Laird Weighs Offer From A’s

Gerald Laird must decide today if he is going to sign with Oakland or reenter the baseball draft, which starts Wednesday.

Laird was taken in the second round (the 45th pick overall) last year by Oakland and when no agreement could be reached he elected to play at Cypress so he would be eligible for the draft again this year.

Oakland has made a recent offer and Laird’s advisor has made a counter offer. Laird said he wants first-round money but would not give an exact figure.

“The draft looks good for me,” Laird said. “So it’s not if Gerald wants to play for Oakland, it’s if Oakland wants Gerald to play for them.”

Oakland’s West Coast scouting supervisor Ron Vaughn was at the state tournament Monday and spoke with Laird after the game.

“We’ve made an offer and they are checking it out,” Vaughn said, “He’s a good ballplayer and we’re looking for good ballplayers.”