The Atlanta Braves have signed their fifth-round pick, second baseman Philip Gosselin. The Charlottesville Daily Progress has the story:
Drafted in the fifth round with the 164th pick overall, Gosselin had informed the Braves of his demands, one of which involved completing his degree at Virginia. Atlanta, which has indicated that Gosselin will play second base, wasted little time in sealing the deal. "The Braves were great," said Gosselin, who hit .382 and set a single-season program record with 100 hits. "They were willing to give me school, which was big. "They treated me fairly with the signing bonus and all that kind of stuff. They are a good organization, so it moved pretty quickly." Gosselin, who led Virginia with 11 home runs, 22 doubles and 163 total bases, will be the one moving fast now. He departs today to start his professional career. "They are letting me skip rookie ball in Danville, so I am heading to Rome, Ga., and the South Atlantic League," said Gosselin, who will join former Cavalier left-handed pitcher Jeff Lorick on the roster. It's nice to see a kid who sees finishing school as being as important as signing to play professional baseball. This makes me think that Gosselin has a good head on his shoulders. The Braves have now signed all but one of their top-10 picks; only third-round pick Joe Leonard has not yet signed.