Astros fail to sign Brady Aiken: GM Luhnow says player's reps 'just never engaged'
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The Houston Astros and 2014 first overall pick Brady Aiken were unable to come to terms before Friday's 5 p.m ET deadline, and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow says Aiken's camp didn't make an effort to do so.
Luhnow said the following, via the Houston Chronicle:
Basically, we tried to engage the other side, [agent] Casey Close three times today. Made three increasing offers and never received a counter, really they just never engaged, for whatever reason there was no interest. There just didn’t appear interest to sign on their side.
The general manager expressed his disappointment with the lack of an agreement:
Very disappointed. I think this is a player we wanted obviously we took him 1-1. You know we would have liked to have signed him and (Jacob) Nix and (Mac) Marshall, all three of ‘em. But you can’t do that without the other side wanting to be a part of it, so we move on.
“We made that offer a while back, the 40 percent offer. But we came up from that three times without ever receiving a counter.
As Lunow eluded to, the Astros were unable to sign Aiken, fifth-round pick Jacob Nix or 21st-round selection Mac Marshall.