A message for Stephen Strasburg

The Nationals have done their part, now it's time for Stephen Strasburg to do his. Nationals President Stan Kasten and owners Ted and Mark Lerner have offered the 21-year-old more than the record amount given to then Cubs 1st round pick Mark Prior back in 2001. We are talking about $10.5 million. Not only is that more money then 99.9 percent of the rest of the world, but we are talking about wanting to play professional baseball. Strasburg can choose to listen to an agent that is comparing him to pitchers who received record deals that have all turned out to be busts. Jose Contreras, Kei Igawa and Daisuke Matsuzaka were for the most part over-hyped busts that have really done nothing to even come close to what they were signed for. Why isn't Scott Boras comparing Strasburg to Tim Lincecum, Tommy Hanson, Matt Cain or Rick Porcello? He can't even touch them talent wise and guys like Hanson that signed for $325,000 are the real deal. Also, Hanson was a 22nd round pick and has earned the respect of his peers and anyone that knows baseball. Kid, if you want respect you have to earn it, if you want to be hated as much as your agent Scott Boras, hold out and go pitch in independent league baseball. The choice is really up to you -- hold out and put your progress towards the big leagues, push back time towards arbitration, and oh yea, risk getting hurt in some independent league game, or how about building on being the richest amateur draft pick to date in the history of MLB. Good luck.

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