A’s, MLB meet with Murray

OAKLAND, CALIF. >> Representatives of the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball met Jan. 13 with Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, a day before the Oklahoma quarterback’s deadline to enter the NFL draft, a person with direct knowledge of the session said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was not made public. Oakland executives remained confident as recently as the baseball winter meetings last month in Las Vegas that Murray would report to spring training this year and pursue baseball. MLB joined the efforts to persuade the dual-sport star, sending someone from its marketing group to the meeting, the source said.

Murray’s Sooners lost in a college football playoff semifinal Dec. 29 to eventual runner-up Alabama.

Drafted last June in the first round as the ninth overall pick, the outfielder signed with Oakland for $4.66 million. There was an agreement between the team and Murray that he would play football this year, then skip his senior season to begin his pro baseball career — and A’s manager Bob Melvin as well as executive Billy Beane and general manager David Forst closely followed Oklahoma football in 2018.

Murray showed off his skills at the Coliseum in an A’s uniform back in June.

JEFF CHIU — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is expected to pick between the NFL and the A’s, who made him a first-round pick in 2018.