The Washington Nationals deal with 4th Round pick LHP Kylin Turnbull was announced around 10:00 pm EDT tonight, but as of 11:00 there was no word on any of the Nats' top four picks, 1st Rounders Anthony Rendon (3B, Rice), Alex Meyer (RHP U of Kentucky), Brian Goodwin (OF, Miami Dade) or 3rd Round pick Matt Purke (LHP, TCU) though rumors about Purke were all over the Twitter.
"We're going to make a great effort to get him signed," Nats' GM Mike Rizzo said earlier this summer on 106.7 the FAN with Overtime's Bill Rohland for another edtition of The Mike Rizzo Show,"...and if that all happens," and the Nationals sign their top picks, "...then we feel that we really had probably the most impactful draft that I've ever been associated with."
At around 10:30, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) wrote on the Twitter that, "Rumors that Purke will sign with the #Nationals . . . stronger than ever," following up on an earlier report in which he'd written that, "More and more RUMORS out there that the #Nationals will get Rendon, Meyer AND Purke done; rumor No. 2 is big league deal for Purke."
At 11:33 pm EDT, SI.com's Jon Heyman (@SI_JonHeyman) reported on the Twitter that the, "#nationals [are] close to deal with OF brian goodwin." But that was it. With nine minutes left, Turnbull's deal was the only one announced. Then the barrage started, with SI.com's Jon Heyman following up on his report twenty minutes later, writing at 11:53 pm EDT, "Brian Goodwin, OF and No. 34 pick overall, in agreement with #nationals. believed to be for $3M." That's two of the top five.
It continued. Just after midnight, Baseball America's Jim Callis (@JimCallisBA) wrote, "#Nationals give 3rd-rder Matt Purke 4-yr big [league] deal. Details to come, total guarantee close to No. 3 pick Trevor Bauer ($4.4 mil)." "The #Nats have agreed to sign all four first picks," Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) soon wrote on the Twitter, "club source said: Anthony Rendon, Alex Meyer, Brian Goodwin Matt Purke. No word on $."
The Washington Nationals inked their top five picks. "#Nationals sign RHP Alex Meyer for $2 million bonus," Baseball America's John Manuel (@JohnManuelBA) reported on the Twitter. "rendon gets big-league deal for $7.2M from #nats", SI.com's Jon Heyman (@SI_JonHeyman) wrote. So Rendon and Purke get Major League deals. Minor league deals for Meyer, Goodwin and Turnbull. Rizzo and the Nats signed them all.
• (ed. note - "These numbers and reports are the first ones to come out, will update with accurate years and $amounts as soon as the info is official.")