Report: Nats likely to take Bryce Harper
There have been several articles and blog posts on why the Nationals should NOT take Bryce Harper. There have been articles stating the Nats shoulddraft P Jameson Taillon or Anthony Ranauldo. Let's just give this precursor, we here at DCPSR do not subscribe to that thought.
Harper is almost as much of a phenom as the Nationals 2009 first rounder Stephen Strasburg. These two together will anchor the Washington Nationals for years to come. Not drafting Harper when you have the first overall pick is just not right.
According to Ben Gossling at MASN, the Nationals are likely to make that selection and take Harper.
That's not how the Nationals are approaching it.
Barring an injury or a drastic change, the Nationals plan to take 17-year-old catcher Bryce Harper with the first pick in the June Draft, according to a source familiar with the situation. They see Harper as being head and shoulders above anyone else in the 2010 draft class and believe he could reach the majors within 2 1/2 years.
Harper, who has been called "the LeBron James of baseball," completed his GED in December 2009 so he could play junior-college baseball and be eligible for the 2010 draft, rather than finish high school. He is currently playing at the College of Southern Nevada, where he is batting .422 with a .516 on-base percentage, .891 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 42 RBI in 39 games.
Thank you. You just have to take Harper. Period. Waiting for the Nats on the other side of the Draft will be a familiar face, agent Scott Boras.
Harper's advisor, Scott Boras, got Strasburg the richest deal ever given to a draft pick last summer, when he agreed to a four-year, $15.1 million deal with Strasburg just before the Aug. 17 deadline. Boras has said he does not consider Harper to be in the same class as Strasburg, though many scouts see him as a similarly rare talent. The Nationals expect negotiations for Harper will be lengthy, but intend to draft and sign him.
Who is up for bets? Does Harper get more than Strasburg?
