There always could be a "what if" question with Kyler Murray and the A's.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, whom Oakland selected with the No. 9 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, spurned baseball for football, but the A's certainly did everything they could to keep him on the diamond.
And that reportedly included opening their wallets in historic fashion.
The A's offered Murray $14 million guaranteed in addition to his $4.6 million signing bonus, Sports Illustrated's Robert Klemko reported in a feature story that was released Tuesday morning. The deal also would have placed the Murray, an outfielder, on the A's 40-man roster.
Murray had to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft by Jan. 14. The day before that, the A's sent a group of high-level executives to meet with Murray, in the hopes of swaying him to stick with baseball. There, they reportedly offered him the massive contract.
By comparison, Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith, the No. 8 pick in last year's NFL draft, signed a four-year, $18.5 million contract. But, Murray is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Arizona Cardinals in this year's draft.
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Baker Mayfield, Murray's former Oklahoma teammate and the No. 1 pick in last year's NFL draft, signed a four-year, $32.7 million contract.
[RELATED: Murray's football-over-baseball decision gives NFL what it needs]
Murray has opted to avoid defenders at quarterback instead of trying his hand at hitting a curveball. This time, however, the A's put their money on the table, but they again fell short.
