Harper Sent Down to AAA

[Allie Fox]

I just saw that the Nats are sending Bryce Harper to Syracuse to start the season. According to the report I saw (on MLB At Bat), Harper will only need to be down for 20 days and the Nate can extend his free agency by a year.

How likely is it that he is still with the Chiefs in August? They will be coming to Atlanta/ Gwinnett to play the Braves and I'd like to see him again before he gets the call. I'm thinking I might need to head upstate NY early.

[dominik]

I just saw that the Nats are sending Bryce Harper to Syracuse to start the season. According to the report I saw (on MLB At Bat), Harper will only need to be down for 20 days and the Nate can extend his free agency by a year.

How likely is it that he is still with the Chiefs in August? They will be coming to Atlanta/ Gwinnett to play the Braves and I'd like to see him again before he gets the call. I'm thinking I might need to head upstate NY early.

that makes a lot of sense. first of all they will still need some time to become a real contender. so that year in the back end of the contract (when he likely will be much better than now) is much more valuable than the half year or less in the majors now. I still think he will be called up before the ASG.

I'm also not a fan of skipping levels. he is a unique talent but still be only played A ball (with a cup of coffee in AA). let him dominate AAA at least for a month or two before you call him up this will also lower the media pressure a little compared to a start in the majors.

[KCGHOST]

To make AAA at age 19 is quite the deal and most experts expect him to be on the big club by mid-season.

[Zito75]

To make AAA at age 19 is quite the deal and most experts expect him to be on the big club by mid-season.

Agreed. Or by Mother's Day if Werth doesn't produce.

[Allie Fox]

To make AAA at age 19 is quite the deal and most experts expect him to be on the big club by mid-season.

I think in the story I watched it said he would be the youngest player in AAA.

[dominik]

I think in the story I watched it said he would be the youngest player in AAA.

you mean right now?

because historically there have been a lot of players who played in the majors at age 18 or 19.

[Blue387]

Agreed. Or by Mother's Day if Werth doesn't produce.

That contract was stupid.

[RubeBaker]

I wouldn't be surprised if he's down a little longer than that.

Isn't it like sometime in like early June where they can bring him up and avoid the Super 2?

[UnderPressure]

Delaying his free agency eligibility is basically the only reason why he's not making the big league roster. The Nats are afraid that they might lose him to free agency when he's only 25 years old. Highly-touted prospects would make their MLB debut earlier in their pro career if it weren't for this rule.

[Allie Fox]

you mean right now?

because historically there have been a lot of players who played in the majors at age 18 or 19.

Sorry. Yes; for the 2012 season.

[Imgran]

How many of these kids do we see every year? Two or three at least. In the majors long before they should be. Sometimes it even works. A lot of the time, you get results somewhere in between Stephen Strasburg (great, but couldn't handle the rigors of the majors as early as he was asked to handle them) and Andrew Miller (really really really REALLY needed more time in the oven) .

[Rich the Giants fan]

Delaying his free agency eligibility is basically the only reason why he's not making the big league roster. The Nats are afraid that they might lose him to free agency when he's only 25 years old. Highly-touted prospects would make their MLB debut earlier in their pro career if it weren't for this rule.

"I've said all along that my development plan is, I like players to touch each level in the minor leagues," said Nationals GM Mike Rizzo the other day, when he was still mulling the decision he announced Sunday -- that Harper was heading for Triple-A. "That way, it gives them experience at each level in the minor leagues. And it's part of the process that makes you a big leaguer."

So from the beginning, Rizzo's stance was clear: It was "going to take something special" for Bryce Harper to make the team out of spring training. And if there was even any question, the GM said, the plan all along was to "err on that side" and send him to the minor leagues.

Well they've made the right call, said one scout who covers the Nationals' system -- except for one thing:

They should have sent him to Double-A, not Triple-A.

"He hit .250 in [129] at-bats last year in Double-A," the scout said. "And I don't think there's anything wrong with sending him back to a level he hasn't conquered yet.

"He's 19 years old, and he has things to learn. He has things to learn about baserunning. He has things to learn about playing defense. He has things to learn about commanding the strike zone. That's no knock on the kid. He's 19 years old, and he's way ahead of where he should be. But he hit .250 in Double-A. So send him back to DoubleA, let him tear up the Eastern League and then send him to Syracuse."

http://espn.go.com/mlb/spring2012/story/_/id/7709792/bryce-harper-had-educational-experience-spring

[dominik]

could it be that they made the decision so late to increase season ticket sales during the offseason?

[ol' aches and pains]

I'm going to try to catch a few Syracuse Chiefs games in the next couple of months (I'm only about 50 miles away), and see if this kid is the real deal. I'll post my findings, if any, when I do.

[Zito75]

That contract was stupid.

Indeed. They could have signed Raul Ibanez for 100 times less and received the same results. Oh well. Harper will be up later this year - I like the Nats chances overall.