ANAHEIM, Calif. _ It took the Angels a year to sign Jered Weaver after they chose him in the first round of the 2004 amateur draft, coming to terms with the former Long Beach State ace only hours before he would have re-entered the draft in 2005.
There will be no such haggling with this year's top pick. Outfielder Jordyn Adams, the 17th pick of Monday's first round of the draft, announced Tuesday that he has agreed to terms with the Angels and will sign in the next few days. The assigned slot value of his pick is about $3.5 million.
"I'm thrilled, very happy to be in this spot," Adams, a two-sport star from Green Hope High in Cary, N.C., said on a conference call. "I felt like the earlier I can get out there, the better I can acclimate to the organization."
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Adams, a speedy receiver who had committed to play baseball and football at North Carolina, is graduating high school June 13. He will report to the Angels' complex in Arizona shortly thereafter.
Adams, 18, hit .453 (34 for 75) with five doubles, three triples, one home run and 15 runs batted in as a senior. His father, Deke, is the defensive line coach at North Carolina, but Adams felt no pressure to attend college or continue his football career.
"He was behind me every step of the way," Adams said. "He made it clear since all this started that what's best for me is what's best for him. He's always been that kind of parent."
