June 30, 2007

Desme agrees to terms with Oakland
He will officially sign when he joins the A’s shortseason Class-A affiliate Vancouver Canadians
By Erick Smith

Cal Poly standout hitter Grant Desme agreed to undisclosed contract terms with the Oakland Athletics on Friday.

Desme, the 2007 Big West Conference regular season Triple Crown winner, said he will officially sign his contract when he joins the A’s shortseason Class-A affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians.

“It’s exciting,” Desme said about agreeing to contract terms, “but it is going to be more exciting once I know I can play. At least I’m out there being able to hand out with the team.”

He said he will join the Canadians on Monday when they are playing a five-game series against the Spokane (Wash.) Indians.

Desme might be in uniform next week, but that does not mean he will see his name penciled into the starting lineup. He has been nursing a broken wrist, suffered when he was hit by a pitch with

two weeks remaining in the collegiate season.

He considers himself about 75 percent healed after having his cast removed earlier in the week in favor of a brace. He said he expects to wear the brace for the next few weeks.

“They are going to try and work me in as soon as I’m healthy,” Desme said about the Canadians’ plans for him.

When he is capable of playing, Desme said the Canadians coaches told him he would likely start the season as a designated hitter before being moved to the outfield.

This past season as the right fielder for the Mustangs, Desme had a .405 average, with 15 home runs and 53 RBI. He was the first player to lead the Big West in batting average, home runs and RBI in the regular season since Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton in 2004.

The effort at the plate resulted in the Athletics using a second-round draft pick (74th overall) on Desme during the Major League Baseball First- Year Player Draft. The pick made him the fourth-highest draft choice in school history.

Along with Desme making is debut in professional baseball, Cal Poly pitcher Thomas Eager signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on June 15. The Cardinals’ fifth-round draft choice is playing for the short-season Class- A Batavia Muckdogs, where he is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA, two walks and eight strikeouts in six innings of work.

The only other two Cal Poly players drafted by major league teams this spring were Evan Reed (Texas Rangers) and Logan Schafer (Colorado Rockies). Reed has yet to sign with the Rangers and Schafer is expected to return for his junior year with the Mustangs.