STARKVILLE — Cord Sandberg said after he was drafted it wouldn’t take very long to decide which sport he would play.
He wasn’t lying.
Sandberg, a Mississippi State University football signee in the Class of 2013, has signed to play professional baseball with Major League Baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies.
Sandberg declined his National Letter-of-Intent to play quarterback in the Southeastern Conference on Friday after Philadelphia selected him in the third round of the MLB First-Year Player draft. Sandberg, who was selected 89th overall, will receive a $775,000 signing bonus plus the monetary equivalent of a full scholarship to MSU. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder signed with MSU in February, but following a productive summer baseball showcase season he said he wouldn’t commit to a sport until he evaluated his draft prospects.
“If he goes really high, if he goes in the first round of the baseball draft, hey, I’m happy for him, proud for him,” Mullen said on National Signing Day. “If he doesn’t go in the first round, well, that’s a great situation, too, (because) he gets to come play quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. I don’t think there’s a bad ending to it either way.”
According to Baseball America, the assigned pick value for the No. 89 overall selection was $593,400, so Sandberg received at least $181,600 more than the slot price.
Sandberg, who is being advised by Excel Sports Management, confirmed to The Dispatch MSU Sports Blog on Friday he informed Mullen of his decision earlier that day.
“Yes I have (agreed to sign with Philadelphia),” Sandberg said in a text message Friday. “I hope to sign tomorrow.”
Sandberg, who is ranked 40th on Baseball America’s Top 500 draft prospects, is projected to have good power from the left side of the plate. Scouts also believe he has enough speed to be a defensive asset in the outfield. ESPN.com, Scout.com, and Rivals.com consider Sandberg a four-star recruit. He also was the 45th best football player (regardless of position) in the state of Florida, and was named to the Rivals 250 list. As a senior, Sandberg was 186 of 265 for 2,674 yards. He also had a 34-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and rushed for 611 yards on 99 carries (10 touchdowns).
In baseball, he is four-year starter in center field and left-handed hitter for the three-time district champions. Sandberg played in the 2012 Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego. Baseball America rates him the 46th-leading professional prospect of 2013.
“Cord is a great athlete, and there’s no doubt he’ll be scouted hard by every team during his senior season of high school,” a National League scout said in February. “Cord’s upside and potential in professional baseball is too high to ignore.”
Sandberg’s father, Chuck, was a first baseman at the University of Florida and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round of the 1979 MLB draft. He spent three years in the minor leagues before a knee injury cut his career short.
“He and his father have been open and honest with us about his high interest in signing if he’s selected high in the draft,” a National League scout told The Dispatch in February.
Sandberg’s decision leaves MSU with just with three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster (returning starter Tyler Russell, redshirt sophomore Dak Prescott, and freshman signee Damian Williams).
According to NCAA rules, since Sandberg isn’t agreeing to have the Phillies pay for his education and just adding the cost of the scholarship to the signing bonus in the form of cash, he remains eligible to play football for MSU.
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