Top draftees get P8.7M pact each

Rain or Shine gave Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado an P8.7 million package each for three years yesterday and TY Tang a fair three-year deal for a second-round draftee as the team buckles down to work early for the coming PBA season.

“We signed them just two days after the draft so we can concentrate early in the training,” said Rain or Shine co-team owner Raymund Yu.

Norwood and Mercado are guaranteed of the maximum pay in their first three years in the pro league, getting P150,000 a month in the coming season, P225,000 the following year and P350,000 in 2010.

“We gave the maximum to fire them up,” said Yu on the contract given Mercado, just the No. 5 draft choice after Norwood, Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro and Rob Reyes.

Dillinger has also been guaranteed P8.7 million package for three years at Talk n Text.

At press time, the TnT management was still negotiating with Reyes. The team will deal with Castro upon his return from Singapore and with Pong Escobal after the current NCAA season where he’s playing with the San Beda Red Lions.

After giving up 6-foot-7 Joe Devance to Alaska for guard Mercado and wingman Eddie Laure, Rain or Shine added some ceiling by acquiring the rights on Mark Andaya from Red Bull.

With the revamp and the early buildup, the Asian Coatings Corp. franchise hopes to become a run-and-gun team in the coming PBA wars.

“I’ve already seen a big change. We’ve got younger guys who can really run,” said Terry Que, the other Rain or Shine team owner.

Rain or Shine is determined to finally make an impact in the pro league after finishing dead last in all its first four conferences in the PBA.

The Rain or Shine management is hoping to make Norwood and Mercado their own version of the Mark Caguioa-Jayjay Helterbrand tandem of Ginebra.

Norwood (Hapee Toothpaste) and Mercado (Harbour Centre) played for different teams in the PBL but are good friends off the court.