"Never one to follow convention, right-hander Trevor Bauer didn't do the usual slow-play out of baseball's June draft.

Instead, the No. 3 overall pick signed with the Diamondbacks on Monday and will report to High-A Visalia, where he will make his professional debut in a start Saturday.

Bauer signed a four-year major-league deal guaranteeing him $4.45 million with a signing bonus of $3.4 million. If he were to begin next season in the big leagues and stay there through the end of the contract he would earn about $7 million.

Historically, most top draft picks wait until just before the Aug. 15 signing deadline to sign, a way to milk a few more bucks out of the club that drafted them. Bauer, who is unique in everything from his training regimen to his pitching repertoire, didn't take that route."