Edwards idle for now, but big hopes attached to him

Others in his draft class may not know what to expect, but Garrett Edwards is excited to get to Tropicana Field.

The LSU right-hander, whom the Rays picked in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, has great memories of visiting the stadium as a kid with his grandparents. He remembers watching players such as third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder Wil Myers.

“It was kind of cool because it was like the first dome I’d been in and the field was cool,” Edwards said Tuesday. “My grandparents live in the Tampa Bay area, and they would take me to games there.

“I remember watching Longoria. Those were good teams.”

Edwards knows about good teams. He grew up going to Astros games, which is the closest team to his Pitkin, La., home, and he played for national champion LSU.

The 21-year-old was one of 14 pitchers and 17 college players the Rays picked in the three-day draft, which concluded Tuesday. He was one of two the Rays nabbed off LSU’s title team, joining thirdround pick Tre’ Morgan, a first baseman.

Unfortunately for Edwards, he watched Morgan and the rest of his teammates win the title from the dugout.

Edwards is one of two pitchers the Rays selected who underwent Tommy John surgery. He had his operation April 26, after blowing out his ulnar collateral ligament in an early season series at South Carolina.

That’s why Edwards, who still has a year of eligibility left, was available in the 11th round. His stuff always has lit up the eyes of scouts, and this summer it ticked up.

Had he not torn his UCL, draft analysts said, Edwards likely would have been taken in the top 10 rounds.

The Rays are confident he will come through his surgery healthy. Dr. David Meister, whom several Rays have used, performed the procedure, which included reconstructing the ligament and putting an InternalBrace around it.

“I am doing pretty well,” Edwards said. “I can start playing catch Oct. 26, and I think I should be back on a mound around Juneish.”

When he is healthy, the stuff is there. Scouts who watched Edwards this year called him a high-reward pick in the 11th round with a plus-slider.

“He’s got a major-league fastball and slider combination,” Rays director of amateur scouting Chuck Ricci said. “Very athletic.”

Working out of the bullpen, Edwards posted a 1.93 ERA over 23

innings this season, striking out 27 batters and walking only five.

A knee injury limited him to just nine appearances during his sophomore season. As a freshman he had a 3.41 ERA in 24 appearances, including two starts.

According to a report from NOLA.com, Edwards has already committed to signing with the Rays “for fifth-round” money.

The pitcher also sounds as if he is ready to turn his rehab and development over to the Rays, saying he is excited to work with a club that puts so much faith in developing pitchers.

“I know that they develop pitchers really well,” Edwards said. “Just from watching guys come up and the guys that they have now, I feel like they’re not a team that goes out and buys guys for a bunch of money. It’s more like they find guys in the draft, and they bring them through the minor leagues and develop them.”