Pirates signing third-round pick may pave way for securing top selections

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed third-round pick (No. 83 overall) Josh Hartle on Tuesday, making him the sixth member of Pittsburgh's 2024 MLB draft class to put pen to paper with the club.

Hartle, a left-handed pitcher out of Wake Forest, has been assigned to Pittsburgh's Florida Complex League team in Bradenton. He was ranked the No. 70 prospect in this year's class by MLB Pipeline.

Hartle's sophomore campaign in 2023 saw him earn first-team All-American honors from Baseball America and the National Baseball Writers Association behind an 11-2 record and 2.81 ERA. He also earned first-team All-ACC honors. His draft stock took a dip after he struggled during his junior season, posting a 6-3 record with a 5.79 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 74.2 innings across 15 starts.

If Hartle can return to his sophomore-season form, the Pirates may very well have stumbled upon one of the steals of the 2024 draft. He has plenty of upside as a potential MLB starter if Pittsburgh can get him back on track.

Pirates signing Hartle to under-slot deal may pave the way for securing top selections

At No. 83 overall, Hartle is the highest of the Pirates' 21 selections in the 2024 MLB Draft to sign with the club up to this point. The three players selected by Pittsburgh ahead of Hartle – shortstop Konnor Griffin (No. 9 overall), right-handed pitcher Levi Sterling (No. 37 overall), and shortstop Wyatt Sanford (No. 47 overall) – still remain unsigned.

The Pirates signed Hartle for $850,000, which is well below the slot value of $920,800 for the No. 83 overall pick. In saving money on Hartle, Pittsburgh is now well-positioned to sign their top three picks from this year's class, should they choose to forgo their college commitments.

The slot value for the No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft is $6.22 million, but the Pirates may be able to take some (or all) of the $70,800 they saved on Hartle and put it toward an over-slot bonus for Griffin, the top high-school player selected in this year's draft.

The picks immediately preceding and following Griffin – Christian Moore (No. 8 overall, Los Angeles Angels) and Seaver King (No. 10 overall, Washington Nationals) – have already been inked to deals under slot value for their respective positions, so it's possible that Pittsburgh could get their top pick at a discount as well.

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