Florida catcher Brock Clayton entered the transfer portal this week, adding to the Gators’ growing list of departures after a lackluster.
Roster turnover is inevitable in this era of college baseball. Getting on the dirt early is every player’s priority, and a year of waiting can be the difference between staying and going. That appears to be the case for Clayton, who did not play as a true freshman.
While Clayton can take a redshirt and retain all four years of eligibility, he’ll be draft-eligible next offseason, regardless of playtime. He’s right on the cutoff, but Clayton will be 21 years old when the draft between his second and third college seasons takes place. It’s a good thing for him because of increased leverage, but he’s still the same prospect he was in high school until there’s game film on him.
It’s hard not to read the tea leaves here, though. Florida’s catching situation is dire next season unless Brody Donay or Luke Heyman is staying. Donay is going to the draft combine and would be taking a Ty Evans-like gamble on himself if he came back, and last offseason’s JUCO addition Cole Bullen left earlier this month.
Florida Baseball 2025 Transfer Portal Movement
Clayton is the seventh player to leave Florida for the transfer portal this offseason. Left-handed sophomore Jacob Gomberg was the first to depart, followed by right-handers Alex Philpott (So.) and Carson Montsdeoca (Fr.). JUCO catcher Cole Bullen (Jr.) and right-handed freshmen Niko Janssens and Felix Ong made up the next wave of transfers.
Of course, Florida’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament allowed Kevin O’Sullivan to make recruiting calls ahead of schedule, and the Gators have brought in four names. Notre Dame senior Ricky Reeth and UCF sophomore Russell Sandefer are the new right-handed arms, and the recent addition of Jacksonville’s Jaden Bastian gives the Orange and Blue an elite outfield. Catcher AJ Malzone from the JUCO ranks rounds out the group.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Freshman catcher becomes 7th Florida baseball transfer departure
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
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