A flurry of pro offers came in, the deadline drew closer, and Logan Ehlers made his decision.
Would it be college or professional baseball?
In the end, Nebraska’s pitch won out. And now Ehlers will pitch at Nebraska.
The Toronto Blue Jays should be given credit, however.
While the Major League club didn’t win Monday’s two-horse race, the offers given by the Blue Jays were legitimate, and Ehlers didn’t take them lightly.
Ehlers said he was out golfing with his dad Monday when the first offer came through.
Toronto had made a signing bonus offer of $425,000.
Advisors told the Ehlers family that the offer seemed firm and instructed them not to get their hopes up for higher money.
Three hours later, the offer stood at $500,000.
Then the offer went to $610,000, and, for the first time, Ehlers flinched a bit.
He had talked with his family about what such an offer would mean. After some consideration, Ehlers turned that down too.
Then, with just an hour left before the Major League deadline for teams to sign draft picks, Toronto made a final offer of $800,000.
Ehlers said he felt the pressure.
That’s a lot of money.
Of course money wasn’t the only consideration.
“I just went with my heart and my heart told me to go to Nebraska,” Ehlers said.
The heart may have been agreeing with what Ehlers had been thinking.
Would the minors be a good experience for an 18-year-old, even one with the phenomenal pitching talent of Ehlers?
Maybe not.
Ehlers said he talked to people about the minors and was told it was a very cut-throat environment. The players would be on their own, away from family, and facing the challenge of older guys who were gunning for a job at any cost.
Nebraska won’t be as cold.
Players will still want to pitch. They’ll still want to take Ehlers’ spot in the pecking order, but Ehlers said he will be close to his family and will build more relationships at Nebraska than he would have in the Toronto minor league system.
In addition, Nebraska was always the place the former Pioneer wanted to end up.
From his youth to his verbal commitment to Nebraska and his written commitment, Ehlers said he always wanted to be a Husker.
Other colleges had tried to get him to change his mind.
He signed with Nebraska.
And, in the 11th hour, over three-quarters of a million dollars wasn’t enough to dissuade the dream.
Now, with his decision made, Ehlers begins his Husker journey.
And Ehlers said that journey will be a unique one.
Although he did have a few brief conversations with former Husker and Pioneer Jake Mort, as well as others, about the Husker experience, Ehlers said nothing will change his perspective as he heads to Lincoln.
“I am ready. I am going in with an open mind,” Ehlers said. “I am going to get my own experience.”
As for the looming strength and conditioning work outs that promise to test Ehlers’ mind and body, well, he’s ready for that too.
“It’s all gonna be for the better,” Ehlers said.
Ehlers took care of business. He’s now free to just play baseball. And to dream.
“Making it to the CWS (College World Series) as a freshman would be phenomenal,” Ehlers said. “That’s the one goal—to be able to make it to the CWS.”
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A flurry of pro offers came in, the deadline drew closer, and Logan Ehlers made his decision.
Would it be college or professional baseball?
In the end, Nebraska’s pitch won out. And now Ehlers will pitch at Nebraska.
The Toronto Blue Jays should be given credit, however.
While the Major League club didn’t win Monday’s two-horse race, the offers given by the Blue Jays were legitimate, and Ehlers didn’t take them lightly.
Ehlers said he was out golfing with his dad Monday when the first offer came through.
Toronto had made a signing bonus offer of $425,000.
Advisors told the Ehlers family that the offer seemed firm and instructed them not to get their hopes up for higher money.
Three hours later, the offer stood at $500,000.
Then the offer went to $610,000, and, for the first time, Ehlers flinched a bit.
He had talked with his family about what such an offer would mean. After some consideration, Ehlers turned that down too.
Then, with just an hour left before the Major League deadline for teams to sign draft picks, Toronto made a final offer of $800,000.
Ehlers said he felt the pressure.
That’s a lot of money.
Of course money wasn’t the only consideration.
“I just went with my heart and my heart told me to go to Nebraska,” Ehlers said.
The heart may have been agreeing with what Ehlers had been thinking.
Would the minors be a good experience for an 18-year-old, even one with the phenomenal pitching talent of Ehlers?
Maybe not.
Ehlers said he talked to people about the minors and was told it was a very cut-throat environment. The players would be on their own, away from family, and facing the challenge of older guys who were gunning for a job at any cost.
Nebraska won’t be as cold.
Players will still want to pitch. They’ll still want to take Ehlers’ spot in the pecking order, but Ehlers said he will be close to his family and will build more relationships at Nebraska than he would have in the Toronto minor league system.
In addition, Nebraska was always the place the former Pioneer wanted to end up.
From his youth to his verbal commitment to Nebraska and his written commitment, Ehlers said he always wanted to be a Husker.
Other colleges had tried to get him to change his mind.
He signed with Nebraska.
And, in the 11th hour, over three-quarters of a million dollars wasn’t enough to dissuade the dream.
Now, with his decision made, Ehlers begins his Husker journey.
And Ehlers said that journey will be a unique one.
Although he did have a few brief conversations with former Husker and Pioneer Jake Mort, as well as others, about the Husker experience, Ehlers said nothing will change his perspective as he heads to Lincoln.
“I am ready. I am going in with an open mind,” Ehlers said. “I am going to get my own experience.”
As for the looming strength and conditioning work outs that promise to test Ehlers’ mind and body, well, he’s ready for that too.
“It’s all gonna be for the better,” Ehlers said.
Ehlers took care of business. He’s now free to just play baseball. And to dream.
“Making it to the CWS (College World Series) as a freshman would be phenomenal,” Ehlers said. “That’s the one goal—to be able to make it to the CWS.”
