The Nationals took a chance when drafting left-handed pitcher Matt Purke, one of this year’s top college talents who was initially expected to go to in the top-10 of Major League Baseball’s draft.
Purke had a reported $6 million deal with the Texas Rangers voided by the commissioner’s office after being chosen No. 14 overall in 2009 out of high school. He then turned down a reported $4 million to attend Texas Christian. But as a draft-eligible sophomore, Purke was plagued by a sore shoulder that scared scouts and caused him to plummet to the third round.
With an elite talent sitting there, Washington rolled the dice at pick No. 96. The gamble paid off on Monday night when the Nats signed Purke to a four-year major-league contract. No exact terms yet – though it is, according to a source, below the $4.4 million deal signed by Arizona Diamondbacks draft pick Trevor Bauer. That puts it around the total Purke and his parents finally turned down in 2009. But it was too close for him to take another risk and head back to school for his junior year at TCU.
According to Baseball America, Purke’s fastball was clocked at just 82 miles-per-hour during an April 16 game against San Diego State. Much to his relief, Dr. James Andrews diagnosed shoulder bursitis. The rest appears to have done Purke some good. He didn’t pitch in any of the college summer leagues – a possible step to show teams he is healthy – but the Nats are satisfied that Purke has suffered no long-term damage to the shoulder. The team saw him pitch twice in Houston in private workouts. He also came into town before the All-Star break and had an arthrogram, where dye was injected into the shoulder.
“[Purke] was so open and honest about what he went through,” Rizzo said. “He allowed us full access to him. Not many draft choices allow you to do an MRI arthrogram and shoot dye into their bodies for us to get a clear evaluation of his status.”
Purke, who played travel baseball in high school with Anthony Rendon, Washington’s top pick, was actually the 14th overall pick by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 draft out of high school. But he signed an over-slot contract worth $6 million and Major League Baseball – which was in charge of the team’s finances then after owner Tom Hicks went into bankruptcy – refused to endorse the deal.
So Purke went to college. He had a brilliant freshman year with the Horned Frogs, leading them to the College World Series (16-0 with a 3.02 ERA). Baseball America named him freshman of the year. A back injury last summer left Purke on the sidelines and he wasn’t the same after returning this spring with TCU. Still went 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA in 11 appearances for TCU. Pitched 52 2/3 innings and opposing batters hit at just a .187 clip.
“If you would have told me that we’d walk out of this thing and we’d sign everybody we wanted to sign I would have doubted that it could have been done,” Rizzo said.
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