The ongoing saga for top Royals draft choice Bubba Starling will not find any resolution in the next couple of weeks for those curious whether the talented local outfielder will choose to follow the baseball path laid before him with several million dollars or his football dreams at the University of Nebraska as a quarterback recruit. Starling's already on campus with the Cornhuskers working out this summer, and it's possibly just a ploy to leverage the Royals and Dayton Moore into a more profitable contract. However, it's possible he falls in love with the sport and his team and stays put. Then again, no one will know anything soon -- at least that's what Moore believes will happen.
In a recent interview with MLB.com, Moore says, "It'll be an August 15th thing, same as every year." That's a safe assumption given the circumstances surrounding the choice and the typical behavior for high draft choices with other options. Yet it's not all posturing as last year San Diego suffered the fate of losing Karston Whitson, their No. 9 overall selection, to a scholarship at the University of Florida.
The Royals just have to hope between now and then that Starling realizes the money is ripe for the taking and that the Royals are a team on the rise. It's a hometown kid's dream come true in many respects, but only Starling knows what's important to him. In the end, we just have to wait and see who wins out.