful to have him, and we certainly expect him to be a center fielder here for a long time."
Growing up in Alabama, Grier said he was an Atlanta Braves fan, idolizing players such as Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones. Coincidentally, the D-backs have traded their first-round selection the past two seasons (Touki Toussaint in 2014, Dansby Swanson in '15) to the Braves.