I doubt his signing bonus will be "much higher" than any one else drafted in the 22 nd round. There is no need to do so. Amir is already out there saying he wants to play baseball. That has weakened his bargaining power some what.
I also think his being drafted in the 22 nd round is really more about his talent at this point than his signability, but both factored into the draft equation. If he pitched his "senior" year in HS and had hit some of those 96 mph numbers on a regular basis, he would probably have been drafted much higher (or is it lower).
Remember, it will not only be two sports that he will be involved with, but going to college as well. That is a good deal of commitment for an 18-19 year old to not only make, but keep on top of.
Good luck, Amir!
A tall high school lefty who throws 95+ and doesn't have a commitment to another sport at a college will be picked in the first 4 rounds. There is no doubt that it will take more than 22nd round money to sign him and if he was just a baseball player he would have gone much higher. He is better at baseball than a 22nd round talent, this happens in the MLB draft all the time. Signability is just as important as skill when choosing when to draft a player. He made it clear before the draft he was playing basketball in college no matter what and that hurt his draft position.
Amir seems heck bent on playing pro baseball, as his emails have indicated. I believe he will sign for whatever Cincy offers him. They are in the driver's seat, not Amir.
Going to a baseball clinic for two weeks to work on his fastball is not the same as pitching his senior year in HS throwing 95+ mph every game. That is like any of us, who routinely drive a golf ball in the 200-225 yard range, hauling off and popping one 250+ yards. Apparently, he normally throws in the low 90's, which is still not too bad. Remember, movement on a fast ball is the key, not just the speed.
Look none of us, including me, knows what kind of ball player Amir really is now or will be. If he plays both sports, he will be on threadmill, with very little time off. I can see him dropping one sport after awhile.
I wonder if the family has spoken to someone like Terry Bross.