Padres sign fifth-round pick Jagger Haynes

The Padres have signed their final two draft picks under slot value, including their most recent in Jagger Haynes.

Taken with the final pick in the abbreviated draft, the Padres have reached a deal with Jagger Haynes. He had a verbal commitment to North Carolina, but now, he’s headed to San Diego on a $300K bonus, well below the slot value of $398K.

So far, the Padres have signed both their fourth-rounder, Levi Thomas, and their final pick for under their respective slot values. Thomas was signed for just $80K, and the Friars have saved a combined $551K between the two.

This is exceptionally good news for Cole Wilcox, the team’s third-round pick, whom many believed would be the toughest to sign. A draft-eligible sophomore with first-round talent, Wilcox can easily try this again next summer and potentially be taken in the first round.

Haynes is a southpaw from Cerro Gordo, North Carolina. He averaged 90 MPH on his fastball at the 2019 Perfect Game Showcase, putting him in the 94th percentile for his class. At 6-foot-4, 170 pounds, Haynes has plenty of frame to fill out as he physically matures, which should only help improve the velocity of his fastball.

As a junior, he went 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA while collecting four saves. Haynes was also a two-way player, batting .393 with 18 RBI and 33 hits in 2019. He made just one start before the shutdown this year, tossing six hitless innings while fanning 13 batters.

Along with Wilcox, the Padres still need to sign the first-round pick Robert Hassell, Justin Lange,  and Owen Caissie.