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.

No excuses.  We’ve been slacking off a little this week, trying to catch up on our interviews with women in the baseball world and live our lives.  We’ll try to do better this week.  By the way, Happy Birthday Stephanie! 

There’s lots of good stuff in store this week - a home series with the Mets followed by a series with the Rockies.  We’ll see Johan Santana on Tuesday and probably ex-Nat Livan Hernandez before the weekend’s over.  Tuesday is T-Shirt Tuesday, featuring the “Run, Teddy, Run!” slogan.   Thursday is Ladies’ Night - tickets are available here.  Friday is Miller Lite Party Night - including fireworks after the game.  Of course, Friday is also the deadline for signing draft picks.  As of now, three of the top five — Aaron Crow (RHP), Daniel Espinosa (SS) and Graham Hicks (LHP) – are still unsigned.

On Wednesday, Saul Rivera and Wil Nieves will be talking to kids about healthy lifestyles and the importance of avoiding performance enhancing drugs at an event at Nationals Park.  PLAY, which stands for Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth, is a public awareness campaign of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS), in conjunction with the Taylor Hooton Foundation (www.TaylorHooton.org) and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (www.RipkenFoundation.org).  The PLAY campaign promotes healthy living and decision making among children in America.  Each participant will receive a PLAY “Pledge Card” to sign along with the Nationals player(s) promising to remain active, make healthy decisions and avoid performance enhancing drugs.

Saturday is the 4th Annual “Save a Life Saturday.”  On Saturday, appointments to give blood at Nationals Park are available from 8 am to 2 pm.  Participants will receive 2 free tickets to a September Nats home game and a visit by Nationals players.  Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule your appointment.  After Saturday’s game, fans can stay at the park to watch “A League of Their Own.”

Congrats to the Nationals on signing fifth round selection Adrian Nieto. Nieto was considered unsignable by many, so the news is a welcome surprise. Great work by Nationals Farm Authority on tipping his readers off to this earlier this weekend. Chico Harlan reports that Nieto signed for 376K, double the slot recommendation.

From the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with catcher Adrian Nieto, the club’s fifth-round selection in this year’s First-Year Player Draft. He is slated to report to the Nationals’ Gulf Coast League affiliate on Tuesday. 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 18-year-old is considered to have one of the best bats among catching prospects selected in this season’s Draft. Nieto led his high school to a state championship as a senior, batting .372 with 16 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBI for American Heritage High School (FL). The switch hitter compiled a .361 batting average with four homers and 17 RBI during an injury-plagued junior campaign, earning him spots in the AFLAC All-American Classic and USA Baseball Tournament of Stars. He entered the national spotlight after hitting .381 with four home runs and 27 RBI during a breakout sophomore season, when he was cited as an AFLAC All-American and was named All-County and Third-Team All-State.

Yesterday, the Washington Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Aaron Crow (first round/ninth overall), outfielder Destin Hood (second round), shortstop Daniel Espinosa (third round), left-handed pitcher Graham Hicks (fourth round), catcher Adrian Nieto (fifth round) and right-handed pitcher Paul Demny (sixth round) in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft.  For analysis and more information about today’s rounds - see Nats Farm Authority.

From the organization:
        

Crow, 21, was rated the No. 2 pitching prospect (No. 5 overall) and was recognized as the college prospect with the “Best Fastball” in this year’s Draft by Baseball America. He went 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 15 starts this season en route to being named a Golden Spikes Award finalist, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and a Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior at the University of Missouri tossed four shutouts and struck out 127 batters with just 38 bases on balls in 107.1 innings. His school-record 13 wins led all NCAA pitchers, and his 127 strikeouts were sixth-most in the nation. Crow was a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Roger Clemens Award this season, and at one point worked 43.0 consecutive scoreless innings, the fourth-longest such streak in NCAA history.

Hood, 18, is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder with athleticism, a smooth swing, and raw power. A right-handed batter, he hit .500 with 19 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, and 34 RBI for St. Paul’s Episcopal High School (AL). He is a two-sport star, who excelled at both baseball and football (wide receiver) in high school.

Espinosa, 21, is a slick-fielding shortstop from Long Beach State (CA). The 6-foot, 185-pounder hit .309 with 13 doubles, six triples, four home runs and 37 RBI as a junior this season, while compiling a .392 on-base percentage. A switch hitter, he graduated from Mater Dei High School (CA), where he was a member of the 2003 U.S. Youth National Team that won a gold medal in Taiwan.

Hicks, 18, is a 6-foot-5, 170-pound left-handed pitcher, who had a solid career at George Jenkins High School (FL). He dominated his competition as a senior, going 8-1 with a 0.24 ERA, striking out 81 batters in 59.0 innings. He went 9-1 with a 0.53 ERA en route to a district title as a junior.

Nieto, 18, was considered one of the top prep catching prospects in the Draft. The 6-foot, 205-pound receiver batted .372 with 16 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBI this season for American Heritage High School (FL). He’s a switch hitter who led his team to a state championship this year, along with teammate Eric Hosmer, who was selected by the Royals in the first round (third overall) of the Draft.

Demny, 18, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound hurler with a mid-90s fastball, who went 2-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 14 games at Blinn College (TX). He recorded 53 strikeouts in 51.1 innings this season as a freshman.

Directly from the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals today selected University of Missouri right-handed pitcher Aaron Crow in the first round (ninth overall) of Major League Baseball’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.

Crow, 21, was rated the No. 2 pitching prospect (No. 5 overall) and was recognized as the college prospect with the “Best Fastball” in this year’s Draft by Baseball America. He went 13-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 15 starts this season en route to being named a Golden Spikes Award finalist, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and a Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior at the University of Missouri tossed four shutouts and struck out 127 batters with just 38 bases on balls in 107.1 innings. His school-record 13 wins led all NCAA pitchers, and his 127 strikeouts were sixth-most in the nation. Crow was a semi-finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Roger Clemens Award this season, and at one point worked 43.0 consecutive scoreless innings, the fourth-longest such streak in NCAA history.

“Aaron Crow is a potential top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, who has three solid pitches — including a mid-90s fastball, a quality slider and a changeup — and has exceptional command,” Bowden said. “I give credit to Mike Rizzo, Dana Brown, Bob Boone and our entire scouting staff for once again securing such a remarkable talent with the ninth overall pick in the Draft.”

Over his three seasons at Mizzou, Crow compiled a 23-8 record with a 3.27 ERA in 52 games (46 starts). The right-hander had a breakout season as a sophomore last year, earning the “Friday Night Starter” tag and leading his club with nine wins, 90 strikeouts, 117.2 innings pitched and a school-record 18 starts. He went 9-4 with a 3.59 ERA and was a First-Team All-Big 12 Conference selection. He participated in the Cape Cod League following his sophomore season and was recognized as its top prospect by Baseball America, after leading the circuit with a 0.67 ERA.

“Aaron could develop into the top pitcher chosen in this year’s Draft,” Rizzo said. “He has poise, confidence and exceptional talent, to go along with his work-horse mentality. He’s a young pitcher who has the potential to log a lot of innings and win a lot of games for the Nationals.”

This year marks just the second time in modern Draft history (1965-present) that the second pitcher selected was taken after the first eight picks. The other occurrence was during the 1973 Draft, when left-handed pitcher David Clyde went first overall to the Rangers and right-handed pitcher Lew Olsen was selected ninth by the Royals.

“He is an aggressive pitcher, who isn’t afraid to go after hitters,” Brown said. “Aaron has a confident demeanor. He is mature beyond his years, and has all the tools to be successful at the top of a major league rotation.”    

Crow was born in Topeka (KS), where he attended Washington Rural High School. He went 4-2 with 53 strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA as a senior, earning All-State and All-Centennial League honors. He is a business major at the University of Missouri. 

The Washington Nationals held a press conference at 4:00 PM to introduce Ross Detwiler. The LHP signed after a brief introduction. He was the third ranked pitcher and the 6th overall ranked player in this year’s draft.

Don Sutton and Bob Carpenter briefly discussed their thoughts before the press conference, emphasizing his 90-95 fastball and “back-breaking” curveball. Everyone seems to be in agreement that we’ll be seeing Ross in the Major League very soon.

Carpenter and Sutton added that his playing time for Team USA and in the Cape Cod League have prepared him well for the MLB.

General Manager Jim Bowden and Director of Scouting, Dana Brown briefly welcomed Detwiler before he signed. Detwiler said that it was an honor to play with the Nationals.

Next, Bowden introduced Ryan Zimmerman whose, “How are ya?” elicited laughter from the room. Ryan stressed to Ross that the Washington Nationals are going to be good, “a lot sooner than the people in this room think.”

Chad Cordero then Congratulated Ross and told him to work hard and remember that it is an honor to play in the nation’s capitol.

Ross took a few questions, with help from Zimmerman and Cordero before putting on his jersey. Zimmerman assured the media that they are far more terrifying than anything Ross will encounter on the field.

Welcome to the Nationals, Ross!

Check out Zimmerman’s weekly column in the Examiner for an interesting story about his own draft experience and the difference between being drafted out of high school or college.

I wasn’t as strong and physical as everyone yet, which is why I wasn’t drafted. So I needed my three years in college to grow up, get stronger and grow into my body. I felt kind of goofy, with big feet on this little kid.

He also discusses how difficult it is for a young guy out of high school to learn to manage money.

Money is a big issue, but I think it’s easier to handle the money these days than it was 20 years ago because you have so many people to help you. Before, you’d hear about people who were drafted and two years later all of their money is gone. But if you pick a good person to help you, it’s hard to blow it all. I know if I came out at 17 and signed a $3 million contract I would probably buy stupid things, too. I buy them now.

We’re glad he waited a few years and became the first ever first round pick of the Washington Nationals.