Crespi’s Suppan Agrees to Sign With the Red Sox

Jeff Suppan, The Times Valley player of the year, has reached a verbal agreement with the Boston Red Sox and will sign today for a package believed to be worth about $240,000.

“I’m really excited,” said Suppan, a pitcher at Crespi High. “I’m looking forward to going down there and getting started.”

Terms of the contract, which includes money for college, were not released, but Red Sox scout Joe Stephenson said, “It’s a substantial amount. They are happy and I am happy.”

Suppan’s agent, Steve Caruso, said the package is among the highest of the 16 second-round picks who have signed.

By accepting the offer, Suppan forgoes a full scholarship to pitch at UCLA. He still plans to attend school there in the off-seasons, he said.

Suppan, a second-round selection, will leave Wednesday and report to the Red Sox minicamp in Fort Myers, Fla. From there he will be assigned to either the Red Sox’ rookie-league team in Fort Myers, the short-season Class-A team in Utica, N.Y, or the full-season Class-A team in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Suppan, 18, said he will return home for a few weeks after the minor league season ends in early September, then go back to Florida for the Instructional League.

Suppan said he has no immediate plans for the money.

“I’m going to put it in some investments,” he said. “I’m not going to spend it yet.”

Suppan, a 6-foot-2 right-hander who was the Southern Section Division I player of the year, was 11-1 with an 0.92 earned-run average this spring. He had 127 strikeouts and 14 walks in 91 innings. He also hit .480 with 11 home runs and 51 runs batted in.

The area’s other second-round picks--Montclair Prep infielder Brad Fullmer (Expos), Hoover catcher Nate Dishington (Cardinals) and Newbury Park shortstop David Lamb (Orioles)--are still unsigned.