Blue Jays, top pick Arjun Nimmala agree to terms on contract

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms with shortstop Arjun Nimmala, their first-round draft pick from the recent MLB draft.

Nimmala, 17, was selected 20th overall last Sunday by the club out of Strawberry Crest High School, which is just outside of Tampa.

OFFICIAL: We've agreed to terms with our 2023 First Round #MLBDraft pick, Arjun Nimmala! ????????⚾️???????? pic.twitter.com/mJd5gP9k7w

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 17, 2023

Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline report the contract includes a $3 million signing bonus, which is below the $3.746 million slot value given to the 20th overall pick.

The Blue Jays have a $6,529,700 signing bonus pool to work with, among the smallest in baseball, so the flexibility created by the Nimmala signing will be useful when negotiating with other players in the draft class.

Nimmala became the highest-selected first-generation Indian American when the Blue Jays selected him, and he is looking to become the first player of Indian descent to play Major League Baseball. He had committed to play at Florida State for collegiate baseball before signing with the Blue Jays.

The road to The Show starts now! #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/WeCDsUu6FX

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 17, 2023

“It’s just the overall tool package combined with the age and overall upside of the player,” Blue Jays amateur scouting director Shane Farrell said shortly after making the selection.

“The power, the arm strength, the actions defensively, playing at a premium position, that all makes him a really exciting player and somebody I’m really, really happy to get into the farm system.”

It is unclear where Nimmala will report now that he has signed, although the Blue Jays did share a video message from him on their social media channels that appeared to show him outside the team’s development complex in Dunedin, Fla.

“I can’t wait to get to work,” Nimmala says in the video.