Luke

Hochevar

This currently doesn’t look very good for the Dodgers, as the two sides are about $2 million apart. He should have been a top-15 pick in the draft, but dropped to 40th because Scott Boras is his agent. He was supposed to be easier to sign due to being taken so low, but it’s not really working out that way.

No terms yet, but Baseball America says the deal is similar to the $5.3 million contract 2005 first-rounder Mike Pelfrey received from the Mets. Hochevar, a product of the University of Tennessee, should reach he majors at some point during 2007. With any luck, he should be at least a No. 3 starter, maybe a No. 2.

Hochevar has been working out in Arizona and general manager Dayton Moore said he “looked super.” He’ll be on a limited pitch count of around 35.

General manager Allard Baird will join other club officials to watch Hochevar pitch Tuesday. Hochevar’s agent is Scott Boras and he’s reportedly seeking a $4 million bonus, neither of which seem like good fits for the Royals.

Andrew Miller was the consensus best player available leading up to the draft, but in the past few days rumors have had Kansas City backing off him. They end up with Hochevar, the 40th overall pick in last year’s draft who held out for a bigger bonus than the Dodgers were willing to give him. With a high-90s fastball and dominant secondary pitches, he has ace potential.

Hochevar fanned Justin Upton in the outing against South Bend, and the only batter to reach against him did so on an error.

Hochevar is now scheduled to join Double-A Wichita for the playoffs. He’ll also pitch in the Arizona Fall League next month.

It was Hochevar’s final outing of the spring. He threw only 48 of his 81 pitches for strikes and yielded eight hits, but the 28-year-old righty managed to strike out six batters while issuing just one walk. His command has been sharp throughout this year’s Cactus League.

Hochevar struck out four against only two walks. He has never quite lived up to the hype of being the number one overall pick in the 2006 draft, but the righty showed marked improvement in the second half last season. Perhaps he is finally starting to put it together and could be on the verge of a breakout season in 2012.

Sanchez is dealing with flu-like symptoms and will be bumped back one whole day. Luke Hochevar will recapture his slot as the Royals’ No. 2 starter.