Jake Locker meets with Angels

by K3YEROUT on Jun 24, 2009 11:15 AM PDT

Living in the Seattle area, Jake Locker is a big-time sports name. This is in today's Seattle Times.

Evidently Jake's dad met with Angels officials Tuesday night...

Someone on the Angels staff obviously holds Jake in high esteem as they drafted him for the 2nd time in the recent MLB draft. 10th round this year and also in the 40th round 2005. I see no good reason why Jake would not sign with the Angels. It appears to be a win-win-win. Locker gets money now and an option down the road if his football career does not pan out, UW gains a scholarship, and the Angels possibly gain a long-term prospect.

Locker has also long been considered a top-flight baseball prospect, one anonymous scout recently quoted in Baseball America magazine saying Locker "could be a potential Hall of Famer" on the diamond. He was drafted by the Angels as a center fielder.

The story pretty much explains it. He's going to meet with the Angels tonight (Tuesday), but he's clear that football is his priority and the negotiations are going to be about whether they can come to terms on a deal that would make Locker Angels' property in the event he ever wants to play baseball.

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Comments

How does his injury

that he suffered last season effect the long term playing of his baseball career?

by turs12 on Jun 24, 2009 11:23 AM PDT reply actions

I believe he has every intent of being the starting QB for UW this upcoming season...

Miss you Nick...! RIP

by K3YEROUT on Jun 24, 2009 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions

what a waste

by UpStream15 on Jun 24, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions

That really does not have an effect on the negotiations

Play Wood already. Willits sucks.

by hauldog on Jun 25, 2009 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions

it's a great move for locker because he could...

force an nfl team to overpay him because he could play baseball. the worst case scenario is he could play a sport w/more longevity and a higher average salary.

by thejd on Jun 24, 2009 2:03 PM PDT reply actions

This dude 'aint playing football

Sign with us now while you have the chance, or else it’s Mr. Irrelevant for you when you face the NFL draft.

"We have a great closer, one of the best in the game, and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else." (Matt Palmer, after the latest Fuentes meltdown)

by PieceOfAase on Jun 24, 2009 2:15 PM PDT reply actions

I like this signing

Get it done, Front Office (FO … known in Britain in other more unkindly terms, use your imagination).

We need some badasses coming through and if this guy is that good at baseball when he is concentrating on football, seems like a Type A. I’m glad I’m not in the FO trying to negotiate this deal though.

Don't call me Desmond

by highlandhalo on Jun 24, 2009 3:20 PM PDT reply actions

UW was 0-12

When your team doesn’t win a game it is OK for the starting QB to play some baseball. Come on Jake take the money.

Boycott Boston!

by SalmonStream on Jun 24, 2009 4:39 PM PDT reply actions

Yes and No.

What could UW do this year? Go 3 – 9, maybe? How many NFL quarterbacks are drafted out of college programs that an abomination? Right now, UW does not seem to be a path to the NFL, even with an ex-USC quarterback coach (who, by the way, remains unproven as a head coach). Unless Locker dreams of a non-athletic career, baseball is probably his future. And the longer he remains on the football field, the greater the risk of career-ending injury. So, on that level, I could agree with you.

On the other hand, maybe signing with the Halos reduces any already low chance of getting NFL attention. This because the NFL would not be likely to take a flyer on a kid from a loser program at the expense of losing that draft pick – or over-paying – because he already has leverage with an MLB contract. Also, what is his hurry? It’s not like any failure to sign with the Halos will negate his future MLB opportunities. There will be future drafts and those will still be while he in college. Meanwhile, he has a great campus in a great part of the country and great coeds where he is BMOC. Heady stuff for a kid, especially compared to bus rides to/from Orem, Utah.

We don't have a Bullpen. We have a Cowpen. Before we get to call it a Bullpen these guys gotta grow a pair.

by Stirrups on Jun 24, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Or he could hurt again

If he blows out a knee he will not get the same kind of offers. I haven’t read anything about him as a football player that projects him to reach Canton but some of the Angels scouts think he can reach Cooperstown.
I didn’t think of the Orem Utah part. I’ve had the misfortune of spending some time there and that would be a huge negative for him. Beautiful place but not many keggers to be found there.
When comparing the choice between the two he should take one look at exNFL players hobbling around and then look at exMLBers running around. If given a choice I choose having cartiledge left in my body.

Boycott Boston!

by SalmonStream on Jun 24, 2009 6:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Last sentence, first paragraph.

I said same: “And the longer he remains on the football field, the greater the risk of career-ending injury. So, on that level, I could agree with you.”

As for HOF, I cannot give much credence to any such claim in either sport. Locker shoudln’t, either.

We don't have a Bullpen. We have a Cowpen. Before we get to call it a Bullpen these guys gotta grow a pair.

by Stirrups on Jun 24, 2009 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions

I'll second that

Even with the silly double-qualification (“could be… potential”) that quote about Locker making the Hall of Fame is pretty asinine. Every baseball prospect is a potential HOF’er. Doesn’t mean they’ll learn to hit a curveball. (exhibit A: Drew Henson)

Slot money for a 10th rounder is about $100K. What’ll it take to sign this guy? $1 million?

by GrichManPoorMan on Jun 24, 2009 11:39 PM PDT up reply actions

That's not really fair...

The team was competitive with Locker at QB (they very easily could have beaten BYU if not for a horrible call…) and downright awful without him. He is definitely one of the best DI QB’s right now stuck in a bad situation, but that doesn’t mean the NFL won’t notice him.

IIRC, Trent Edwards played for some awful Stanford teams including a team that won 1 game his senior year and Locker is a much better college QB than Edwards was.

I think it was worth a shot and probably is still worth working out some sort of deal with him, but I think he is going to have a really good football career…

by Spird on Jun 25, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions