LaTorre signs deal with Giants
UC Davis baseball star Tyler LaTorre, a fifth-year senior from Aptos High, bypassed next week’s MLB draft and signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco Giants Tuesday.
“It was pretty much a dream season for me,” said LaTorre, a left-handed hitter who finished the season with a .363 batting average and led the Aggies in eight offensive categories. “I get paid to play baseball now. It’s my job. That’s fun.”
During his four-year collegiate career, the 6-foot, 210-pound LaTorre played all nine positions. The Giants signed him as a catcher, but the Giants’ Northern California scout Keith Snider assured LaTorre he would see action elsewhere if San Francisco drafts other catchers next week.
“We feel he has a good enough arm to throw people out,” Snider said after a pre-draft workout that LaTorre attended at San Francisco’s AT&T Park Tuesday.
“He does a great job blocking and receiving. But we let him know he’s at an advantage because he can play other positions. We’re real glad we got him.”
LaTorre will attend mini camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., before starting his professional career with the short-season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Keizer, Ore.
The Volcanoes’ season starts June 19 with a five-game series in Spokane, Wash.
Signing with the Giants, his favorite team, was an added bonus, said LaTorre. He said he always wanted to have a No. 22 jersey in Little League as a tribute to childhood idol Will Clark. “He epitomized the way I wanted to play,” LaTorre said.
Snider said LaTorre’s greatest characteristic is his mental make-up.
“The guy is a leader,” Snider said. “He gets guys to listen because he backs it up with how hard he plays. He’s a clutch type guy.”
The Giants have a Single-A affiliate in San Jose, located just 30 miles away from Aptos, and a Triple-A affiliate in Fresno. The proximity of those locations to his family and friends helped simplify his decision, LaTorre said.
Six pro teams were interested in LaTorre. He was offered deals by the Giants and Toronto Blue Jays Saturday, after UC Davis 18-34 overall swept a two-game series against Stanford to end the season.
LaTorre signed early because he was able to choose from the interested parties. If he entered the MLB Draft, he would have to settle for the team that selected him, and lose bargaining power while negotiating a signing bonus.
He signed for more than the $1,000 bonus traditionally offered to late-round draft picks. Because several teams were interested in LaTorre, he was able to create a bidding war that was ultimately won by the Giants. LaTorre was advised by Giants officials to keep his signing total private as a courtesy to the organization.
“They’re the hometown team, with an opportunity to progress through the minors,” said LaTorre, who batted .324 in his college career. “It just seemed like the best fit.”
While LaTorre’s versatility is a plus for the Giants, UC Davis coach Rex Peters said San Francisco got a solid hitter too.
“Offensively, he was very consistent,” Peters said. “I think he was one of the tougher outs in the Big West Conference. He stays inside the ball very well and is able to get hits all over the field.”
