The Athletics have agreed to contract terms with their 2024 first-round draft pick Nick Kurtz, the team announced Monday.
Kurtz, the No. 4 overall selection of the 2024 MLB Draft, signed for $7 million -- below the pick's slot value of $8,370,800, per MLB.com's Jim Callis.
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A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters that he spoke to Kurtz on Monday.
"I'm really impressed -- obviously a big, physical kid -- bigger than how he shows up on film," Kotsay observed about Oakland's 21-year-old prospect. "Really awesome personality and spirit, yet you can tell the competitor is there. Those are all good signs."
A 6-foot-5, left-handed hitting first baseman out of Wake Forest, Kurtz hit .306 with 22 home runs on his way to First Team All-ACC honors in the spring. He also led the country by drawing 78 walks -- compared to only 42 strikeouts. MLB Pipeline rated Kurtz as the No. 7 prospect in this year's draft class.
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Now that his contract is signed, Kurtz is spending Monday at the Oakland Coliseum for the A's game against the Houston Astros. He also got the chance to meet Oakland's previous first-round pick, Jacob Wilson, who was called up last week to the major-league club.
"You don't normally see two of your first-rounders -- this year's current and last year's pick -- in the same room together," Kotsay added. "So Jacob had a good conversation with Nick as well, just on what the day is like and what the next couple of weeks are."
Wilson made his way to the big leagues in just over a year, and Kotsay remarked that the organization would be glad to see Kurtz follow a similar, speedy path.
