When the New York Mets selected Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker with the 10th pick in the MLB Draft, there was plenty of optimism around the Mets. They had seemingly been gifted a can’t-miss, widely known prospect who was expected to get drafted far earlier.
It didn’t even take three weeks for all that to come crashing down.
The Mets allowed Sunday’s deadline to pass without signing Rocker to a contract. This means that Rocker will not play for the Mets — he’ll instead have the option of training for a year, playing independent league baseball or returning to school (he’s ruled out going back to college). The Mets will receive the 11th pick in 2022 as compensation, and Rocker will be draft eligible again next year.
According to ESPN, the Mets had concerns about Rocker’s arm. Rocker’s agent, Scott Boras, disputed those concerns and said that Rocker was healthy.
But even if Rocker’s arm needed medical attention, you would think the longterm upside of Rocker would be worth any wait.
With that in mind, this tweet from Mets owner Steve Cohen did not go over well.
