MIAMI -- A week after the conclusion of the 2018 MLB Draft, the Marlins are moving swiftly, getting as many of their picks under contract as possible. On Wednesday, the organization announced the signings of 16 selections, including right-hander Chris Vallimont, their fifth-round pick.
Last Friday, first-round pick, outfielder Connor Scott from Plant High School in Tampa, Fla., was introduced to the organization at Marlins Park, where he took part in batting practice.
The Marlins had 41 selections in 40 rounds of the Draft, held from June 4-6.
Signed players already are reporting to Jupiter, Fla., to begin their professional careers.
According to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, Vallimont has signed for $300,000, below the value of $354,000 allotted for the 147th overall pick.
It's common for players to sign at, below or above slot.
Scott signed for the slot value of the No. 13 pick, which is $4,038,200.
• Marlins Draft Tracker
A player yet to be announced as signed is catcher Will Banfield from Brookwood (Ga.) High School. There is no holdup in Banfield's agreement, it's just a matter of getting everything finalized before the prep standout reports to the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex.
Banfield's agreement is for $1.8 million, well above the value $894,600 of his pick slot.
Second-rounder, infielder Osiris Johnson from Encinal (Calif.) High School, however, remains unsigned. Negotiations could last a little bit. The cousin of former All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Johnson was the 53rd overall pick.
Third-rounder, Tristan Pompey, an outfielder from the University of Kentucky, also has yet to sign. But the deal is expected to get done in the near future.
The 16 players announced on Wednesday are: Scott, catcher Nick Fortes (4th round), Vallimont, right-hander Cason Sherrod (7th round), right-hander Peyton Culbertson (8th round), right-hander Jake Walters (9th round), right-hander Tanner Andrews (10th round), outfielder Davis Bradshaw (11th round), catcher Keegan Fish (13th round), outfielder Connor Grant (21st round), outfielder Milton Smith Jr. (22nd round), right-hander Giovanni Lopez (23rd round), right-hander Nathan Alexander (24th round), outfielder Harrison Dinicola (27th round), shortstop Gunnar Schubert (28th round) and third baseman Andrew Turner (39th round).
Worth noting
• Closer Kyle Barraclough, who logged back-to-back saves in the first two games of the series with the Giants, has become even more effective due to the inclusion of his changeup. The right-hander, according to Statcast™, is throwing the changeup 12.6 percent of the time, and he has a swinging-strike percentage of 38.6 percent on the pitch. Primarily a fastball-slider pitcher, Barraclough threw the changeup just 4.6 percent of the time in 2017.
• The Marlins announced on Wednesday there will be a DJ Khaled bobblehead giveaway on Aug. 12 at Marlins Park. DJ Khaled was a special guest performer on Opening Day, where he sang the Marlins' anthem song, "Just Gettin' Started."