Kade Anderson, Mariners Reportedly Agree to Contract With $8.8M Bonus After MLB Draft

The Seattle Mariners reportedly have inked a deal with their No. 3 overall pick in Sunday's MLB Draft.

Per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer, the Mariners and LSU star pitcher Kade Anderson agreed on a signing bonus worth around $8.8 million. That signing bonus is $700,000 lower than the slot value for the No. 3 pick, Kramer noted, so Seattle will get some flexibility with the leftover money.

Coming into the draft, Anderson was in the mix to go first overall, but ultimately fell to No. 3 behind high school standout Eli Willits and UCSB pitcher Tyler Bremner.

Anderson spent two seasons at LSU, putting together an outstanding career. In 2025, he recorded a 12-1 record with a 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 180 strikeouts across 19 starts, leading LSU to a national championship and earning College World Series Most Outstanding Player.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter projected the Washington Nationals to take Anderson first overall.

“We weren’t sure if Kade would get to us this year, there’s a lot of mock drafts that had him one or two, but really exciting for the organization, getting a kid with this kind of ability that fits in our pitching culture,” Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter said, per the Seattle Times' Shane Lantz. “Not only is he a great pitcher, mid-90s fastball with three now breaking balls and really knows how to use them, but it’s a winning pedigree, it’s a winning player. Extremely excited to put him in our culture of pitching programs.” 

Anderson will look to follow in the footsteps of former LSU star Paul Skenes, who was drafted first overall in 2023 and has already established himself as one of the best arms in baseball.

The Mariners have had a solid season so far, currently holding the final wild card slot at 51-45. As Seattle looks to make the postseason after missing the past two years, it can also start looking ahead to a promising future with Anderson on the mound.