Author Topic: The Bryce Harper Watch  (Read 186646 times)

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Offline GMUTrkstar

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Re: The Bryce Harper Watch
« Reply #200: April 20, 2010, 07:42:05 PM »
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2010/269843.html

Quote
There are reports that the Nationals have settled on CC of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper as the No. 1 overall pick. (Though there are also reports that the decision isn't finalized.) My question is, what differences will there be negotiating with him as compared to Stephen Strasburg? He has much more leverage than Strasburg did, but will he command anywhere near as much money as a result? Why hasn't the Boras Corp. weighed in on him yet?

J.P. Schwartz
Springfield, Ill.
I saw the conflicting reports as well. It's fair to say that Harper has firmly established himself as the best prospect in the 2010 draft, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Nationals have determined that he's their leading contender for the No. 1 overall choice. But this far in advance of the draft, nothing is finalized.

A year after smashing previous draft records with the bonus ($7.5 million) and contract ($15.1 million) they gave 2009 No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, Washington faces another potential eight-figure deal if it takes Strasburg. While Strasburg was a better prospect than Harper, Harper holds much more leverage. Strasburg would have been at a disadvantage had he re-entered the 2010 draft as a college senior or independent leaguer at age 22. Harper, however, is just 17 and would be eligible for the next three drafts if he were to return to CCSN for his sophomore year.

In some ways, Strasburg was a prisoner of his considerable talent. He was so good that he was going to get offered too much money to turn down, and all he could really do if he re-entered the draft would be to maintain his value, not enhance it. I think Harper faces the same situation. He could prove himself at a higher level were he to transfer to a four-year college in a strong conference for 2010, but he also would assume a lot of risk as well.

In the end, I believe that Harper will sign shortly before the Aug. 16 deadline, for a little less than what Strasburg got, somewhere between $10 million and $12 million. That would eclipse the highest guarantee ever given to a drafted hitter, the $9.5 million Mark Teixeira received from the Rangers in 2001.

The Boras Corp. usually doesn't make public proclamations about their advisees' price tags. Instead, those numbers seem to somehow magically appear as we get closer to the draft.