Louisiana State head football coach Les Miles seems to think the Dodgers will not be signing their first-round pick Zach Lee this year. In a statement on the LSU football website, Miles said:
"Zach wants to come to LSU, get a degree and play football and baseball for the Tigers. I met with Zach and his parents today and I think that they are looking at LSU as a great opportunity both academically and athletically. Zach is an outstanding student and he's excited about the college experience."
Lee begins summer classes today, though the Dodgers technically have until the August 16th deadline to sign him. Dodgers assistant GM Logan White told Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times on Monday that he's cautiously optimistic about signing Lee and the team did not purposely select an unsignable player to save money. ESPN's Keith Law wrote recently that the "rumor of the day had the kid saying $6 million wouldn't get him signed."
Isn’t that a shock. Ramirez and the divorce settlement took all the money. What will be the PR propaganda blame game that spews out of LA on this?
Don’t put this on the Ramirez contract. Ramirez’s salary is barely annual interest on half of McCourt’s money.
While I’ll admit to knowing nothing about the kid, if he’s rejecting $6M then my bet is he isn’t worth it. Of course there’s always the difference between saying you’ll turn it down and someone writing you a check for that much. But if he doesn’t sign, it’ll be more of a failure of the Dodgers scouting rather than ownership. If you know a top talent is reluctant to sign for almost any amount then you should draft someone else.
Not necessarily. The Dodgers scouts could’ve simply been unimpressed with this year’s draft class and purposely made a pick that was likely unsignable in order to receive a compensatory pick next year. And ownership probably would have encouraged such a move in order to save money this year. Don’t forget the Dodgers get an extra pick next year if Lee doesn’t sign, that needs to be brought into consideration.
So the Dodgers get a pick next year instead; worse things could happen. Kudos to the kid for (potentially) turning down good money in order to enjoy college sports and get an education.
how about kevin gausman? he was taken by the dodgers as a pitcher and is an LSU commit as well
Common to take these top guys with college commitments, it drafting players who they know upfront are going to want millions and having some doubts will sign them that is in question. I hope they are going to put forth some effort to sign them and not pull a Texas last year with Mathew Purke and just draft a guy for “show” to the fans, then tak a comp pick the following year.
yeah i agree
he is from the 6th round. Most feel that the Dodgers will only get one of the two signed..
If he doesn’t sign the dodgers get an supplemental first pick in next year’s draft which is supposed to be a better crop of talent. After the trade for C. Lee and let him go that would give them the potential of 3 of the first 50 or so.
I actually personally know Zach Lee as I just graduated with him from McKinney High. He is actually a very humble nice kid that really just seems to want the college experience.
The Dodgers draft a guy they know will not sign with them, everything the McCourts do is about PR. There is no substance just damage control. In another year or two when Kemp and Eithier move on for a payday when they are free agents the depleted Dodger farm system will be set back twenty years, the dodgers will be like a first year expansion team.
Eh, I’m just saying, $6M guaranteed or gamble? The fact is if he’s that good of an athlete who is going into football, yeah sure I’ll buy commendable. But turning down guaranteed millions… wow.
Kershaw wasn’t a two-sport star intent on heading to a major two-sport school to star on both their teams.
Kershaw signed for $2.3 million, the largest bonus the Dodgers have ever given out to a draft pick.
It doesn’t make him a bad person to want a college experience and a crack at both football and baseball more than he wants guaranteed money. In fact, it might make him a better person.
Probably. All I’m saying is turning down $6M is a rare thing.
That reminds me, if Lee is a 2 sport star then the Dodgers don’t have to pay his bonus all upfront. MLB allows them to spread out the bonus.
Yep – college will always be there, the $6 million may not. If he gets seriously injured in college, may never have another shot at it and end up working at the local Wal-Mart. Take the $6 million now, and if in a few years, baseball doesn’t pan out, go to college and have a blast!
over 5 years…
Really? I thought it was only over 3 years?
I thought it was 3 years for one sport athletes and 5 for two sport athletes…