A’s Agree to Terms With First-round Pick Kyler Murray

OAKLAND, – The Oakland Athletics agreed to terms with seven players from the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, including their first round selection outfielder Kyler Murray from the University of Oklahoma.

Murray, 20 (21 on Aug. 7), hit .296 (56-for-189) with 46 runs, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 47 RBI, a .398 on-base percentage, and a .556 slugging mark in 51 games with the University of Oklahoma during the 2018 season. In two seasons with the Sooners, the redshirt sophomore hit .261 (62-for-238) with 62 runs, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 53 RBI and a .466 slugging mark despite getting just 49 at-bats during the 2017 season.

The ninth overall selection in the draft, Murray appeared in seven games for the Sooners football team in 2017 after sitting out the 2016 season following his transfer from Texas A&M. Before transferring to the University of Oklahoma prior to the spring 2016 semester, the 5-foot-11 outfielder was a quarterback at Texas A&M where he appeared in nine games during the 2015 season.

Also agreeing to terms were shortstop Jeremy Eierman (competitive balance round B, Missouri State), right-handed pitcher Gus Varland (14th round, Concordia), right-handed pitcher Calvin Coker (15th, Auburn), outfielder Devin Foyle (17th, Kansas), third baseman Jonah Bride (23rd, South Carolina) and outfielder Alonzo Jones (25th, Vanderbilt).

Eierman hit .287 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 56 games with Missouri State and earned All-MVC honors for a second straight year. Varland was 7-1 with a 1.04 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 60.1 innings in 10 games for Concordia. Coker was 3-2 with a 4.78 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 29 relief appearance and one start for Auburn and pitched in 61 games over two seasons with the Tigers. Bride hit .307 with South Carolina, Foyle hit .324 with nine home runs and 39 RBI in 50 games with Kansas and Jones batted .236 with 16 stolen bases for Vanderbilt.

The A's have now signed or agreed to terms with 33 players from the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, including each of their first eight picks and 22 of the first 24.