Elliott: Sabrowski given six-figure bonus from Padres

By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
In this the year of the two-way player?

For we have seen a few do double duty.

_ Like 1B-LHP Brendan McKay, selected fourth over-all in the 2017 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays and this season is doing both with class-A Bowling Green. McKay is hitting .254, with one homer, 16 RBIs and an .817 OPS, while going 2-0, with a 1.09 ERA fanning 40 in 24 2/3 starts.

_ Like RHP Hunter Green of Stevenson Ranch, Calif., selected second over-all last year. He did both last year. This season he is 1-5 with a 5.53 ERA, walking 17 and striking out 53 in 40 2/3 innings.

_ And then of course there is California Angels RHP-DH Shohei Ohtani. He was 4-1, 3.10 with 61 whiffs in 49 1/3 innings, as well as hitting .289, with six homers, 20 RBIs and a .907 OPS.

Add to that group LHP Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) who the San Diego Padres gave a $125,000 US bonus. He was selected in the 14th round by Padres scout Stephen Moritz.

Sabrowski is the first Canuck to receive a six-figure bonus -- that we know of ... C-1B Kole Cottam, whose father Jeff Cottam is from Burlington, Ont. which makes him a Canadian and WBC eligible. went in the fourth round to the Boston Red Sox, which has a slot value of $417,800.

Also signed of the 21 Canadians drafted are RHP Michael Brettell (Fonthill, Ont.) from Central Michigan and the Great Lake Canadians went to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 15th and RHP Will McAffer (North Vancouver, BC) a 25th rounder was signed by Toronto Blue Jays.

Sabrowski had the option of attending the University of Louisiana Monroe, a NCAA Division I program in the Sun-Belt Conference, which he signed with in the fall of 2017.

The lefty went 7-2 overall with a 3.14 ERA — 1.56 ERA in conference games — and a school-record 117 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. He had the third highest strikeout per nine innings (15.95) of all NJCAA Division I pitchers. Sabrowski’s resume earned him KJCCC West Pitcher of the Year honors and a First-Team All-Region selection in the Region VI.

As a duel-threat, he earned All-Conference Honorable Mention as a first baseman and designated hitter. He finished with a slash line of .355/.475/.663 while leading the T-Birds in home runs (11) and RBIs (58).