Could the Cincinnati Reds steal Matthew Allan on Day 2 of the MLB Draft?

Lately, the Cincinnati Reds have shown a penchant to grab talented players on Day 2 of the MLB Draft. Could the Reds snag high school pitcher Matthew Allan?

While the Cincinnati Reds grabbed the No. 1 ranked college pitcher with their first-round selection last night, one of the top ranked high school pitching prospects is still available. The Reds have shown an appetite for going after highly-rated talent on Day 2. Might Matthew Allan fit the bill?

Last year, the Cincinnati Reds selected Mike Siani in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. Siani had committed to the University of Virginia, but when the Reds offered him an overslot bonus of $2M, the best defensive outfielder in last year’s draft couldn’t say no. Siani’s slot value was just over $500,000.

Jacob Heatherly, a player the Reds selected with the 77th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, also received an overslot bonus. The pick’s assigned value was slightly over $700,000, but Heatherly signed for $1M and is now the No. 16 ranked prospect in the Reds farm system according to MLB Pipeline.

The Cincinnati Reds’ recent track record could lead one to believe that the front office may take a flyer on Day 2 of the Major League Baseball Draft. A player like Matthew Allan could be the perfect candidate.

Allan was passed over by every team in both Round 1 and Round 2 because of concerns over his signability. According to CBS Sports, Allan reportedly is asking for $4M to sign, otherwise the right-hander is prepared to attend the University of Florida.

A $4M asking price is a lot, especially for a right-handed high school pitcher. As good as Allan may be, right-handed hurlers out of high school are not valued very highly by scouts unless they possess ridiculous stuff. Allan is rated as the No. 13 overall prospect in this draft by MLB Pipeline and has a plus fastball, curveball, and changeup.

Obviously, if the Cincinnati Reds made an attempt to sign Matthew Allan it be for overslot value, but it would not be for his reported $4M asking price. However, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, first-round pick Nick Lodolo is expected to receive the full slot-value of $5.43M, so don’t expect the Reds to be able to save money on that end.

Day 2 of the MLB Draft provides plenty of opportunities for the Cincinnati Reds to add to their highly-rated farm system. If Allan is not targeted by the Reds because of the high price tag, perhaps South Carolina commit Tyler Callihan or Hunter Barco, who’s committed to Florida, will get the call.

The Cincinnati Reds could also just go after the best college player available with their first selection on Tuesday. Left-handed pitcher Erik Miller (Stanford), shortstop Will Holland (Auburn), and lefty Graeme Stinson (Duke) could all be available with the 85th overall pick.