Ksyrup
02-02-2004, 02:46 PM
Yankees: It's official: Henson wants out
Monday, February 02, 2004
BY LAWRENCE ROCCA
Star-Ledger Staff
Perhaps the sight of his former understudy in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years was just too much for Drew Henson. Or maybe he has only now come to realize he has no future with the Yankees.
Whatever the cause, Henson's return to football -- seemingly inevitable but incorrectly reported to have been initiated numerous times in the past year -- is finally on the verge of taking place.
Henson's agent, Casey Close, recently informed Yankees GM Brian Cashman that he's interested in reaching a settlement that would allow Henson, a former star quarterback at the University of Michigan, out of the final three years of his Yankees contract so he can pursue a career in the NFL, as first reported Saturday by The Record of Hackensack.
When reached at home yesterday, Cashman would not say much more than "it's possible" Henson, a bust as a third base prospect, would leave baseball to try his hand at playing quarterback in the NFL.
"Casey Close told me last week that Drew Henson was considering pursuing a career in football more than he has in the past," Cashman said. "Obviously, if he does that, he will officially inform us."
Asked if Close had "officially informed" him of that plan, Cashman said: "I'm just going to leave it at that."
The Yankees owe Henson $12 million over the next three years and would be pleased to be rid of the obligation, although it's not clear how much money -- if any -- they'd be willing to give Henson to simply go away.
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we have to cross it," Cashman said.
This development has been coming for a long time. Club officials gave up hope that Henson would develop into a frontline big-league third baseman more than a year ago, after he struggled mightily at Triple-A Columbus in 2002 and then had a terrible, and abbreviated, stint at the Arizona Fall League.
Henson had another awful season at Columbus this past year, and when the Yankees traded for Aaron Boone at the July 31 non-waiver deadline and spoke about having him at third for the next few years, it was a clear signal to Henson that they did not believe he had a future with the club.
When Boone hurt his knee playing basketball Jan. 16, an injury that could force him to miss the entire season, the Yankees didn't mention Henson among the lower-tier replacement candidates, such as Enrique Wilson, Miguel Cairo and Tyler Houston -- yet another signal Henson's chances with the Yankees are nonexistent.
Henson, who has just one hit in nine career big league at-bats, once was one of the most promising baseball prospects in the country and was drafted by the Yankees in the third round in 1998. The Yankees gave him a bigger signing bonus than they were offering their first-round pick that year, high school pitcher Mark Prior, who declined to sign with the Yankees and attended college at USC. Prior now 23, has emerged as a star with the Chicago Cubs.
After the Yankees traded Henson to the Reds in a package for Denny Neagle in 1998, they reacquired him in 2001 and gave him a five-year, $17 million contract, one which they began to regret almost immediately.
Part of that contract stipulates that Henson cannot play football, the other sport in which he excelled in high school and later at Michigan, where in his sophomore season he wrested the majority of playing time away from Tom Brady, who led the Patriots against the Panthers in last night's Super Bowl.
Henson might have been the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft had he played four years at Michigan, but even after three years away from the gridiron, he was an inviting enough talent that Houston Texans GM Charley Casserly drafted him in the sixth round last year.
The Texans have a young quarterback in David Carr and Henson has no interest in playing for them, but he would presumably be willing to sign a contract with the stipulation Houston trades him to a team of his choosing, which is precisely why Casserly drafted him in what has turned out to be a shrewd move.
Henson would presumably want to sign with Houston because it will give him some control over where he plays in the NFL; if he doesn't sign with the Texans before this April's draft, the Texans would lose his rights and he would re-enter the draft pool, where he could be selected by anyone. The Bills, Chiefs, Dolphins, Packers and Steelers have reportedly expressed interest in him.
Copyright 2004 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, February 02, 2004
BY LAWRENCE ROCCA
Star-Ledger Staff
Perhaps the sight of his former understudy in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years was just too much for Drew Henson. Or maybe he has only now come to realize he has no future with the Yankees.
Whatever the cause, Henson's return to football -- seemingly inevitable but incorrectly reported to have been initiated numerous times in the past year -- is finally on the verge of taking place.
Henson's agent, Casey Close, recently informed Yankees GM Brian Cashman that he's interested in reaching a settlement that would allow Henson, a former star quarterback at the University of Michigan, out of the final three years of his Yankees contract so he can pursue a career in the NFL, as first reported Saturday by The Record of Hackensack.
When reached at home yesterday, Cashman would not say much more than "it's possible" Henson, a bust as a third base prospect, would leave baseball to try his hand at playing quarterback in the NFL.
"Casey Close told me last week that Drew Henson was considering pursuing a career in football more than he has in the past," Cashman said. "Obviously, if he does that, he will officially inform us."
Asked if Close had "officially informed" him of that plan, Cashman said: "I'm just going to leave it at that."
The Yankees owe Henson $12 million over the next three years and would be pleased to be rid of the obligation, although it's not clear how much money -- if any -- they'd be willing to give Henson to simply go away.
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we have to cross it," Cashman said.
This development has been coming for a long time. Club officials gave up hope that Henson would develop into a frontline big-league third baseman more than a year ago, after he struggled mightily at Triple-A Columbus in 2002 and then had a terrible, and abbreviated, stint at the Arizona Fall League.
Henson had another awful season at Columbus this past year, and when the Yankees traded for Aaron Boone at the July 31 non-waiver deadline and spoke about having him at third for the next few years, it was a clear signal to Henson that they did not believe he had a future with the club.
When Boone hurt his knee playing basketball Jan. 16, an injury that could force him to miss the entire season, the Yankees didn't mention Henson among the lower-tier replacement candidates, such as Enrique Wilson, Miguel Cairo and Tyler Houston -- yet another signal Henson's chances with the Yankees are nonexistent.
Henson, who has just one hit in nine career big league at-bats, once was one of the most promising baseball prospects in the country and was drafted by the Yankees in the third round in 1998. The Yankees gave him a bigger signing bonus than they were offering their first-round pick that year, high school pitcher Mark Prior, who declined to sign with the Yankees and attended college at USC. Prior now 23, has emerged as a star with the Chicago Cubs.
After the Yankees traded Henson to the Reds in a package for Denny Neagle in 1998, they reacquired him in 2001 and gave him a five-year, $17 million contract, one which they began to regret almost immediately.
Part of that contract stipulates that Henson cannot play football, the other sport in which he excelled in high school and later at Michigan, where in his sophomore season he wrested the majority of playing time away from Tom Brady, who led the Patriots against the Panthers in last night's Super Bowl.
Henson might have been the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft had he played four years at Michigan, but even after three years away from the gridiron, he was an inviting enough talent that Houston Texans GM Charley Casserly drafted him in the sixth round last year.
The Texans have a young quarterback in David Carr and Henson has no interest in playing for them, but he would presumably be willing to sign a contract with the stipulation Houston trades him to a team of his choosing, which is precisely why Casserly drafted him in what has turned out to be a shrewd move.
Henson would presumably want to sign with Houston because it will give him some control over where he plays in the NFL; if he doesn't sign with the Texans before this April's draft, the Texans would lose his rights and he would re-enter the draft pool, where he could be selected by anyone. The Bills, Chiefs, Dolphins, Packers and Steelers have reportedly expressed interest in him.
Copyright 2004 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.