Could we get Stephen Strasburg with the 5th pick?

[mark_beckens]

Strasburg will be another Prior IMO. His career will be done in 5 years...

He's thrown a crap load of pitches in college and has a mechanically flawed delivery.

That and he's a pitcher, you never take pitchers in the 1st round. You HAVE to always take the best college bat!

[jets4ever]

That and he's a pitcher, you never take pitchers in the 1st round. You HAVE to always take the best college bat!

Never? :eektf:

Not even Brian Matusz?

[brooksie05]

Strasburg=Matt Anderson

[ShoelesJoe]

Strasburg is so good he could be the second coming of Ben McDonald.

Pass, even if he makes it to #5, which he won't.

[Fairfax Bird]

Never? :eektf:

Not even Brian Matusz?

Especially Brian Matusz. It's just stupid to take a pitcher in the first round, too much risk.

[ShoelesJoe]

Also, think about it this way -- the reason Boras wants a fortune up front is because he knows there's less than an even chance Strasburg pitches long enough to hit the free agency jackpot.

[Mackus]

He'll go #1 and get about $12M.

[Leitch]

There's almost no way he falls to us unless he seriously demands like 20/600 from whoever drafts him, but I would totally take Strasburg. Injury risk be damned, he's just too good.

He's like the Mike Mussina of the 2010's, but with better stuff.

[bej6789]

How about this -- Yes, but not under the scenario you guys have envisioned.

This year? Hell no, he won't fall to #5. I don't think anyone believes that the Nats will not draft him -- it's the signing part that I have trouble imagining. 50 million to a pitcher seems like a pipedream considering they lost Aaron Crow due to a dispute over less than million. The Orioles won't get Strasburgh this year -- but if he doesn't sign, and the Orioles have a top 5 pick again next year.... I'll take those odds.

[24fps]

The premise of this poll seems to be based on Strasburg demanding and receiving $50 million to sign. If he and Boras hold fast to that demand, then I can quite easily see him dropping to 5th and well beyond.

So I voted possibly.

I don't think he'll actually receive more than 25% of that though, especially in this economy. If that turns out to be the case (and I think it will be clear long before the draft takes place), then I think the "Nationals have no choice" argument might have some merit.

[allstar1579]

Absolutely NO chance, and that was before he threw a no-no.

[delinodeshields]

He will not get 50 million. Its a made up number. He will get the most ever but not close to 50. The Nats will take him and will sign him.

[RShack]

If the Nationals don't draft him, they would actually become the Las Vegas Aces before the end of the day. Their former fans will run them completely out of town.

The Nationals literally HAVE to draft him. If they don't they'll literally have 1k fans a game next year. No joke.

Why does anybody think the "fanbase" gets upset about who a team drafts? Most of the fanbase doesn't follow that kind of stuff. Most fans have no idea who the various candidates are. The only time most folks are even aware of the draft is if the media makes a big deal about some kid getting a huge bonus. Yet, time after time, folks post that the "fanbase" will supposedly turn their back on a team unless the team conforms to the poster's opinions about the draft. You do realize that your personal opinion about who a team should draft has zero relation to whether a fanbase supports its team... don't you?

[Sports Guy]

Why does anybody think the "fanbase" gets upset about who a team drafts? Most of the fanbase doesn't follow that kind of stuff. Most fans have no idea who the various candidates are. The only time most folks are even aware of the draft is if the media makes a big deal about some kid getting a huge bonus. Yet, time after time, folks post that the "fanbase" will supposedly turn their back on a team unless the team conforms to the poster's opinions about the draft. You do realize that your personal opinion about who a team should draft has zero relation to whether a fanbase supports its team... don't you?

Do you know anything about Strasburg?

If they don't take him, you better believe the fan base will be very pissed.

[wickedwitch]

Why does anybody think the "fanbase" gets upset about who a team drafts? Most of the fanbase doesn't follow that kind of stuff. Most fans have no idea who the various candidates are. The only time most folks are even aware of the draft is if the media makes a big deal about some kid getting a huge bonus. Yet, time after time, folks post that the "fanbase" will supposedly turn their back on a team unless the team conforms to the poster's opinions about the draft. You do realize that your personal opinion about who a team should draft has zero relation to whether a fanbase supports its team... don't you?

Not in this case. The Post has been covering SS for the past year with the idea that the Nats could end up drafting him. There's probably been a dozen stories about him by now, if not more. Right now, the most recent three entries in their Nats blog are all about Strasburg.