New York Mets officially wasted tenth pick in MLB Draft

The rumblings had begun over the last week. The New York Mets and Kumar Rocker were not going to be able to come to an agreement due to concerns about the Vanderbilt pitcher’s medical records. A proposed $6 million signing bonus would be scrapped, and unless he would sign at a reduced rate, the Mets were going to receive another pick in 2022.

The inevitable had occurred. Rocker is officially unsigned, leaving the Mets with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft as compensation.

New York Mets continue to be New York Mets

While the Mets claim that they had reason to be concerned about Rocker’s medicals, agent Scott Boras says otherwise. In his press release, he says that there is no difference in Rocker’s elbow and shoulder from his scans in 2018, and that claims to the contrary are incorrect.

It had appeared as though the Mets had gotten a bargain when Rocker fell in the draft. He had once been viewed as a possibility for the top overall selection, although his stock fell due to concerns about his command and the development of a third pitch.

Those concerns aside, Rocker had another dominant season with the Commodores. He posted an 11-4 record with a 2.73 ERA and a 0.934 WHiP in his 122 innings, striking out 179 batters with 39 walks. Rocker did his part in regards to putting up the numbers that one would want to see.

And yet, it was not enough for the Mets. Their concerns with his arm led to their not signing their top pick, despite the claims that he is actually healthy. While time will tell which side is correct, this appears to be a matter of the Mets being the same old Mets no matter what.

The New York Mets were not able to sign Kumar Rocker before the deadline. While they may be concerned about his medicals, it is the same old Mets.