WASHINGTON — When the Rockies selected prep phenom Tyler Matzek with the 11th pick in the first round, it ranked as one of the draft's biggest shocks.
The team pulled off another surprise Monday signing the California left-hander prior to the 10 p.m. deadline.
It is believed that Matzek agreed to a bonus of approximately $3.9 million, well above the commissioner's recommended slot of $1.8 million. The highest bonus the Rockies had previously ever awarded is $2.75 million to Stanford pitcher Jason Young in 2000.
HUGE HUGE HUGE signing. Matzek was the second best prospect (to Strasburg) in this draft according to many scouts, and the only reason he dropped to us was because most thought he'd be nearly impossible to sign. He was seeking in the neighborhood of 7 million at the time of the draft.
3.9 mill is still a lot for an 18 year old kid, but if he lives up to the hype we'll have a legit #2 or 3 guy in the next few years, to go along with Ubaldo, Chacin, Friedrich, and hopefully Morales. As well as a few good relievers in Weathers and Brothers. Of course it's not certain all or even most of these guys will pan out, but as of now our pitching future is looking extremely bright.
