The Mets reached an agreement with second-round Draft pick Mark Vientos on Tuesday for an above-slot deal, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. The club has not yet confirmed the report.
The 59th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft will sign for $1.5 million, above the slot's suggested value of $1,094,700. The Mets have yet to sign first-rounder David Peterson from Oregon or third-rounder Quinn Brodey out of Stanford.
Vientos, a shortstop out of baseball powerhouse American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla., is expected to eventually move to third base, but he would still fit there thanks to his offensive potential. His hands and arm strength are believed to be strong enough to handle the hot corner.
The 17-year-old Vientos hit .417/.467/.523 in his senior season, but was limited to 26 games due to a quad injury. He was committed to play in college at the University of Miami, but will instead enter the Mets system.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Vientos has reminded some of the Orioles' Manny Machado, a well-known example of a shortstop prospect moving to third base, but he has also drawn a body comparison to the Giants' Michael Morse, who entered the Majors as a shortstop and eventually found his place as a corner outfielder and first baseman.
The Mets inked half of their Draft picks earlier this week, announcing on Sunday that they signed 20 of their 40 selections.
Among those who signed were five of the Mets' first 10 picks, all right-handed pitchers: fourth-rounder Tony Dibrell from Kennesaw State, sixth-rounder Marcel Renteria from New Mexico State, seventh-rounder Connor O'Neil from Cal State Northridge, eighth-rounder Trey Cobb from Oklahoma State, ninth-rounder Cannon Chadwick from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and 10th-rounder Stephen Villines from the University of Kansas.