Got a few questions for ya. First, why would Heddinger and Grimes leave? A 100k bonus over 3 years isnt much given the low overall salary these guys get. Why would you not stay another year with the chance to improve your stock and maybe make more money? With the way everything is now it doesn’t make sense. Also what has happened to a lot of our guys like Cole Miller, Jared Jillson, and Charles Sheffield? How do we lose so many young guys each year?
Actually, in this era of the draft, Heddinger’s $100k bonus is the max for a player taken outside the first 10 rounds — and the Tigers will pay for his remaining education. If he came back for his senior year, he risked being drafted by a team that would use his senior standing against him and draft him in the early rounds yet offer him only a fraction of what he got from the Tigers.
Here’s a couple of senior signing bonuses so far this year:
Mariners — 4th round pick for $40k
Indians — 5th round for $20k
Royals — 6th round for $5k
Jared Jillson was hurt this season.
Charles Sheffield transferred to Georgia Perimeter. In a sport in which guys are on partial scholarship, if you didn’t play a lot the previous season and don’t expect to play a lot in the coming season, you think about going somewhere for more playing time, lower tuition, more scholarship money, etc. Or you say baseball is taking too much of your time and you commit to being a student.
One last thing, with a signing bonus of only 5k is that feasible?? With what I believe is only 850/month plus that you really aren’t making much. How do players live with that money?
Got a few questions for ya. First, why would Heddinger and Grimes leave? A 100k bonus over 3 years isnt much given the low overall salary these guys get. Why would you not stay another year with the chance to improve your stock and maybe make more money? With the way everything is now it doesn’t make sense. Also what has happened to a lot of our guys like Cole Miller, Jared Jillson, and Charles Sheffield? How do we lose so many young guys each year?
Actually, in this era of the draft, Heddinger’s $100k bonus is the max for a player taken outside the first 10 rounds — and the Tigers will pay for his remaining education. If he came back for his senior year, he risked being drafted by a team that would use his senior standing against him and draft him in the early rounds yet offer him only a fraction of what he got from the Tigers.
Here’s a couple of senior signing bonuses so far this year:
Mariners — 4th round pick for $40k
Indians — 5th round for $20k
Royals — 6th round for $5k
Jared Jillson was hurt this season.
Charles Sheffield transferred to Georgia Perimeter. In a sport in which guys are on partial scholarship, if you didn’t play a lot the previous season and don’t expect to play a lot in the coming season, you think about going somewhere for more playing time, lower tuition, more scholarship money, etc. Or you say baseball is taking too much of your time and you commit to being a student.
Got it thanks for the insight.
One last thing, with a signing bonus of only 5k is that feasible?? With what I believe is only 850/month plus that you really aren’t making much. How do players live with that money?
Dirk Hayhurst has a great piece on just that topic. If ever a group needed a union, it would be minor leaguers.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2062307-an-inside-look-into-the-harsh-conditions-of-minor-league-baseball
What happened to cole miller?
He remains a student at Tech.
Is he done with baseball? The kid had potential and was a force at ECB
Cole is playing summer ball in the Sunbelt League. I don’t know if he has baseball aspirations beyond that.
http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/player.html?playerid=647823