A&M junior left-hander Kyle Parcus, who was drafted out of Rosebud-Lott by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000, said the odds are “50/50” he’ll sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, who chose him in the 12th round of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves took TC freshman Brandon Berdoll in the 27th of the draft’s 50 rounds, with the 817th choice. The Braves picked Berdoll, a 6-3, 195-pounder from Austin Westlake, as a left-handed pitcher, though he has pitched with both arms and was a part-time designated hitter for the Leopards this spring.
Atlanta drafted TC sophomore first baseman Keith Eichas in the 17th round on Tuesday.
No other Leopards were selected (outfielder Matt Miller and pitcher Adam Beseda were thought to be draft prospects), but Killeen graduate and former TC reliever Matt Trepkowski was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 35th round.
The 6-6, 235-pound Trepkowski pitched for TC in the 2000 and 2001 seasons and for Incarnate Word in San Antonio the last two years.
As for Parcus, he said he’s happy about his position in the draft and likes the team that selected him.
But the question is this: Will he decline to enter the pro ranks for the second time and return to College Station for his senior year, or will he accept the Phils’ money and begin his quest to reach the major leagues?
“I really don’t know . . . I’m 50/50 right now,” Parcus said Wednesday. “I’m going to consider it (signing with Philadelphia) and look into it.”
Parcus said he turned down a signing bonus of roughly $120,000 after the Pirates drafted him in the 11th round three years ago. The amount the Phillies offer him is likely to be similar, and he has bargaining power because he’s a lefty — a rare commodity — and has the option of returning to school.
“That’s one of the bigger pulls I have, that I’m left-handed,” said Parcus, whose fastball is between 85 mph and the low 90s. “I’m not a guy who lights up the radar gun, but I take pride in throwing strikes.”
Parcus said he’ll likely decide whether to go pro or return to A&M within the next week, because Aggies coach Mark Johnson needs to know how many scholarships he’ll have to offer incoming recruits.
