With a slightly tired smile and adrenaline admittedly pumping through him, Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore made official late Monday night a decision that captivated two fan bases.

It's pro baseball for Bubba Starling. And no Nebraska football — for now.

The 19-year-old Husker quarterback recruit chose late Monday night to sign a contract with the Royals just before the 11 p.m. deadline imposed by Major League Baseball for June draft picks to agree to contract terms. According to Jim Callis at Baseball America, the signing bonus is for $7.5 million spread over three years.

“This guy is, without a doubt, one of the best athletes to play the game of baseball in many years,” Moore said after the signing Monday night. “We're very, very excited that we were able to come to a conclusion and get a deal done. It really hasn't sunk in yet. But I know tomorrow we're going to wake up with smiles on our face.”

Said Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini in a statement: “Everyone associated with our football program at Nebraska wishes Bubba nothing but the best in his future with the Kansas City Royals organization. I know this decision has been very difficult for Bubba and his family, as it would be for anyone in his position.

“In the end, Bubba was in a win-win situation regardless of his choice, and we respect the decision he has made. I personally will root for Bubba in every game except when he plays against the Indians!”

Texts and phone calls to the Starling family were not returned. The team said it expects Starling to appear in Kansas City for a press conference this week. He'll then go to Arizona for the remainder of the rookie ball season and then move on to an instruction league.

“We don't expect him to be a fast mover, but we think once he does adjust he will move quickly,” Moore said. “But it might take a couple of years. He's missed a whole summer.”

Moore said negotiations between K.C. and Starling didn't heat up “until the last five or six minutes” before the deadline, although the team spoke to Starling earlier Monday. Moore said he was worried Starling would not sign.

“I got a lot of adrenaline going through me,” Moore said. “I'm trying to compose it.”

Starling's adviser is noted baseball agent Scott Boras. Starling will not play college football, although he could return to NU at a later date if he chooses.

Moore has now successfully signed five first-round draft picks represented by Boras in the past six years: Luke Hochevar (2006), Mike Moustakas (2007), Eric Hosmer (2008) and Christian Colon (2010).

The decision ended a dramatic buildup that began after the Gardner, Kan., superstar accepted a scholarship from Nebraska in February. Starling was to play baseball for the Huskers, too. NU won Starling's commitment in the summer of 2010 when it showed him a detailed plan of how he could juggle two collegiate sports and classes at the same time.

“It's my type of offense,” Starling told The World-Herald about Nebraska's attack on May 10. “I'll look pretty good in it.”

But once the hometown Royals selected Starling with the No. 5 overall pick in June, the attention for him to sign an MLB contract intensified even more.

“We knew on draft day, and prior to draft day, that this had a chance to go really, really good, or had a chance to go wrong,” Moore said.

Starling arrived in Lincoln for classes in early July and did conditioning drills with his freshman recruiting class.

At Big Ten Media Days, Pelini indicated that Starling would practice, as well — even if Boras didn't like it.

“His advisers aren't running our football team,” Pelini said July 29.

But, after being mobbed for autographs and pictures at Fan Day, Starling did not practice at the start of fall camp. Or any other time.

“He's got a lot at risk,” Pelini said Aug. 6. “We communicated with the family and decided this is the best way to go about this.”

Because Starling wasn't a part of the 105-man roster, he couldn't even attend practice. After finishing his summer classes Aug. 11, he returned home to Gardner, when he remained until signing with the Royals.

“This is his boyhood team,” Moore said. “This is where he wants to be. He's going to take the field every single day in the minor leagues with that vision of playing in Kansas City and making his home team proud. You need that motivation.”

Huskers Illustrated’s Aaron Babcock contributed to this report.

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