Wire Taps: Scott Boras On The Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper.

by Patrick Reddington on Aug 17, 2010 4:08 PM EDT

Scott Boras, the agent for both of the Washington Nationals' no.1 overall picks in the last two seasons, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, made an appearance on Sirius/XM's MLB Network Radio show "The Power Alley" with Kevin Kennedy and Jim Duquette to talk about the contract his 17-year-old prodigy agreed to in the final moments before last night's midnight deadline for 2010 Draft picks to sign. Mr. Boras spoke briefly about what lies ahead for Harper now that he's officially a Nat:

Scott Boras: "Mike Rizzo and I have been talking a lot lately, [laughs], and a lot of late-night conversations, that subject is something that, I think we want to get Bryce into instructional league, and he's the type of player that I think you need to know, both personally, cause he's a very smart young man, and athletically, he probably has the body-type of a 22-year-old at 17. And so I think it's best that the organizational baseball people get a chance to look Bryce and then I think they're going to make some assessments and it's very likely that he may be far enough along to play in the Arizona Fall League."

DC GM Mike Rizzo had said much the same immediately after the Nats drafted Harper, answering a question about what plans the Nats had for Harper's development by explaining, that he thought Harper, "...would probably start off in our lowest level, in the Gulf Coast League. I think that’s a prudent way to get his feet on the ground in professional baseball, because as I’ve said many, many times, the rigors of the professional game, the everyday-ness of professional baseball is really the first thing that a professional player has to overcome."

Harper will be in DC to meet the press in the nation's capital next week, then it's time to get started.

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"Also, I hate Jim Bowden."

"And everybody lived happily ever after. Except the Phillies and the Mets. The End." --Sasskuash
Friend of Dukes and Desmond #3

by Doghouse on Aug 17, 2010 5:32 PM EDT reply actions

"""BOWDEN"""

That name burns my flesh…well maybe kind a…

by Berndaddy on Aug 17, 2010 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

In it to win it

I’m all for Harper starting as an OF, because the Nationals need help there. But I hope the catching door is left open a little, that he catches maybe once or twice a week, because at his age he can catch a long time before it’s going to have any effect on his body. He’s like six years younger than Buster Posey, for example.

"Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple." -- Barry Switzer

by my name IS Earl on Aug 17, 2010 8:56 PM EDT reply actions

Haven't heard anyone say a word aboot him catching, but you never know...

Harp catching Stras would be nice…

Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."

by Patrick Reddington on Aug 17, 2010 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions

If he's not going to work on the game in the minors, than I'm agin this idea

This is not the level to discover catching prowess. Emergency catcher in case the starter gets tossed in the first inning for arguing with the umpire and the backup gets hurt (or otherwise leaves the game)? Sure. But not as a regular catcher.

My real hope is that Ramos and Flores (!?!) bridge us to Norris and we don’t need Harper behind the plate at all. I know, I’m dreaming LOL

by d_c_guy on Aug 18, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions