re: Mac Marshall did not sign with the Astros; Will play for Tigers

you should cover LSU sports

Sounds like that about covers it.

Not sure the math adds up on that one.

quote:

---

6) Nix and Marshall will take $2.5m to sign, right? Let's say Aiken will still take $6.5m (although with Rodon signing for about that, if there are any hurt feelings, $6.5m might not get it done). That's $9m the Astros need to come up with to sign all three. The Astros had signed their other picks in the top ten rounds for $4,890,500 total. They signed 14th-Round pick Nick Tanielu for $200,000, meaning that they lose $100,000 from their bonus pool, so the Astros are essentially at $4,990,500 in bonuses, leaving $8,371,700 to work with to sign Aiken, Nix, and Marshall. That's $628,300 short of deals for all three. Well, wouldn't you know it, the Astros can exceed their $13,362,200 bonus pool by 0.1-5.0% and not lose future draft picks. What's 5% of their pool? $668,100. They'd have to pay a 75% tax on the overage amount, but they wouldn't hurt their future drafts. Essentially, if the Astros were willing to come across and pay an extra $471,225 in an overage tax, they could feasibly sign all three players.

---

Astros blogger did the math, so if it is wrong, blame him.

ETA: After checking his figures, it looks like he thinks Marshall signs for only $1mil. That's not gong to happen. Marshall's price is $2mil.

By Mark Berman, Sports Director – bio
HOUSTON (FOX 26) – Lefty Mac Marshall, from Parkview High School in Georgia, said it all when referring to his situation.

"It all kind of depends on Brady right now," Marshall said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

Marshall is referring to lefty Brady Aiken, the Astros and Major League Baseball’s top draft pick, from Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego.

Marshall was taken in the 21st round by the Astros, but is more than happy to go to LSU where he is signed to play college baseball.

The immediate futures of Aiken, Marshall and high school pitcher Jacob Nix, the Astros fifth-round pick, are linked because of baseball’s rules concerning the allotment of money available for each team in their pool of drafted players.

If Aiken does not sign with the Astros, the team will no longer have the necessary draft funds in its pool of money established by MLB to sign Nix and Marshall.

According to foxsports.com: "At issue: Whether the Astros are using a medical concern to pressure Aiken into accepting a lower bonus so that they can sign Nix and their 21st-round pick, high-school left-hander Mac Marshall."

Aiken’s advisor, Casey Close, who also represents Nix, has harshly criticized the Astros handling of Aiken in an interview with foxsports.com

The website said the Astros have greatly reduced their signing bonus offer to Aiken after his physical uncovered a "significant abnormality" in the ligament of his left elbow.

However, the Astros offer, which has gone from $6.5 million to $3,168,840 according to Close, ensures the club will get the second-overall pick in the 2015 draft if they fail to sign Aiken.

Close told the web site Aiken is asymptomatic and threw 97 MPH during his last start before the draft.

"Throughout this process, we have been in touch with MLB to ensure that we are adhering to the rules at every point and we are confident that this has been the case," said Jeff Luhnow, Astros general manager, in a statement and baseball has agreed.

Nix, a high-school right-hander from Los Alamito, Calif., told FOX26 Sports last month he had a verbal agreement with the Astros, an agreement that the team has rescinded according to foxsports.com

Marshall never reached an agreement with the Astros, but it seems apparent if the team makes him an offer he is looking for he would bypass college and turned pro

"It’s always been kind of if the money is there," Marshall said. "So it’s all kind of up to Brady right now.

"It’s been a win-win opportunity for me. It’s my dream to play professional baseball and it’s been a dream to go and play at LSU. So either way I’m going to be happy."

According to Marshall the Astros did not tell him that his situation was linked to anything related to Aiken.

All three players must sign by the deadline of 4 p.m. on Friday or the Astros lose their draft rights to each player.

"It would be tough to try and get everybody signed by the deadline," Marshall said.

astros negative publicity

The Astros selected high school pitcher Brady Aiken with the first overall pick in this year's amateur draft, and quickly came to a verbal agreement that would pay Aiken a $6.5 million bonus, a notch down from the $7.9 million slot value that was assigned the No. 1 pick. But now the Astros are trying to wriggle out of the deal after a physical revealed an alleged "abnormality" in Aiken's elbow—we'll here note that pretty much every pitcher has abnormalities in their arm if you want to go looking for them—and his agent, Casey Close, is pissed.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal got in touch with Close, who believes that the Astros are using this apparent physical issue as an excuse to game the entire draft system. The team is trying to pressure Aiken into accepting a deal for $3.1 million, and Close believes that they are using another one of his clients, fifth-round pick Jacob Nix, as leverage. The Astros had already agreed to a $1.5 million deal with Nix, but now they are threatening to rescind the deal if Aiken doesn't sign at a reduced rate.

Seaux many #feels

(no message)

quote:

---

Let's not hang them out as the evil empire

---

Don't you have to win something to be evil....My stros aren't in danger of winning shite right now

I'll be pretty pissed if they don't sign Aiken...although happy that Mac comes to LSU. I'd be really pissed if the Stros sign Mac away from LSU....but slightly less pissed if the Stros sign Aiken, Mac, and Nix.

If the Stros don't sign Aiken some front office changes have to be made I'd think. I mean that pisses away a #1 overall pick when they could have taken Rodon, Nola, or Kolek and gotten pretty decent fairly similar value from all 3 picks.