NC State reliever Chris Villaman has chosen to begin his professional baseball career, forgoing his last two years of college eligibility and signing with the Tampa Bay Rays. The third-year sophomore used the leverage of a possible return to college to land a signing bonus from the Rays that is well above slot value.
9th-rder Chris Villaman signs with @RaysBaseball for $325k (slot 284 = $157k). @NCStateBaseball LHP, relies heavily on 90-95 mph fastball that plays up thanks to angle & command, low-80s changeup is best secondary offering.