The Brewers have signed first-round draft pick Matt LaPorta, a former first baseman at the University of Florida who will be shifted to left field in large part because their current first baseman, Prince Fielder, is on pace to start for the National League in the All-Star Game.
LaPorta, who was the seventh overall pick and is expected to receive a signing bonus of close to $2 million, is working out with the Brewers this afternoon.
LaPorta hit .402 with 20 homers, 52 RBI and 55 walks for Florida this season. He also led the nation with 26 homers as a sophomore, but was hampered by an oblique injury during his junior year.
Fielder, who leads the league with 26 homers and 61 RBI, has 1,453,716 votes in fan balloting to lead second-place Albert Pujols of St. Louis (1,198,288). In-stadium balloting is completed, but fans can still vote for Fielder at www.brewers.com through Thursday.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
