# 2009 MLB Draft - Would you pick Strasburg #1? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 9, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222 "2009-06-09T17:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/21 "2009-06-09T22:04:57Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > The Braves then took Chipper Jones, who went on to a borderline HOF career Jones is not a “borderline” Hall of Famer. The asking price on Strasburg is nuts, but yes, I’d take him. I thought I’d read that the second-best AND potential third-best players were also Boras clients. Good luck to the Nationals, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/22 "2009-06-09T22:30:43Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > You cannot trade MLB draft picks. Is there any rule that says they can’t draft him, and then trade him for a guy taken later plus players, cash, or whatever? Or can you only trade signed players? > [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > He is possibly the most hyped draft pick ever, but his agent is Scott Boras and he’s going to be asking for the world. Some reports are suggesting Boras will ask the Nationals for close to what he sought for Daisuke Matsuzaka, around $50M. Nobody thinks Strasburg will actually get $50 million. $20 million, maybe- and that’s an awful lot less than #1 picks get in the NFL. I’d take him. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/23 "2009-06-09T22:32:12Z")
Mark Prior was not so long ago. He was a phenom in 2001. He is out of baseball now. Came into the bigs at 21 years old and gone in 4 years. He was a high draft choice and a can’t miss pitcher. he missed. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/24 "2009-06-09T22:32:56Z")
That’s because of the moronitude of the Cubs, not because Prior lacked talent. I saw his first start in the majors and was very impressed. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/25 "2009-06-09T22:36:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Is there any rule that says they can’t draft him, and then trade him for a guy taken later plus players, cash, or whatever? Or can you only trade signed players? You cannot trade an unsigned player, and in fact you can’t trade a signed player within the first year after signing him (at least that’s how I remember the rules off the top of my head). Basically there is no way around it - either they sign him or he goes back in the draft next year. They can’t trade the pick, they can’t trade his rights, they can’t sign-and-trade him. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/26 "2009-06-09T22:36:47Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Mark Prior was not so long ago. He was a phenom in 2001. He is out of baseball now. Came into the bigs at 21 years old and gone in 4 years. He was a high draft choice and a can’t miss pitcher. he missed. He’s not really “out of the bigs”; he signed a 1-year deal with the Padres in the offseason and they never added him to a roster because he’s recovering from shoulder surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/27 "2009-06-09T22:37:42Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Is there any rule that says they can’t draft him, and then trade him for a guy taken later plus players, cash, or whatever? Or can you only trade signed players? > > Nobody thinks Strasburg will actually get $50 million. $20 million, maybe- and that’s an awful lot less than #1 picks get in the NFL. I’d take him. That’s just for a signing bonus. Boras wants a 6 year, $50M contract for him. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/28 "2009-06-09T22:42:12Z")
That’s what Boras says he wants. He knows he won’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/29 "2009-06-10T01:28:02Z")
The Red Sox got Carlos Beltran’s nephew in Reymond Fuentes-apparently can fly like the wind. Instantly becomes the youngest guy in the Sox organization (17 years and 4 months). ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/30 "2009-06-11T17:14:30Z")
I wouldn’t have drafted him if I were the Nats. Pitchers are just too risky and too damn injury prone. Since I’m the Nats and I have needs at every position as demonstrated by my worst record in baseball, I’d have taken the top rated position player, after making sure that the fans knew why I was doing it and wishing Strasburg the best of luck for a good career. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/31 "2009-06-11T17:54:57Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > I wouldn’t have drafted him if I were the Nats. Pitchers are just too risky and too damn injury prone. Since I’m the Nats and I have needs at every position as demonstrated by my worst record in baseball, I’d have taken the top rated position player, after making sure that the fans knew why I was doing it and wishing Strasburg the best of luck for a good career. But they don’t have needs at every position. They have some good position players. They’re in dead last because they have the worst pitching staff in baseball - by a really, really wide margin - and have very few prospects. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/32 "2009-06-11T18:10:55Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > But they don’t have needs at every position. They have some good position players. They’re in dead last because they have the worst pitching staff in baseball - by a really, really wide margin - and have very few prospects. Which is why it is too bad baseball doesn’t allow teams to trade draft picks. A team like the nationals who has a huge need at pitching might decide to trade the #1 which is an expensive risk for a few draft picks and minor league players so they can have a bunch of players and improve their odds at having one ace. Not that I am saying the Nationals should have done that. I just think it would make the draft more interesting. And, perhaps for a cagey GM a way to build a team quickly. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/33 "2009-06-11T18:13:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > But they don’t have needs at every position. They have some good position players. They’re in dead last because they have the worst pitching staff in baseball - by a really, really wide margin - and have very few prospects. You don’t win anything with merely good position players though. You need great ones. You need a high quantity of good players too, not just some. I like Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham, but neither of them is ever going to Cooperstown on other than a visitor’s pass. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/34 "2009-06-11T18:17:37Z")
The next great position player? I’d take him. A pitcher? Too much risk. A Boras client? I’d rather be waterboarded. No. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/35 "2009-06-11T18:20:43Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > You don’t win anything with merely good position players though. You need great ones. You need a high quantity of good players too, not just some. I like Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham, but neither of them is ever going to Cooperstown on other than a visitor’s pass. Well, pitchers who are just “good” don’t go to Cooperstown either. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/36 "2009-06-11T18:49:30Z")
Just a comment - the poor record of Number 1 picks just might have something to do with their being chosen by the front offices of the worst teams. There’s a reason the Nats suck. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/37 "2009-06-11T18:49:49Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, pitchers who are just “good” don’t go to Cooperstown either. That’s obviously true, but irrelevant. IMHO, the Nationals, the team that was the worst in baseball in '08 and thus earned the #1 pick in this year’s draft, and which is still the worst in baseball and thus most likely which will get the #1 pick in the 2010 draft too, would have been better served in the long run by drafting a position player, because he’s more likely to pan out than a pitcher is, even without the Boros factor. Their team currently sucks, and has great needs all over the diamond. They need a catcher, a SS, a 2b and a CF at the very least. While their pitching does indeed suck, they stand a better risk and at a lower cost of trying to satisfy that need in the lower rounds. That’s all I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/38 "2009-06-11T18:52:56Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The next great position player? I’d take him. A pitcher? Too much risk. A Boras client? I’d rather be waterboarded. > > No. The top hitter was a Boras client too… ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/39 "2009-06-11T18:55:30Z")
I’d also say need is pretty irrelevent. In first round you take the top talent and deal with any potential glut when the time comes. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222/40 "2009-06-11T19:33:31Z")
I think that’s true in any round, isn’t it? Get the best guys you can, you never know who’s going to pan out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-mlb-draft-would-you-pick-strasburg-1/499222.md?page=3)