The Strasburg Watch: Nats are 14 days and counting

The MLB deadline for draft picks is AUGUST 17th, 2009.  That is exactly two weeks from today. 

Strasburg was the first overall pick in the 23009 MLB Amateur Draft and widely regarded as the best prospect to come out of the draft in 20 years.  Strasburg sports a 104 MPH fastball.  Strasburg completed his senior season at San Diego State, compiling a 13-1 record with an ERA of 1.32.  In 109 innings, Strasburg recorded a whopping 195 strikeouts. 

The problem here is two fold. 

First, Strasburg is going to demand a nice pay day and agent Scott Boras has the reputation of driving the hard bargain.  Two, you have the Lerner Ownership in Washington, DC who have shown rare competence, an ability to trip over themselves, and have a baseball franchise that was bad when they bought the team, but is worse now.  There really has been very little positive in the Lerner Ownership thus far.  The uncertainty in front office management (Mike Rizzo still retains the ‘Acting GM” title) down to Manager (Jim Riggleman is ‘Acting Manager’) likely is troubling to Strasburg.  Has to be.  It is to us fans. 

Heck with it.  Throw in a third point.  Money.  Will the Lerner’s ante up? 

Overall, it is going to be an interesting two weeks.  For the Washington Nationals and the Lerner Ownership, a non-signing of Stephen Strasburg would literally be humiliating, deeply concerning, and a huge sign of complete ineptitude.  The Nationals failed to signed their 2008 first round pick, P Aaron Crow, last season.  That was a black eye enough.  But, Strasburg is much bigger.  Much bigger! 

The Nationals are desperately trying to not only establish a fan base, a crowd following, but some kind of resemblance, explanation, you name it, of a foundation in Washington for baseball.  So far they have?  Well … I guess Ryan Zimmerman.  Past that?  I don’t know.  I guess you can throw names around like Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler, Nyger Morgan, etc…. but in essence, Ryan Zimmerman.  Now, Stephen Strasburg would be a HUGE addition to that foundation, perhaps a guy who can immediately bring others to Nationals Park and start filling the Lerner Coffers, something that has not gone that great. 

In essence, the next two weeks is pretty point blank. Simple.  The entire Lerner ownership’s legitimacy is on the line.  The failure to sign Strasburg could lead to a mass exit by an already struggling fan base.

Lerner’s are on the clock.  14 . . .