Bryce Harper

Nationals Have Decided Who To Draft First Overall

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 25, 2010 at 7:42pm CDT

The Nationals have decided who they will draft with the first overall pick in next month's draft, GM Mike Rizzo told Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington (Twitter link). It would be a shock if the team drafted somebody other than Bryce Harper, though Rizzo didn't say who the club plans to select.

Harper, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old last year, has lived up to the hype. He hit four homers, a triple and a double in one game last weekend and ESPN.com's Keith Law says there's no argument for taking anyone else. The Nationals, who say they have no concerns about Harper's character, were still considering a handful of players earlier in the month.

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Resop, Trembley, Harper

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 24, 2010 at 9:40pm CDT

Links for Monday, as Edwin Encarnacion and the Blue Jays swing away in Anaheim…

Michael Young told MLB.com's Chris Cox that he was relieved to hear that the Rangers' sale won't affect the team's regular spending.
As MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan explains, the Rangers' sale will go before a judge to speed up the process. In the meantime, the Rangers should be able to spend normally.
The Rangers probably won't be drafting players who demand over-slot money this year, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
Jon Paul Morosi expects Chris Resop, who has a June 15th opt-out clause, to be in the majors within a couple weeks (Twitter link). The Braves could trade him or call him up.
Dave Trembley is still the Orioles' manager after today's meeting with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
Bryce Harper keeps making the Nationals' decision easier. The 2010 draft prospect slugged four homers, a triple and a double in one game over the weekend, writes John Manuel of Baseball America.
In a mock draft for ESPN.com, Keith Law has the Harper going first overall to the Nationals, because "there's no argument left for taking anyone else."
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo shows that the D'Backs and A's have drafted many major league contributors this past decade.
The Koji Uehara signing was a regrettable but not unforgivable move by the Orioles, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
Former Astros manager Phil Garner told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he thinks Roy Oswalt would prefer to play near his Mississippi home. Garner, who hasn't spoken to Oswalt in three years, believes Brad Ausmus and Jake Peavy could draw Oswalt to the Dodgers and White Sox, respectively.

Odds & Ends: Kearns, Lowell, Dye, Strasburg

By Tim Dierkes | May 18, 2010 at 9:30pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, as Hanley Ramirez digs himself into an even bigger hole after last night's jog…

R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs examines Austin Kearns' resurgent season and says it's possible that the outfielder appears in trade rumors this summer. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see the Indians shop Kearns.
FOX Sports Arizona profiled agent Jonathan Maurer, who represents Brandon Webb, among others.
Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post has a profile of top amateur Bryce Harper that's well worth reading. Baseball America's Nathan Rode chatted with Harper and found that the prospect loves to catch and play the outfield.
Mike Lowell doesn't see a role for himself on the Red Sox and wonders if the team would be better off without him, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). Lowell explained his frustration to Rob Bradford of WEEI earlier today.
I joined Jeff & Jeff on KFNS St. Louis earlier today; click here to listen.
Jeff Fletcher of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link) talked to Eric Chavez, who said Jermaine Dye is "at peace being at home" and is not working out. This counters a quote from Dye's agent Bob Bry from May 11th, when Bry said Dye "continues to work out every morning and hits most days and is still waiting for an opportunity with a team that has a chance to advance to the playoffs."
Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider wonders if Stephen Strasburg will make his big league debut June 4th against the Reds at Nationals Park. SI's Tom Verducci contrasts the Nats' careful handling of Strasburg to the Reds' approach with Mike Leake.
Jim Margalus of Sox Machine presents his guide to a White Sox fire sale.
AOL FanHouse's Steve Phillips explains the many responsibilities of a general manager.
David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News notes that "the possibility of Cliff Lee falling into the hands of a rival faction [of the Phillies] is something that, at the very least, is worth pondering."
Free agent lefty Brian Shouse hopes to continue his Major League career, writes Stan Morris of The Journal Star.

Odds & Ends: Scherzer, Lamb, LaRoche

By Zachary Links | May 15, 2010 at 8:59pm CDT

Saturday night linkage..

The Tigers announced tonight they've demoted Max Scherzer and Scott Sizemore to Triple A, with Armando Galarraga and Danny Worth getting the call. Both Scherzer and Edwin Jackson have disappointed since changing teams in December's big deal.
Hank Blalock comes to Tampa Bay determined to be a more well-rounded player, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Bill Chastain.
The Marlins could make a 40-man roster move soon to bring back Mike Lamb, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Lamb was designated for assignment last week and is currently in Triple A.
Despite Adam LaRoche's successful 2009 stint in Atlanta (.325/.401/.557 in 57 games), the Braves didn't approach him about returning, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Alan Schwarz of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at the likely first overall pick in next month's draft, Bryce Harper.
Nats manager Jim Riggleman says that the club will have to consider making a roster move with reliever Brian Bruney, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
Mets pitcher Oliver Perez won't accept a demotion to Triple-A if asked, tweets David Lennon of Newsday. Perez has been bumped out of the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen.
Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Eric Byrnes and Morgan Ensberg are making the most of life-after-baseball.
Brewers pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress will have to wait a little bit longer to return to the mound once he is reinstated, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Jeffress, the 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft, has tested positive for a "drug of abuse" on three separate occasions.

Nationals Considering ‘A Handful’ For Top Pick

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 14, 2010 at 3:26pm CDT

The Nationals are considering 'a handful' of players in preparation for the draft, GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Naturally Bryce Harper is one of the prospects the Nationals are watching, but they aren't committed to taking him.

"I wouldn't say we are leaning toward anybody." Rizzo said. "We are leaning toward a handful of people."

A baseball source told Ladson that the Nationals are also considering pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Jameson Taillon and shortstop Manny Machado. Some have questioned Harper's character, but Rizzo made it clear that he doesn't share those doubts.

"We have no problem with Bryce Harper's character," Rizzo said.

Harper has seemed like a likely selection for a while, but the Nationals have repeated that no decisions have been made, as much as they like Harper's ability and makeup.

Nationals Notes: Harper, Right Field, Daniel

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 10, 2010 at 5:30pm CDT

The draft is less than a month away and once again, the Nationals appear likely to select the nation's best-known amateur with the first overall pick. Here are the details on the team's draft strategy and a couple other Nats-related notes:

Former Nationals GM and current FOX Sports analyst Jim Bowden says Washington will take Bryce Harper with the first overall pick (Twitter link). Bowden believes the teenager's makeup is fine, even if he is a little immature. Last month the Nats said nothing was "etched in stone," but the club is monitoring Harper closely, at the very least.
Nats GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he feels good about the team's options in right field. 'We're going to find out what these players can do," Rizzo said in reference to Willie Harris, Roger Bernadina and Justin Maxwell. That means we shouldn't expect the Nats to sign Jermaine Dye or another free agent right fielder any time soon.
The Nationals released Mike Daniel, an outfielder chosen in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, according to MASN.com's Ben Goessling (via Twitter).
The Nationals need starting pitching, president Stan Kasten told MLB.com's Bill Ladson. As Kasten says, every team needs pitching and the Nats are no exception. Kasten chose not to predict when 2009 first rounders Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen will make their MLB debuts.

Nationals Not Considering Tim Chambers

By Mike Axisa | May 5, 2010 at 4:18pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 4:18pm: Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said the team is not considering Chambers for a scouting job, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

TUESDAY, 6:02pm: The Nationals are working to hire College of Southern Nevada coach Tim Chambers as a scout, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman. Chambers, of course, currently coaches Bryce Harper, who Washington is expected to take with the first overall pick in next month's draft.

Despite the connection to Harper, assistant GM Roy Clark insists that the hiring is unrelated, pointed out that he employed Chambers for a decade while he was with the Braves. Heyman mentions that many college coaches are employed by MLB teams as associate scouts, and that it's possible the Nats were impressed with Chambers during their many visits to see Harper.

Yesterday we heard that Harper and Scott Boras were expected to demand a contract in excess of Stephen Strasburg's $15.1MM deal, the all-time draft record. Nats' GM Mike Rizzo recently scouted Harper in person for the first time.

Odds & Ends: Harper, Escobar, Vazquez, Gordon

By Tim Dierkes | May 3, 2010 at 9:19pm CDT

Links for Monday, as Joe Blanton makes his 2010 debut…

Washington GM Mike Rizzo scouted Bryce Harper in person for the first time, and he and scouting director Kris Kline came away confident in Harper's makeup, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com takes an in-depth look at the Pirates' arms throughout the organization.
The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales writes that GM Ken Williams is exercising patience when it comes to trading, despite the White Sox' slow start.
Kelvim Escobar will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn capsule in the front of his right shoulder, tweets MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Escobar signed a one-year deal with the Mets this winter for $1.25MM.
Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues looks at the pitchers the Yankees were considering over Javier Vazquez, noting that they've all had concerns as well. The Yankees will delay Vazquez's sixth start until a week from today against the Tigers. John Harper of the New York Daily News wonders if the Yanks should ship Vazquez to the Mets.
Joe Posnanski questions the Royals' decision to demote Alex Gordon. Gordon will play left field and first base in the minors, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out the Tigers' collection of young talent.
Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times wonders what's happened to George Sherrill. The 33-year-old lefty has allowed 12 hits and 11 walks in nine innings so far. Given his $4.5MM salary this year, Sherrill is a prime candidate to be non-tendered after the season.
RotoAuthority notes that while Vazquez and Ben Sheets have been brutal so far, they could still have fantasy value this year.

Heyman On Harper, Werth, Rollins

By Tim Dierkes | May 3, 2010 at 2:05pm CDT

SI's Jon Heyman has word on Bryce Harper's expected demand after the 17-year-old catcher is drafted next month. Heyman says the Scott Boras advisee "will seek to break last year's record $15.67 million bonus set by Stephen Strasburg." It should be noted that in most places Strasburg's big league deal is reported as $15.1MM. That deal included a $7.5MM bonus. Back on April 20th, Baseball America's Jim Callis predicted Harper would sign for eight figures but less than Strasburg. For more on the largest contracts in draft history, check out Mike Axisa's recent post. On to Heyman's other rumors…

Heyman writes of pessimism that the Phillies can re-sign Jayson Werth.
Heyman adds that "People around baseball do expect the Phillies to make a huge effort to extend Jimmy Rollins beyond 2011, though there's no evidence there's any progress on that front." Perhaps as a sign of goodwill, the Phillies exercised Rollins' $8.5MM club option for 2011 in December of '09. Will the Phils give Rollins the Ryan Howard treatment, and extend him well before they need to?

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Chapman, Capps, Choo

By Tim Dierkes | April 29, 2010 at 8:18pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as Kelly Johnson and Paul Konerko jockey for the MLB home run lead…

Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas takes a look at what the Rangers could do with their roster once Ian Kinsler returns from the disabled list tomorrow.
Reds' GM Walt Jocketty said that the team doesn't have a timetable for Aroldis Chapman's arrival in the Majors, says John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders why the Pirates didn't retain Matt Capps in hopes that he'd rebuild value. Capps is generating attention as MLB's saves (and save opportunity) leader. The righty told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times it was a pretty close competition between the Cubs and Nationals for his services, once he was non-tendered.
Yahoo's Tim Brown profiles Shin-Soo Choo, who his agent Scott Boras feels "has a chance to be the best Pacific Rim player ever over the course of his career."
SI's Ann Killion writes about Barry Zito's apparent redemption. Zito is rocking a 1.32 ERA, an improved groundball rate, and an unsustainable .203 batting average on balls in play through four starts. If Zito can continue to keep the walks down, he could have his best year as a Giant. Of course, he flashed a similar walk rate in July and August of last year.
Matt Kemp's agent Dave Stewart discussed Ned Colletti's recent comments on ESPN's Mason & Ireland show, saying the public criticism "should never have happened."
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times notes that the Mariners made the right call in not signing Jarrod Washburn.
Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein does a mock draft of the first ten picks this year.
Mark Zuckerman talked to a high-ranking Nationals official who finds Goldstein's criticism of Bryce Harper's makeup "way overblown." Meanwhile, Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com spoke to Harper's college coach about those same makeup concerns.

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