Jim Bowden and the Nationals failed to sign first round draft pick Aaron Crow over a mere $900K. The process was a sticky one, to say the least.
Eric SanInocencio, host of Baseball Digest Daily Live, sat down with Crow yesterday for an intriguing podcast and got his perspective in the failed negotiations. The interview is about 15 minutes into the show:
- Crow said the process was an emotional roller coaster, but was content with the resolution. In dealing with Washington and the way they handled the process and communicated with him and his family, he began to realize he’d be better off next year dealing with any of the other 29 clubs. According to Crow, after speaking with Jim Bowden and being congratulated for being picked, he "didn’t hear back from him for… the whole rest of that month."
- Crow didn’t seek advice with former Missouri teammate Max Scherzer, or Luke Hochevar, figuring it worked out for them so it’d work out for him. He said he put himself up against those guys, believing in himself, "believing in a similar outcome as well."
- He admitted to seeking a major league deal that would put immediately on the 40-man roster. According to Jim Bowden, when he asked the rationale was behind such a deal, Crow’s agents, the Hendricks, failed to respond. In the end, their insistence on a major league deal was dropped but Bowden would not meet the $4.4MM asking price.
- When asked if he would accept a situation in which the Nationals drafted him again next year, Crow said he "would prefer if they stayed away from me and drafted somebody else. I’d be a lot more comfortable and would work out better for both of us if they just decided to go with other players."
