By John Manuel
May 20, 2005

After denials earlier in the week, the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League have announced Jered Weaver is coming to New Jersey.

The righthander out of Long Beach State, Baseball America’s College Player of the Year in 2004, will join fellow Scott Boras client and draft holdout Stephen Drew on the Camden roster. Drew and Weaver now become teammates like their older brothers J.D. and Jeff, who are both on the Dodgers. Weaver arrived Thursday in Camden and will go on his first professional road trip this weekend for a series with the Somerset Patriots. Weaver is expected to make a pair of simulated starts against Camden players prior to taking the mound in an official game.

Weaver’s signing with the Riversharks had been rumored for days, but the Riversharks earlier in the week said they had not been contacted by the Boras group or by Weaver. In an interview Monday, Boras said Weaver was preparing to throw “simulated games,” but did not say an indy league assignment was imminent.

Weaver was drafted 12th overall last year by the Angels but has not signed as the two sides are far apart in their negotiations. Weaver has turned down offers of a straight $4 million signing bonus and a major league contract in the $5.25 million range. He’s believed to be seeking closer to $7-8 million in a major league deal.

“We’re excited to give Jered a chance to showcase his talent in the Atlantic League and are confident that he will conduct himself in the same professional manner that Stephen (Drew) has,” Riversharks general manager John Brandt said.

Weaver went 37-9 in his college career at Long Beach State and 15-1, 1.62 last season with 213 strikeouts and just 21 walks in 144 innings.

“He’s a player we felt could step right off a college campus and into the major leagues,” Boras said this week in explaining why he was seeking a larger deal for Weaver.