Mets Sign Esperanza’s Saunders

Doug Saunders, a standout baseball player for Esperanza High School the past two seasons, has signed to play with the New York Mets, Saunders said Sunday.

Saunders, a Times’ All-County infielder last spring, will turn down a scholarship to the University of Illinois, where he would have played for former Cal State Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido. Saunders and Esperanza teammate Jason Moler had agreed to play at Illinois last October. Moler was not drafted is expected to attend Illinois.

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for the last couple of weeks,” Saunders said. “It just seems like the right route to take right now.”

Saunders said he will leave Wednesday to play for the Mets’ rookie team at Sarasota, Fla. for the final six weeks of the season. He will then play in the instructional league in Florida during the winter.

Saunders was drafted in the third round by the Mets in June, but he said the team’s first offer wasn’t enough to interest him into signing. But the Mets made a second offer over the weekend, and he signed Sunday. Saunders would not reveal terms of his contract.

Saunders hit .495 with 46 hits, including 9 home runs, this past season for Esperanza, which lost to Diamond Bar in the 5-A Southern Section title game. He also had a county-record 8 saves. Saunders will play second base in the Met organization.