June 15, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Jalen Williams, Danny Bethea reportedly agree to terms
Evan Drellich of MassLive.com is reporting that the Red Sox have agreed to terms with 16th-round pick Jalen Williams (pictured) and 34th-rounder Danny Bethea. The exact terms are not yet known, but Drellich stated that the deal for Williams is "slightly-above slot." Drellich later reported that first-round pick Trey Ball is flying to Boston on Sunday, presumably to take a physical. Ball's deal is still expected to be below the slot value of $3,246,000 for the seventh pick.
Williams is a three-sport athlete from Westminister Christian Academy (LA) who was committed to play wide receiver at Nichols State this fall. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander was rated as the 352nd-best prospect in the draft according to Baseball America. He is very raw, as he has never focused solely on baseball, and he features a low-90s fastball with an inconsistent changeup and breaking ball. The Red Sox are dreaming on his athleticism, as he is a player who will require significant development time.
Bethea, a senior out of St. John's University, hit .276/.353/.380 as the catcher for the Red Storm this season, with 21 walks and 19 strikeouts. There is not much scouting information on Bethea, but he does list Joe Mauer as his favorite athlete.
Photo Credit: Jalen Williams by Freddie Herpin/Daily World
Jim Crowell is a Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com