A's Expect Kyler Murray to Attend Spring Training After Declaring for NFL Draft

The Oakland Athletics remain confident Kyler Murray will show up to spring training in just under two weeks after he declared for the 2019 NFL draft. 

Per Janie McCauley of the Associated Press, A's manager Bob Melvin said the team's expectation right now is for Murray to be in Arizona on Feb. 15 when position players report to camp: 

“As we’re sitting here right now we expect him to be in spring training. Now, look, he has opened up some doors for himself that the world is literally his oyster right now, and I will be for whatever he chooses to do. The football thing, you win the Heisman Trophy and you get drafted in the first round, how often does that happen? He is that type of athlete and he’s going to have a great career in whatever he chooses to do, and we will support whatever he chooses to do. But at this point in time we haven’t heard anything different and I’m expecting him to be in spring training. If something changes in the meantime then we deal with it.”

Murray is still deciding if he will play Major League Baseball or in the NFL next season. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner took the necessary first step toward a career in pro football on Jan. 14 by declaring for the draft. 

One NFL scout told B/R's Matt Miller that Murray "could absolutely go first overall" in April's draft if he sticks with football. 

If Murray decides to forgo an MLB career, he will have to return the $4.7 million signing bonus he received in June. 

The A's remain in the mix to have their 2018 first-round draft pick play baseball. He could show up for spring training while still preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine, which runs from Feb. 26 to March 4 in Indianapolis.