The Royals signed pitcher Luke Hochevar to a four-year deal. Hochevar was the team’s No. 1 overall pick in this year’s amateur draft. The lefthander is believed to make $5.3-million guaranteed with a $3.5-million signing bonus.
The overall contract is the largest for any Royals draft pick. Hochevar is expected to make a few starts for the team’s Class A team in Burlington, Iowa this summer. Royals officials would like to see Hochevar get about 12 starts in Burlington before moving him up to Class AA in Wichita, KS.
There’s no way Hochevar will pitch in the majors this season. But the way the Royals pitching staff is going, Hochevar might not have to wait long before he’s seen at Kauffman Stadium.
