Read the debate intro, Sports Geek’s argument that Strasburg was the real winner, and Bleacher Fan’s argument that the Nationals came out ahead in this deal.
Stephen Strasburg is one of the more heavily hyped players to come out of the draft in recent memory. In fact, I challenge you to name any player that was drafted first overall in any of the previous drafts. The only one I knew was last year, and that is because Tim Beckham, the first overall pick, played his high school ball in Georgia – my home state.
It was known for some time that the Nationals were going to draft Strasburg. It was also known that it was going to be difficult to sign him, due in large part to the fact that Scott Boras was his agent. As we all known, Mr. Boras is notorious for playing hard ball for his clients.
Both sides presented interesting arguments. I first want to commend Sports Geek for introducing me to a new website that I was unfamiliar with. If you have not checked out The Baseball Cube yet, I encourage you to do so. In the argument, Sports Geek compared the contracts of Mark Prior and Strasburg. While we certainly hope Strasburg’s career turns out better than Prior’s has to this point, it was a fair comparison.
Meanwhile, Bleacher Fan stressed the importance of the Nationals signing Strasburg. They HAD to sign him. There was no question about it!
And you know what? I agree with… BLEACHER FAN!
If the Nationals had not signed Strasburg, there would have been public backlash against him and Boras. But there would also been an outcry from Nationals fans. Since moving over from Montreal, the organization has had very little to celebrate. The team is awful and has been awful for awhile. The positive vibe of a new stadium lasted all of one week last season. Fan support is dwindling by the day. This signing gives the Nationals hope. As Bleacher Fan indicated, the organization could not afford to let another first round pick slip through the cracks.
Time will tell if Strasburg has a successful career. He could be in the big leagues sooner than we all think. The Sports Debates wish him the best. The Nationals have not had a lot of good things to happen for them, but they hope the signing of Strasburg will lead to a better future. With the organization staring at perhaps another number one pick in next year’s draft, maybe things will turn around in D.C. Congratulations to the Nationals. And congratulations to Bleacher Fan!
