Mets draft Kay at No. 31 as compensation for Murphy

The New York Mets selected Connecticut lefty Anthony Kay with the 31st overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft on Thursday.

The pick is compensation for losing second baseman Daniel Murphy, who signed a three-year, $37.5-million deal with the Washington Nationals after rejecting the Mets' qualifying offer last winter. Washington forfeited its first-round pick because of the signing.

Kay, a 21-year-old junior, was his typical self for the Huskies this season, authoring a 2.65 ERA with 111 strikeouts to 37 walks over 119 innings. From MLB Pipeline:

He'll top out at 94-95 mph with his fastball, though he pitches more effectively at around 91 mph. He has a consistently reliable changeup, though he telegraphs it at times by lowering his arm slot. His breaking ball is fringy.

Under MLB draft spending rules, the Mets can spend up to $1,972,100 of their $7,671,700 allotted bonus pool on the No. 31 pick without being penalized.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)