"Right now, I'm ready for about two or three innings of work." Matt Purke, on how his arm feels.

"That's the way East Texas people are." Purke's agent, Peter Vescovo, about consenting to pre-signing medical exams.

Exuding a quiet confidence, one of the Washington Nationals newest recruits met the D.C. media today and explained why he felt the Nats were the right team for him and why he consented to an invasive medical procedure, even before he signed a contract with the team.

Left-handed pitcher Matt Purke, late of Texas Christian University, spoke with a deep, respectful voice as he addressed Nationals beat writers.  Accompanied by his family, his agent Peter Vescovo, the Lerner family and Nats GM Mike Rizzo, the 21-year old pulled on his red Curly W cap and crisp, white home uniform No. 47 (for Tom Glavine), then answered several questions revolving around his draft status, how he decided this was the place for him to be, and about the health of his left arm, which limited him to just 11 starts in his sophomore year.

Below is a transcript of the press conference Q&A.

___________________________________________________

What was it about the Nationals that convinced you to sign here?  

I came up here. They come highly recommended. I've seen the things they've done the last few years with the prospects they've brought in and the Major League players as well. This organization is going to be very strong, they're building, and they're going to be a serious team to deal with in the years to come. I knew I wanted to be a part of that and hopefully to be a helpful piece in the puzzle.

How is your arm, and why did you consent to the physical, MRI and arthogram? How were the last couple of days, excitement-wise? How much have you been throwing this summer?

I just knew that, the only thing I could do was lay it out there and say 'Do what you want to do', do the test, look at it, get your own assessment of it and then we can talk. I knew that I was healthy and I was fit again. I just had to prove it so I said 'do what you have to do' and then we'll talk from there.

How have the last couple of days been?

Big relief. It's been nice. It's been a long, seems like two weeks but it's only been three days. But they've been very enjoyable and I'm very excited for the opportunity that I have here and to come.

How does your arm feel?  Have you been doing a throwing program this summer?

Yes, I've been throwing all summer and I've been been in bullpens. I've been able to build my stamina up now. Since my last bullpen I've been ready, right now I'm ready for about two or three innings of work. That's what I knew I needed to do all summer is to get built back up and get my strength and everything that I kinda missed throughout the year.

Was it difficult being hurt in college, not being able to be on the field with your teammates? How frustrating was watching the draft?

It pulls on you. You want to compete for your guys and your teammates and I loved TCU and the opportunity I had there and everybody, the staff, Coach Schlossnagel and those guys. But I sat down with them and he said, 'I've seen you work all year. You've done what you need to do for this team' he said, 'But you need to take care of yourself because you have a bright future and a long career and that's what you need to do.' So we were able to work with that.

How frustrating was watching the draft, with each pick going by and your name not getting called?

It was different from everything, but I was very honest and open in the beginning with everyone and throughout the year. I was not worried or concerned where I got picked. I just wanted to know who it was going to be. I knew that at some point I would get picked and this was the right team and the right situation that I needed. So I was very fortunate and excited when it happened.

Was going back to school ever really an option? When did you know this was the right situation?

You always have options. Bu tI knew that once everything had started here and that I'd gotten up here and gotten a feel for this organization I knew that this was a good fit for me and the right situation that I was looking for. And so I knew I was ready to play and move on, and I was thankful enough to get the opportunity.

When did you know the Nats was the right situation for you?

I think it was pretty much right away once I had seen and heard about the things that are going on here and how this organization, the Lerners and Mr. Rizzo, run things around here and I knew that was something that I was looking for and value a lot. So I knew this was a really good spot.

How did you know DC was a really good spot? Can you describe your repertoire and maybe who you pattern your pitching after? To Rizzo, about the plan for Purke going forward:

When I did all my college recruiting I took a lot of visits and I went to a lot of places. When I got to TCU, I kinda got the sense that 'This is home', this is where I could call home and I can fit in with these people and be a part of this group. Throughout the days I was here before the All-Star break, I got the same, similar feeling, when I was able to talk to the owners and be around the stadium and see the fans and stuff. And I said, 'I know this feeling.' And it was a good one and that's why I felt that way.

Can you describe your repertoire and maybe what pitchers you model yourself after?

Pitching repertoire is simple. Fastball, curveball, change-up. I say someone I emulate myself off of is kind of a cross between Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels. I have the same build, similar style. So I've kinda watched those guys and I've been fortunate enough to meet both of them and talk to them and learn about their careers and what's been successful for them.

To Rizzo, about the immediate plans for Purke the rest of the summer:

Matt's going to stay at the stadium for a day or so and go down to Florida and we're going ot have our pitching coordinator, Spin Williams down there. We'll assess where he's at as far as his readiness to pitch, and as Matt said I've seen him pitch recently and he's well on his way to pitching in a game so when we make that assessment we'll put a plan together to get him on the mound.

To Purke's agent, Peter Vescovo, about the difference between this negotiation and with the Rangers in 2009, and the MRI: To Purke, did you have any concerns about the arthogram?

I just think there was more dialog between the two parties and we're just more open and up front. That's the way Matthew and his family wanted it to be, to be straightforward and honest. Some people might say, 'Why would you shoot the dye?' why would you do this, but it's the way East Texas people are. They're gonna put everything out there and show you what they're about. So I think Mike and I kinda agreed that we were gonna move forward with it and luckily it worked out.

To Purke, about consenting to an invasive medical procedure before being under contract:

I knew that's what needed to happen. Obviously when you talk about investing in someone you're going to want to know what your investment is all about. I was comfortable and confident in the results I had gotten from everything throughout the year and so I said that's fine,. I had no objection. They're looking to protect their investment and I understand that and understand that it's business and it's not personal and so I was open to do it and I was thankful that I did it early. I really was glad to do it early and get it out of the way, that way talks would be able to continue then and we wouldn't have anything pending on what happens in the end.

NATIONALS DOLE OUT OVER $16 MILLION IN CONTRACTS

"We are the talk of the industry." Nats GM Mike Rizzo on signing his top five draft picks.

As the midnight deadline to sign 2011 amateur draft picks approached, the Washington Nationals still had not announced the signing of any of their top four draft picks.  But mere moments after the deadline passed, various national sources revealed what most Nats fans hoped would be the outcome: that the Nationals did indeed sign all four of their top draft picks, making the Nats' 2011 draft class one of the most impressive in recent memory.

The Nationals added 3B Anthony Rendon (four year Major League deal with club option, $7.2 million), RHP Alex Meyer ($2.0 million bonus), OF Brian Goodwin ($3.0 million bonus) and LHP Matt Purke (four year Major League deal at roughly $4.0 million).  Nats GM Mike Rizzo indicated the four would all report to the Nats training facility in Viera, FL to assess their fitness and conditioning before assigning them to a minor league affiliate.

For biographies of the players, please check out our profile of Rendon here, Meyer and Goodwin here and Purke here.

Earlier in the evening, the Nats signed fourth round pick Kylin Turnbull, a 6'4" left-handed pitcher from Santa Barbara (CA) CC.  Turnbull is described as a big, projectable lefty with a low-90s fastball.  He also features a slider and splitter that "have potential", according to one scouting service.  He was committed to the University of Oregon, but signed with the Nats for $325,000, just $100,000 more than the MLB slot recommendation.

Rizzo spoke openly about his pleasure in getting the top four draft picks under contract.  "It feels great.  Our scouting staff worked extremely hard to identify the talent.  It's often a difficult time-consuming, grinding process to get them signed.  But we have to thank our ownership for allowing me, and Roy Clark, to be very aggressive in this draft, to go after and sign some of the top talent in all of amateur baseball.  And for us to land what we believe are four first-round picks and pay them accordingly is a testament to the commitment of winning here in Washington."

"As far as number of quality impact players this is probably the first draft that I've ever been associated with that we can really look back at this thing and figure out that we did get four players that we had first-round numbers on coming into the draft."

The Nats gave both Rendon and Purke Major League deals, meaning they'll be assigned to the 40-man roster and receive an invitation to big league spring training next season.  For Rendon it was a formality, as he is expected to make the jump very quickly as an accomplished fielder and the top bat in college baseball last season.  For Purke, who could very well have been one of the top five picks in next year's draft had he failed to sign, the big league contract was further incentive to come to a deal.

"I've never done two Major League deals in the same draft," Rizzo said.  "I've only done a handful of Major League deals in all the drafts I've ever been associated with. But we felt that these two players are close to the big leagues.  They're extreme talents, and for us to fit them in and get them done we felt that the Major League contract was the way to go."

Rizzo was effusive in his praise for his new cadre of prospects.  "We see all these guys as fast-track -- they're college players, so we feel good about their developmental curve.  Their ceilings are enormous, their talents are enormous and we're happy to have them in the fold."

"We're the talk of the industry right now," Rizzo said.  "Before we signed these players we had a minor league system that the needle was heading north in a big, big way, and this just solidifies us as one of the great scouting and player development organizations in baseball.  We feel really good about ourselves tonight."

Both Rendon and Purke had injury issues last season, but were cleared by Nats team doctors.  Purke even consented to an MRI arthogram, an enhanced procedure where dye is injected into the joint for a better evaluation.  Rendon  not only was examined by Nats doctors, but cleared by noted shoulder specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum in California.

"This is my 27th year in the draft, and I have never -- it's the best draft I've ever been a part of," Nats Scouting Director Roy Clark said after the announcements.  "I think this is huge day in the franchise history of the Washington Nationals."

Rizzo indicated that the team was "very, very close" with Purke after visiting with him over the weekend at his home in Houston, but with the other three players things came right down to the last minute.  "Close. Right down to the buzzer," Rizzo described it.  Rizzo described the anxiety level about signing all four players as, "High.  It was high anxiety."

Rizzo might have been suffering from high anxiety right down to the deadline, but the Nationals ownership gave Rizzo the ammunition to be aggressive with the draft picks and even more aggressive signing the players.  As with any draft scenario, only time will tell if the money was well spent.  But you don't give yourself the option of evaluating the players if you don't bring them under contract.  In this instance, the Nationals scored big time last night.

Rendon was the undisputed "best college bat" with gold glove caliber defense at third base.  Alex Meyer is a 6'9" fireballer with a devastating slider.  Brian Goodwin is a five-tool outfielder that some scouts said could have been a top-five pick next year.  And Matt Purke, the lefty that "fell" to the third round due to signability issues and tendinitis in his shoulder his sophomore year, could turn out to be the best of all of them.

Time will tell.  Rizzo and the Lerners bought that time last night.

The Washington Nationals have signed all five of their top draft picks, according to multiple sources. 

There was very little news all evening until right before the midnight deadline, when multiple sources announced that first round picks 3B Anthony Rendon (No. 6 overall), RHP Alex Meyer (No. 23 overall) and Brian Goodwin (No. 34 overall), along with third round pick LHP Matt Purke, had all agreed to deals with the club.

Details of the contracts are unknown at this time, but it has been reported that Rendon signed a $7.2 million Major League deal, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman and Purke signed a Major League deal worth roughly $4.4 million, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Other reports have Goodwin's contract at $3 million, MLB-recommended "slot" money for the third overall pick.

The first domino to fall, with news leaking about 9:30 pm from Baseball America's Jim Callis, was fourth round pick Kylin Turnbull, a 6'4" left-handed pitcher from Santa Barbara (CA) CC.  Turnbull is described as a big, projectable lefty with a low-90s fastball.  He also features a slider and splitter that "have potential", according to one scouting service.  He was committed to the University of Oregon, but signed with the Nats for $325,000, just $100,000 more than the MLB slot recommendation.  Turnbull was a 30th round pick of the White Sox in 2010 and improved his stock by not signing and playing another year of amateur ball.

We'll have much more infprmation about all the Nats top draft picks, including quotes from Nats GM Mike Rizzo, coming up after he addresses the media shortly.

This year's trade deadline brings a little less excitement than the previous two, when the Nats were in negotiations with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft two years running, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, and all the attention that came with both.  Both were considered "once in a generation" type players, and discussions went down to the final minute with both.

Hard to imagine anyone giving Nats GM Mike Rizzo a whipped cream pie to the face during his press conference, like Stan Kasten did last season, if he is able to get first round pick Anthony Rendon under contract.

But this year's draft class is impressive in its own right.  Rendon was widely regarded as the top college hitter in the draft and "fell" to the Nats at No. 6.  Alex Meyer is a 6'9" fireballer from Kentucky and many though he had the best 1-2 combo of fastball and slider in the draft.  Brian Goodwin is a fast, defensively proficient center fielder that could develop some pop.

And the cherry on the sundae would be LHP Matt Purke, who some have said if he goes back into the draft could be the No. 1 overall pick.

The Major League draft is different from drafts for the NFL and NBA.  Amateur baseball players that haven't exhausted their eligibility can simply refuse to sign and continue their amateur career.  There's always leverage for the player, especially younger players taken later in the draft that wouldn't be signing multi-million dollar contracts. 

The other difference is that draft picks aren't inserted into a MLB lineup right away.  These players need to play professionally in the minors for an extended period of time to develop and refine their immense skill.  We've seen with Harper this season how he tore up the Low-A South Atlantic League, only to initially struggle in Double-A before getting his feet underneath him more recently.  It's a process for all prospects, even the most heralded.

So the MLB draft is more art than science, with the payout not obvious sometimes for years.  But it's still the most cost-effective way to develop prospects and stock the organization with talent.

Rizzo has his work cut out for him tonight.  All of the players left unsigned hold leverage.  But they are also old enough that players their age -- or younger -- are already completing their first year or two in professional baseball.  Failing to sign and going back to play on an amateur level only delays their professional progress another year.  Injury, attrition, a new MLB CBA...all these things could impact whether a player will retain his lofty draft status.

How will it all play out?  We'll know in a few hours.  But Rizzo, with the Lerner family's backing, has gotten the job done the last two seasons.

The Washington Nationals still have several of their highest draft picks yet unsigned.  They have until the Aug. 15 deadline to bring these players under contract and, like in years past, these signings will probably come cascading down on deadline day.  Last year, the names were Ray, Solis, Cole and Harper.  This year the names read Rendon, Meyer, Goodwin and Purke.

For 3B Anthony Rendon, RHP Alex Meyer and CF Brian Goodwin, it's a matter of time.  The Nats have MLB's guidelines (slot) for each of these players, and once other dominoes fall into place these players will most likely sign at or near what their slot should call for.  None were a reach with the pick they were chosen, and none seemed like they had signability issues on draft day.

Third round pick LHP Matt Purke, however, is a different story. 

Purke, 21 (6'3", 175), just completed his sophomore year at TCU.  A bout of bursitis limited Purke to just 11 starts in 2011, and he took a month off to allow the shoulder to calm down. But he was excellent when he did pitch, going 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA, posting a .187 batting average against with 61 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. He pitched most recently June 4 in the NCAA Regionals, going five innings and allowing two runs.

In his freshman year, however, Purke was nothing short of dominant.  He went 16-0 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. He had 142 strikeouts against just 34 walks in 116 1/3 innings, earning NCAA College Freshman of the Year, and was named second team All-America starting pitcher. Scouts drooled and proclaimed him one of the top three players for the 2011 draft.

Purke was sophomore eligible for this draft since he's already 21.  The injury, combined with the fact that he retains his college eligibility should he not sign, caused him to fall in the draft and subsequently be available for the Nats to select with the 96th overall pick.

But therein lies the rub.  Purke holds most of the cards.  If he doesn't get what his agent thinks in an appropriate deal, he can simply go back to TCU, prove his health, and most likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, according to at least one prominent draft expert. 

My colleague at Federal Baseball, Patrick Reddington, does an excellent job recapping Purke's previous draft history and the shenanigans that happened when the Texas Rangers drafted him, thought they had a deal, and Major League Baseball nuked it.

So not only does the player have leverage, but he also has history as a rationale for signing an over-slot deal.

But here's the thing:  it's not going to take the original $6 million deal to get Purke under contract.  The situation has changed.  He's been injured.  He's two years older, already 21 year old.  He's already behind where other 21-year olds are developmentally in the minor leagues.  The Nats knew when they drafted him that he was going to take over-slot money to sign him.  The best thing for the player is also the best thing for the team: Get him signed and get him started on his pro career.

So how much will it take?  My thought is that the player and his agent would be foolish to walk away from $3 million.  That amount isn't insignificant, but it's a drop in the bucket to the Lerner family and this organization.  And to put it in perspective, it's the same amount they've given Chien-Ming Wang the last two years to rehab from his devastating shoulder capsule injury, with zero guarantees on his services past the last day of this season.  It's also the same amount they've given Pudge Rodriguez each of the last two seasons to hit .254/.289/.342.

It's funny how teams throw money around during the off-season on free agents like it's monopoly money on "established veterans" but fail to invest in their future by not signing their draft picks.  Sure, there are special situations, which Purke certainly qualifies.  But ever since the Aaron Crow debacle the Nationals have been very good about coming up with the money to sign their draft picks, especially the ones they took anticipating signing for over-slot, as evidenced last year with A.J. Cole and Robbie Ray especially.

Purke, returned to health and under contract, would be the steal of the 2011 draft and could potentially give the Nats the shutdown left-hander in the starting rotation they thought they had when they drafted Ross Detwiler No. 6 overall in 2007.  This needs to get done.

#signMattPurke.

Perhaps lost a little bit in the Harpermania is something else going on in Hagerstown.  A slight, left-handed 19-year old named Robbie Ray is completely dominating his opponents.  Though he is still of tender age, Ray is proving -- along with his better known teammate -- that he may soon be in need of tougher competition.

Ray, 6'2", 170, has made six starts for Low-A Hagerstown. His record is modest at 2-0, but the rest of his stats are gaudy: 30 innings pitched, one earned run (yes, one), 12 hits, eight walks and 30 strikeouts.  Opponents are hitting .125 off of him.  He has faced a total of 110 batters and allowed just 24 to reach base via hit, walk or hit by pitch.

How dominant has Ray been?  In four of his six starts he's given up just one base hit in each.  In a fifth start, he gave up two hits.  That's right, of the 12 hits he's given up total this season so far, seven came in one game, the only start he's been scored upon.  In that start, he went six innings, allowing those seven hits, without walking a batter, and struck out four.  That was his "bad" start.

Ray's last outing on Monday, he again went six innings.  He gave up one hit and walked two, striking out nine.  Ho hum.

Every year around draft time interest peaks in the Nats player development system.  Ray is a testament to what the Nats are trying to accomplish.  He was a 12th round pick in the 2010 Amateur Draft.  He was ranked much higher by the scouting systems, but fell to the 12th round as he had a strong commitment to the University of Arkansas. 

GM Mike Rizzo, V.P. of Player Personnel Roy Clark and Scouting Director Kris Kline were able to talk young Mr. Ray and his family into accepting the Nats offer to begin his professional career by offering him "above-slot" money; essentially paying him what he would have gotten were he to have been drafted in the first couple of rounds.  The Nationals acquired fellow 2010 high school draftee A.J. Cole in much the same manner.

Further, they are positioned to do the same thing this year.  The Nats selected LHP Matt Purke with their third round pick (96th overall) in the recently concluded 2011 draft.  Purke (6'4", 180) was drafted 14th overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 draft after his high school career and reportedly had a deal in place.  But with the Rangers ownership issues that year, MLB was overseeing their finances and rejected the original deal.  Purke decided against the revised deal and instead enrolled at TCU.

The kid didn't disappoint his freshman year.  He went 16-0 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.  He had 142 strikeouts against just 34 walks in 116 1/3 innings, earning NCAA College Freshman of the Year, and was named second team All-America starting pitcher. Scouts drooled and proclaimed him one of the top three players for the 2011 draft.

A bout of bursitis limited Purke to just 11 starts in 2011 however, and he took a month off to allow the shoulder to calm down.  But he was similarly excellent when he did pitch, going 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA, posting a .187 batting average against with 61 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings.  He pitched most recently June 4 in the NCAA Regionals, going five innings and allowing two runs. He was on a pitch count and left after 83 pitches.

Purke was sophomore eligible for this draft since he's already 21.  The injury, combined with the fact that he retains his college eligibility should he not sign, caused him to fall in the draft and subsequently be available for the Nats to select with the 96th overall pick.  It was a risky pick, to be sure.  But Purke's a Top 5 talent when healthy, and if the Nats can make him an attractive enough offer, perhaps he'll forgo his remaining eligibility and begin his professional career, much like Ray and Cole did last season.

This is precisely how team with deep pockets are supposed to operate.  For years, the Yankees and Red Sox have selected players with high upsides that had signability issues, or commitments to college, and talked them into taking their money.  The Nationals, in the last two drafts, have operated similarly.  It's a gamble, but so far Rizzo looks like he's winning with the dice.

If Purke really did just have a muscle strain and after an extended time off can be back to normal -- and if he decides to take the money and forgo next year's draft -- the Nats gamble could pay off huge, giving them another top-pick talent in the third round.

Injuries and attrition being what they are, even first round picks in the MLB draft are a crapshoot -- only about half every year end up making an eventual impact in the big leagues.  But it's easy to think about the pitching talent the Nats have amassed in the last two drafts and get excited.

After Anthony Rendon fell to the Washington Nationals with the No. 6 overall pick, they made two more selections on the first day of the MLB First Year Player Draft.

With the 23rd pick, the Nats selected Alex Meyer, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Kentucky.  Meyer, 6'9", 220, is said to have the best pure stuff in the draft, and a "plus-plus" slider.  He has a big fastball that sits 93-96 coming from a three-quarter slot and a "wipeout" slider at 83-86 with late, hard tilt.  His command and control are works in progress, but there were very few better raw arms in this draft.  Additionally, Meyer was an SEC Academic Honor Roll choice after both his freshman and sophomore years.

Meyer struck out 110 this season in 101 innings, ranking eighth in UK single-season history (9.8 per game). Meyer ranked ninth in the NCAA in strikeouts.  He went 7-5 with a 2.94 ERA for Kentucky.  Some draft pundits think Meyer is better suited for the closer position with his mid-nineties heat and devastating slider, but an equal number think he will develop enough control to remain a starter.  What isn't debated, though, is the quality of his arm.

Nats GM Mike Rizzo described Meyer as a big power pitcher with three plus pitches in the future, including his changeup in the discussion.  Rizzo said Meyer holds his velocity well into starts and he has a chance to be a "front-of-the-rotation" starter.  Kris Kline, Nats Director of Scouting said that worst-case scenario Meyer profiles as a dominant arm at the back of the bullpen.

With the 34th pick, the Nationals selected Brian Goodwin, outfielder from Miami Dade College.  He played his freshman year at UNC but left the program after he was suspended due to academic issues, but the Nationals said they did "extensive research" on the player and are assured any "issues have been settled."

The speedy outfielder has tremendous speed and is a terrific defender at center field, with the projection to develop power at the top of the order.

Rizzo sees Goodwin, 6'1", 190, as a "prototypical, top of the order, defensive-minded" table setter.  Independent scouting describes Goodwin having a very good eye to go with great bat speed.

Nationals Vice President of Player Personnel Roy Clark said that the Nats drafted the best player available with each of their picks, and said the team would have felt "lucky" to have landed two of the three they did on this first day of the draft.

All three selections are represented by Scott Boras.

With the sixth overall pick in the the First Year Draft, the Washington Nationals selected Anthony Rendon, third baseman from Rice University.  He's described as "the kind of hitter who could win batting titles with average to above-average power" according to ESPN.com's Keith Law. Rendon hit .327/.520/.523 in 63 games this season with 20 doubles, six homers and 37 RBIs.

Rendon, 6'0", 180, turned 21 today, and was widely acclaimed as the best college bat in this year's draft and was the 2010 Howser Trophy winner as National College Player of the Year.  However, a shoulder injury that has limited Rendon to designated hitter this season and a subsequent power drop might have caused him to slip to the Nats to select at No. 6.  Pre-draft specualtion had Rendon going to Seattle with the No. 2 pick, but the Mariners opted for Univeristy of Virginia product Danny Hultzen, a left-handed pitcher that attended St. Albans as a prep. [Video reaction from Rendon].

Rendon is a "polished college hitter" according to Nats GM Mike Rizzo. "We feel great about the selection." [video].

“We were pleasantly surprised, yes, that he got to us at six,” Rizzo said from Nats Park. “Going into the draft season he was projected to be the No. 1 pick and is one of the best college hitters in the game. And throughout the college season and the draft season he held onto that status. Just 24 hours ago he was going [No.] 1 or [No.] 2 in the draft.”

Rizzo indicated that Rendon is a fantastic fielder but is athletic enough to play anywhere on the diamond.  There is already early specualtion that Rendon could move to second base or to the outfield.  But Rizzo's primary concern is to get the player signed and playing in the minor leagues, where he should be a "quick mover" through the Nats system.

“We feel that he has gold-glove caliber defensive skills at third base. We’re going to see where and when we have to make a decision on that. What we think we have is a very polished, accomplished college hitter.”

Nationals Vice President of Player Personnel Roy Clark is intimately familiar with the player, having drafted Rendon out of high school when Clark was with the Atlanta Braves.

The Nationals have two more selections today, the No. 23 and 34 overall, both picks compensation for Adam Dunn's free agency.  With the selection of a position player and the deepness of this draft in college arms, it would not be surprising to see Rizzo go that way.  We'll provide updates as the picks fall from Nats Park.

For the first time in three years, the Washington Nationals do not have the No. 1 overall pick in MLB's Amateur Draft.  That's a good thing, because unlike in 2009 and 2010, there's not one clear-cut consensus No. 1 talent.  Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were household names much before the draft even took place, and their selections were only clouded by how much money the Nationals were going to have to pony up to get them signed in the wake of failing to get 2008 first round pick Aaron Crow under contract.

The Nationals own the No. 6 overall pick, along with the No. 23 and No. 34 in compensation for losing Adam Dunn to free agency last off-season.

This year, the pre-draft thinking is that there are a half-dozen players that could go in just about any order in the first six picks of the draft, so the Nats envision one of those players being available to them when they make their selection.

As things stand several hours before the draft (tonight at 7:00 pm), most conventional wisdom has the Pittsburgh Pirates selecting UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole with the No. 1 overall pick.  Cole is big and has a great pedigree, but has posted just mediocre numbers his junior year and just may be suffering from draft fatigue.

The Seattle Mariners at No. 2 have been linked to Rice 3B Anthony Rendon, but shoulder problems this season have teams wary of the best college bat (and plus-defender) in the draft.

After that, though, it's a total crapshoot.

Danny Hultzen, a left-handed pitcher from Univ. of Virginia (and St. Alban's), is one of the most polished pitchers in the draft, though he doesn't own the upside of some of the power arms in this draft.  He will probably be the quickest to the majors though, with No. 2 starter potential. 

Another college pitcher high on draft boards is UCLA RHP Trevor Bauer.  Bauer had a ridiculous season and has moved up the draft boards accordingly.  But the slight (6'2", 185) righty has a funky delivery and borderline bizarre pre-game routines, and often throws long-toss on days he pitches. He's also had a heavy workload this year, throwing 120 pitches at least five times and has thrown eight straight complete games.

There are three high schoolers in the top of this draft as well, two pitchers and a center fielder.

Dylan Bundy, right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma, has been called the best high school pitcher in this draft with good command of his 95-MPH fastball.  The knock: he's only 6'0" and there's concern he could end up a reliever.  Archie Bradley is another Oklahoma high school pitcher, and at 6'3", 215 he looks more the part.  But he also has a commitment to play QB at Univ. of Oklahoma in the fall.

Perhaps the most intriguing player of the early picks is Kansas high school outfielder Derek (Bubba) Starling.  Starling is 6'4", 180, and appears to be the only true five-star athlete in this draft.  He's another two-sport star and is committed to playing QB and CF at Univ. of Nebraska next year, so his selection will probably come with a big price tag.  Many scouts compare Starling to Josh Hamilton as a high schooler.

There are a few other college arms that round out the Top Ten in this draft, and if the Nats are looking for a signability pick, they could go in that direction.  Alex Meyer (RHP U. of Kentucky), Taylor Jungmann (RHP, U. of Texas), Matt Barnes (RHP, U. of Connecticut), and Jed Bradley (LHP, Ga Tech) are some other options available.

The Nationals have been linked to several of the names above, most prominently Hultzen, Bauer, Starling and Meyer.  Bauer's performance this season has elevated him into the top half-dozen picks and at one point, Hultzen was on Pittsburgh's radar with the No. 1 overall, so it would be surprising to see either fall to the Nats at No. 6 at this point.  Even then, if the Nats have to choose between Hultzen and Starling, many draft pundits still see the Nats taking the five-tool Starling.

Prediction: GM Mike Rizzo has shown a preference in the last several drafts for selecting near MLB-ready college pitchers, so it would be no surprise if he followed suit in this draft, which is heavy with college pitchers early.  But it's hard not to think about Starling lining up next to Bryce Harper in the outfield for the foreseeable future for the Nats. 

I think given the option, Rizzo takes the five-tool Starling and gets his college pitchers with the Nos. 23 and 34 picks later in the first round. There are some mock drafts even having Meyer falling to the No. 23.  There is no protection for the later picks, so whoever Rizzo selects he'll have to feel comfortable he can get them under contract.

What I don't anticipate the Nationals doing is selecting a high school pitcher at No. 6.  If all of Hultzen, Bauer and Starling are gone at that point, I think Rizzo would opt for one of the other college pitchers, starting with the 6'9" Meyer.

This morning, the Washington Nationals official P.R. Twitter account published a photo of the Nats six first round draft picks they've selected since coming to D.C. (minus, of course, the unsigned Aaron Crow).

Take a look (courtesy Nats P.R.):



From left: Chris Marrero, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Drew Storen, Stephen Strasburg, Ross Detwiler.

I think it's pretty interesting just by their body language they reveal a lot about their personality. (Warning: amateur psychologist at work).

Let's start with Chris Marerro.  The least accomplished of the group is at the far left, almost leaning away and back from the rest as if to say "I don't really belong in this picture."

Ryan Zimmerman, the Face of the Franchise, is next.  Has a very relaxed posture, as he's clearly comfortable with where he is.  But his shoulders are slumped a bit, so maybe he's signalling he doesn't want to carry any burden.

Third from left is Bryce Harper.  Wide stance, shoulders broad, maybe puffing out his chest a little.  Just from this photo you can feel his confidence.

To Harper's right is Drew Storen.  His left foot is in front of his right, cocking his right hip, as if he's posing for a fashion shoot.  We know Drew is something of a clothes-horse, and his pose suggests he's in control of his situation.

Next one is in Stephen Strasburg, and he's what drew me to this assignment.  Take another look at him in this photo; it's fascinating.  First, you see the red socks, the only one of the crew to go with the leggings.  Shows he's a traditionalist.  From there though, it's all negative.  Knees bent, shoulders sagging, head down. 

He looks like he'd rather be anywhere than where he is.  He's the only one of the group not arching his back.  Just a complete display of bad vibes.

On the right right is Ross Detwiler.  He towers over everyone, even Strasburg.  His high waist and long legs make him look more like a basketball player than a pitcher.  It's easy to see from this photo why the Nationals invested in him in the first place, and why he'll continue to get chances to prove himself.

Of course, all this is just in fun.  But it's amazing what can be gleaned from just a simple amateur photo taken of athletes that aren't aware their photo is being taken at that very moment.

***Obviously, they are lined up to get a posed picture taken.  But this cellphone picture was taken from behind and before they were having the porfessional photo taken.  Sorry for any confusion.

Bryce Harper was introduced today as a member of the Washington Nationals (Photo by Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

The Washington Nationals introduced their newest prodigy, 17-year old outfielder Bryce Harper, to the media and Nationals fans with a press conference before tonight's game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The remarkably composed and well-spoken Harper, who should be getting ready for his senior year of high school instead of embarking on a professional baseball career, was asked what his first purchase would be with his signing bonus.  He replied, "Fix the dent in my truck."

The logical follow up was, why not buy a new one?

He replied, "Why?  It only has 120,000 miles on it."

Harper was handed his No. 34 jersey from face of the franchise Ryan Zimmerman, who joked that he would have to get something written into his next contract about the extra duties.  Harper explained that the No. 34 was significant because his favorite player was Mickey Mantle, and three plus four equals seven, the number Mantle wore in his prodigous career as a Yankee.

Ryan Zimmerman welcomes Harper to the team. (Photo by Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

Much like his hero, Harper will be asked to change positions at a young age.  Mantle moved to center after playing shortstop in the minors, but Harper won't take that long to make the switch to right field from catcher, as he'll be sent out to the Nats minor league facility in Viera, FL to begin his training for the Florida Instructional League.

Harper took batting practice earlier in the day at Nationals Park for the first time, an experience he described as "It felt like home."

He hit several tape measure blasts, including pulling one into the third deck in right field, and several to left field.  "Oppo boppo," Harper said, more than once. 

"It's every kid's dream to take BP at a major league park," Harper said of the experience.  "But I'm not where I want to be...  I have a lot of things to prove."

Harper interviewed by MASN's Bob Carpenter. (Photo by Ian Koski/Nats Daily News)

General Manager Mike Rizzo described Harper as a middle of the order bat, a cornerstone of the organization on and off the field.  He listed Harper with Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann as the core of young talent that would carry the Nats out of their perennial predicament of picking at the top of the amateur draft.

Harper has spent the bulk of the summer at home in Las Vegas, hitting in the cage with his father and working out with his high school football team, running passing routes and lifting weights.  He took every opportunity to praise and thank his high school and college coaches, and said on several occasions he's anxious to start his path to the big leagues.

"I can't wait to show 'em what I can do."

So Bryce Harper signed a major league deal with the Washington Nationals worth $9.9 million last night before the midnight deadline.

Awesome.

What's it mean?

To start with, it means he had to be placed on the 40-man roster, and that happened today with Luis Atilano beiong transferred to the 60-day D.L. He wasn't going to return this season after surgery on his elbow to remove bone chips.

The team will have Harper in next week on the homestand to meet the media and the major league staff, and will probably work out as well. Don't expect him to be taking any batting practice while the gates are open though.

After that, it's off to Viera, FL, home of the Nats minor league complex to work out, and perhaps he'll get in a few Gulf Coast League games before the season ends August 28. If the team feels like he's ready, they could then send him out to a minor league assignment for a week or so.

Once the season ends, Harper will go to the Nats Florida Instruction League, where they send their best prospects for intensive workout and training, and perhaps -- and General manager Mike Rizzo was non-committal about this last night -- he could even be assigned to the Arizona Fall League, the annual showcase for the top young talent in the major leagues.

Then, since he has the major league contract, he'll be invited to big league spring training to get a taste of that before spending next season in the minor leagues. Instead of his senior year of high school.

But that's logistics. What do yesterday's signings -- all four of them -- mean to the big picture?

I asked Rizzo this at last night's press conference, and his answer was concentrated on the immediate: that the Lerners were invested in building this organization:

"We feel that we landed Harper, Solis, Hague, Cole -- and even Robert Ray -- were guys we were extremely happy about and these guys are going to be impactful players for us. It comes down to the committment from ownership to field a championship organization."

In the even bigger picture, it's a huge leap toward making the Nationals minor league system viable. The Nationals signed 25 of their top 26 picks and 33 of the total of 50 or so. Most of the unsigned picks were high schoolers at the back of the draft who will go to college or junior college to improve their draft standing.

This organization is still bereft of prospects in the higher minor leagues, what media-types like to call "major league-ready" talent. Shortstop Danny Espinosa is having a tremendous year (he hit another home run last night, his first game for AAA-SYR) and catcher Derek Norris made many national off-season prospect lists, but his status was hurt this season dealing with injuries, first hamate surgery, then a concussion.

After that? Pretty slim, especially as far as hitters go.

Most of the Nats best young talent is already on the major league roster: Strasburg, Storen, Zimmermann, Desmond.  Espinosa might join them as soon as next year.  But along with last year's bumper crop of college arms, Rizzo outdid himself signing three "impactful" --his words -- pitchers using over-slot money to bolster the farm system.

Sammy Solis, the second round pick, is a polished left-handed starter.  He may have a limited ceiling of a No. 3-4 starter in the bigs, but he should get there quickly.  Robbie Ray, another lefty taken in the 12th round, was lured away from the University of Arkansas and possesses a big arm and projectable size. 

And the coup de grace is A.J. Cole.  The big righty from Floirda touches 97 mph already as a prep and was considered by many to be the second best high school arm in this draft.  He was widely ranked as a first-round pick that fell all the way to the Nats in the fourth round, where Rizzo could no longer pass up the opportunity to convince him to bypass the University of Miami and turn pro. 

All it took was $2 million dollars.

So as this year's version of the Nationals slog their way toward 90 losses, keep all these names in the back of your mind.  And don't worry about re-signing Adam Dunn.  By the time this talent reaches the majors and finally makes the Nationals a truly competitive team, he'll be 34 and probably past his usefulness.

The next veteran contract Nats fans really has to worry about is Ryan Zimmerman, who becomes a free agent after the 2013 season, right about the time Harper should debut as a full-time player.

The Washington Nationals held a press conference after the midnight deadline to announce the signings of OF Bryce Harper, LHPs Sammy Solis and Robbie Ray and RHP A.J. Cole.

Harper was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft.  Solis was the second round choice, Cole the fourth rounder and Ray the 12th round pick.  Cole and Ray are high schoolers and Solis a junior from U. of San Diego.

Rizzo, on what it means for the franchise: "It gives us another impact player in the system.  We feel we've really become a deep system with not only good major league prospects but sprinking in a smattering of several impact type players which is a big differential from what we believe are good major league players to above average inpact type of guys.

[Harper] is a guy that could possibly be a cornerstone in our lineup the very near future and a talent we're pleased to put into the organization."

Rizzo on the major league contract:  "We do feel he's a fast-track 17-year old player.  The fact that he handles the wood [bats] so well and he's very experienced with it helped us with our evaluation of him.  I think it speaks to how hard he's worked over the season and how ready we feel he is to endure the rigors of professional baseball."

Rizzo, on the game plan:  "We're going to bring him in to D.C. probably our next homestand to meet the media, then we will certainly get him to Florida [Gulf Coast League] and get his professional career underway."

"We certainly have plans for him to go to our Florida Instuctional League.  There's an outside possibility he could spend some time in the AFL, but we want to evaluate and see if he's ready for that fairly advanced league just after getting his feet wet inprofessional baseball."

Rizzo on the deadline:  "As it usually takes with these deadline type of negotiations, you go down to the last second until somebody blinks and you make your last ditch efforts, and this time it came out to a great conclusion and we feel happy with the result."

Kasten, on the deadline:  "The truth is, with a full minute to go Mike and I both thought we were not going to have a deal."

"This was literally right at the end.  It was both sides just coming together."

Rizzo, on all four signings of the day:  "It means the committment from ownership to give us the resources to go out and really have an impactful draft.  We had four players at some time during the amateur season that were first round picks on Baseball America's list. 

We feel that we landed Harper, Solis, Hague, Cole -- and even Robert Ray -- were guys we were extremely happy about and these guys are going to be impactful players for us.  It comes down to the committment from ownership to field a championship organization. 

As Stan has said at numerous times, it all starts on the mound.  We went big time upside pitchers with great talent and to land two position players like Harper and Hague and to sprinkle in not only a veteran college quick to the big leagues type of pitcher in Solis -- to get two of the brightest upside high school arms in the draft -- we feel that Kris Kline and Roy Clark did an outstanding job, as we knew they would, and that's why they were brought in here."

----------

There was much, much more, including a whipped cream pie in the face for Rizzo and detailed information from Clark and Kline on why they were so high on Solis and Cole, and we'll file that and more of the press conference tomorrow morning.

The Washington Nationals tonight agreed to terms on a Major League contract with College of Southern Nevada outfielder Bryce Harper, the first-overall selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Personnel Roy Clark and Nationals Director of Scouting Kris Kline made the joint announcement.

Various reports are emerging on the terms of the contract and we will update this post when we confirm the amount of the deal.  Rizzo has not addressed the media at the time of this post, but we will provide his comments when available.

Harper earned his GED after his sophomore year in December 2009, making him eligible for the June 2010 amateur draft in order to begin his professional baseball career earlier.  For the 2010 college season, Harper enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada of the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC), a league that uses wood bats in conference play.

Harper's freshman year was something out of a video game.  In 66 games, he hit 31 home runs, 98 RBI, hitting .443/.526/.987.  His 31 home runs broke the school's previous record of 12. He was named the 2010 SWAC Player of the Year.

He also won the "Golden Spikes" award as the top amateur player in the nation.

In the Western district finals of the 2010 Junior College World Series, Harper went 6-for-7 with five RBIs and hit for the cycle.  The next day, in a doubleheader, he went 2-for-5 with a three-run double in the first game, and in the second game went 6-for-6 with four home runs, a triple, and a double.

In 2009, Harper was cited as Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year after he batted .626 with 14 home runs, 55 RBI and 36 stolen bases in 39 games for Las Vegas High School. The season prior, in 2008, Harper hit .590 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI in just 38 games as a high school freshman. In March of 2009, Harper became the first high school sophomore ever named a Pre-Season First-Team All-American by Baseball America.

Harper represents something the Nationals sorely need in the organization, a legitimate hitting prospect.  He's been on the national radar for years -- at 15 he hit a ball off the back wall in Tampa's Tropicana Dome and routinely hits home runs over 450 feet.

Harper also has the reputation for being extremely confident -- bordering on cocky.  He had several ejections during his freshman year, including in the playoffs when he taunted the home plate umpire after what he thought was a bad call, drawing a line in the batter's box where he thought the ball crossed.  It cost him his next game and his team was bounced form the playoffs.

Harper spent much of his high school and JuCo career catching, but on draft day the Nationals announced he would move to right field as a professional.  In post-draft interviews, Harper said he was looking forward to playing the position and learning more to become a major league caliber outfielder.

He has good speed, and according to scouting reports, great base running instincts.  His sophomore year in high school he scored six times from second base on a wild pitch. 

Honestly, if every game he has played since the time he was 14 wasn't recorded on video and observed by scouts, you wouldn't believe the numbers or accounts.

With Harper under contract, the Nationals have signed 25 of their top 26 draft picks and 33 picks overall.  For the second season in a row, the Nats have spent more money in the draft than any other team in baseball.

Rizzo has said previously that Harper would probably start his professional career in the Gulf Coast League.  Since he's been off for the better part of two months, it's hard to envision a scenario where he would move up to Class-A ball this season.  It's a good bet, though, that Harper will be ticketed for the Arizona Fall League, a showcase for the top talents in minor league baseball.

The Washington Nationals tonight agreed to terms on a professional contract with right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole, the Nationals’ fourth-round selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

Cole joins the Nationals after combining to go 12-1 and fanning 10.7 batters per 9.0 innings during his junior and senior seasons at Oviedo (FL) High School. Cole, who stands 6-foot-5, earned All-American status from both AFLAC and Under Armour in 2009.

Cole, 18, was rated by industry-insider Baseball America as the No. 16 overall player, the eighth-best pitcher, among 2010 Draft-eligible prospects. Among those draft eligible from Florida, BA ranked Cole third among high school players. Cole had previously committed to attend the University of Miami.

The deal is reported to be for $2 million, a record for a fourth round draft pick.

Cole was considered a first round talent but the 6'4'' right-hander with a fastball in the mid-90s fell to the fourth round, where the Nats' hoped they could get the 18-year-old to sign. He had previously committed to the University of Miami and was deemed a risky sign by many draft experts.

The deal has been rumored for several days, but since it was so high over slot for a fourth round pick it's not surprising that it would be announced so close to the signing deadline.

According to one scouting report:

With size, projectability and at least two outstanding pitches, Cole was at or near the top of prep pitching lists. His fastball already touches 94 mph as a high schooler, and there's lots of room for growth in his 6-foot-5 frame.

He adds a wipeout power slurve to put hitters away and even shows a feel for a changeup. There are some small concerns about his arm action, but his delivery overall is good and he has decent command. James Taillon might be the first high school arm to go off the board, but Cole won't be far behind.

Well, Tallion was drafted No. 2 overall by Pittsburgh and signed this evening.  The terms were undisclosed, but he was slotted at $3.25 million and probably went higher due to his high school status.  Cole, due to signability issues and his committment to Miami, fell all the way to the fourth round, where General Manger Mike Rizzo simply could no longer pass up the opportunity to talk him out of his committment.

And then there was one...

The Washington Nationals announced the signing of LHP Sammy Solis, their second round pick, out of the University of San Diego.

The deal was for a reported $1 million.

Solis, 6'5", was taken 51st overall in the draft. He suffered a herniated disc in his back which limited him in 2009, but recovered to put together an impressive 2010 campaign. He went 9-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 15 games/14 starts and was named as an All-West Cast Conference player. 

One scouting report says Solis has three solid pitches, and while he has a limited ceiling, he shouldn't take too long to get to the big leauges.

The Nationals have now signed 23 of their top 26 selections in the 2010 Amateur Draft.

Rumored for more than a week now, the Washington Nationals announced this afternoon they have signed 2010 12th round pick Robbie Ray, a 18-year old LHP from Brentwood (TN) H.S.  General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement via press release.

Ray has international experience, competing with Team USA's Under-18 squad which won the Pan Am AAA Championship last season.  He has committed to play for Arkansas.

The Nats brought Ray into Washington last week for a workout and "recruitment" trip, and was seen in the stands Friday night sitting with members of the Lerner family, including Mark Lerner, from the first row of the President's Club, sporting a Nats "Curly W" hat and "Ray" Nats jersey.

According to one draft preview, Ray has a fastball in the 90-92 range with a plus changeup -- when it's on.

We're still watching the clock on the Nats' three outstanding draft picks the team hopes to ink tonight:  No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper, second rounder LHP Sammy Solis and fourth rounder RHP A.J. Cole.

Harper, and his advisor Scott Boras, want a record signing bonus for position players, with Boras calling Harper "a legend" during one post-draft interview.  Cole was assessed as a first round talent that fell to the fourth round over signability issues.

Cole and Solis already are rumored to have way-over-slot deals, but the Nats are waiting to announce them closer to tonight's deadline in deference to MLB preference to not announce over-slot deals early enough to affect other player's negotiations.

It's ridiculous that all of NatsTown -- General Manager Mike Rizzo included -- must sit and wait until midnight tonight to announce what surely will be another record amateur contract for another Scott Boras client.

Bryce Harper, 17, out of the College of Southern Nevada, waits too.

For under Major League Baseball's arcane and downright silly guidelines, the Commissioner's Office doesn't want anyone else to know how much the contract is worth until it's too late to affect anyone else's.

MLB has guidelines in place -- recommendations for bonuses based on the "slot" a player is chosen -- for how a draft pick gets his money.  Instead of a rookie salary scale, in place in the NBA, this slotting system is a cloak-and-dagger operation, leaving everyone in the dark until about 10:30 pm on deadline day.

Currrently, 17 of the 32 first round picks are still unsigned, less than eight hours before the deadline, including the top three and nine of the first 12 picks.  Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com has a much more elaborate description of the situation in his column today discussing Harper's negotiations.

Most expect the rules to change with the next collective bargaining agreement with the player's association, since both the teams and MLB players want to divert money that would go to draftees toward players in the association.  The losers:  top draft picks and their agents.

But back to Harper.

There's no reason why Harper shouldn't end up signing once the clock strikes midnight.  Boras and Rizzo have a good working relationship.  Harper has nothing to prove and everything to risk going back to play JuCo ball.  And he graduated high school a year early for just this opportunity!

Add on the uncertainty of potential changes in the system -- of which Boras is fully aware and no doubt "advised" Harper and his family of in their decision for him to get his GED and enter this draft -- and all doubt is removed.

So it all boils down to how much of Uncle Ted's money does he get.  Frankly, the number doesn't particularly interests me.

A bigger question in my mind is the fates of the other three high draft picks still unsigned:  second rounder LHP Sammy Solis (U. San Diego), fourth rounder RHP A.J. Cole (Oviedo (FL) H.S.) and 12th rounder LHP Robbie Ray (Brentwood (TN) H.S.).

All three have been rumored to have already signed.  And that might be the case.  But, as with Harper, we still need to wait.  Because all three "fell" to the Nats and therefore if they sign will sign for above-slot money.  Which again means that the Commissioner's Office won't want the amounts coming out until it's too late to affect any other negotiations.

But here's the rub:  the cat's already out of the bag.

It's been widely reoprted (first by Baseball America's Jim Callis) that Solis signed a $1 million deal, Cole a $2 million deal and Ray for $799 K.

The Cole deal is the big one here.  Two million is huge money for a fourth round pick and will blow out of the water the previous record deal for a player taken in that slot.  ESPN.com's Keith Law twittered today that he "Heard several places that the A.J. Cole deal with Washington ($2MM) is pushing up demands on other HS arms..."

Now we know the potential "snag in negotiations" over the Cole deal.

Regardless of the posturing, it now sounds like all four players will be in the fold at the deadline, when best guesses would have been maybe two of the four on draft day.  The two high schoolers are both committed (Cole to Miami, Ray to Arkansas) and Cole seemed a real long-shot to sign.  He was considered a low first round talent, and slipped all the way to the fourth over signability concerns.

If Mike Rizzo can bring all four of these players under contract tonight, he will have produced D.C.'s finest draft class ever, and one of the best in baseball this season.

Just a shame we have to wait so long to find out.

THE RESULT:  The Washington Nationals found a team they can beat more often than not.  Behind Stephen Strasburg's good -- but not great -- five innings, and four solid scoreless from the pen, the Nats put away the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3, taking this series three games to two, and the season series over their N.L. West foes.

The season series win over Arizona is the first over an N.L. opponent this season.

The Nats got offensive support in the form of the long ball once again, as Josh Willingham hit a big two-run homer to tie things up in the fourth, and Ryan Zimmerman tacked on an insurance tater in the eighth, his 24th of the season.

Strasburg (ND, 5-3, 2.97) struck out seven and walked none, allowing five hits and three runs, only one of which was earned.  But he needed 85 pitches to get through five innings, and on several occasions got ahead of hitters only to let them work themselves back into good hitter's counts.

One such progression typified his afternoon. 

In the fifth inning, Strasburg got ahead of All-Star center fielder Chris Young 0-2 then played around with him, throwing a curveball way outside, a fastball that made Young jack-knife to get out of the way of, and a slurve in the dirt he wanted him to chase.  When the count got back to 3-2, the rookie had to come back to the hitter, and Young pounded a fastball to center for a single.

It cost Strasburg several pitches, and the scenario was not unique for the 22-year old phenom.

Strasburg had no trouble with his control today (85 pitches, 57 stirkes), so whether the sequence was command or strategy, it's something that needs work right now.

Strasburg's big trouble came in the second when he gave up a home run to Adam LaRoche and allowed two unearned runs off a bad throw on a swinging bunt that Strasburg air-mailed down the right field line.

"You know, it's the big leagues and they're going to get you now and then," Riggleman said.  "He got behind on LaRoche and LaRoche centered up the ball real good on him.

Zimmerman and Willingham took care of the offense for the Nats.  Each had two hits and two runs to go along with their home runs, and Ian Desmond and Ivan Rodriguez contributed RBI singles.

After Strasburg departed, Tyler Clippard, Sean Burnett and Drew Storen shut down Arizona, allowing just two hits and no walks over four innings with five strikeouts.

THE GOOD:  Josh Willingham.  Struggling with a balky knee, he hit his first home run in over a month, ending a 33-game drought.  Tyler Clippard struck out three in two innings to pick up the win, his team-leading ninth of the season.

THE BAD:  Michael Morse.  He went 0-for-4, and is now 5-for-44 in August with 11 strikeouts.

THE UGLY:  Four protesters made their way onto the field after Strasburg batted in the fifth inning.  The first two acted as decoys, while the second two attepted to unfurl a banner protesting the Arizona immigration law.  (See slideshow of unedited photos below). Riggleman cited the incident as instrumental in lifting Strasburg after allowing the pitcher to hit in the fifth.

"Once that stuff happened on the field, I just was undecided whether I wanted him to go back out there and once we sat in there a little bit longer with that stuff going on I just decided that I wasn't going to send him back out there."

THE STATS:  2 Ks, 1 BB, 2-for-7 RISP, 5 LOB

NEXT GAME:  Nats are off Monday as they travel to Atlanta for a three-game series starting Tuesday.  Scott Olsen (3-4, 5.11) is scheduled against Mike Minor (0-0, 4.50) for the Braves at 7:10 pm from Turner Field.

NATS NOTES:  Today's attendance, 21,695, was the lowest ever for a Strasburg start.  The gloomy weather certainly didn't help things out, as a light rain fell all morning at Nats Park and the tarp was not removed until right before game time.

Several conflicting rumors circulated during the game about the status of Nats 2010 draft picks Sammy Solis, A.J. Cole and Robbie Ray, with all three at one point determined signed by various sources, only to be refuted by others.  With Monday at midnight the draftee signing deadline and tomorrow's off-day, much will be said about the status of those three players, along with No. 1 overall Bryce Harper, who remains unsigned as of this post.

RHP Jordan Zimmermann, making his third start for Triple-A Syracuse as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery, went five innings and allowed one run on five hits and one walk, striking out three.  He threw 73 pitches, 43 for strikes.  In his three starts, Zimmermann has given up just one earned run in 12 innings.

Before today's game, Riggleman said Zimmermann could be back before the Sept. 1 call-ups, but regardless he should pitch for the Nationals this season.

Several sources cite that the Washington Nationals have signed their second and fourth round draft picks with less than two days remaining until the deadline.  This news leaves just two of the Nats' top picks, No. 1 overall Bryce Harper and 12th round pick Robbie Ray, unsigned.

The Nationals reportedly agreed to terms with Sammy Solis, the second round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, a LHP from Univeristy of San Diego for $1 million and RHP A.J. Cole from Oviedo (Fla.) High School, the Nationals' fourth-round pick, for $2 million. 

The news was first reported by Baseball America, and there's been no annoucement from the team at the time of this post. 

Cole was considered a first round talent but the 6'4'' right-hander with a fastball in the mid-90s fell to the fourth round, where the Nats' hoped they could get the 18-year-old pitcher to sign.  He had previously committed to the University of Miami and was deemed a risky sign by many draft experts.

Solis, 6'5", was taken 51st overall in the draft.  He suffered a herniated disc in his back which limited him in 2009, but recovered to put together an impressive 2010 campaign. One scouting report says Solis has three solid pitches, and while he has a limited ceiling, he shouldn't take too long to get to the big leauges.

Ray, a 18 year old left handed pitching high schooler from Tennessee, has been at Nats Park the last two nights, in for a team workout and "recruiting" trip.

Should the Nationals bring all four players into the fold, it would be considered a coup for General Manager Mike Rizzo, and give the organization one of the better draft classes across Major League Baseball this year.