Link: Ladson says deal for A.J. Cole is off
Bill Ladson of MLB.COM reports that the once thought finished deal for right-handed high-school pitcher A.J. Cole is now off:
"A last-minute problem has surfaced between the Nationals and right-hander A.J. Cole, which means the two parties may not be doing a deal, according to a baseball source. It's not known what the problem is.
Early Sunday morning, it was reported by Baseball America -- then confirmed by MLB.com -- that Cole, the fourth-round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, and the Nationals agreed to terms on a $2 million deal."
Analysis:
We're trying to get to the bottom of this here. The Nationals had offered Cole a record high bonus for a fourth round draft pick, giving him first round money with a $2 million deal. To put that in perspective, Drew Storen, who the Nats took 10th overall last year, received a $1.6 million signing bonus.
It can't be about money, unless the two sides hadn't actually agreed on terms when it hit the media. My best guess is an 18-year-old who was all but set to go to college in a few weeks is having second thoughts about not going to school. Again..that's only a guess...more will come out soon.
