In a Braves draft that has been an otherwise praised, promising and adroitly run, Josh Anthony is the pick they probably wish they could do over. The attempted signing part, that is.
They picked the junior college All-America third baseman in the 16th round, but the Braves’ initial offer to Anthony wasn’t enough to turn down a scholarship to Auburn. But after telling Auburn last week that he was coming to play there, Anthony changed his mind when the Braves raised their initial offer.
A day after telling Auburn he as coming to play on the plains, he called back Thursday and said he’d changed his mind after the Braves raised their offer. The Columbus, Ga., native told the Montgomery Advertiser that the Braves’ improved offer included a bonus well above slot value for a 16th-round pick as well as any future college costs if he didn’t eventually make it to the major leagues.
But a day after they made the increased offer to Anthony, the Braves told him they made a mistake and couldn’t offer that much, because it would put them too far over their signing-bonus pool allotment and right up against or over a limit that would trigger a 75-percent overage tax and cost them a future first-round pick.
There was never a deal signed, and Anthony is again headed to Auburn. He said on Twitter that he’s headed to play in the SEC for a year.
“I kind of jumped the gun, and we’ll leave it at that,” Braves scouting director Brian Bridges said. “It was wishful thinking on my part, and I tried to make a decision that wasn’t…. It just didn’t work. And he’s a great kid. I wish it would have worked.”
As a juco sophomore at Western Oklahoma State, Anthony hit .444 with 25 homers, 84 RBIs and 49 stolen bases in 65 games
Bridges explained that he thought the Braves had more money left under the allotment limit to sign Anthony without triggering the penalties. Telling the player that such a mistake was made is obviously not something a team ever wants to do.
“I thought without calculating that I had more money than I did, bottom line,” Bridges said. “It has nothing to do with the kid.”
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