Wednesday, June 9, 2010

What's next for JaCoby Jones

Yes, the C is capitalized. Zach Levine devoted some blog space to the 19th Round pick from Mississippi:

Jones doesn't sound like a player the Astros are going to want to break the bank for, but they figured in the 19th round, there wasn't anything good enough that they were missing not to take a chance in case something changed with his priorities, his family's financial situation, any eligibility concerns or anything else that could make a player more desperate to sign at a lower price.

Bobby Heck:
"If he changed his demands or his commitment to LSU, I thought it would be wise for us to have a chance to talk to him about it."

Meanwhile, the Hattiesburg American was the Man on the Street.

Jones' father, Bubba:
“It’s been crazy around here. We’ve been getting calls for several days. They’ve been calling around asking about signability. We’re just going to try to make the best decision for his future.”

The American's Stan Cunningham:
Jones’ father, however, said the family will negotiate with the Astros to see if the two sides can reach agreement. If not, as seems likely, then Jones will honor his long-standing letter of intent to play for LSU. Reportedly, the Astros were prepared to select Jones with the eighth pick of the draft on Monday, but only if they could reach an agreement on a signing bonus...Jones declined to say exactly how much they were asking for, but said it was, “way above seven figures.” The Astros countered with an offer that was a little over $1 million.

Bubba Jones:
“To sum up a long story, he threw out a big figure, and if they were prepared to meet it, then he would’ve been prepared to sign. But he’s got a full scholarship waiting at LSU, and that’s a pretty good option...It’s tough. You don’t want to sound greedy, but you’re talking about asking a kid to give up his chance at a college education and the whole college experience. We were advised to be prepared that he would drop in the draft because of that signability. It’s kind of a shame. Used to be they just drafted on talent; now it’s based on whether they can sign you. They’ll come this week to sign some papers, giving them exclusive rights to negotiate with JaCoby, then we’ll start wheeling and dealing."

$1m+ on a 19th Round pick, and he still might not sign? That may be why he fell to the 19th Round...