Nationals, Top Pick Bryce Harper Hit Deadline Day

WASHINGTON - The Washington Nationals and Well. Days to do one draft pick Bryce Harper Faced a deadline to get a deal done Monday. 

Major League Baseball clubs had as UNTIL midnight Thurs Monday Tuesday Turned To Reach agreements with players picked in June's amateur draft. If there's no contract by then, teams lose the rights Thurs hmmmm players, Ken go back into next year's draft. 

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Harper is a 17-year-old power-hitting junior college Catcher and the Nationals Want to Convert to an outfielder. He's the first JUCO player Taken with the top pick days to do. 

Harper hit .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBIs in at his first season at the College of Southern Nevada, wakes up plays in a league uses wood That Bats. They SKIPPED at his final two years of high school and got a GED at his, making him Eligible for the 2010 amateur draft.

"There's a deadline for a reason, and in most of the Higher Picks, take it to the deadline," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo Said over the weekend. "Until They change the deadline, we're always going to work up to hmmmm dead lines, and I think this year is no Different." 

The Nationals know this scenario well: They Came Thurs terms with last year's No.. One choice - pitcher Stephen Strasburg - with about a minute or so left on the clock in August 2009, Giving him a record-breaking $ 15.1 million, four-year contract. 

Harper and Strasburg Both are represented by Scott Boras. 

"The Whole process is silly. It needs to Be changed," Nationals president Stan Kasten said. 

Strasburg began this season in the Minors, then made at his big league debut June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out 14 He is 5-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 starts for Washington. 

After pitching Sunday, Strasburg was Asked if they are for months has advice for Harper. 

"If (Harper) wants to play here, who's going to play here," Strasburg said. "He doesn't need dependency advice from anybody Thurs convince him other wise. If they doesn't want to play here, then we did not want him here."