Donavan Tate Signs $6.25M Deal with Seattle Mariners

Donavan Tate, the No. 3 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, has agreed to a deal with the Seattle Mariners, just before the midnight deadline on Monday.

If there had not been an agreement, San Diego would have lost rights to the star high-schooler. Tate had already accepted a scholarship to play baseball and football at the University of North Carolina. He was widely considered the nation’s top high school two-sport athlete.

The deal is worth a reported $6.25 million, which marks a club record and is the most San Diego has spent on a draft pick since paying the first overall pick in 2004, Matt Bush, $3.15 million.

Last season, Tate hit .525 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs for Cartersville H.S. in Georgia this season. He also scored 51 runs, had 12 doubles and was 17-for-17 in stolen bases. The right-handed-hitting center fielder had a 1.000 slugging percentage with a .788 on-base percentage, drawing 29 walks with just eight strikeouts.

Tate hit 32 home runs in his high-school career, and was named an Aflac All-American in 2008 and the Under Armour High School All-America Game

Tate was among 16 of 32 first-round picks without announced agreements heading into the final day. Only three first-round picks apparently failed to sign, but the deadline didn't apply to one of them.

Scott Boras, Tate’s agent, represented six of the unsigned picks, including the top three picks. No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg set a draft record by signing a four-year, $15.1 million deal with the Washington Nationals.

Tate becomes the first high school player taken by the Padres in the first round since Matt Bush.

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