Dahl agrees to terms on MLB contract

Published 2:26 pm Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Oak Mountain High School senior David Dahl, shown here reacting to his selection in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies on June 12. (Contributed)

By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

Recent Oak Mountain High School graduate David Dahl signed a contract with Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies on June 12, after passing medical examinations, according to his father, Mike Dahl.

Dahl was drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the 10th overall pick in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on June 4. Dahl became the highest drafted high school player from the state of Alabama since Condredge Holloway was selected fourth overall out of Lee High School in Huntsville in 1971.

Dahl and his mother, Kelli, flew to Denver on June 10 to discuss a contract offer with team officials. Dahl and the Rockies came to an agreement on a contract, which includes a $2.6 million signing bonus. Dahl’s signing bonus is just under MLB’s recommended slot signing bonus of $2.7 million.

The contract also covers the cost of college education. Dahl decided to sign with the Rockies rather than enroll at Auburn University in the fall and play baseball for the Tigers.

Dahl spent Tuesday meeting with the team’s physicians, his father said.

“He’s had drug screens, MRIs and physicals today,” Mike Dahl said.

Dahl’s father said the Rockies have told his son they plan to have Dahl start out playing for a Minor League Baseball Rookie League team in Grand Junction, Colo. when it begins its season June 18.

Dahl, who spent time discussing his future with MLB stars Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki the past two days, said he’s excited about starting his professional baseball career.

“I hope to come up pretty quickly, I’ll put in the work,” Dahl said. “It’s a great honor to be drafted so high and I’ll try and be a leader on and off the field.

Bill Schmidt, the Rockies’ scouting vice president, said the organization was impressed with Dahl throughout the draft process, including a workout Dahl called “the best workout of my life” at Coors Field before the draft.

Dahl hit nine home runs in batting practice and ran a personal-best 6.4 seconds in the 60-yard dash. That, combined with Dahl’s impressive body of work, including a .435 batting average and 18 stolen bases this season, and 15 RBIs in last summer’s Pan American Games, was enough to convince the Rockies to draft him.

“We followed him the last couple of years, hard through the whole process,” Schmidt said. “In all the different showcases, he always produced and always hit.”

Dahl had committed to play his college baseball at Auburn, but the lure of the Rockies was too much to pass up.

“I really liked meeting all the people (in the organization),” Dahl said. “Really liked what they had to say and that they’re team-oriented. I fell in love with the place. This is what I wanted to do, finish high school and start my pro career.”