UPDATE - Most signs point to Purke not heading to the Cape. Odds are its back to TCU for 2012.
Gotta respect the hell out of this guy. Matt Purke has been on every MLB organizations draft boards for a while. He was selected 14th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2009 and being a Scott Boras client, naturally wanted everything under the sun. Texas apparently offered both $4 and $4.7 million, he wanted $6 million. Seems pretty reasonable.
Flash forward to 2011. Purke is now a draft-eligible sophomore because he turned 21 already. And after going 16-0, winning freshman of the year, leading the TCU Horn Frogs to their first College World Series, and no doubt getting with anyone he wanted in 2010, was now in the running to go tops overall in the '11 draft. Only a couple of problems in 2011 he sucked and was hurt. When you suck and are hurt you shouldn't get rewarded, even in todays America where fat kids are getting participation awards because everyone knows they'll never get that blue ribbon. Purke fell to the third round and was grabbed by the Washington Nationals, 96th overall. Their plan is to let him head to the Cape Cod League and follow his progress during the summer like the Sox did with Anthony Ranaudo in 2010. However, the draft is more than two weeks old and he has yet to report. Where the fuck is he? He isn't even listed on any team's roster.
But this is where you really have to fall in love with this kid. After playing like garbage all year, losing velocity, injury his shoulder, basically doing everything he could to prove he should not be paid the big bucks right now, rumors are surfacing he wants more than he asked for in 2009. Texas Rangers President, Nolan Ryan said that was the reason he passed Purke over twice this year. What fucking balls, " Yeah I was shit this year, but I could be awesome down the road".Tremendous.
In all seriousness Purke was a favorite of Relampago Blanco's before the draft and I really wished the Sox would have grabbed him because he is a big time talent. But the real winner here is the Washington Nationals. They had another awesome draft in '11 and a ridiculous day one this year. Matt Purke was a third round pick. If he ever comes out of his cave and heads to the Cape and tears shit up, boom another first round talent in their system. Washington GM Mike Rizzo is always down to throw big dollars at top talent in the draft. If he comes out and continues to be the very definition of average, can't win em all, they get a compensation pick next year. Amerka!
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