Imagine This

[Will.sixpack]

If Kruger and Houston would have returned to this team, (I say these two because I have heard Kruger regrets his decision and Zac didn't wow the scouts until last year's postseason) how incredible would this team be? Hats off of course to this team for surprising all of us and still having a serious chance of repeating as SEC champs, but there's no way we lose 3 to Arky with them on this team.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Lowe could very easily have returned also. I cannot imagine that our staff thought he would be one & done when we signed him.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I just as easily

take a healthy Rigby and Smith. Our current pen, with those two, would damn near be unhittable.

 

[Will.sixpack]

To me, I'm also shocked Sexton left. Imagine starters of Pilk, Houston, and Sexton. Smith, Rigby, Self, Jolly, Price out of the pen. Pretty crazy.

 

[8dog]

The goal for us and for these kids is to develop and get them drafted their jr year. You are not building a program by comsistently playing seniors

 

[Hoover Dawg]

I don't blame juniors for signing, you can't. The one that could go the other way is Houston, because he had 1st/2nd round ability after this season. Makes you even more sick about last year, because if we had shut Arizona down in Game 2 when we had the lead, no doubt Houston goes out and dominates them in Game 3 and well, you see where Arizona ended the season.

With Houston as the Friday night guy on this team, we are a national seed and would compete with anyone. Probably top 5. Oh well, we'd also probably be close with a healthy James and/or Padgett. Make the money when you can, never know when an injury creeps up, etc.

 

[patdog]

Yeah. If you have any desire to make it to the majors, you almost have to go pro after your JR season. You're not going to get any money if you come back, and you're just going to start in the minors one year behind.

 

[johnson86-1]

Yeah. If you have any desire to make it to the majors, you almost have to go pro after your JR season. You're not going to get any money if you come back, and you're just going to start in the minors one year behind.

I don't get why MLB doesn't fix this. You'd think they would be perfectly happy to have guys play in college one more year and see how they develop on somebody else's dime. Doesn't make sense that they keep the system where anybody with major semi-realistic MLB aspirations needs to come out after their junior year.

 

[Go Budaw]

Yeah. If you have any desire to make it to the majors, you almost have to go pro after your JR season. You're not going to get any money if you come back, and you're just going to start in the minors one year behind.

That's not true at all, at least not all of the time. Look at the leaps guys like Kendall Graveman and Chad Girodo made. Also, look at Rooker....although he's not a true senior since he redshirted, he still made himself a **** ton more money by sticking around for a 4th year. I also think Sexton could have made a similar leap in his draft stock as Graveman / Girodo if he had come back.

 

[patdog]

Even if they move up in rounds by coming back, they lose money. MLB knows they don't have to give a SR draftee **** because he's basically got two options, take it or leave it. And it's not like those guys couldn't have made those same leaps in their first year of minor league ball, maybe even bigger leaps since they would be full time baseball players not limited to 20 hours per week and 60 or so games.

 

[8dog]

Girodo and graveman each signed for $5k

 

[Hoover Dawg]

I don't get why MLB doesn't fix this. You'd think they would be perfectly happy to have guys play in college one more year and see how they develop on somebody else's dime. Doesn't make sense that they keep the system where anybody with major semi-realistic MLB aspirations needs to come out after their junior year.

What's the other option? The only reason the NFL/NBA are forced to pay more is because they are such good players they are in demand. Same thing with MLB. A 1st or 2nd rounder will get money in MLB too because they have the talent.

The whole junior leverage thing only matters for mid-level players (or who are thought to be mid-level).

 

[Hoover Dawg]

Graveman got 5K. And Rooker was absolutely gone last year if he'd be a true junior. Money-wise, coming back as a senior only helps if you are a true high-level talent. Even then, it's risky. Ask Kyle Funkhouser at Louisville.

This is why I said Houston was the only one with anything to gain, because he could have played himself into a 1/2 rounder and still got paid.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Conventional wisdom is that you lose leverage by returning for Senior year, but it worked well for Adam Frazier

 

[Palos verdes]

This team would be insane if you could add those 2 players right now.

 

[patdog]

Frazier signed as a JR.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

I wouldn't even bother looking for a new trailer knowing I'd be selling it in a couple months.