Russell Wilson drafted by the Texas Rangers today

[drdiags]

It cost the Rangers 12K to draft him from the Rockies.

What does this even mean?

Yeah, that is my question. Rule 5 draft has the Rangers pay (Rockies?) 12K bucks to take Wilson off their (40 man?) roster but they have to keep him for a year otherwise Wilson goes back to being a Rockie (?).

Wilson had a minor league contract, which paid/pays him (?) that the Rangers are now on the hook for. Not sure if Wilson was on an active contract or if this is like the NFL where a team retains your rights if you stop playing and wasn't cut by them.

Just not up on my baseball knowledge like I used to be a long time ago.

 

[drdiags]

So it appears he is on a restricted list, or at least he was for the Rockies. Also this little note

Wilson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by Colorado -- he was taken in the 41st round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 out of high school but opted to go to NC State -- and signed with the Rockies. Once he received nearly $3 million from the Seahawks, he had to return part of his $200,000 signing bonus.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story...take-seattle-seahawks-qb-russell-wilson-draft

Also noted in the above article is the fact that the Rangers tend to do this quite a bit. Did it with Ricky Williams, Riley Cooper and Jameis Winston.

 

[DTexHawk]

Basically, Colorado had the rights to him and didn't protect him which allowed the Rangers to buy the rights for $12,000.



http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/rule_5.jsp?mc=faq

"Are there different phases to the Rule 5 Draft?

Yes. There are also Triple-A and Double-A phases to the Rule 5 Draft. Players put on the Triple-A reserve list cost the selecting team $12,000, and players put on the Double-A reserve list cost the selecting team $4,000."


http://mlb.si.com/2013/12/12/russell-wilson-rangers-rule-5-draft-seahawks/

"Wilson was selected by the Rangers in the Triple A phase of the draft despite not having played in the minors since 2011. Originally drafted in the 41st round by the Orioles in 2007, he was chosen again by the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 draft out of North Carolina State. After signing for a $200,000 bonus, NC State questioned his commitment to football and released him from his scholarship; he transferred to the University of Wisconsin for his senior season in 2011. Meanwhile, he spent two seasons in Colorado’s system, playing second base and hitting a combined .229/.354/.356 with five homers and 19 steals in 93 games at two levels of A-ball. Baseball America ranked him as the Rockies’ 19th-best prospect in its 2011 Prospect Handbook, noting that while earning All-ACC honors as a QB, he was essentially a platoon player on the diamond, playing almost exclusively against lefties."

 

[Lords of Scythia]

If he got drafted by the Ms he might save a few jobs.

 

[drdiags]

So my question to you baseball folks is since this is only about rights, don't the Rangers have to sign him to a minor-league contract to have him participate in Triple-A spring training? I mean I doubt he is showing up for free so there has to be some type of binding contract or payment of some type. Interesting story because of all the things yet to be communicated. Sounds like the Rangers want to have him associated with their club long-term whether he ever plays for the big league team or not.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

My love for Russell Wilson runs so deep.. That if he did leave the Hawks for the Rangers, i would be a Ranger fan.

SMH!

 

[bigwrm]

Ugh, the Rangers? If any team was going to pull a stunt like this, it should have been the Mariners. They could have gotten some good publicity out of it and he's been to games and knows some of the players already.

 

[Axx]

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Somebody meme'd it. Awesome!

 

[Riley12]

Yes, there are a couple of memes now.

Internet win for sure!

 

[Chukarhawk]

I live in Round Rock, and it's the Express, not the "Rounders".

Would be kinda cool, though, to see RW hit the field for some spring ball after we win the Super Bowl, but ONLY spring ball. Actually, no it wouldn't, but I would just love the chance to see him here in Round Rock

Round rock eh? do you work for DELL?

 

[nategreat]

I really don't like this. I love that he got drafted, but hate that it was the Rangers. He used to go to Mariners games, he's thrown out the first pitch. He's had batting practice with the Mariners. He's friends with a lot of the guys on the team, and it seems as if he was starting to become somewhat of a fan, or at least support the team.

How will this affect these things? Can he no longer show support for the Mariners, because he's in the Rangers' organization now? I wish the Mariners would have thought of this....

 

[Axx]

Dont worry nate
Im sure the mariners "meant to draft him".

Just like the skins, iggles, panthers and numerous other teams. The mariners will feel like geniuses reflecting back and how they "were going to draft RW"

 

[bigwrm]

I really don't like this. I love that he got drafted, but hate that it was the Rangers. He used to go to Mariners games, he's thrown out the first pitch. He's had batting practice with the Mariners. He's friends with a lot of the guys on the team, and it seems as if he was starting to become somewhat of a fan, or at least support the team.

How will this affect these things? Can he no longer show support for the Mariners, because he's in the Rangers' organization now? I wish the Mariners would have thought of this....

I also find it kind of annoying that the Rangers did this instead of the M's, but it's really nothing more than a publicity stunt.