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Trench Coats: Jason heads back to TCU
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
TCU rising senior, and Plano West alumni, Jason Coats has spent the summer studying accounting.
No, Coats hasn't been taking classes in that subject, rather gaining real world experience during negotiations with the Baltimore Orioles, the team that selected him in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Coats won't be part of the Baltimore system though as he is headed back to school.
Soon after drafting Coats, Baltimore had a request.
"They wanted me play in the Cape Cod league again this season," Coats said.
The Orioles knew Coats, who noted it was "50-50" if he would sign after being selected in June, would not agree for 12th round money and wanted to see if he was worth the upgraded cost. The former Wolf proved his value throughout the summer, leading the league early with a .361 batting average before finishing at .290.
"I was on fire at the beginning of the summer," Coats said.
The Orioles decided Coats was worth paying above the typical signing bonus slot for that selection, but how far above?
"They made an offer and I sat down with my parents to weigh the pros and cons," Coats said. "It was a long discussion."
Though Coats declined to get into specific numbers, he said the Orioles offered him fourth-round money. MLB's estimated slot for the fourth round in this year's draft was a suggested signing bonus of $168,300-$240,300. That number is based on where in the round the pick was made, though teams are allowed to sign draft picks for a figure above or below the slot.
"It was good money," Coats said, "way above where I would have been slotted."
However, it wasn't enough.
"I had a figure in mind and if they would have reached that, I would have signed for sure," Coats said. "If not, I knew I could go back, get my degree and just start my career a year later."
Coats said the two sides were not too far apart, but he was looking for second- or third-round money. Third-round suggested slots ranged between $245,700-380,700 while second round bonuses were $387,700-596,700.
"It was good to go through the process," Coats said. "The Orioles were very nice and didn't push me during the negotiations."
However, Coats will not sign and is returning to school.
He is just 21 hours short of finishing his accounting degree, which will please his parents.
"Lots of pressure from mom and dad to complete his degree," said Buddy Coats, Jason's father.
A fact Coats was well aware of when making the decision.
"My parents have invested a lot of money in me and my education," he said. "And I know they will be happy to see me finish up college and get my degree so I'll have something to fall back on after baseball."
But Coats will still get plenty of baseball in while returning to school as a senior on the Horned Frogs. He could also establish himself further in the TCU record books as Coats, a career .335 hitter, has 157 RBIs (fifth in program history) and 56 doubles (third in program history).
"The coaching staff here is great and I love being at TCU," Coats said. "We should have a really good team next year, lots of young talent coming in."
Coats will again be eligible for the draft following the 2012 season, which means he could still be first- or second-round selection; only this time he would do it with college degree in tow.
"You never know what can happen with the draft each year," he said. "Hopefully I'll put up good numbers next season and then we'll just see what happens."
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