Just yesterday evening we were talking about the Twins being close to signing Byron Buxton, the number two overall pick in the 2012 Draft, but it seems that the J.O. Berrios has beaten him to the first-round punch, signing for slot value of $1.55 million.
#Twins agree to terms with supp 1st-rder J.O. Berrios for $1.55 million (full pick value). More on him shortly. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 11, 2012
Berrios, also a prep athlete, is the highest drafted pitcher out of Puerto Rico ever. He's under-sized, which depreciates his value in the eyes of scouts, but with a strong fastball and breaking ball it sounds like he could move quickly provided he's able to be effective.
The Twins do believe that Berrios can be a starting pitcher, in spite of the scouting reports. This might mean that they have to be a bit more patient with him than they might otherwise have to be with a pitcher with his kind of stuff, but maybe that means he takes four or fives years to reach the Twins instead of three or four. Ultimately it's all about what works best for the player, because in turn that will work best for the organization.
Welcome to the family, Orlando! Here's to many years of success.