Washington quarterback Jake Locker has always said that football is his favorite sport, and playing in the NFL is his dream. But Locker also has a standing offer to play baseball, and the Anaheim Angels are hoping he considers that option.
Angels General Manager Tony Reagins told Mark Saxon of ESPNLA.com, via our friends at HardBallTalk, that the team would love to see Locker give some more thought to playing baseball.
“I think there are some factors out there that are going to make his decisions more difficult,” Reagins said. “The labor situation is one, where he’s selected is one of them. Our eyes are wide open in this regard and we’ll see how it plays out. You always have a chance.”
The Angels gave Locker a $250,000 signing bonus when they drafted him in 2009, so it’s no surprise that they’re still trying to get him to play for them. And there are a few scenarios in which Locker might rethink his priorities between baseball and football: If his stock plummets in the NFL draft, if the lockout drags on for months, or if the new labor deal dramatically reduces the amount of money Locker and other rookies can make. Locker may also use his ability to make a living playing baseball as leverage in negotiating his contract with whatever team drafts him.
But all indications, at the moment, are that Locker views baseball as a fallback, and football as his chosen career path.
