Harper and Nationals finally agree to terms
This year’s draft deadline must have felt like déjà vu for the Washington Nationals after going down to the wire once again to sign their top draft pick.
Last year the Nationals signed Stephen Strasburg with minutes to go until the deadline expired, and this year Bryce Harper took them to within minutes of the deadline once again. The overall No.1 pick in this year’s draft signed a $9.9million, five-year contract with Washington on Monday night, putting an end to months of speculation.
The deal isn’t as big as the $15.1million, four-year contract Strasburg received last season, but then again no-one expected it to be, and just like last year both sides came to an eventual agreement.
"Suffice it to say, both sides gave up ground at the last second to get the deal done," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said.
Harper hit .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBIs in his first season at the College of Southern Nevada, and his deal sets a new record for a non-pitcher signed from the draft. The previous record was held by Mark Teixeira who received a four-year $9.5million with the Texas Rangers in 2001.
"It gives us another impact player in the system. He's a guy who could possibly be a cornerstone in our line-up in the very near future,” Rizzo said of Harper.
“We feel he is a fast-track, 17-year-old player. [We like] the fact that he handles the wooden bat so well and is very experienced with it the whole season. It helped us with our evaluation of him. I think it speaks to how hard he has worked over the season and how ready we feel he is to endure the rigors of professional baseball.”
Harper’s contract carries a signing bonus of $6.25million paid in five equal instalments of $1.25million. He will receive salaries of $500,000 in 2011-2012, $750,000 in 2013, $900,000 in 2014 and $1million in 2015.
The Nationals also agreed to pay eight semesters of college for Harper and installed bonuses that could bring the total value of the contract to $10.9million.
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