Let the contract talks begin

The adjectives that have surrounded San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg over the past 12 months are plentiful — cliched, of course — but based on his collegiate career, seem to be well deserved. The Nationals selecting him with the first pick overall has been a foregone conclusion for months.

Signing him quickly may be another story, though. One has to wonder how much dialogue has already taken place. When you’ve got the first pick overall — and you can’t trade picks in baseball like you can in the other sports, something that would make draft day a lot more interesting — what’s to prevent you from working out a few preliminary details with the player’s “advisor,” in this case, Scott Boras, someone the club already has a good relationship with? I’m not guaranteeing they’ll sign Strasburg quickly, but it wouldn’t shock me if they beat the August 15 deadline.

The Nats snared a potential long-term closer with the 10th pick in the first round, righty Drew Storen out of Stanford. The Cardinal have turned out a number of big league arms over the years and Storen has a solid pedigree. GM Mike Rizzo calls him a “quick-to-the-big-leagues” guy. How quick? Well, it’s not as if there’s anyone in his way on the current big league roster. Storen was a Freshman All-American in 2008, first team All-PAC 10, and dominated again this spring, allowing only a .182 batting average against right-handed hitters and .210 overall.

Over his two seasons at Stanford, Storen went 12-4 with 15 saves. He chalked up 116 strikeouts in 99 innings with 23 walks, a solid 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

I thought the Nats might seek a position player, perhaps a middle infielder, with that 10th pick, but a closer is a more pressing need, and they’ve taken this tact before. In 2003 (as the Expos) they took closer Chad Cordero with their first round pick — the 20th overall pick — out of Cal State-Fullerton, and he was in the big leagues about a month after signing his name. Storen could be on a similar fast track to South Capitol Street.

Last year’s first pick — right-hander Aaron Crow — dropped a couple of positions this year, taken with the 12th pick by the Kansas City Royals. Crow has little-to-no leverage this time around; it’s difficult to imagine he’s that interested in continuing his career with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association. It’s harder to imagine the Royals will feel any obligation to offer him more than the Nats did a year ago.

This year’s draft represents a turning point for the Washington franchise. Most scouts I spoke with said this year’s crop was Strasburg first — and everyone else second. His potential — and let’s be completely up front about this, it’s all potential right now, nothing more — has the highest of ceilings. The Nats most vocal critics used last year’s Crow fiasco as proof positive the club was inept on every level of their management — nevermind that in 2007 they spent more on the draft than any other ballclub. The “piling on” by legitimate journalists — as well as by any anonymous kook with a keyboard — has been relentless, despite recent history showing that quick turnarounds are more common than you might think.

It’s far too soon to assign a letter grade to the Nats’ first round picks this year. Ask me again in 2012.

Phil Wood is a contributor to Nats Xtra on MASN. Contact him at [email protected].