Kyler Murray Rumors: Two-Sport Star Wants ‘Big-Time Money’ In Baseball
Football or baseball?
That is the question Kyler Murray faces.
The two-sport star is fresh off a Heisman Trophy campaign with the Oklahoma Sooners that raised his stock with NFL franchises. Murray also signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics after Oakland took him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Amateur Draft that included a $4.66 million signing bonus, and an agreement that allowed the 21-year-old to return to Norman for his junior season on the gridiron with the Sooners. Until recently, it was expected Murray would report to Arizona this spring to begin his baseball career.
But Murray’s stock never has been higher, and a career in the NFL certainly is a possibility, with some projecting the quarterback as a first-round pick, and possibly a replacement for Tom Brady for the New England Patriots. The A’s last week said they expected Murray to declare for the NFL Draft by Monday’s deadline.
But that won’t happen without a final push from the Athletics to keep the Bedford, Texas, native in baseball.
According to multiple reports, The A’s met with Murray in Dallas on Sunday.
The Oakland #Athletics have a contingent, led by president Billy Beane, meeting today with Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray in hopes of persuading him to forego the #NFL and play baseball for them. They drafted him 9th overall last summer and gave him a $4.66 million bonus.
What do you think? Leave a comment.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 13, 2019
Kyler Murray, Scott Boras and #Athletics officials are meeting this afternoon in Dallas regarding Murray’s @MLB future, source confirms reporting by @JeffPassan, @BNightengale and @JonHeyman. Murray will *not* attempt to play both pro football and baseball right now. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 13, 2019
MLB also got involved in the talks.
I’m told that MLB has sent some marketing folks to Dallas along with the A’s execs who are talking to Kyler Murray about his baseball future today.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) January 13, 2019
And it appears Murray is going to milk the situation for all it is worth, and ask for a major raise, according to WFAA’s Mike Leslie.
According to a source close to the situation, Kyler Murray’s number is $15M.
He wants big time money to stick with baseball, otherwise he will enter the NFL draft tomorrow.
The A’s are doing everything they can, sending their top brass, led by Billy Beane, to meet with him.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) January 13, 2019
But it seems MLB is equally prepared to consider all options to keep Murray in baseball, a sport that is increasingly desperate to grow star players. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the league will consider allowing Murray to sign a major-league deal, which would allow the A’s to exceed the cap that is put on recently-drafted players.
During a meeting in Dallas today, the possibility of Oakland guaranteeing money in addition to Murray's $4.66 million signing bonus was raised, sources tell ESPN. To do so, Oakland would need to add Murray to its 40-man roster. He still could develop in the minor leagues.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2019
Still: 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. It's not just the Oakland A's invested in him. It's Major League Baseball, too. Murray in MLB would be a coup.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2019
It is, to say the least, a complicated situation. But’s an equally rare occurrence that an athlete be this sought-after by two different sports. Either way, it seems Murray is about to run into a bunch of money whether he opts for a career in baseball or football.
