Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Check out some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes discusses the Nationals’ success in signing players following this summer’s First-Year Player Draft. As Janes notes, the deadline to sign draft picks came and went last Friday, and while there were several players the Nationals weren’t able to sign, they signed all of their early-round picks in what looks to be a successful draft for the ball club.
According to Janes, the Nationals signed 30 of their 40 picks in this year’s draft. The team was extremely successful in signing players selected early in the draft, signing 18 of their first 20 picks.
As Janes notes, it’s often difficult to sign players selected later in the draft since many of them are likely to return to school to try to improve their stock for next year’s draft. While the Nationals weren’t able to sign a quarter of their draftees, the fact that they signed 30 of them is still impressive.
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Also in today’s Daily, Call to the Pen’s Michael Natelli discusses why he believes the Nationals should go after Todd Frazier before this year’s trade deadline.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD or all your Washington Nationals needs.
Nationals signed 30 of 40 draft picks
(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)
The deadline to sign 2015 draft picks was last Friday. By that time, many of the Nationals’ more prominent early-round choices were warming up for games in the Gulf Coast League or short-season ball, long since signed and sent to work. The Nationals have signed 30 of their 40 draft picks and, more significantly, 18 of their first 20. Later-round picks can be tougher to sign, as they may opt to return to school to improve their stock. Early-round picks, particularly those in the first 10 rounds subject to signing bonus pool restrictions, are the more crucial determinants of signing success.
The Nationals signed their first 13 picks, including their first 10 at around $752,900 less than their combined slot values. They gave South Carolina second baseman Max Schrock, their 13th-round pick, a $500,000 signing bonus, highest after the first 10 rounds of any bonus given this year at the time he signed in late June. Schrock is hitting .255 in 15 games with short-season Auburn this summer. Read full article here.
Washington Nationals should make a play for Todd Frazier
(Michael Natelli, Call to the Pen)
Despite an array of injuries, the Washington Nationals sit atop of the National League East coming out of the All-Star Break. They enter the final few weeks before the trade deadline with speculation running rampant about who they may go after. Our own Jordan Wevers suggested yesterday that Washington should add a bat, and Aroldis Chapman has been the popular name amongst fans as a potential trade target. But the Nationals might be better off looking at another member of the Reds.
Will his price tag be higher than the home runs he hit during the Home Run Derby? Perhaps. But if the Nationals are set on a deep postseason run in 2015, it’ll be well worth it. Read full article here.