M's Sign 2nd-Round Pick Poythress

[Bulltalk]

From Geoff Baker's blog:

Amid all the trade news at Safeco Field, the Mariners have also made one other notable move today, signing second-round pick Rich Poythress.

The plan for Poythress, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound, corner infielder out of Georgia, is to spend four or five days in Peoria before going to AA West Tenn.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to start out in AA," Poythress said.

Poythress led Georgia last season in batting average (.376), home runs (25) and RBI (86) and started all 62 games.

"I'm ready to get out there and play," he said. "It's been two months, the longest I've ever gone without playing."

[TTown]

Good. Ackley got all the pub, which he rightfully deserved, but this kid looks like a stud. I think we'll love him in a couple years time.

[Zyme]

I'm impressed that they have the confidence in him to slot him into AA and not at the most high A ball. I think tha tthis speaks volumes to the confidence that they have in him being able to move up the ladder.