Zach Levine runs down the unusual case of Barret Loux, who was picked sixth overall by Arizona but did not sign. Loux apparently failed a physical given by the team after the two sides had agreed on a contract. The former Texas A&M hurler is suspected of having a torn labrum in his shoulder and may have more issues with his elbow.
↵Because of all this, Major League Baseball went to the unprecedented lengths of granting him free agency beginning on September 1.Here's GM Ed Wade's quote on him:
↵↵↵"We'll look into it," Wade said. "We'll do our due diligence and decide if he's someone who's in our best interest."
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The injuries are nothing to sneeze at, but as Richard Justice pointed out earlier today on his blog, the Astros spent just over 7.5 million on signing bonuses in the draft. Wade had previously said the team had budgeted 10.5 million for draft signees, so they should have some room to bring in Loux.
↵In other signing news, Houston's Jameson Taillon inked a deal with Pittsburgh, which will keep him away from Rice. As I mentioned last night, Austin Kubitza did not sign and will head to Rice in the fall, along with College Park right-hander John Simms, who was picked by Washington in the 39th round.
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