With the signing deadline (August 17, 2009) approaching here is what they were saying about the Nationals chances of signing Stephen Strasburg. Keep in mind one year earlier the Nationals failed to sign the team’s 2008 number one draft choice Aaron Crow. The pressure was on the Nats to sign the young phenom from San Diego State.
With deadline looming, Nationals have a ways to go with Strasburg
By Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated
Guesses from a multitude of executives around baseball for ballyhooed/deified No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg‘s eventual signing bonus have ranged from $12 million to $30 million. Every estimate represents a record bonus.
But here is another possibility: zero dollars.
With only a long weekend to go before the signing deadline, there’s no evidence of progress in the negotiations between the rebuilding Nationals and Strasburg’s agent, Scott Boras. It’s possible the sides will not agree by midnight Monday, and that Strasburg will go unsigned and re-enter the draft pool in 2010.
Midnight deadline looms for Nats to sign top pick Strasburg
By Mel Antonen, USA TODAY
The Washington Nationals and Stephen Strasburg are down to the final hours to work out a contract or prematurely end a marriage between baseball’s worst team and one of the most highly touted pitching prospects in decades.
Nationals President Stan Kasten acknowledged Sunday the chances are diminishing of signing the right-hander from San Diego State before Monday’s midnight (ET) deadline even as the team has offered him a record-breaking contract.
Read more:http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/nationals/2009-08-15-strasburg-offer_N.htm
Nats offer Strasburg record contract
Updated: August 16, 2009, 3:12 AM ET
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Nationals president Stan Kasten acknowledged Saturday there is a “very real possibility” the team will not reach an agreement with No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg despite offering him a record-breaking contract.
The Nationals face a deadline of midnight on Monday night to sign Strasburg, a right-handed pitcher from San Diego State whose fastball has been clocked at 102 mph.
Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4401500
Lerners, Kasten and Rizzo Meet With Strasburg
Nationals Journal by Adam Kilgore
This summer, while awaiting the start (or the delay) of his professional baseball career, Stephen Strasburg has played a lot of golf. He’s visited relatives. He’s maintained a daily workout routine. But also, just last week, he sat down for a face-to-face meeting with a group of leaders from the team now trying to sign him.
One week ago, according to a variety of industry and club sources, Washington Nationals managing principal owner Ted Lerner, principal owner Mark Lerner, president Stan Kasten and acting general manager Mike Rizzo traveled to California to meet with the pitcher, who was unaccompanied by his advisor, Scott Boras.
Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/08/lerners_kasten_and_rizzo_meet.html
