Heisman winner Kyler Murray chooses NFL and bails on the Oakland A's

[Brother Buzz]

Heisman winner Kyler Murray chooses NFL over baseball and A’s

By Carrie Muskat, The Associated Press • February 11, 2019 10:20 pm
Updated: February 11, 2019 10:41 pm

MESA, Ariz. — When Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy, the Oakland Athletics knew there was a chance he might chose football over baseball.

That is exactly that happened.

On the day the A’s started spring training workouts, Murray said he will pursue a career in the NFL.

“We took the best athlete on the board and who we thought was probably the best baseball player on the board, too,” Athletics general manager David Forst said. “We’ve known all along this was a possibility. We knew he had a great option in the NFL, so we’ve known for a while that there was a chance this was going to happen.”

Murray was the ninth overall pick in last June’s baseball amateur draft, and the outfielder agreed to a minor league contract with Oakland for a $4.66 million signing bonus. He is a football quarterback and is eligible for this year’s NFL draft, which starts April 25.

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https://bangordailynews.com/2019/02/11/sports/professional-sports/kyler-murray-chooses-nfl-over-baseball-and-as/

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Then there's this to consider:

MLB rumors: A's Kyler Murray pursuit isn't done despite NFL intentions

By NBC Sports Bay Area staff February 11, 2019 9:54 PM


The A’s might be hoping Kyler Murray fails so they can succeed.

It’s an odd situation, especially since the A’s believed in Murray enough to spend the No. 9 overall draft pick on him last summer, but his announcement Monday that he’ll pursue an NFL career has created it.

Even then, the fight for Murray’s service hasn’t ended, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. That’s because of the following factors:

-- The A’s can offer Murray a guaranteed contract more lucrative than an NFL team can give him. NFL teams are bound by draft slots, while the A’s can pay whatever they like, their reputation as a frugal team be damned.

-- The A’s believe Murray’s football agent, Erik Burkhardt, crafted his client’s statement to ease NFL teams’ concerns. The A’s, meanwhile, were caught “off guard,” Rosenthal writes, by the statement from Murray, who has wavered in his decision between football and baseball.

-- Last, but not least, the A’s know Murray’s showing at the NFL Scouting Combine later this month will determine much about his draft stock. Rosenthal writes: “If he falters at the combine and slips in the draft, the A’s believe it is not out of the question he would reconsider his passion for football, which is widely believed to be his preferred sport.”

So, the A’s will wait and watch the NFL’s reaction to Murray as he either dazzles or fizzles on that Lucas Oil Stadium turf. Many a prospect have.

If Murray slips under the bright lights, it appears the A’s will be there, with a big contract possibly waiting. We’d all be lucky to have such options.

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/athletics/mlb-rumors-kyler-murray-pursuit-isnt-done-despite-nfl-intentions

[True Dough]

1. This is a negotiating tactic, right?

Unless the media reports I read months ago missed the mark (entirely possible), then Murray's preference is to play ball. But he could easily be using the "I'm going to the NFL" ruse to compel the A's to cough up more cash to entice him to stay.

[Brother Buzz]

2. It's looking like it is, and it looks like Kyler Murray's agent is a whole lot more effective...

than Timmy Tebow's agent ever was.

Murray may play football, but his agent, MLB front office, and the Oakland A's are scheming in unison to bend the rules to sweeten the package. They meet Sunday to sort it out.

When the smoke clears, Murray could be ten million dollars richer, placed directly on the 40-man roster, and never even enter the NFL draft.