Sometimes there can be a misconception about college picks taken in the latter parts of the first 10 rounds of the draft. Especially in situations like the Pirates were in — trying to sign so many high upside prep players, and needing to save some draft money elsewhere.
When Pittsburgh drafted Sean Sullivan out of California in the eighth round in 2021, they may have gotten more than just bonus savings.
The Pirates were able to sign Sullivan slightly under slot, going for a reported $175,000 ($192,900 slot). Seeing as he was ranked 139th on Baseball America’s draft rankings, there was a lot of value in that pick.