The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft is only one day away, and the Oakland A's reportedly are doing what they can to keep Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray on a baseball diamond instead of the gridiron.
Led by executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, the A's reportedly are meeting with Murray on Sunday, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
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While Nightengale reports the A's are hoping to persuade Murray to not enter the NFL draft, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, who broke the news that Oakland's top pick in the 2018 MLB Draft likely will enter football's draft, differs on what the main purpose of the meeting could be.
The A's selected Murray No. 9 overall and signed him to a $4.66 million signing bonus. But after one of the greatest seasons in college football history, the 5-foot-10 quarterback is projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL, where he would make more money right away.
There are provisions in Murray's signing bonus with the A's, and the team likely could be meeting with Murray to go over his contract more than looking to sway him away from football. If there were any changes to his contract, MLB would have to sign off on a restructured deal.
Oakland Athletics
Monday's deadline will be one to watch, but the real date to mark down is Feb. 15, when A's position players report to spring training. Murray has an invite to big-league camp, and 11 days later on Feb. 26, the NFL Scouting Combine begins.