Angels nearing deal with first-round pick Sean Newcomb

The Angels are making progress toward an agreement with first-round pick Sean Newcomb, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound left-hander from the University of Hartford who is facing a Friday deadline to sign with the Angels or return to college for his senior year.

“We’re certainly working toward a deal,” said Greg Genske, Newcomb’s advisor. “It probably gets done. We’re pretty close, but nothing has been finalized.”

Newcomb, the 15th overall pick in the June draft, was 8-2 with a 1.25 earned-run average and 106 strikeouts in 93-1/3 innings in 2014. The suggested signing bonus for the 15th pick, as set by Major League Baseball, is $2.475 million.

Vanderbilt right-hander Tyler Beede, the 14th pick in the draft, signed with the San Francisco Giants for $2.613 million, and Miami high school right-hander Touki Toussaint, the 16th pick, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for $2.7 million.

Newcomb was not projected as a first-round pick going into his junior year at Hartford, but he improved dramatically throughout the season, and the Angels felt fortunate to nab him.

“We didn’t expect him to get to us at 15, but somehow, some way, he got to us, and we’re thankful,” Angels scouting director Ric Wilson said the night of the draft.

“He’s a big kid with a good delivery. His arm works easy. He has a mid-90s fastball, he spins a nice breaking ball, he commands the strike zone, and he keeps getting better and better.”