MaxPreps named Hunter Greene a first-team, high-school All-American this week.
That, however, pales in comparison to another storyline currently hitched to the Stevenson Ranch resident.
The deadline for Major League Baseball teams to sign draft picks, other than college seniors, is Friday at 2 p.m.
Greene, a recent Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks grad and the No. 2 overall pick of the Cincinnati Reds in last month’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, has yet to sign with the club, though MLB.com reported on Tuesday that the sides were nearing a deal.
The Reds, according to Cincinnati.com, the website of the Cincinnati Enquirer, have $7,108,100 to offer Greene in bonus money without incurring penalties.
That amount would be a new record bonus since the MLB instituted the bonus pool system in 2012.
A “mythical legend” at just 17 years old, Hunter Greene is here to save baseball #BRMag https://t.co/jPzHaMfMwm pic.twitter.com/WQOhNLj0wV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 5, 2017
No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis signed with the Minnesota Twins for $6,725,000. No. 5 pick Kyle Wright signed with the Braves for $7 million, and No. 4 pick Brendan McKay signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for a little over $7 million.
C. Trent Rosecrans, a Reds beat writer for the Enquirer, wrote Thursday that he was confident Greene would come to terms with Cincinnati.
First, Rosecrans wrote, the flame-throwing right-hander had already traveled to Ohio for a physical and returned to California.
Second, the Reds can offer Greene a record-setting bonus.
Third, Rosecrans believes, Green has little to gain by not signing. From Rosecrans’ point of view, it’s really only several thousand dollars at stake.
“The short version is,” wrote Rosecrans, “expect to see Greene in Billings by the start of next week.”
The Billings Mustangs are the Reds’ Rookie affiliate in Billings, Montana. The Mustangs are 17 games into their schedule, and currently sit in first place of the Pioneer League North, at 11-6.
At 3:30 p.m. Friday this story was updated to reflect the amount the Reds could offer Greene.
