Nationals Agree to Terms with Destin Hood

[NFA Brian]

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with outfielder Destin Hood, the club’s second-round selection in this year’s First-Year Player Draft. Hood will be assigned to the Nationals’ Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, FL. 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.

Hood, 18, was a two-sport standout for St. Paul’s Episcopal High School in Mobile, AL. This year, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder batted .485 with 19 extra-base hits, eight home runs, 32 RBI and 17 stolen bases while leading his team to the 5A state semifinals and earning a spot on the USA Today All-USA High School Baseball Team. Hood was recognized as the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s 5A Player of the Year, and was named the High School Baseball Player of the Year by the Mobile Press-Register. He was a 2008 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American, after batting .517 with seven home runs, 36 RBI and 43 stolen bases as a junior. His impressive junior campaign earned him AFLAC All-American honors and a spot in the AFLAC All-American Home Run Derby, which he won with eight homers.

This season on the gridiron, Hood caught 56 passes for 995 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to Alabama’s 5A State Championship. A starter at wide receiver and defensive back, he was named First-Team All-State by The Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register and the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Hood, who attended the same high school as San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, had signed a letter of intent to play both baseball and football at the University of Alabama

[PANatsFan]

Hell YES! 

Nod to saltydad for the expression through smiley motif

[Obed_Marsh]

Thank the gods. Now the whining about unsigned picks will pause for a couple days. 

[JMUalumni]

YESSS! 

I knew he would sign (just didn't expect him to be the first), thanks for the heads up Brian.  Now that we have gotten 1 of the top 5, hopefully the dominos will start to fall.  Or maybe the front office was just trying to throw the fans a bone.  Either way, I am really glad we got Hood signed, I have enjoyed reading about him and he has a real high ceiling.  Let us hope he lives up to it.

I say Hicks is the next to sign, then Crow.  It doesn't look good for Nieto.  Espinosa will be last minute, if at all.

[PANatsFan]

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with outfielder Destin Hood, the club’s second-round selection in this year’s First-Year Player Draft. Hood will be assigned to the Nationals’ Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, FL. 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.

Hood, 18, was a two-sport standout for St. Paul’s Episcopal High School in Mobile, AL. This year, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder batted .485 with 19 extra-base hits, eight home runs, 32 RBI and 17 stolen bases while leading his team to the 5A state semifinals and earning a spot on the USA Today All-USA High School Baseball Team. Hood was recognized as the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s 5A Player of the Year, and was named the High School Baseball Player of the Year by the Mobile Press-Register. He was a 2008 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American, after batting .517 with seven home runs, 36 RBI and 43 stolen bases as a junior. His impressive junior campaign earned him AFLAC All-American honors and a spot in the AFLAC All-American Home Run Derby, which he won with eight homers.

This season on the gridiron, Hood caught 56 passes for 995 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to Alabama’s 5A State Championship. A starter at wide receiver and defensive back, he was named First-Team All-State by The Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register and the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Hood, who attended the same high school as San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, had signed a letter of intent to play both baseball and football at the University of Alabama

Brian, you are a human RSS feed much obliged

[hammondsnats]

I was just aboot to post this hell yeah!!!  In my opinion signing Hood and Crow were the top two priorities.  

[spidernat]

Thank the gods. Now the whining about unsigned picks will pause for a couple days. 

This is excellent news. I believe he was the one most doubted would be signed at all. Like someone else said, maybe this will help along the other signings.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

[GMUTrkstar]

According to baseball sources outside the Nationals organization, Hood will make a total of $1.1 million in the next five years. The money is considered under the baseball slotting system when it comes to second-round picks.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080717&content_id=3143946&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was

Big move and I'm not sure if its above slot or not? I know it's about the same amount of money Burgess and Smoker got last year and they we're in the sandwich round; But the slots did go up this year so maybe it was.

[JMUalumni]

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080717&content_id=3143946&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was

Big move and I'm not sure if its above slot or not? I know it's about the same amount of money Burgess and Smoker got last year and they we're in the sandwich round; But the slots did go up this year so maybe it was.

Hmmm, they may be referring to his salary.  His signing bonus may be another issue, his slot for the bonus should be between $700,000 - $750,000

[GMUTrkstar]

Yeah Positively Half St. Had this to say at www.farmauthority.dcsportsnet.com

Marcus, very interesting, thanks.

I don’t recall 5-year contracts in the draft before. What does that mean for his bonus? Did the team simply get creative, giving him a chance to claim 1st round money while not really destroying slot?

Hopefully he will be in the bigs before 5 years, and then he will increase that yearly salary by making the big-league minimum.

Seems like the FO got creative with this contract .

[daggerrrrrr]

Well what do you know, they signed hood. I have been waiting forever for this signing and now I can chill for a little bit and then turn my attention to Graham hicks and after that Espinosa, and when he's done the two really hard players to sign Crow & Nieto.

[JMUalumni]

Yeah Positively Half St. Had this to say at www.farmauthority.dcsportsnet.com

Seems like the FO got creative with this contract .

Of course, I found a good explanation on NFA for the contract, he is always on top of things over there  :

MLB allows some wiggle room for two (or more) sport athletes when it comes to bonuses. They allow the teams to spread the bonus out over multiple years, accomplishing a couple of things. First, the player gets a larger bonus than the slot system recommends for where he is drafted. Second, it allows teams to stay within the slotting system by spreading a larger bonus out over multiple years. The Rays did a similar thing with the contract for #1 over all pick Tim Beckham. The reasoning is to allow MLB teams “steal” other sports athletes.

[PANatsFan]

Of course, I found a good explanation on NFA for the contract, he is always on top of things over there  :

Given this bonus and the far lower possibility of injury in baseball, this was a no-brainer for Hood. He can always use the cash to go to college at 23 if he doesn't pan out, and who knows if he ever would have been drafted in football?

[NFA Brian]

@PANatsFan - For the most part, teams will also compensate the HS draft picks for the value of their scholarship which is not part of the bonus.

[PANatsFan]

@PANatsFan - For the most part, teams will also compensate the HS draft picks for the value of their scholarship which is not part of the bonus.

Did not know that. Thanks!

[Air Zimmerman]

now we've got two freak two sport athletes! Dukes & Hood 

[Obed_Marsh]

now we've got two freak two sport athletes! Dukes & Hood 

Fluffer: The next generation.

[sportsfan882]

YESSS! 

I knew he would sign (just didn't expect him to be the first), thanks for the heads up Brian.  Now that we have gotten 1 of the top 5, hopefully the dominos will start to fall.  Or maybe the front office was just trying to throw the fans a bone.  Either way, I am really glad we got Hood signed, I have enjoyed reading about him and he has a real high ceiling.  Let us hope he lives up to it.

I say Hicks is the next to sign, then Crow.  It doesn't look good for Nieto.  Espinosa will be last minute, if at all.

Awesome News.

Why wouldn't Espinosa sign? That doesn't make much sense.

[JMUalumni]

Awesome News.

Why wouldn't Espinosa sign? That doesn't make much sense.

Not saying that is it is the more probable situation, just saying that there is definitely a chance.  Boras is the agent and there is always a chance that he could return to Long Beach State.  With that said, I think he will sign at the deadline like I indicated.

Danny Espinosa (Nationals) and Andrew Liebel (Blue Jays) remain unsigned after being high draft picks in the June draft. Money, naturally, is the issue. Espinosa could return to play in 2009 but that's unlikely. Weaver waited almost a full year before signing, and they share the same agent, Scott Boras.

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_9823469

[wisefan11]

Is the nickname of Long Beach State really the Dirtbags?! I felt like I was reading the Onion right there.

[ronnynat]

Very nice! I really didn't expect him to sign.

[JMUalumni]

Here is more from the Nats Journal on the Hood signing.  The amount of money they ended up giving him seems to be fine as in reality we was considered first round talent.  He dropped because of the scholarship and as Brian has pointed out above, they had to include some extra money to compensate for that:

Hey fellas, I've just emerged from a writing bubble that produced the story you'll see in tomorrow's paper. You'll also get the news story on Hood, which I pasted below (if you're interested in the full details.) Hood is getting a $1.1 million bonus spread over five years. A team source says that's equivalent to $890,000 given to a player upfront, but either way, Hood is getting above-slot money.

A little breakdown...

* MLB recommends that a No. 55 pick receives roughly $725,000 in bonus money.

* $1.1 million is about equivalent to the slot money given to a late first-rounder.

* Hood's bonus is the largest given so far to any second-rounder.

* Last year's No. 55 pick, Nick Hagadone (BOS) was a supplemental first-rounder who signed for slot money, $571,500. (So yeah, bonuses are up.)

* In 2006, the No. 55 pick, Brett Anderson (ARI) signed for $950,000, well over slot, the second-highest in the round.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/

[daveb32]

Anyone know when he'll be reporting to the GCL?

[hammondsnats]

Anyone know when he'll be reporting to the GCL?

My guess is within a week or two.  Since he was going to go to Bama for football I'm sure he's in excellent condition/shape.  I'm sure they'll give him a couple days @ the Viera complex to get some swings in and situational games and then throw him into the fire. 

He sounds like a very solid get.  I was impressed in his interview a few weeks back on the Nats broadcast.  Baseball America had him as a top 50 draft pick (if i recall correctly) and raved about his power potential.  Sounds like a decent 2, 3, 5 or 6 hitter sandwiched around Zimmerman/Burgess/Marrero (with dukes and milledge early in line-up).