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Aaron Crow signs...with Fort Worth

Pitcher Aaron Crow, who was selected ninth overall in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft by Washington in June, signed a minor-league contract with the Fort Worth Cats on Wednesday.

All signs point to Crow officially being a member of the Cats after Friday’s 11 p.m. MLB signing deadline for draft selections passes. Discussions with Nationals general manager Jim Bowden have stalled, Crow’s agent, Randy Hendricks, said.

“We wouldn’t have had him sign with the Cats if we thought he was going to sign with the Nationals,” Hendricks said. “The last I talked with Jim Bowden, he didn’t think there was anything more to talk about. I didn’t disagree.”

Source: Star-Telegram

0 recs  |  Comment 15 comments

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I wouldn't read too much into this yet

It is clear that the Crow/Nats negotiations have been painful from the start but at this point Crow signing with an Indy team is as much a negotiating ploy as anything.

by nms on Aug 14, 2008 1:25 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

That's what

the Dodgers said to Luke Hochevar.

by slurve on Aug 14, 2008 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I know

I’m not saying Crow will sign.. in fact, I’d bet against it. But I wouldn’t let this change my mind.

If Crow wanted to be a Fort Worth Cat, he could’ve signed with them 3 days from. Any everyone knows if a top pick doesn’t sign he will probably go play indy league ball (Stephen Drew, Jered Weaver, Max Scherzer, JD Drew, Hochevar, ect).
So Crow signing with an Indy League team doesn’t tell anyone anything new and he didn’t need to sign with them this week, or even this year.

So the timing of the announcement is pure play

by nms on Aug 14, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

er

pure ploy

by nms on Aug 14, 2008 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Response

It really wouldn’t make much sense for him to pitch this year if he doesn’t sign. It’s not like anybody can touch the guy until next year’s draft, so he really has no incentive to pitch until a couple of months before next year’s draft and he’s running the risk of getting hurt. In other words, 100 percent negotiating move.

by mrkupe on Aug 14, 2008 2:34 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

+1

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Aug 14, 2008 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

It has to be a negotiating ploy

If he wasn’t going to sign, why wouldn’t he just return to Missouri for another year. He could get his degree then re-enter the draft.

facepalm.jpg

by Zonis on Aug 14, 2008 3:31 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Dangerous Game

I’m actually a little surprised this has become such a popular tactic. It seems like players have forgotten all about Matt Harrington and how his game of chicken backfired royally. It’s only a matter of time before one of these pitchers goes to the independent leagues and blows out an arm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Harrington

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.blogspot.com

by Baseball Handyman on Aug 14, 2008 3:30 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

good post

still can’t believe how stupid it was for him to turn down $4 mil and a callup at 20.

"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball

by flipgatey3 on Aug 14, 2008 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Wow

Poor kid who was given horrid advice from an agent. Greed is an amazing thing.

by tmt85 on Aug 14, 2008 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Independent leagues

Of course there is risk for injury, but I’m sure the players are using the independent league team as a way to get some work in while they hold out and/or keep their options open.

For the independent league team, I think it is safe to say the independent league team isn’t signing the guy to run him out on the mound in a way that the player may suffer an injury.

Players probably have forgotten Matt Harrington, but it seems like Harrington was never in control of his situation. He continually got seemingly bad advice.

I don’t think most players would ever make the same mistake Harrington did.

by BBFan1 on Aug 14, 2008 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Response

Kyle Lotzkar just fractured his elbow throwing a pitch a couple of weeks back. How many high draft picks sign and end up having T.J. shortly after? Freak injuries can happen to anybody and it seems like very bad advice to risk being set for life and doing what you love for some extra coin.

Mike Newman
baseballhandyman.blogspot.com

by Baseball Handyman on Aug 14, 2008 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Joe Posnanski

Had a really good column a year or two ago about the sad case of Matt Harrington.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Aug 15, 2008 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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