Former TCU Horned Frog pitcher, and former Texas Rangers draft pick, Matt Purke has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals, who drafted the lefty in the third round of the 2011 draft. The Nationals gave Purke a four-year major league deal, and according to Jim Callis, the amount the Nats will be paying Purke will be similar to the third overall pick of the draft - Trevor Bauer.
↵Purke entered the season as a potential to be the top overall pick in the draft. Injury woes sidelined Purke towards the end of the NCAA season. Purke had consulted with Dr. James Andrews about his left shoulder - something that is an immediate red flag. Prior to being shut down, Purke had seen his velocity dip down into the 80s after normally sitting in the low-to-mid 90s.
↵The Nationals knew it would take a pretty big deal to sign Purke, since he could have returned to TCU for his junior season, and they gave him the deal he was looking for. Clearly, they believe his shoulder woes are a thing of the past.
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