Stephen Strasburg and Nationals, other 1st-round picks go down to signing deadline

Strasburg, other 1st-round picks go to deadline

NEW YORK — Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals went down to the final hours before the deadline for teams to sign draft picks, one of 11 first-round picks without agreements.

The San Diego State right-hander, being advised by Scott Boras, was selected first by the last-place Nationals in June and was seeking to set the mark for the most money guaranteed to a drafted player. That’s been held since 2001 by pitcher Mark Prior, who received a $10.5 million, five-year contract after he was selected with the second pick, behind Joe Mauer.

Nationals president Stan Kasten said Saturday it was possible the Nationals wouldn’t sign the hard-throwing pitcher, who would then become eligible for next June’s draft. Washington, in turn, would receive an additional first-round pick next June, right after the No. 1 pick’s selection.

In the days leading to the deadline, Boras complained that baseball’s rules are far more restrictive for U.S. high school and college players than they are for prospects who reside outside the United States and are free agents.

“International players are getting million of dollars without being proven major leaguers, and the only people that are being deprived in this are American born,” he said. “If you were born in America, you are paralyzed dramatically because the talent born somewhere else would be worth dramatically more. And that system is not something that football is offering or basketball, and it’s patently unfair. And it drives the great athletes away from our sport.”

Sixteen of the 32 first-round picks were without announced agreements entering Monday, and Boras represented six of the unsigned, including the second, third, ninth, 13th and 30th selections.

In addition to Strasburg, he was attempting to negotiate deals for Dustin Ackley (a North Carolina center fielder taken by No. 2 Seattle), Donavan Tate (a center fielder from Cartersville High School in Georgia selected No. 3 by San Diego), Jacob Turner (a right-hander from Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri taken by No. 9 Detroit), Grant Green (a Southern Cal shortstop drafted No. 13 by Oakland) and LeVon Washington (a second baseman from Buchholz High School in Florida taken by Tampa Bay).

San Diego announced an agreement with Tate less than two hours before the deadline, a deal worth about $6.25 million. He had planned to play football and baseball at North Carolina.

Tampa Bay said it didn’t think it would agree with Washington.

“We are disappointed that LeVon has chosen not to sign with the Rays. We offered him a bonus consistent with late first-round picks,” Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “Immediately following the draft, he seemed eager to sign but it has not materialized. We wish LeVon great success with his baseball career.”

With less than 30 minutes left, only three other deals had been announced Monday for first-round picks. Cincinnati and Arizona State right-hander Mike Leake, the No. 8 pick, agreed at $2.27 million. Florida settled at $1.7 million with Chad James, a left-hander from Yukon High School in Oklahoma selected with the 18th pick. St. Louis agreed at $2,875,000 with Shelby Miller, a right-hander from Brownwood High School in Texas taken with the 19th pick.

In addition, the New York Yankees were close to agreement at $2.2 million with Slade Heathcott, a center fielder from Texas High School in Texarkana.

Right-hander Aaron Crow, selected 12th by Kansas City, was not subject to the deadline because he exhausted his college eligibility. He was among just two first-round picks who failed to sign last year, when he was drafted ninth by the Nationals. Right-hander Gerrit Cole, taken by the Yankees with the 28th pick in 2008, decided to attend UCLA.