Well, as most of you probably know, The Nationals have done it. They’ve signed their number one draft pick and supposed phenom Stephen Strasburg for a record 15+ million dollars. There were celebrations heard all across NatsTown last night and this morning as many fans believe that having Strasburg on this team can only lead to good things.

Out of love for the team, I’ll say that I am that happy the Nationals were able to get him, assuming this amateur pitcher is as good as he is touted to be. However, I must qualify that by saying it sickens me to my core that they had to agree to those terms in order to get him and right now, I cannot consider myself a big fan. Even without Strasburg, I have a hard time understanding the ‘worth’ of proven players, but then to see this much money thrown at (and demanded by) a kid who has never played professionally or proven himself at that level, it is very hard for me. I am hearing that this amount seems ‘fair’, but I personally cannot make any sense of that, and while it is a great day for Nationals baseball, I hope it does not turn out to be a not-so-great day for baseball in general. But I’ll get over it. In the end, it doesn’t affect me, so what should I care? I’ve got my own life to worry about.

From what I can tell (at least from what I read and hear from my friends and fellow bloggers), fans are happy for his arrival. They have great hope that this guy can single handedly bring good things to this team. And while I may not be thrilled with the money part of this deal, I can still hold out some hope for that as well and truly want all the hype to be fulfilled.

And since we are busy hoping, here are a few of my other hopes…I hope that he is every bit as good as his bonus implies he is. I hope that he works his way up to the majors soon, but that he is not rushed and brought up before he is ready. I hope that he wins every game he starts and scares the pants off of every batter he faces. I hope early fame does not go to his head. I hope that he takes care of that arm of his. I hope that the stress of being the savior of the team does not wear him out, and that fans of this team have patience with him. I hope that his greed is not an indication of his arrogance. I hope that he appreciates what he’s been given and that he is accommodating and friendly to his new-found fans. I hope that he realizes that $15 million is not a shortcut to respect, and that some people think that he still must earn that on the field.

So with that I say Welcome to the Team Stephen Strasburg!! Good luck to you and your (hopefully) long career in DC (whenever you actually make it up here). Try not to spend all that money in one place, OK?

From the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals today selected right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg (first round/first overall), right-handed pitcher Drew Storen (first round/10th overall), infielder Jeffrey Kobernus (second round/50th overall) and right-handed pitcher Trevor Holder (third round/81st overall) on the first day of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo and Nationals Director of Scouting Dana Brown made the joint announcement.

“We are extremely satisfied with the players we selected today in the Draft,” said Rizzo. “We feel we have accomplished many of our pre-Draft goals of obtaining front-line talent and impact players for the Nationals organization.”

Strasburg went 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA (16 ER/109.0 IP) in 15 starts as a junior for San Diego State University in ‘09. Known for a strong blend of velocity and control, he fanned an NCAA-best 195 in 109.0 innings this season, or 16.1 K’s per 9.0 innings (tops in NCAA), en route to a 10.3/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Strasburg did not issue more than two walks in any game this season, and walked one or fewer batter in 10 of 15 starting assignments. In three collegiate seasons, Strasburg went 22-7 with seven saves and a 1.59 ERA (43 ER/243.1 IP) in 52 games.

One of college baseball’s premier closers, Storen dominated his competition in ‘09, going 7-1 with seven saves and a 3.80 ERA in 28 appearances with Stanford University. In 42.2 innings of relief work, he tallied 66 strikeouts (13.9 strikeouts per 9.0 innings) with only eight walks for an 8.3/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. During his pair of seasons with the Cardinal, Storen went a combined 12-4 with 15 saves and a 3.64 ERA in 59 appearances. In 99.0 frames, he logged 116 strikeouts and issued just 23 walks for a 5.0/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

A hard-nosed infielder with speed, Kobernus hit at a .341 (74-for-217) clip as a junior at the University of California-Berkeley in ‘09. He ranked second in the Pac 10 with 20 stolen bases and posted 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 40 RBI in 53 games. Over his three seasons with the Bears, he batted .324 with 50 extra-bases (12 HR), 89 RBI and 44 stolen bases in 161 contests. Kobernus was one of three Cal players selected among the Draft’s first 56 picks with outfielders Brett Jackson (31st overall by Chicago-NL) and Blake Smith (56th overall by Los Angeles-NL).

Holder—a strike thrower with a bulldog attitude—went 7-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts as a senior at the University of Georgia in ‘09. He logged a .259 batting average against and tallied 72 strikeouts in 92.1 innings for an average of 7.0 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. During his four-season collegiate career, he won 22 games and fanned 223 batters in 313.2 innings.

The three-day Draft will continue on Wednesday at noon with rounds 4-30. The final 20 rounds will be completed on Thursday.

I’m tired of West Coast games.  Thankfully, Ryan Zimmerman keeps getting it done in the early innings, giving us at least the option of getting some sleep.  Today, Zimmerman takes on Barry Zito, who is celebrating his 31st birthday, for consecutive hit #31.

Some odds and ends:

Harold Reynolds shares some thoughts about how signability affects the draft on his MLBlog.

Keith Law has his Top 100 up for the 2009 draft, with a lot of video.

This isn’t the strongest draft class in recent years. It’s not the weakest. It’s not the most top-heavy, and with Stephen Strasburg dominating college hitters, it’s not the least top-heavy, either. But it might just be the strangest.

Tony Gwynn talks about Stephen Strasburg.

Buster Olney considers whether Zim’s streak has been aided by Dunn’s presence in the lineup.

Ray Knight writes about how losses affect a manager day in and day out; Acta takes questions from fans.

The Smithsonian’s Q&A with Rizzo, Kasten and Acta is coming up on Sunday.

MASN is looking for everyday fans to star in the Defining Moments commericals.  Casting call will be on May 23rd at Nationals Park.

The Bullpen, an outdoor beer garden on Half Street, is set to open this weekend.  They have some concerts planned too.

Update-

Gotta add Steinberg. Good stuff on Zim’s streak.

Update 2 -

I totally forgot to add Chico’s story about his grandfather, which I thought was beautiful.  Thoughts and prayers with his family.

From the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals today selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Ron Villone from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and designated left-handed pitcher Mike Hinckley for assignment. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Villone, 39, is 56-59 with 85 holds and a 4.75 ERA (591 ER/1119.1 IP) in 654 games (93 starts) spanning 14 seasons with Seattle, San Diego, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Pittsburgh, Florida, New York (AL) and St. Louis. The previous four seasons (2005-08), Villone posted a .203 (76-for-375) batting average against when facing left-handed batters. Villone pitched in 74 games for the Cardinals last season, posting a 4.68 ERA.

Villone signed with the Nationals as a minor-league free agent on April 11. In eight appearances with Syracuse, Villone walked two, struck out 5 and posted a .160 batting average against en route to a 2.35 ERA (2 ER/7.2 IP).

Hinckley, 26, posted a 4.66 ERA (5 ER/9.2 IP) and issued 11 walks in 14 relief appearances with Washington.

To watch Hinckley’s Chico like blooper pitch from last night, click here.  It’s a few seconds in.

Zimmerman goes for 25 tonight…

On the Sony picture, How Do You Know? about a Nationals reliever…

…Hollywood actors Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson are in talks to act in James L. Brooks” upcoming romantic flick, featuring Reese Witherspoon in the lead…

…basically a love triangle featuring the three actors, wherein Wilson and Paul fight it out for Witherspoon’s love…

…While Paul plays a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon’’s affections, Wilson plays a professional baseball pitcher, who is also in love with Witherspoon…

And a fun quote of the day from ESPN’s MLB Draft Blog:

Seattle is in an interesting spot in this draft, selecting No. 2 overall and finishing as the runner-up in the Stephen Strasburg sweepstakes. Short of the “Washington Natinals” misspelling the San Diego State right-hander’s name and calling out the wrong identification number, the Mariners will choose among the likes of Scheppers; 1B/OF Dustin Ackley; RHP Alex White; RHP Aaron Crow; prep arms like LHPs Tyler Matzek, Matt Purke and RHP Shelby Miller; and perhaps SS Grant Green, whom the Mariners have seen on several occasions this spring.

Check out this great interview on Fantasy Focus Baseball with ESPN’s Keith Law…

He touches on a number of important topics for Nats fans, including Strasburg’s ability and the #10th overall pick.  Because the 9a is unprotected, he believes the Nats will draft a safe pick who they know will absolutely sign.  He mentions Rich Poythress, a 1b from Georgia, and Mike Minor, a LHP from Vanderbilt as guys that could be a fit and would likely sign at or below slot.

Interesting stuff as we countdown to June…

Time to open up the checkbook, Mr. Lerner. Congrats Nats fans. Finally, something to be happy about this season.

AP Photo: Elaine Thompson

Something quick for you despite my break from baseball:

Eric at Baseball Digest Daily Live, a podcast that airs from 12-1 EST  on Saturdays, informed us that his guest this week is Aaron Crow.  Crow will join in at 12:30.  Check it out to get his side on the failed negotiations.

The link is BlogTalkRadio.com/BaseballDigestDaily.

For a brief moment, I have some internet access, so here goes.

It’s been reported that Crow and the Nats were between 700,000 and 900,000 apart in the final minutes and that the Nats offered Crow a major league contract.  To not sign your number one draft pick over less than a million seems pretty ridiculous.

It gets even crazier when you wasted 5 million on Lo Duca and another couple million on Estrada, Mackowiak and King.  Bowden was allowed to waste a lot of money this year but when it came down to the critical deadline, he couldn’t get the organization to offer up 4 million for a top pitcher.

I can see some of the blame being placed on Crow and his agents, but if they made those demands pretty clear from the beginning, you have to ask yourself why Jim Bowden drafted him to begin with.  We had other choices.  We picked Crow, a reflection of the GM’s arrogance that he is invincible.  He can sign a McGeary at the last minute.  He can give a second chance to an overweight Comeback Player of the Year and even turn a troubled outfielder’s life around.  He can make the impossible happen, or so he thinks.  But not this time.

So we get the two picks in the top ten next year.  I’m sure Steven Strasburg will come cheap and all since he’s part of the Boras team.  I just see no guarantee that we’ll lock up one or both of the guys we get next year if money held us back right now.  Surely money will hold us back again.  A year of development wasted.  Twenty eight other teams got their top guy.   We didn’t.

For a team that talks only about investing in a farm system and ignoring top dollar free agents, this screams of hypocrisy.  It’s a frustrating blow to Nats fans who want so badly to think about a brighter future.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but knowing how close the two sides came within an agreement really upsets me.   With all the time and effort spent in researching and preparing for the draft, one would hope and expect that Bowden knew what kind of demands Crow would make.  How could we get this so wrong?

Should we? Will we? Did we?

The news that Aaron Crow signed with the Fort Worth Cats was a bit surprising.

“We wouldn’t have had him sign with the Cats if we thought he was going to sign with the Nationals,” Hendricks said. “The last I talked with Jim Bowden, he didn’t think there was anything more to talk about. I didn’t disagree.”

After talking to Dave last night about this, I think I’m going to ease up on the Front Office when it comes to Crow.  Reports were that Crow was looking for $8-10 million and a major league contract.  The team still has until Friday night to complete the deal.  The major league contract is and should be a huge roadblock in negotiations.  Having signed nine of the top ten, I’m okay with letting Crow walk.  I think I am anyway.  I’d still love to see him sign, but I guess I’m prepared for it if they don’t.

And with last night’s brutal shutout, we’re one step closer to landing Strasburg next year, a Boras client who will also come at a high price.  Yesterday, the future Nat tossed 7 scoreless innings and didn’t give up a hit until the 7th in a gem against the Netherlands for Team USA.

Now, this is more like it. With these two signed, the Nats have the rest of the week to work out a deal with first rounder Aaron Crow.

From the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with shortstop Daniel Espinosa and left-handed pitcher Graham Hicks, their third and fourth-round selections in this year’s First-Year Player Draft. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden, Vice President of Baseball Operations and Assistant General Manager Mike Rizzo, and Director of Scouting Dana Brown made this joint announcement.

The 21-year-old Espinosa is a plus defensive infielder who hit .309 with 13 doubles, six triples, four home runs and 37 RBI as a junior this season at Long Beach State (CA), while compiling a .392 on-base percentage and earning an honorable mention nod on the Easton Big West All-Conference Team. Prior to his junior campaign, Espinosa was the starting shortstop and won a silver medal for Team USA in the 2007 Pan American Games.

A two-time All-Big West honoree, he was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year after batting .281 with 19 extra-base hits, 31 runs scored and 23 RBI as a college rookie. He batted .319 with a team-best seven home runs, 44 runs scored, 13 doubles, four triples and 40 RBI as a sophomore. The switch hitter graduated from Mater Dei High School (CA), where he lettered all four years and was twice recognized as an All-League selection. As a high school junior, he was a starter and batted .483 for the 2003 US Youth National Team that won a gold medal in Taiwan.

Hicks, 18, is coming off a spectacular career at George Jenkins High School (FL), which included a 15-2 record and 0.41 ERA with 155 strikeouts in 119.0 innings over his final two seasons. The 6-foot-5 southpaw dominated his competition as a senior, going 8-1 with a 0.24 ERA and earning a spot as a FACA Senior All-Star. He received an All-State honorable mention as a junior, compiling a 9-1 mark with a 0.53 ERA en route to a district title. Hicks led his AAU team to a 2007 national championship in the World Wood Bat Association’s 18-and-under division.