Recent Houston Astros Draft Pick Will Return to Oregon To Play Football

The Houston Astros 13th round pick from the 2024 MLB draft will return to the Oregon Ducks for another season.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins carries the ball as Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) moves in to make the tackle during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl Stadium. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros got some unfortunate news earlier this week from one of their draft selections.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Bryce Boettcher, the Astros' 13th-round pick in the 2024 MLB draft, is returning to Oregon to play football in 2025.

The Astros will retain his baseball rights, according to Rome, and will place him on the restricted list in the coming days.

Boettcher played better than ever for Oregon in 2024, helping the No. 1 ranked College Football Playoff team win a Big Ten title in its first season in the conference. The Ducks lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, which also doubled as the CFP quarterfinal for both teams.

Houston's draft pick had 94 total tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. A former walk-on, Boettcher won the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given to the country's top football player who began their career as a walk-on.

Oregon, an NIL powerhouse, could be offering him more than he'd make as a minor league player. NIL numbers aren't often made public, but his $150,000 signing bonus with the Astros likely isn't as much as he makes at Oregon.

He's out of eligibility to play college baseball and plans to focus solely on the next football season for Oregon.

The plan was for Boettcher to play the 2024 campaign for Oregon football and report to Spring Training in 2025, but after his announcement, it's uncertain If Houston will ever see its draft pick on the diamond — at least until after his college football career ends.

The Astros have one of the most well-respected catching prospects in all of baseball in Walker Janek, who was their first-round pick last year.