VandySports.com - 10 players depart Diamond Dores in offseason

August 24, 2009

Mike Rapp
VandySports.com Publisher

With fall enrollment officially logged, it's clearer than ever that Vanderbilt's baseball program has entered yet another new era of its growth. Ten underclassmen that were on the roster this spring are no longer wearing the Black and Gold.

Junior left handed pitcher Mike Minor, was expected to leave a year early. The first round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves, Minor signed a $2.42 million contract - the largest bonus awarded to a Braves draftee and the largest bonus ever given to a No. 7 pick.

After that, though, the defections and deletions tell the story of a program--and a sport--that is very much in continued transition.

Two sophomores also departed for the pro ranks. Steve Liddle and Caleb Cotham redshirted as freshmen, and ended up playing just two seasons for VU. Both left the program after being drafted this spring. Cotham, who signed with the Yankees, likely would have been Vanderbilt's Friday starter had he returned for his junior season. Liddle, who started in right field last season, signed with the Twins.

But the changes didn't stop there. Seven underclassmen also did not return to school:

- Redshirt freshman pitchers Ben Blanton and outfielder Joey Manning have transferred to Rollins College in Orlando, Florida.

- Shortstop Gabe Ortiz has transferred to Daytona Beach, FL JC.

- Dylan Pratt, who redshirted last year after transferring from Walters State CC, may be transferring back to Walters.

- Utility player Alex McClure has transferred to MTSU.

- Pitcher Sean Bierman has transferred to the University of Tampa.

- Pitcher Kellen St. Luce will transfer, but his destination was not known at the time of publication.

Most of the transfers played sparingly (if at all) and were not expected to play significant innings this season. Bierman had the most experience of the transfers, and would have competed for a starting job with the losses of Minor and Cotham.

New NCAA rules impacting rosters
VU's roster shake-up is a sign of the times, and because of new NCAA roster size rules may be a reality for the near future.

Under the new rules, teams' roster sizes will be limited to 35 players, with only 27 receiving scholarships. And, most importantly, each scholarship player must receive at least 33 percent of a full scholarship. This dramatically changes how college baseball programs divide the 11.7 scholarships currently allotted to them by the NCAA.

College coaches like Tim Corbin, therefore, face increasingly unpredictable pressures to recruit and maintain competitive and compliant baseball rosters.

With a new recruiting class coming in, Vanderbilt's roster size was significantly over that limit and decisions had to be made to get under the NCAA-mandated roster size. How many of the transfers left on their own, versus having their scholarship not renewed by Vanderbilt, is unknown.

Redshirting may be a thing of the past
With MLB franchises consistently paying over the recommended slot for underclassmen, Vandy's redshirting strategy appears to be back-firing.

VU's best juniors have been expected targets for pro scouts. Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Flaherty, Jeremy Sowers, David Price and many other juniors left VU with one year of eligibility remaining. However, both Liddle and Cotham had two full years of eligibility remaining, and both would have been starters for this year's team.

The situation has been made even more difficult for Corbin because most of the underclassmen don't make a decision until the last possible moment. In an effort to give their team the best chance to snatch a VU player, general managers are waiting until the last moment to make official signing offers to VU's players.

The problem is not unique to Vanderbilt. All high-major programs face similar challenges. But with Vanderbilt's tuition approaching $50,000, uncertainty about available scholarship money can be particularly difficult for Commodore student athletes and their families.

Some rules changes were made to help resolve competitive issues between the NCAA and MLB - like having a deadline for all college underclassmen to sign or return to school. However, where there is a will for pro scouts to get the best players, there is definitely proving to be a way.

Vandy recruits are increasingly recognized as legit pro prospects, even before they set foot on VU's Nashville campus. That means scouts now seem even more willing to come after anyone who signs with VU and offer them astronomical sign bonuses - including new recruits who are enrolled in summer school or students who have just two years of college experience.

Last spring, third baseman Jason Esposito was offered $1.5 million to sign with Kansas City - a figure that exceeded the recommended bonus slot by an estimated $1.3 million. And Franklin, Tenn. native Navery Moore was scouted and recruited by Boston even while he was enrolled in summer school last year. Moore didn't even pitch for his high school senior season after having Tommy John surgery.

Two years ago, Boston signed outfield recruit Ryan Westmoreland to a signing bonus in excess of $2 million - just one day before the fall enrollment deadline.

Cotham was drafted in April, but didn't come to terms with New York until last week. The Mt. Juliet, Tenn. native, who was not heavily recruited out of high school, reportedly signed a contract with the Yankees that included a $650,000 signing bonus. The recommended slot for Cotham's fifth round pick was $150,000.

As a result, Corbin literally has no idea how many players will show up for the first day of classes until the first day of enrollment. And the unfortunate fact of the matter is cuts will have to be made to get to the NCAA roster size maximum. But with increasing pressure on pro teams to sign undeveloped stars of the future - before they become high priced prized Draft prospects - the situation is likely to get worse for Corbin before it gets better.

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