The New York Mets and Arizona Wildcats utility player Matthew Dyer have agreed to a contract, less than one week after the club took him in the fourth round of the MLB Draft, according to a report from MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
4th-rd @MLBDraft pick Matthew Dyer signs w/@Mets for $350K (Pick 120 value=$478,300). @ArizonaBaseball catcher has plus arm behind plate, runs well enough to play OF. #MLBDraft
— Jonathan Mayo (@JonathanMayo) June 17, 2020
Dyer reportedly signed for $350,000 — less than the $478,300 slot value of the pick. The Glendale Mountain Ridge High School graduate was one of two Wildcats selected last week; the New York Yankees took UA catcher Austin Wells with their first-round pick. Dyer, who played all over the diamond during his time at Arizona, was also announced as a catcher at the time of his selection. UA signee Nick Yorke was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round, all but ensuring that he won't enroll in college.
Dyer produced big offensive numbers at Arizona after transferring from Oregon in 2018. He batted .393 in 2019 with 18 extra-base hits in 168 at-bats. He hit only .220 in 59 at-bats during the truncated ’20 season but notched team highs in home runs (three) and RBIs (18) and finished the year with a six-game hitting streak.
"I'm really proud of Austin and Matt," UA coach Jay Johnson told the Star last week. "I'm incredibly happy for both of them. They earned their opportunities. They're both in good situations to use their talent and be successful."
Baseball America ranked Dyer as the No. 333 prospect in this year’s draft, which was shortened from 40 rounds to five as a cost-cutting measure by MLB.
The 6-4, 195-pound Dyer attended Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale. He played for Oregon in 2017 before sitting out the ’18 season as a transfer.
