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First-round draft pick |
BY TODD JACOBSON
When Nationals officials finally emerged from the team's RFK Stadium draft room some three weeks ago, exhausted following a 50-round selection process, they did so believing they'd altered the course of the team's future.
But what team officials called a highly successful draft came with a big if--as in, if the Nationals can sign most of their picks.
"If we get all these guys signed we've got ourselves the best draft in baseball, there is no question about it," said Mike Rizzo, the Nationals' vice president of baseball operations.
Washington has signed 31 of its 53 picks--already six more than it signed from last year's draft class.
Second-rounders Jordan Zimmermann and Jake Smolinski--relative bargains with signing bonuses of $495,000 and $452,500, respectively--are already playing in the organization's minor-league system.
But the team's top three picks--Missouri State left-hander Ross Detwiler (sixth overall), prep left-hander Josh Smoker (31st overall) and high school outfielder Michael Burgess (49th overall)--remain unsigned.
Sixth-round pick Jack McGeary, a highly touted left-handed high school pitcher from Newton, Mass., also remains unsigned. McGeary slipped in the draft because of a solid commitment to Stanford. He said he's looking for a signing bonus akin to a first-rounder, and it will likely take in excess of $1 million to land him.
"If they get him, it could go from a good draft to a great draft," one National League scout said.
While signing McGeary may be tough, Washington has narrowed its focus on Detwiler, Burgess and Smoker, who attended one of the Nationals' games against the Atlanta Braves this week.
As the 31st pick in the draft, Smoker should command a signing bonus near $1 million. (Last year's 31st pick, Preston Mattingly, received exactly that). Detwiler should command much more.
Matt LaPorta, whom the Milwaukee Brewers took with the No. 7 pick, got a $2 million signing bonus, and Detwiler can probably expect a deal in the $2.5 million range.
Andrew Miller, last year's No. 6 pick, received a major league deal worth $5.45 million from the Detroit Tigers (with a $3.55 million signing bonus). He was widely considered the top pitching prospect in the draft and slid only due to questions about his signability.
Teams have more leverage than in years past, however.
All teams have until Aug. 15 to sign their draft picks, and compensation has been added for unsigned picks in the first three rounds of the draft.
That means that if Detwiler doesn't sign, the Nationals will be compensated with a pick following the sixth pick in next year's draft.
"So either way on Aug. 16 we're going to know if we're going to get two picks in the top 10 next year or one pick and have our pitcher signed, so I think it's good for the game," Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said.
Clearing space, but for what?Right-hander Beltran Perez was the latest former prospect to be removed from Washington's 40-man roster.
Perez cleared waivers earlier this week and was sent outright to Double-A Harrisburg, leaving five vacant spots on the Nationals' 40-man roster with just more than a month left before Major League Baseball's July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.
Like Larry Broadway, Mike Hinckley and Frank Diaz before him, Perez was struggling--with a 4-3 record and a 5.81 ERA in Double-A--so the time may have been right to slip him through waivers.
But one other reason to do so? Trading veterans like first baseman Dmitri Young and infielder Ronnie Belliard could bring in several prospects, and the Nationals would likely need room on the 40-man to house them.
Todd Jacobson: 540/735-1974