Drew Gilbert signs rookie deal with Houston Astros

Former Tennessee Volunteers slugging outfield Drew Gilbert has officially signed with the Houston Astros after the organization drafted him in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft earlier this month. His deal is worth $2.5 million, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis.

“1st-rder Drew Gilbert signs with @astros for $2.5 million (slot 28 value = $2,621,700),” Callis wrote on Twitter. “@Vol_Baseball OF, aggressive hitter with excellent hand-eye coordination, solid to plus speed, very good instincts in center, fastball to 93 mph when he relieved in past.”

Gilbert batted cleanup for the Vols this season en route to Tennessee’s most successful regular season in program history. Batting a whopping .362 average with 11 home runs on the year, he was always going to find himself being a MLB team’s No. 1 pick.

The leftie outfield now becomes the third player to be selected and signed in the first round by the Astros out of Tennessee by joining former Vols standouts Eli Lorg (2005) and Chris Burke (2001).