Padres News: First round pick Robert Hassell officially signs

Robert Hassell joins fellow Padres draft picks Jagger Haynes and Levi Thomas, signing with the team on Tuesday.

Yesterday was a good-news Tuesday for Padres fans. Not only did the MLB and MLBPA agree on a 2020 shortened season, but the team also agreed to terms with first-round draft pick, Robert Hassell.

Hassell jumped on 104.5 The Zone, a local radio station in Nashville, last week, indicating that he was going to sign with the Padres. Then, it just became a matter for how much. And so far, the Padres have managed to sign all of their draft picks under their respective slot values.

If you recall, fourth-round pick Levi Thomas signed for just $80K, forgoing another year at the Troy University. Then the Padres locked down their final pick in Jagger Haynes for $300K. And among the three signings, including Hassell, the Friars have managed to save a combined $1.4M. Obviously, that bodes very well for third-round pick Cole Wilcox, who many believed would be the most difficult to sign.

We’ve mentioned time and time again, but Wilcox was a first-round talent who happened to slip to the third round. AJ Preller joined the Ben and Woods Show on 97.3 The Fan a week ago, stating that the team strategized their draft so that they would be able to sign Wilcox.

Hassell had a verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, who is still technically reigning NCAA Champions, given the cancellation of the 2019-2020 season. Now the Padres just have Justin Lange, Owen Caissie, and Wilcox left to sign.