FAYETTEVILLE — Two drafted Arkansas pitchers signed professional contracts this week.
Left hander Evan Taylor and right hander Connor Noland, who were selected in consecutive picks in the ninth round of the MLB Draft on Monday, signed with the Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs, respectively.
Taylor signed with the Marlins for $140,000, which was $25,300 under slot value, according to MLB.com senior writer Jim Callis.
Noland signed for $200,000, according to Callis, which was above the slot value of $164,600.
"Arkansas, I can’t begin to thank you enough for the last four years," Noland wrote on his Twitter page. "Thank you to my coaches, teammates, friends, fans and my family for your unwavering support! Arkansas will always be home for me.
"Finally, thank you @Cubs for the opportunity to start this exciting new journey!"
Noland was Arkansas’ No. 1 starter this year and Taylor was arguably the team’s best relief pitcher. Both had an ERA of 3.65.
Taylor was often the Razorbacks’ first reliever out of the bullpen. He had a team-best .179 batting average against and struck out 54 in 44 1/3 innings. He had a WHIP of 0.99.
“He had a really nice season at Arkansas,” Callis said during in-draft coverage, and added, "He gets outs. He’s especially tough on left handers.”
Noland went 8-6 in 19 starts and pitched a team-high 116 innings. The fourth-year junior from Greenwood had 113 strikeouts and walked 34.
He was especially good during the NCAA postseason when he allowed 5 runs in 29 1/3 innings for an ERA of 1.53, and allowed 25 hits and 5 walks for a WHIP of 1.02 in starts against Grand Canyon, North Carolina, Stanford and Ole Miss.
Noland and Taylor are the first of Arkansas’ nine drafted players to be announced as signees by the teams that drafted them. Two Razorbacks, pitcher Kole Ramage and outfielder Chris Lanzilli, signed undrafted free agent contracts with the Chicago White Sox.