Happy Monday, Athletics Nation!
In 2018, the A’s took a high-upside risk in drafting University of Oklahoma star quarterback and outfielder Kyler Murray in the first round of the MLB draft. He was the ninth overall selection that year.
Unfortunately, the A’s hopes for their splashy pick fell apart in short order, as Murray won the Heisman Trophy the same year and declared for the 2019 NFL draft, where he was taken first overall by the Arizona Cardinals. His football career has taken off since then, and as Matt Kawahara at the San Francisco Chronicle detailed yesterday, Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million mega-extension with the Cardinals last week.
His $46.1 million annual average earnings will be second highest in the NFL to Aaron Rodgers. It’s also close to the A’s entire 2022 opening day payroll of $47.7 million. The A’s still own Murray’s baseball rights, but it seems pretty unlikely at this point that Murray would opt to return to baseball considering the fame and fortune he’s attained playing in the NFL.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim mentioned the A’s payroll by way of suggesting how costly it would be for Murray to switch back to baseball. In a press conference on Friday, a reporter asked Murray if his big extension meant ruling out playing baseball in the future.
Keim interjected: “Did you guys see the payroll of the Oakland A’s versus his contract? Enough said.”
Murray simply said, “I’m where I want to be.” So much for that roll of the dice!
Thankfully, the A’s three subsequent first round picks Logan Davidson (2019), Tyler Soderstrom (2020), and Max Muncy (2021) are all signed and under development in the A’s minor league system. All three are top 25 A’s prospects—and Soderstrom and Muncy are both in the top five.
A’s Coverage:
- Ashford: Game #98: A’s lose series finale to Rangers 11-8
- Hall: Game #97: A’s edge out Rangers 3-1
- Wirth: A’s ‘on the right track’ with inspiring three-game winning streak
- Kawahara: Kyler Murray’s baseball outlook? Cardinals GM says A’s payroll speaks for itself ($)
- Kawahara: New A’s reliever David McKay debuted at Coliseum in 2019 … sort of ($)
- Kroner: A’s Mark Kotsay says no need for clubhouse discussions of possible trades ($)
MLB News & Interest:
- Castrovince: Hall of Fame welcomes Class of 2022
- Rosenthal: Angels’ reluctance to move Shohei Ohtani, Padres’ interest in Juan Soto and more ($)
- Gonzalez: As deadline looms, MLB counters with final international draft offer, sources say
- Polishuk: Injury Notes: Alvarez, Reynolds, Garcia, Witt
- Polishuk: Cardinals To Place Goldschmidt, Arenado, Romine On Restricted List; Matz Placed On 15-Day Injured List
- Polishuk: Injury Updates: Trout, Rodriguez, Buxton, Thielbar, Meyer
- Zencka: Red Sox Place Rafael Devers On 10-Day Injured List
- Today in Baseball History
Best of Twitter:
Scheduled starters for A’s-Astros series starting today.
Kap trending up.
Cole Irvin has been a rock of consistency.
Blackburn in freefall.
Smoke inducted to the ABQ HOF!
A’s top two prospects are also leading the organizations minor leaguers in dingers.
Harris goes topsy turvy.
Recent signings:
A’s ballboy looking like a gold glover!
Fiers to play in Taiwan.
Elite and unvaxxed, barred from Toronto.
