The New York Mets appeared to have the steal of the draft when they selected Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker with the 10th pick of the draft.
However, the Mets did not reach an agreement to sign the hard-throwing 21-year-old right-hander by Sunday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline.
Rocker and the Mets had a deal in place to sign for $6 million but it fell apart following his physical evaluation, which led to concern from the Mets over the health of Rocker’s arm.
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Mets team gear
Mets GM Zack Scott released a statement on the decision not to sign Rocker:
"This is clearly not the outcome we had hoped for and wish Kumar nothing but success moving forward," he said.
Rocker would be allowed to return to Vanderbilt or choose an alternative path, such as pitching in an independent league or international league.
The right-hander threw 122 innings over 20 starts this season for Vanderbilt, striking out 179 batters and posting a 2.73 to make him one of the elite arms available in the MLB Draft.
Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Rocker’s camp insists he is healthy and sources familiar with the pitcher pointed to outside orthopedists who disagreed with the Mets’ assessment — which is not uncommon.
Rocker's agent, Scott Boras, also released a statement assuring that his client is healthy.
The $6 million deal Rocker was set to receive was well above the $4.74 million assigned slot price for the 10th overall pick.
By not signing Rocker, Mets would receive a compensatory first-round pick, which would be 11th overall, in the 2022 draft, although the rules could change in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires in December.
Related
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram