Bye bye, Kyler
Oklahoma quarterback/ outfielder Kyler Murray picked in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s.
Kyler Murray’s baseball future was likely sealed Monday night.
His football career might’ve been put on a timer.
Murray was selected No. 9 overall in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland A’s, a surprisingly high pick for a player universally regarded as having the tools to be a high first-round pick but with questions over his immediate intentions.
By taking him as high as they did, the Athletics are gambling on being able to sign Murray immediately.
If they don’t, Oakland would lose the slot value — more than $4.8 million — in their draft pool.
Even if Murray signs, that doesn’t signal the end to his football career.
The favorite to earn the starting quarterback job for the Sooners in the fall, Murray could sign with the A’s but come back to play football in the fall.
Last Thursday in Tulsa, Sooners football coach Lincoln Riley said he was confident Murray would be a member of his team for the 2018 season.
“I don’t really care a whole lot about what happens in the draft,” Riley said. “I’ve had good conversations with Kyler, his family, and I fully expect him to be with us. I really don’t have any worries about it.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Murray intended to play football in the fall.
Murray was a highly thought of prospect out of Allen (Texas) High School but was not drafted out of high school after declining to take a mandatory drug test — effectively removing himself from the draft pool as he instead worked to earn the starting quarterback job at Texas A&M.
Murray did earn that job, starting three games for the Aggies in 2015. After the season, though, Murray announced his decision to transfer to Oklahoma.
Part of the recruiting pitch to Murray was the ability for him to play two sports in Norman.
He struggled through much of last season, hitting .122 with six RBI in 27 games.
This season, though, Murray had a breakout year as he moved to center field after primarily playing left field a year ago in his first season as an outfielder. He hit .296 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI, committing just one error.
Murray was drafted as the Sooners were in the air traveling home after an 8-1 loss to Mississippi State ended their baseball season.
Murray’s season ended more than a week ago when he suffered a hamstring injury while stealing a base in a win over Texas in the Big 12 Tournament.
Murray was close to a return, even taking batting practice before Monday’s game, but he could not recover quite enough to make it back onto the field as a Sooner.
The draft continues Tuesday with the third through 10th rounds.