Rangers sign former No. 1 pick Matt Bush following release from prison
The Rangers have signed former first overall pick Matt Bush to a minor league contract, according to a Dallas Morning News report. Bush was released from prison in October.
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
The Rangers have signed former No. 1 overall pick Matt Bush to a minor-league contract, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The team has not yet confirmed the signing.
Bush, the top selection in the 2004 draft, was released from prison in October. He had been incarcerated since 2012 as part of a no contest plea deal stemming from a DUI with serious bodily injury charge in Florida.
The charges stemmed from an incident in which Bush, who was driving with more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system, struck a 72-year-old man on motorcycle. He fled the scene. The man he struck, Tony Tufano, later forgave Bush, though he almost died from his injuries.
Here's what Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Grant:
"My initial response when I heard that he was interested was one of skepticism," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "Given the nature of the crime and the sensitivity, I wasn't sure. When we met him and saw how much regret he had and how he sincerely wanted to turn his life in the right direction, we were impressed."
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"I don't know if I have expectations for this this," Daniels said. "My biggest expectations would be off the field to see him take things to the next step and keep moving his life in the right direction. Anything beyond that is a bonus for us. He'll be in competition to make an upper level club as a late-inning reliever and we will go from there."
Bush, now 29, had several alcohol-related incidents earlier in his career and he has not played in an actual game since 2011. Among the players selected after him in the 2004 draft are Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, Hunter Pence, Dustin Pedroia and Ben Zobrist.
The Padres selected Bush as a shortstop out of a San Diego high school, though he struggled in the minors and later converted to pitching. He's a career .219/.294/.276 minor league hitter in 812 plate appearances with a 4.27 ERA in 71 2/3 inings.
Bush will resume his career as a pitcher, not as a position player. His days as a hitter are over. Daniels told Grant that Bush threw "in the range" of 95 mph during a recent workout in Florida. Here's what Bush, who will be under a "zero tolerance" policy with the Rangers, told Grant:
Said Bush: "I think my future is as bright as I can make it. I wake up each day in a positive state of mind. Now, I've got a pretty cut-and-dried approach to things. I want to be part of the game. I want to be a role model. I want to make the most of this opportunity."
The Rangers have a history of working with players with addiction problems, most notably Josh Hamilton. They helped Hamilton get his life and career back on track a few years ago. Player development head Roy Silver, who was instrumental in getting Hamilton on track, has a prior relationship with Bush.
The nature of Bush's crime is quite severe, and it was fair to assume his career was over when he was sent to prison. The Rangers were impressed with him at his workout and are willing to give him a second chances though. It's not the first time they'd given a player with a troubling history the opportunity to get back into the game.
Not counting recent draftees, Bush is one of just three No. 1 picks to never reach the majors, joining Steve Chilcott (1966, Mets) and Brien Taylor (1991, Yankees).
