Garrett must make a difficult decision by Aug. 15, the signing deadline for MLB draftees. Multiple scouts told SI.com that based on potential, Garrett will be selected on Tuesday, when rounds 2-30 of the draft are held. His stock could rise or fall depending on how serious teams believe he is about playing pro baseball; according to sources, the Mariners had Garrett in Seattle for a private workout on Sunday and remain interested, as do the Red Sox. Garrett could choose not to sign and attempt to be a two-sport athlete at St. John's, which also has a strong baseball program. He could choose to play hoops at St. John's and professional baseball in the offseason. Or he could skip college basketball altogether and go all-in on professional pitching. What will he choose? It depends on whom you ask.
Lavin has been monitoring Garrett's diamond dalliance -- the coach will regularly ask him, "What's the [radar] gun saying?" -- but fully expects Garrett to be a part of the St. John's program in 2011-12, with an option to try out for the school's baseball team. In a statement released through a school spokesman, Lavin said, "We have encouraged Amir to continue working to develop into the best basketball and baseball player he is capable of becoming."
Garrett, however, could not guarantee to SI.com that he'd be enrolling at St. John's this year.
