Vanderbilt star Kumar Rocker will not sign with New York Mets

The star pitcher from Vanderbilt, Kumar Rocker will not sign a contract with the New York Mets after being drafted 10th overall by them in the 2021 MLB Draft. But, he will not be returning to Vanderbilt next season either and instead will re-enter the draft in 2022.

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

Kumar Rocker will not sign over concerns about health

Originally the Mets offered a $6-million deal to Rocker, only to rescind this offer following concerns about his arm’s health. The Mets have not publicly stated the specific issue, not even if it’s a specific part of the arm. However, the concerns were enough to completely stall out contract discussions.

Rocker’s agent, Scott Boras, is attempting to get ahead of these fears for his player’s future. He released a statement to this effect, claiming that his arm has been medically cleared by multiple doctors. The mystery of what exactly broke up contract talks isn’t likely to come out right now, as the Mets remain closed to discussing the issue publicly.

Here is a statement from Rocker’s agent, Scott Boras, in which he declares Rocker healthy. A statement from the Mets is expected soon, too. pic.twitter.com/xrCSSW9iKy

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2021

Rocker’s college success

These concerns aren’t entirely new to those following the draft. Early in the season, he was projected close to the first overall pick. However, concerns about his mechanics and the speed of his pitches caused him to slip down draft boards. The Mets were hoping to get a real talent below his value with the 10th pick.

Despite the concerns, Rocker still ended his Vanderbilt career with a 14-win season in 20 starts and a 2.73 ERA. He went eight innings on the mound in several games, but pitched a complete game against Mississippi State deep into the season, as well.

Perhaps his greatest legacy with Vanderbilt fans will be his postseason power. He ended his college career with a 6-0 record in the NCAA playoffs, boasting a 0.63 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Among this success, he pitched a no-hitter in the 2019 NCAA Tournament en route to a College World Series MVP award.

How this affects the Mets and Rocker’s future

The future for the Mets following the news Kumar Rocker will not sign is fairly straight-forward. As compensation for their draft pick not signing, they will receive the 11th pick in the 2022 draft. They certainly wished for this to work out immediately, but draft picks not signing isn’t a rare occurrence. This year, three of the top 10 draft picks did not sign with their teams.

With Zavala signing, three Top 10 picks with college ties didn’t sign.

Kumar Rocker, Vandy (Mets) — will not return to Vanderbilt, though.

Jud Fabian, Florida (Red Sox)

Alex Ulloa, OK State commit (Astros)

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) August 1, 2021

This year seems to be an outlier however. In 2019 and 2020, every first round draft pick signed with their team. Further than that, the previous five draft classes only saw three players total from the first round not sign a deal.

Rocker’s age is a benefit to his future career in this regard. If a player does not sign with their team, there are rules in place regarding their future draft eligibility. If they’re a draft-eligible sophomore based on age, they can enter the draft right away the following season. This applies in Rocker’s case, a junior last year with Vanderbilt.

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images