South Carolina baseball had three current players and three signees selected in last week's MLB Draft. All-American catcher Cole Messina and high school signee PJ Morlando were the first two to sign their pro deals, but on Wednesday, three more joined them.
According to a report from Baseball America's Carlos Collazo, Eli Jones, a 7th round selection of the Minnesota Twins, inked his first professional contract. The right-handed pitcher will receive a little under slot value for his pick but still will receive over $212,000 in the form of a signing bonus as he begins his professional career.
Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Topkin reported that another Gamecock pitcher, left-handed reliever Garrett Gainey, also secured his first Major League Baseball deal. Gainey's signing bonus with the Tampa Bay Rays is just under $100,000 and is significantly under the slot value for a 9th round selection.
Another report from Carlos Collazo of Baseball America came in regarding high school signee Carson Messina, the younger brother of Cole Messina. The younger Messina was taken in the 12th round of the MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, but he signed a deal with a huge signing bonus of $550,000, a number that shows his value to the Blue Jays organization as $400,000 of that bonus counts against the team's bonus pool.
As of now, only Boston Red Sox 5th round pick Brandon Clarke, a left-handed pitcher from the junior college ranks who signed with the South Carolina baseball program, remains unsigned from USC's draft defections. Right-handed change-up specialist Chris Veach signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees after going undrafted.
Outfielder Kennedy Jones, first baseman Gavin Casas, pitcher Eli Jerzembeck, outfielder Dylan Brewer, pitcher Roman Kimball, outfielder Austin Brinling, pitcher Ty Good, and a long list from the Gamecocks' 2024 recruiting class all could be offered free agent contracts. Casas, Brewer, Brinling, and Good are out of eligibility. The rest are eligible to return, and everyone in the 2024 class (other than Morlando, Messina, and recent flip to Wake Forest Dalton Wentz) seems set to come to school.