Kumar Rocker could be paid like ‘top-five pick’ after falling to New York Mets in 2021 MLB Draft

Vanderbilt baseball’s Kumar Rocker fell in the 2021 MLB draft, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have to forego any bonus money. 

After being drafted 10th overall by the New York Mets in the first round on Sunday, Rocker still could get paid “like a top-five pick,” ESPN’sJeff Passan said on the draft broadcast. 

The slot value for the 10th pick, which is the suggested maximum signing bonus for a player picked at that spot, is $4,739,900. The slot value for the No. 5 pick is $5,742,900.

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Teams can exceed the slot value for a pick, so long as they do not exceed the their total allotment for their bonus pool. Teams that go over the bonus pool face hefty penalties, including fines and loss of draft picks.

© Calvin Mattheis/USA Today Network, Knoxville News Sentinel Vanderbilt right handed pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) tips his hat on the mound in Game 3 of the College World Series finals at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

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Rocker has until Aug. 1 to agree to terms with the Mets or decide to return to Vanderbilt.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kumar Rocker could be paid like ‘top-five pick’ after falling to New York Mets in 2021 MLB Draft