Courtesy of Bill Ladson at MLB.com:
Shortstop Stephen King, the Nationals’ third-round pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, was at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Around 3:15 p.m. ET, King took batting practice and received hitting tips from manager Frank Robinson. The skipper told the pupil to stay on top of the ball, not get under it and never lift his front shoulder. King considers himself a doubles hitter, but he expects to hit home runs in the future.
Buried further down in the article was this:
Right-hander Sean Black is expected to visit the Nationals on Saturday when they play the Yankees at home. He was drafted by Washington in the second round last week.
King and Black are likely to be the most difficult signings of the first six selections (all high schoolers) due to their desire to play college ball (at LSU and Seton Hall respectively) with designs on improving their draft stock.
Thanks to Baseball America, we know what the average bonuses was for each draft pick over the past three years. The #59 pick (where Black was chosen) in the draft has received an average bonus of $585K while the #91 selection (where King was chosen) received an average bonus of $420K.
Both Black and King will likely command significantly higher than average in order to forgo their college scholarships and begin their professional careers. This is where the challenge arises for the Nationals. While MLB does not have an official slotting bonus rule (like the NBA), it does identify a guideline it expects their teams to follow. Teams need to notify MLB if they plan on exceeding what is considered the norm for a draft pick. MLB, specifically MLB labor counsel Frank Coonelly, will “encourage” team ownership to stick to the guidelines.
It will bear watching to see if Stan Kasten pushes the envelope in line with his plan to rebuild the Nationals from the farm up.
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