Slavens going undrafted a boon for Arkansas Baseball in 2023
Slugger returning to Hogs after snub in MLB draft
arkansasrazorbacks.com Brady Slavens has announced he’ll play for the Razorbacks as a super senior in 2023, marking the third straight year an unexpected return of a key starter will bolster the Arkansas baseball lineup.
The slugger from Olathe, Kan., was considered a draftable prospect in each of the last two MLB Drafts, but was not selected either year. Rather than signing as an undrafted free agent (UDFA), Slavens is opting to take advantage of his bonus year from the pandemic- related eligibility relief.
Unlike the previous two years, when signing bonuses for undrafted players was capped at just $20,000, Slavens could have received a six-figure deal as an UDFA because Major League Baseball removed that limit just before the start of the draft.
Instead, he decided to do what he and Jalen Battles did last summer and Casey Opitz did the summer before that by putting off his professional career and returning to Arkansas for another season.
Heading into the MLB Draft, it seemed like Arkansas would return only one of its nine regular starters in the lineup, as Peyton Stovall was just a freshman and not eligible for the draft Three of them — Chris Lanzilli, Michael Turner and Braydon Webb — had exhausted their eligibility, Zack Gregory entered the transfer portal and the rest were widely expected to get drafted.
Cayden Wallace and Robert
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Moore didn’t have to wait long, as they went off the board on Day 1 as secondround picks. Battles’ wait lasted into the second day, but he was ultimately picked in the fifth round.
Even with 15 rounds remaining, Brady Slavens never heard his name called.
It was a shocking development, but one that gives the Razorbacks a second returning starter and some veteran leadership because this will be his third year in the program.
What remains to be seen is where he’ll end up defensively. Slavens was an excellent first baseman in 2021, but one reason he returned to school this past season was to get a shot at playing right field so he could show scouts he has the versatility to play a corner outfield spot.
The experiment didn’t pan out, as Slavens never looked particularly comfortable in the outfield, and he was eventually relegated to designated hitter because the Razorbacks had a loaded infield in which Stovall played first base.
Slavens hit just .255 and had a team-high 66 strikeouts this season. There were long stretches when he looked lost at the plate, trying to pull everything and swinging wildly at offspeed pitches. However, there were also stretches in which he worked the count and used all fields — including in the regional and super regional, highlighted by his walk-off hit against North Carolina that punched Arkansas’ ticket to Omaha.
If he could get back to his pre-injury level of play, Slavens would be a major bat in Arkansas’ lineup next season.
The sacrifice Brady Slavens is making by returning to Arkansas in 2023 should not be overlooked, though.
Unlike in college football, where coming back and having a big senior year could lead to a drastic increase in draft stock, it is highly doubtful that Slavens will bolster his draft standing much in his super senior season.
Even if he puts up great numbers and gets drafted in the top 10 rounds of next summer’s MLB Draft, he’ll almost certainly receive a signing bonus that is much lower than what he could have gotten either of the last two years.
That is because this will be his last year of collegiate eligibility, meaning he won’t have any leverage in negotiations with pro teams. Players who have the option of going back to school can get a larger signing bonus by essentially using that fact as a threat.
Those who don’t have that in their back pocket during negotiations pretty much have to take what’s offered — and that’s typically well below assigned slot values, even if it’s a great player.
