Wire Taps: Nationals sign top 2018 Draft Mason Denaburg; Scott Boras sticks up for Bryce Harper; Stephen Strasburg completes bullpen session...

The Nats are at risk of falling under .500 today, but on the bright side, today is July 4th! Grab a hot dog and ignore the impending doom that the Washington Nationals face.

Here’s the beat from South Capitol Street:

Nationals Sign First-Rounder Mason Denaburg (MLBTR)
The deal was worth $3 million, $527k over slot value.

Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Ryan Zimmerman will serve as Nats' representatives at All-Star Game (MLB.com)
They'll be at the Washington Convention Center and will be plastered on advertisements all over the city.

Nationals Sign First-Rounder Mason Denaburg (MLBTR)
The deal was worth $3 million, $527k over slot value.

Scott Boras sticks up for client Bryce Harper, whose numbers have dipped in contract year (ESPN)
Boras thinks that the contract year has had nothing to do with Harper's slump. "When the league doesn't want to participate in a way that's customary, we can't look at players in customary ways," Boras said."

Strasburg completes 60-pitch bullpen, but won't return before ASG (WaPo)
Stephen Strasburg may also find increased command having returned, seeing as he'll finally have gotten time to fine-tune his motion. Additionally, Ryan Zimmerman may go out on a rehab assignment this weekend.

Boswell: For the Nationals, the crisis point has arrived in a hurry, as it usually does (WaPo)
Thomas Boswell makes it very clear: the team has failed from top to bottom, and Dave Martinez's strategies aren't working too well. Something needs to change, and pretty soon.

Slumping Free Agent-to-Be Bryce Harper Picking the Wrong Year for a Letdown (Bleacher Report)
"With each passing month, millions of dollars are slipping through Harper's fingers."