MLB bending rules for Murray, A's to reach deal
Major League Baseball and the Oakland Athletics have moved all-in to secure Kyler Murray’s services as the clock ticks toward Monday’s deadline to declare for the NFL draft.
A steady trickle of news leaked Sunday as Murray and agent Scott Boras met with representatives from the A’s in Dallas. MLB marketing executives were also present, according to multiple
reports.
Murray, with the contract he could sign as a projected first-round NFL draft pick, has leverage in baseball negotiations. Perhaps enough leverage to bend the contractual rules of baseball, and how the sport handles recently drafted players.
Well before Murray won the Heisman Trophy while quarterbacking Oklahoma to a College Football Playoff appearance, Oakland selected the speedy outfielder with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Murray was given a $4.66 million signing bonus.
However, the A's could offer Murray a major league deal on top of his original signing bonus and minor league contract. It would be a financial incentive for him to forgo football in favor of baseball.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that Major League Baseball would waive a rule, for Murray, that prevents teams from giving major league contracts to recently drafted players.
Passan then clarified. "MLB technically would not be waiving a rule for Kyler Murray," he tweeted. "The rule prevents major league contracts for drafted players. Murray signed a minor league contract.”
Oakland would have to add Murray to its 40-man roster if he signs a major league deal.
The A’s could select Murray to their 40-man roster “because the team did not contemplate or discuss such a possibility as an inducement when it originally signed him,” Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported.
Murray hit .296 with 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases last season for the Sooners.
“The notion of a player who has never taken an at-bat in the minor leagues winding up with a big league deal shows
how special a situation Kyler Murray's is,” Passan tweeted. “It's not just the Oakland A's invested in him. It's Major League Baseball, too. Murray in MLB would be a coup."
Mike Leslie, a reporter from Dallas TV station WFAA, reported that Murray is seeking a $15 million deal.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that $15 million is too high, "but the A's and Murray's representatives are working on trying something creative to accommodate him,"Sluss er reported.
Slusser added that any agreement between Murray and the A’s would have to be approved by MLB.
“I actually hope the A’s can get it done,” a rival MLB general manager told Rosenthal. “It would be good for the game for Murray to play baseball.”
Though sources told The Oklahoman that OU coaches don’t expect Murray to return for his senior season, he would still maintain a final year of eligibility if he doesn’t declare for the NFL draft.
Former Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt laid out a scenario to The Oklahoman in which Murray reports to the A’s, plays his season in the minor leagues, and then returns to Norman to play football shortly before the 2019 season begins.