It took until the eleventh hour for the Washington Nationals to sign Stephen Strasburg, the best pitching prospect in years, to a contract in 2009.
Now one year later, the team is in the exact same situation with Bryce Harper, the best hitting prospect in recent memory.
Harper, featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 16, got his GED after his sophomore year of high school and proceeded to hit .443 with an insane .987 slugging percentage at the College of Southern Nevada this past season — with wooden bats. He also hit 31 home runs in 66 games, and is just 17 years old.
The most expensive 17-year-old of all time until now was Justin Upton, who received a $6.1 signing bonus in 2005 and was the youngest player in baseball in 2007 at age 19..
When asked about Harper's decision, Strasburg had this to say:
"If he wants to play here, he's going to play here," he told USA Today. "He doesn't need advice from anybody convince him otherwise. If he doesn't want to play here, then we don't want him here."
While Strasburg was an absolute "sure thing" out of college, posting no-hitters with 20-plus strikeouts and sporting a mature arm, Harper is more of a gamble — and thus maybe a tougher guy to sign.
To get Harper, the Nationals are likely going to have to beat Upton's record deal, but if they do, it would be a curious decision on Harper's part not to sign.
In 2008, the Nationals were unable to sign ninth-overall pick Aaron Crow. The decision may not have worked out for Crow — he's currently on the Royals' Single-A club at age 23 — but it has also made the Nationals determined to never let it happen again.
They'll likely go to great lengths to get Harper in the fold.
Sometimes, holdouts or protracted negotiations make sense for players but Harper's case doesn't fall into that category. The Nationals now are a decent team with a growing fan base and optimism for the future, and it would be a mistake for Harper not to sign. Choosing not to be a millionaire at 17 and getting to play alongside the best pitcher of the next generation doesn't seem to make sense.
