Mingione impressed with freshman Tyler Bell: 'His tools are off the charts'
Kentucky scored an unlikely win in recruiting when No. 66 overall pick Tyler Bell turned down an offer from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tyler Bell still had time to change his mind. The No. 66 overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, Bell had until Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. ET to sign a professional contract that would’ve been worth well over $1 million.
But Bell had decided in the days before the deadline that he wouldn’t be signing with the Rays after all. A signee of the University of Kentucky, Bell arrived on campus a few days before Aug. 1 and decided that he would spend at least two years in college. Bell, because of his age, will be draft-eligible again for the 2026 draft following his sophomore season.
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