Report: A's agree to deal with Kyler Murray, will let him play football this year
Kyler Murray has chosen baseball - as soon as he's done with one last season on the gridiron.
After being drafted ninth overall in the Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics on Monday, Murray - the two-sport star from the University of Oklahoma - has reportedly agreed to a deal with the A's that will guarantee him close to $5 million, according to Jon Heyman of FRS Baseball.
As part of the agreement, the Athletics will allow Murray to play quarterback at Oklahoma in 2018, Heyman reports. Murray is considered the likely candidate to succeed Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield under center for the Sooners. The A's had already expressed their willingness to allow him to continue with football in 2018 shortly after drafting him.
"We were totally on board with his desire to play quarterback at Oklahoma," Athletics scouting director Eric Kubota said Monday. "Frankly, we're excited to be Oklahoma fans for 12 games."
This year's ninth overall selection had a slot value of $4,761,500. While the final dollar figure of his contract isn't yet known, the reported salary means that Oakland went above the slot value to bring Murray into the organization.
Related: Kyler Murray could make more money this year than Oklahoma HC Riley
Murray was a five-star quarterback recruit out of high school, and signed to play both sports at Texas A&M in 2015 before transferring to Oklahoma. On the diamond, the 20-year-old had a breakout campaign this spring, hitting .296/.398/.556 with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases while also displaying excellent defense in the outfield. He's considered by some to have star potential as a baseball player; one scout told Heyman that Murray is a "Rickey Henderson type," in reference to the legendary former Athletic and stolen-base king.
As a football player, he played in seven games for Oklahoma last year, completing 18 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown.
With Mayfield now a member of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the battle for Oklahoma's starting QB job in 2018 will be contested between Murray and sophomore Austin Kendall.