New York Mets First Round Draft Pick Kumar Rocker To Wait Until 2022 MLB Draft After Not Agreeing To Contract

The New York Mets drafted Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft.

But after a disagreement in signing bonus, Rocker ultimately couldn’t come to an agreement with New York.

The New York Mets and Kumar Rocker, their first-round pick, did not come to an agreement on a deal. The Mets will get the 11th pick in the 2022 draft as compensation. Rocker will forgo returning to Vanderbilt and begin his pro career. He is now draft-eligible for 2022.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2021

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Mets GM Zack Scott spoke on the inability to sign Kumar Rocker after the draft.

“This is clearly not the outcome we had hoped for and wish Kumar nothing but success moving forward,” he said. “We’re excited about the players we have signed and look forward to watching them develop and contribute to the organization in the years to come.”

Despite the option to return to Vanderbilt, he has decided to play professional baseball next year.

So what would that entail? Well, Rocker has a couple of options: He can follow in the footsteps of recent players James Paxton and Luke Hochevar, who opted to play for an American independent league.

He can also go overseas, where he would undoubtedly make more money than the first option, albeit a little more inconvenient.

The New York Mets botched the whole Kumar Rocker draft pick, and will now have to deal with losing their 2021 first round draft pick.

As for Rocker, we’ll be seeing him in another MLB organization in 2022.

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