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Red Sox to sign fifth-round pick Josh Ockimey

The Red Sox have agreed to sign fifth-round pick Josh Ockimey to an over-slot deal.

By Ben Buchanan

The Red Sox have agreed to sign fifth-round draft pick Josh Ockimey for a $450,000 signing bonus according to Chris Cotillo:

Ockimey, 18, is a first baseman with the chance to hit for a lot of power down the line. He's drawn Ryan Howard comparisons which are easy to understand given his build and, no, presumably not meant to evoke thoughts of present-day Howard hitting .238/.308/.414.

As with most non-phenom 18-year-olds, Ockimey represents a project for the Red Sox. He's got all the physical tools needed to be a big bat in the middle of the lineup, but there's a big gap between having the tools and actually managing to put them to good use. Still, in a world where power is increasingly difficult to find, Ockimey represents the potential for quite a bit of it. Add in a commitment to Indiana, and it's not surprising to see him come in well over-slot.

Similarly over-slot is Trenton Kemp, an outfielder drafted in the 15th round who, per Jim Callis, is also on-board as of today:

For all that he wound up coming in the fifth round, Kemp has plenty going for him. He spent some time away from baseball a couple years back, focusing on football instead, where he played wide receiver. He performed quite well in some football recruiting combines, but has ultimately chosen baseball, where the Red Sox will be all-too-happy to have a player with his upside in the system.

That's some $320,000 worth of over-slot bonuses for the Red Sox today. It's unclear exactly how much of that is made up for by Michael Kopech, who was reported to have signed for a slightly under-slot amount earlier in the week. There's plenty of players left unsettled, however, making this only the smallest piece of the larger picture.

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