Nats take Strasburg, Padres tab Tate in MLB Draft

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The Washington Nationals made the easy decision.  To the surprise of absolutely nobody, they chose San Diego State ace Stephen Strasburg with the first pick of the MLB First-Year player draft on Tuesday.

Not long after, the Padres took a risk on Georgia high school center fielder Donavan Tate with the third pick. A 6-foot, 3-inch power hitter with speed, Tate has committed to play football for North Carolina.

“I have been talking to Carolina coaches for the past few days,” Tate said. “But (I) have not decided yet on my future. It is an honor to be taken as third pick.”

He is also represented by notorious player agent Scott Boras.  His ultimate decision obviously looms large for the Padres.

While he’s considered a solid defender and a five-tool player, the biggest concern scouts have about Tate is how his swing translates to the Majors.

The Padres had their eyes on North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley, a powerful hitter from a winning college team, but Seattle beat them to the punch with the second pick.

As for Strasburg, the first question for the Nationals is how much he will cost them. With Boras  also running his negotiations, signability is the biggest buzzword thrown around what many are calling the best pitching prospect baseball’s ever seen.

Related Links:
619 Sports: SDSU’s Strasburg set to strike it rich | SDNN’s Strasburg archive
Hacksaw: History proves Strasburg a risky prospect

If and when he’s signed, the next question is when will we see Strasburg in the Majors? With dwindling attendance and a general lack of excitement around a struggling franchise, Washington will feel pressure to push him through the farm quickly. He could end up in a Nationals uniform as soon as this season.

The Padres took Georgia high schooler Donavan Tate with the third pick. (AP file photo)

“Tough to say if I will pitch at all this season for the Nationals,” Strasburg said in a conference call. “Will see what happens.”

SDSU coach Tony Gwynn thinks Strasburg has what it takes to move up quickly.

“I think he is closer to big leagues than most people think,” Gwynn said. “I would not rush him. He has the baseball savvy to get there this year.”

In case anyone is wondering, the Nationals visit Petco Park Sept. 1-2.

Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton contributed to this report.

Jason Owens is the SDNN sports editor.

Tags: SDNN

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pm and is filed under Baseball, Sports . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.