Stephen Strasburgh Update

3.30.09 12:43pm

Getting everyone an update on young San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg. There had been talk about whether the Nationals could afford to sign the Aztec to the kind of money agent Scott Boras was looking for, which is reported to be $50MM.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Nationals are ready to do just that. One Nationals spokesman apparently told Heyman, "We'll pay the $10 million, and we'll get him signed."

With this in mind, the Padres' front office needs to look past the idea of signing Strasburg and look at their needs and who will be on the board when the 3rd pick in the draft comes up.

A name that has come up once before and is on a few mock drafts is 6'3" 200 lbs right-hander Alex White out of North Carolina.

3.24.09 1:23pm

Yahoo Sports' Steve Henson has an article out on Stephen Strasburg.

"If the Washington Nationals don’t take Strasburg out of sheer Boras-phobia, the Seattle Mariners, who pick second, certainly will. The San Diego Padres draft third and they’ve already come to terms with having no shot at the hometown boy."

In that same article, Henson also says that the Nationals have to fork over whatever Boras is asking for, why wouldn't he say the same about the Mariners or the Padres? Especially with the Padres new ownership, you'd think they would make a conserted effort to land him.

Stay tuned....

3.24.09 11:45am

As I'm sure a lot of you know, or don't know as the case may be, possibly the top draft pick in June's amateur baseball draft could very well be San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg. Since Strasburg added agent Scott Boras, there's been rumors that Boras will ask in the neighborhood of $50MM.

Since that was known, there's been a lot of talk about where the young phenom will fall and what team will actually pay that kind of money to sign him. According to Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, it may not be the Washington Nationals, unless he'll sign for $9MM - $10MM range, which isn't likely to happen as long as Scott Boras is in charge.

If the Nationals pass on him, he'll then fall to the Seattle Mariners at #2, but if Seattle also passes, then the Padres will have a big decision to make. With new ownership, don't be surprised if the Padres sign him, especially since it will keep young Strasburg at home in San Diego.