By TODD JACOBSON
With less than two weeks remaining to sign second-round draft pick Sean Black, the Nationals remain "far apart" in negotiations with the high school right-hander, according to general manager Jim Bowden.
However, the stalled talks have done nothing to dampen the organization's enthusiasm over its haul in the draft, a high-priced gamble that has paid off in a collection of high-ceiling prep players flooding the team's once-barren farm system.
"We've really hit all the highlights of all the things going into the draft that the team wanted to achieve," said Mike Rizzo, the Nationals' vice president for baseball operations. "I think we've achieved greatly. We're very excited with the state of the organization since the middle of June."
Tasked with rebuilding the team's minor league system by the Lerner family, the team's new owners, Washington's player development department may have even overachieved.
Even without signing Black, who will be under Washington's control until he attends class at Seton Hall University Sept. 5, the Nationals signed seven of their first eight draft picks, including several at-risk players like Black. The Nationals took third-rounder Stephen King and fourth-rounder Glenn Gibson later than the players were expected to be drafted and knowing they would be tough to sign.
It hasn't come cheap.
The Nationals have invested close to $6 million in signing bonuses on five draftees and one 16-year-old free agent: outfielder Chris Marrero ($1.625 million), right-hander Colton Willems ($1.425 million), outfielder Stephen Englund ($515,000), King ($750,000) and Dominican shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez ($1.4 million).
Terms for Gibson's signing bonus were not revealed, though the 121st pick has received an average bonus of $267,000 the last three years, according to Baseball America.
"We all feel this is a pivotal time in the organization," Rizzo said. "You build things from the ground up and it's an exciting time, a time to build the foundation the right way for sustained success."
Early returns on the group of draftees has been mixed, but Rizzo said the influx of talent from the draft and trades--right-handers Garrett Mock and Shairon Martis and left-hander Matt Chico were acquired in July and immediately bolster the pitching corps--has already started to affect depth in the minor leagues.
"We've really created much more depth in our minor league system and a good stable of good young prospects who would rank high in just about any organization's prospect rankings," Rizzo said.
From the draft, sixth-rounder Zechry Zinicola has been the fastest riser, and months removed from Arizona State, the reliever is pitching well at Double-A Harrisburg.
Marrero (.309, 16 RBIs) and Willems (0-1, 3.38 ERA in five starts) excelled in the Gulf Coast League, but illness and injuries prematurely ended their seasons. Marrero came down with viral meningitis and Willems was shut down with a sore right shoulder.
Englund struggled at the plate, hitting .183 in 35 games. King and Gonzalez won't play this season, while Gibson should make his debut soon with Rookie Level Vermont.
The Nationals missed on a few key draftees. They lost the rights to 15th-rounder Dustin Dickerson when he attended class at Baylor Monday and seventh-rounder Samuel Brown when he attended N.C. State yesterday. But the team's success rate in signing players from the draft was as good as it hoped for on draft day.
Teams typically look to sign most of their picks from the first 10 rounds, but the Nationals' job was complicated when the team took high-schoolers with their first six picks.
"Would it have been easier to sign an easier signability guy in the fourth or fifth round, or take a guy in the second round that's going to sign two days after the draft? It would've been easier to sign those players but the idea was to draft the best players available and sign them and I think we've done that masterfully," Rizzo said.
The team is still in talks with Black--who had hoped to be a first-rounder--and the Nationals would like to add him to the fold. Black says he is leaning toward playing professional baseball, but the sides remain far apart monetarily.
The 59th pick in the draft the past three years has received an average signing bonus of $585,000, but it's likely Black would want more than the $750,000 King received.
"I kind of want to play baseball and it's getting to the point where we hope we figure something out, but it's definitely going to be a price because school is definitely a great option for me, too," Black said in a phone interview Tuesday. "It's not going to be easy."
To reach TODD JACOBSON:
Email: tjacobson@freelancestar.com
Rd. Player Bonus 1. OF Chris Marrero $1,625,000 1. RHP Colton Willems $1,425,000 2. RHP Sean Black Unsigned 2. OF Stephen Englund $515,000 3. SS Stephen King $750,000 4. LHP Glenn Gibson Unspecified --. SS Esmailyn Gonzalez $1,400,000
Totals $5,715,000
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