Stephen Strasburg Beats Deadline, Signs $15.1M Deal with Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals and their No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg have agreed to a four-year deal worth $15.1 million, just before the midnight deadline on Monday.

Strasburg, the right-hander from San Diego State, was selected first by the last-place Nationals in June and set the mark for the most money guaranteed to a drafted player. The contract tops the 2001 deal for Mark Prior, who received a $10.5 million, five-year contract after he was selected with the second pick, behind Joe Mauer.

Strasburg went 13-1 last season, leading Division I pitchers in ERA (1.35) and strikeouts (195 in 109 innings), and won the Golden Spikes award for the top U.S. amateur baseball player.

A source told ESPN's Steve Phillips that Strasburg will receive a $7.5 million signing bonus with $2.5 million paid 15 days after approval of the contract, $2.5 million paid in January 2010 and another $2.5 million paid in January 2011.

Strasburg is scheduled to receive a $400,000 salary in 2009, but that is prorated to approximately $100,000. He then will get a $2 million salary in 2010, $2.5 million in 2011 and $3 million in 2012.

Strasburg was among 16 of 32 first-round picks without announced agreements heading into the final day. Only three first-round picks apparently failed to sign, but the deadline didn't apply to one of them.

Scott Boras, Strasburg’s agent, represented six of the unsigned picks, including the top three picks.

In addition to Strasburg, he negotiated a $9.5 million five-year contract for Dustin Ackley, a North Carolina center fielder taken by No. 2 Seattle; a $3.25 million signing bonus for Donavan Tate, a center fielder from Cartersville High School in Georgia selected No. 3 by San Diego; a $5.5 million, six-year contract for Jacob Turner, a right-hander from Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri taken by No. 9 Detroit; and a $2.75 million signing bonus for Grant Green, a USC shortstop drafted No. 13 by Oakland.

Tate had planned to play football and baseball at North Carolina, and was considered arguably the best two-sport high school athlete in the nation last year.

###

Click here for more Sports News

About YourFINDit

YourFindit Community is a business, music and social networking community. YourFINDit provides members with a wealth of applications that enable them to create an in depth profile within YourFindit. Profiles include an About Me, Background and Lifestyle, Videos, Photo sharing, News, Music, Blogs, unique URL and networking with other members inside the YourFINDit community. YourFindit provides ADit to each member providing them the opportunity to have an exclusive profile (no outside advertising) displaying only banner ads they upload to their pages. Members can run their own ads or give or sell their ad space to advertisers at prices the member sets.

To create your profile sign up and within minutes you too can have your People profile running your ads and building your network with new members daily.

YourFindit is owned and operated by TransWorldNews, Inc. a news and press release distribution service.