Jim Bowden seems to think so. Lots of people are are writing about it. But the only word out of camp McGeary is from Jack's father, who says no decision has been made.
Nats Journal has the latest. Chico Harlan recovered from judging the cook-off last night and talked to Pat McGeary.
"It's rumor at this point," McGeary's father, Pat, said this morning. "I think it would be premature for me to say anything."
In an interview with Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll yesterday, Bowden said that McGeary had decided to play baseball full-time this season.
"Jack has told us that he wants to play baseball full-time now, so we expect him to report to spring training on time and continue a full season of his development. And we said when we signed the player that we felt after a short period of time that he would decide to play baseball full-time. So we were very pleased when his agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, informed us that Jack had made a decision to do that."
McGeary, you will remember, is the first round talent (and to whom the Nats gave first round money to) that they selected in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. He dropped that far because he was committed to attending Stanford. He has had an arrangement to attend school and then play professionally when school was over in June.
He was excellent last year in the Gulf Coast League, leading that short season in strikeout, starts and second in innings pitched.
If the news is true, it would be great news for the Nationals, as he's a legitimate first round talent and getting him into spring training and a full season of baseball, we might even see him next season in DC.
What's troubling is that once again, the General Manager is putting words into people's mouths that they aren't ready to say. Obviously, for McGeary's father to tell Nats Journal that no official decision has been made, contradicting the GM of the big club, is an issue.
The bet here is that the player's agent (who also represents Ryan Zimmerman) wants to get McGeary playing full-time and that McGeary himself might be ready to leave school, but that the family is sure yet. Whatever the case is, it doesn't sound quite resolved yet. Stay tuned.
my guess is that Harlan couldn't reach the agent. it's a interesting and troubling dynamic.
i decided not to ask about this at fanfest today, figuring it to not be the proper venue, but i'm going to do some research this week, if more info doesn't become public before i get a chance.