Crasnick on Strasburg and signability

[Moose Milligan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/draft2009/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=4240374

I still think the Nats take him.

However, after reading this article I just get a slight feeling that signability might be an issue.

I mean, they didn't sign Crow last year, granted Crow isn't the hype machine that Strasburg is.

Dunno. Crasnick has just placed a small seed of doubt that things for the Nats might not work out in terms of Strasburg. I mean, Kasten after all did pick Chipper Jones over Van Poppel. Could Kasten pull a similar move here and pick Ackley?

[crowmst3k!]

Would this board go into collective craziness* mode if he fell to the Orioles?

*edit

[atlantaoriole]

It wouldn't shock me if the Nationals pass on him. He isn't a sure thing, nobody ever is and if his bonus demands are as outrageous as 50 mil then I don't blame the Nats for passing him up.

Just because he blows away college hitters doesn't mean he can do the same vs. major league hitters.

P.S. God I hope he falls to the O's!

[mrbraswel3]

Considering Stan Kasten used Strasburg's name amongst all of the current Nationals prospects as one of the pitchers that will make up a great rotation today in the Washington Post, this is a dead story. There is always the chance they can't sign him but he will be picked #1 considering the organization is already referring to him as a part of it.

[ChaosLex]

There are four reasons why Strasburg won't fall to the O's.

1. The Nats are stupid, but they're not that stupid.

2. The Mariners aren't that stupid.

3. The Padres aren't that stupid.

4. The Pirates aren't that stupid.

Any questions?

[JTrea81]

I think the Nationals will draft Strasburg no matter what. What the question is going to be is will they sign him?

It's really a no lose situation for the Nats because they will likely have back to back picks at the top of the 2010 draft if they fail to sign him.

They'd take a PR hit. But Strasburg isn't worth $25-50 million. And if the Nationals give him that much, it will forever blow away the slotting system.

In a down economy, I don't see that happening.