Drew Dowd signs with Rays

“As I’ve said before, I couldn’t be happier that it was them because they’re great at pitching development and a great organization,” Dowd said. “So, I couldn’t really be happier.”

The week leading up to his eventual signing was something of an odyssey for Dowd, as the signing was reported Wednesday by MLB.com, three days prior to his inking the deal. The 21-year-old southpaw — who worked 65 2/3 innings this season, including a Pac-12 Conference-leading 54 1/3 innings of relief — wasn’t even in Florida yet, and wouldn’t take his team physical until Friday.

“It was definitely confusion at first, because I definitely hadn’t signed anything,” Dowd said. “And at that point, I still wasn’t sure when I was going to come out to Florida.”

Dowd had already secured the framework of an unlikely agreement on July 10, the day he was drafted. He abided strictly to his demands to receive fifth-round money as a signing bonus, as well as his final year of tuition paid at Stanford, as he’d be forfeiting his scholarship money in leaving the Cardinal baseball program to go pro.

Also, having not started a game since March 4, and working his final 29 collegiate appearances as a reliever, he wanted a chance to be developed as a starting pitcher to begin his professional career.

“Going into the process, there was a lot for me to go back to Stanford for,” Dowd said. “So, I kind of set a high standard for what it was going to take for a pro team to take me away from that.”

Having an advisor negotiating on his behalf during the draft, Dowd was beginning to give up on hearing his name called as Day 2 — which includes rounds three through 10 — commenced.

“By the eighth round I was pretty much on the phone with my girlfriend telling her I was going to be back (at school) … and I was completely fine with it too,” Dowd said.

Dowd’s odyssey really began back in March when he moved to the bullpen for the Cardinal. It was a risky move, one he knew would hurt his draft stock. A college player’s junior year is generally the highest-leverage year in terms of financial equity as a draft prospect. Even going back to his high school career at Serra, though, Dowd has always been a gamer.

The 6-2, 205-pound hurler accepted the bullpen role, and all but eliminated the changeup from his four-pitch repertoire. He worked one inning or less in each of his first four relief outings but went on to lengthen his workload. Over the course of the season, he worked three or more innings in a single outing nine times. Dowd went on to post a 9-2 record and two saves with a 4.52 ERA, a WHIP of 1.39, while striking out 88.

“I was the one pushing to get used a lot because I wanted to show, if I wasn’t able to go six innings in a game (as a starter), that I could go two times in a week, or three times a week, and I would be able to give the same amount as a starter was able to give,” Dowd said.

Dowd said he reports Monday to Twin Lakes Park for his first official day with the Rays in the Florida Complex League. He said he does not expect to pitch any time soon, as he focuses on strength and conditioning to build up his arm strength. He said it is possible he will begin pitching in games by season’s end.

“I’d say when I start pitching with the Rays … the changeup will be back in the mix as one of my more used pitches, because I think it’s one of my best pitches when I use it a lot and get in the groove with it,” Dowd said.

Dowd was one of nine Stanford players drafted this year. All nine have signed pro contracts.

“Yeah, I think it wasn’t too much of a surprise,” Dowd said. “There was probably only one other guy in the class that was kind of in the situation I was … where the other ones were pretty set on it. And now I think they’re all pretty set for professional baseball.”

While he was the eighth Cardinal to be selected, he earned the fourth-best signing bonus. Only shortstop Tommy Troy (first round, Diamondbacks, $4.4 million bonus); catcher Albert Rios (third round, Angels, $847,000 bonus); and pitcher Quinn Mathews (fourth round, Cardinals, $600,000 bonus) earned more.

Also signing out of Stanford was pitcher Ryan Bruno (seventh round, Diamondbacks); pitcher Joey Dixon (seventh round, Astros); first baseman Carter Graham (eighth round, Reds); outfielder Eddie Park (eighth round, White Sox); and third baseman Drew Bowser (20th round, Cubs).

Dowd said the four Cardinal pitchers to sign were a tight-knit group, one that combined for 308 innings pitched this year — over half of the 577 innings played by Stanford — led by Mathews, the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, with 124 2/3 innings pitched, tops in the nation.

“That group of guys was definitely a group that sticked together,” Dowd said. “Throughout the year we were the ones who were pitching the most, especially down the stretch. … It was one of those things, it kind of rests on our shoulders.”

Dowd signed Saturday in Tampa Bay at the Rays’ home Tropicana Field and was hosted to tickets behind home plate. It was his first time at the Rays’ home ballpark.

“It was cool to see the Trop,” Dowd said.