Besides the signing bonus, Alonso gets a $50,000 salary for the rest of this season, $400,000 next year, $500,000 in 2010, $600,000 in 2011 and $1 million in 2012. If he is eligible for salary arbitration after 2011, he can void the 2012 salary.

Alonso also will be invited to the Reds' spring training in 2009 and 2010.

The major league contract was part of Cincinnati's compromise. The Reds have nine players eligible for free agency after the season, so there will be room for Alonso on the 40-man roster.

"We think he'll be ready quickly," assistant general manager Bob Miller said. "And the other issue is we have a lot of free agents. We actually have some room. If it had been a really, really tight roster, it would have been much more difficult."

On the day he was drafted, Alonso said he was eager to get to Cincinnati and meet outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, two of his favorites. Both were traded before Alonso signed with the team.

Alonso joins a team that is already developing a core of left-handed hitters. Joey Votto, a 24-year-old rookie, plays first base and bats left-handed, as does rookie outfielder Jay Bruce.

Alonso hits so well that the Reds couldn't pass him up. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 18 homers as a sophomore last year, batting .376 with 74 RBIs. As a junior this season, he hit 21 homers, drove in 66 runs and batted .370.

The last time the Reds failed to sign their top draft pick was 2001, when left-hander Jeremy Sowers chose to go to Vanderbilt. Sowers, the 20th overall pick that year, had insisted on $3 million to sign, but the Reds offered less than half that.

Also Friday, the Reds signed 16-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Yorman Rodriguez.