Is Lucas Giolito Ready To Make His GCL Debut?

The Washington Nationals took a risk on a highly-regarded pitcher who suffered an elbow injury before the 2012 Draft, but now right-hander Lucas Giolito appears ready to make his pro debut.

2012 MLB Draft Signings: Nationals Ink Top Pick Lucas Giolito To Deal, According To Reports

Although it came down to the very last second, the Washington Nationals were able to sign their top draft pick, Lucas Giolito, as reported by Jim Callis of Baseball America.

Giolito, the 16th overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, will receive a bonus of $2,925,000 according to Callis. The right-handed pitcher took the money and pro contract over a commitment he gave to UCLA. It was originally believed that it was going to be a tough sign, given Giolito's roots in southern California.

He was originally predicted to be one of the top arms in the 2012 draft, however he fell after concerns over his elbow arose. The Nationals, however, felt he was worth the risk.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC and Minor League Ball.

MLB Draft 2012: Nationals Sign Third-Round Pick, Pitcher Brett Mooneyham

The Washington Nationals are inching closer to signing all of their picks from the 2012 MLB Draft, and the latest to be signed is left-handed pitcher Brett Mooneyham who was the Nationals third-round draft pick out of Stanford. The contract that that Mooneyham signed was the exact amount for his third-round slot at $428,500.

This past season at Stanford, Mooneyham went 7-5 with a 4.26 ERA in 14 starts with 90 strikeouts over 82.1 innings pitched. However, he did walk 37 batters and hit an additional 15 which was the most by any Stanford pitcher.

While Mooneyham is the 24th player that the Nationals have signed, they are still trying to work out a deal to sign first-round pick in right-handed high school pitching product Lucas Giolito. Since the Mooneyham signing was for the slotted amount it still allows the Nationals to offer Giolito a shade over $3 million.

MLB Draft 2012: Nationals Can Only Offer First-Round Pick Lucas Giolito $3 Million Bonus, According To Report

The Washington Nationals spent the weekend trying to persuade Lucas Giolito, their first-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, to sign a deal with the team rather than head off to play college baseball at UCLA this fall. The biggest factor in determining whether or not Washington can sign the 6-foot-6, 230-pound right-handed pitcher might be how much they can offer him in the way of a signing bonus.

A Monday report in the Washington Times says that the Nationals can only offer the 16th overall pick a total of $3,029,773, reflecting money saved from their other draft pick signings.

The Nationals will not risk losing future draft picks by exceeding the money than they have allotted to them for this year's draft class, according to the same report. Penalties for going over that amount scale up from a 75 percent tax on the amount exceeding the allotment.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

MLB Draft 2012: Washington Nationals Sign 23 Drafted Players

The Washington Nationals have signed 23 players drafted in last week's MLB Draft. Although it does not include first round pick Lucas Giolito, second round pick Tony Renda, fourth round pick Brandon Miller and fifth round pick Spencer Kieboom were all signed by the Nationals.

This is the complete list of the 23 players signed by the Nationals. Each pick is listed by round selected, overall pick, player, position and their last team.

2 80 Tony Renda 2B University of California-Berkeley
4 144 Brandon Miller OF Samford University (AL)
5 174 Spencer Kieboom C Clemson University (SC)
6 204 Hayden Jennings CF Evangel Christian Academy (LA)
9 294 Derek Self RHP University of Louisville (KY)
10 324 Craig Manuel C Rice University (TX)
11 354 Brian Rauh RHP Chapman University (CA)
12 384 Carlos Lopez 3B Wake Forest University (NC)
13 414 Elliott Waterman LHP University of San Francisco
14 444 Jordan Poole RF Chipola Junior College (FL)
16 504 Ronald Pena RHP Palm Beach State College (FL)
17 534 Blake Schwartz RHP Oklahoma City University
18 564 David Fischer RHP University of Connecticut
19 594 Bryan Lippincott 1B Concordia University (MN)
20 624 James Brooks SS University of Utah
21 654 Austin Chubb C Florida Southern College
22 684 Will Hudgins RHP University of Notre Dame
23 714 Casey Selsor OF University of Texas-San Antonio
24 744 Kevin Dicharry RHP University of Texas
28 864 Hunter Bailey SS Oklahoma State University
29 894 Leonard Hollins RHP Chipola Junior College (FL)
31 954 Michael Boyden RHP University of Maryland
33 1014 Mike McQuillan 2B University of Iowa

The Nationals have until July 15 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time to sign their remaining draft picks, a change from previous seasons. Though the Nationals have had to stress about signing their high picks shortly before the deadline before, there should hopefully not be that problem this year.

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2012 MLB Draft Results: Nationals Make 25 Picks On Day 3

The Washington Nationals made 25 selections on Day 3 of the 2012 MLB Draft highlighted by right-handed pitcher Freddy Avis. Avis is just 18 years old, drafted out of Menlo School in California and stands 6'2 and 195 pounds. Based on Avis size and "stuff", he projects to be a nice draft pick, but there are concerns that he will be a tough player to sign.

Here's a rundown of Wednesday's selections:

• No. 504 -- Ronald Pena -- Palm Beach State College
• No. 534 -- Blake Schwartz -- Oklahoma City University
• No. 564 -- David Fischer -- Connecticut
• No. 594 -- Bryan Lippincott -- Concordia
• No. 624 -- James Brooks -- Utah
• No. 654 -- Austin Chubb -- Florida Southern
• No. 684 -- Will Hudgins -- Notre Dame
• No. 714 -- Casey Seisor -- University Texas San Antonio
• No. 744 -- Kevin Dicharry -- Texas
• No. 774 -- Freddy Avis -- Melo School, CA
• No. 804 -- Skye Bolt -- Holy Innocents Episcopal HS, GA
• No. 834 -- Cody Poteet -- Christian HS, CA
• No. 864 -- Hunter Bailey -- Oklahoma State
• No. 894 -- Leonard Hollins -- Chipola
• No. 924 -- Robert Orlan -- North Carolina
• No. 954 -- Michael Boyden -- Maryland
• No. 984 -- MIchael Mudron -- Cal St. San Bernadino
• No. 1014 -- Mike McQuillan -- Iowa
• No. 1044 -- Jake Jefferies -- Foothill HS, CA
• No. 1074 -- Cory Bafidis -- Texas Wesleyan
• No. 1104 -- Max Ungar -- Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, MD
• No. 1134 -- Tyler Watson -- Georgetown HS, TX
• No. 1164 -- Jared Masser -- Malone Col, OH
• No. 1194 -- Mitchell Williams -- Coosa HS, GA
• No. 1224 -- Ricky Gutierrez -- American Senior HS, FL

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MLB Draft 2012 Results: Nationals make 14 Picks on Day 2

The Washington Nationals made 14 selections on day two of the 2012 MLB draft, highlighted by the fourth-round selection of Brandon Miller, an outfielder from Samford who belted a school-recorded 23 home runs this season. But that was just the beginning of a busy day for the Nats. Here's a rundown of Tuesday's selections:

• No. 144 -- OF Brandon Miller -- Samford
• No. 174 -- C Spencer Kieboom -- Clemson
• No. 204 -- CF Hayden Jennings -- Evangel Christian Academy (La.)
• No. 234 -- RHP Robert Benincasa -- Florida State
• No. 264 -- SS Stephen Perez -- Miami (Fl.)
• No. 294 -- RHP Derek Self -- Louisville
• No. 324 -- C Craig Manuel -- Rice
• No. 354 -- RHP Brian Rauh -- Chapman University (Calif.)
• No. 384 -- 3B Carlos Lopez -- Wake Forest
• No. 414 -- LHP Elliott Waterman -- San Francisco
• No. 444 -- RF Jordan Poole -- Chipola College (Fla.)
• No. 474 -- CF Brandon Smith -- Woodbridge High School (Calif.)

Though these are day-two picks and range from the fourth round to the 14th, some could make an impact. Per Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

The Nationals still believe in their later picks. Samford senior outfielder/catcher Brandon Miller led Division I with [23] home runs. Nationasl VP Roy Clark called Clemson junior Spencer Kieboom "the best defensive college catcher in the country," even if Kieboom is not ranked among Baseball American's top 500 prospects.

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MLB Draft 2012: Nationals Select Samford Outfielder With Fourth-Round Pick

With their fourth-round pick, No. 144 overall, in the 2012 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals have selected Samford University outfielder Bradon Miller, the highest-ever a Samford player has been taken in the draft.

As a senior, Miller led the country in home runs this season with 23 -- a school-record. He was also 15th nationally in RBIs with 65, another program record. He is currently the school's all-time leader in home runs.

Since, the Nats have added some arms, as well as some position players in the later rounds. In the fifth round, they took Clemson catcher Spencer Kieboom, a junior, at No. 174 and in the sixth, they grabbed Hayden Jenning, a 6-foot center fielder from Evangel Christian Academy in Louisiana. Jennings is committed to play at LSU.

The team took two right-handed pitchers with its seventh and ninth round selections in Robert Benincasa (No. 234 overall) and Derek Self (No. 294), respectively. Benincasa is a junior from Florida State, while Self is a senior from Louisville. The Nats took a shortstop in Stephen Perez in the eight round.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

MLB Draft 2012: Nationals Select Stanford Pitcher Brett Mooneyham

The Washington Nationals reached into their recent draft history by reselecting Stanford pitcher Brett Mooneyham in the third round. The Stanford southpaw was drafted by the Nationals in the 38th round last season. Though there are some potential control issues with Mooneyham, the hope is that he can develop into another fast hurler for the Nationals staff. Mooneyham measures in at 6'5" and 235 pounds.

This past season at Stanford, Mooneyham went 7-5 with a 4.26 ERA in 14 starts with 90 strikeouts over 82 and a third innings pitched. However, he did walk 37 batters and hit an addition 15, most on the Stanford staff in both categories.

Baseball Prospect Nation makes a deal of his control problems as well as his command, which could be something to keep an eye on in his development.

I have reservations about long-term command projection. Mediocre arm action, lack of athleticism and general inconsistency make locating his pitches a consistent issue.

It may take some time to deal with Mooneyham's control issues, but if he can get over them, the Nationals could have another gem of a pitcher on their roster in the future.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

2012 MLB Draft: Nationals Select Cal 2B Tony Renda With No. 80 Overall Pick

A day after selecting pitcher Lucas Giolito with their first-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals drafted Cal second baseman Tony Renda with their second-round pick, No. 80 overall.

A native of Hillsborough, California, Renda was named a 2012 first-team preseason All-American by Baseball America and second-team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He was also named the Pac-10's player of the year in 2011, only the fourth Cal player to earn the honor.

In 2012, his junior season, Renda batted .342 for the Golden Bears and posted a .436 on-base percentage and a .484 slugging percentage, hitting 5 home runs and driving in 27 runs while starting 53 of Cal's 54 games this season.

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Nats Draft Pick Lucas Giolito's Grandfather Appeared On 'Seinfeld'

2012 MLB Draft Results: Nationals Select Lucas Giolito

Washington surprises everyone by picking the right-handed pitcher, who has been dealing with a sprained UCL.

2012 MLB Draft: Could Scott Boras Steer Mark Appel To Washington Nationals?

When pitcher Mark Appel was not the first player selected in the 2012 MLB draft, fans and the media were shocked. Appel looked like a consensus as the top player off the board. Instead, Appel was still available after the sixth pick. A rumor, reported by Kevin Goldstein, said that Scott Boras, Appel's agent, was trying to push the pitcher all the way down to the Washington Nationals at the 16th pick.

Crazy rumor of Boras trying to push Mark Appel all the way to Washington at 16.

— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) June 4, 2012

As for what so many teams have skipped Appel with top picks, speculation about teams' ability to sign the right-handed pitcher abounded.

UPDATE: Well, never mind that. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Appel with the No. 8 overall pick.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo On The Nats' Plans For The 2012 MLB Draft

Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo talked to reporters on Sunday about the Nats' approach to the 2012 Draft and the impact the new rules for the Draft will have on the process.

MLB Draft Order 2012: Nationals Have The No. 16 Pick

The Major League Baseball Draft begins Monday night at 7 p.m. Though there is always a lot of uncertainty around the draft, the Washington Nationals have been one of the more consistent teams with their first round draft picks in the last few years. With players such as third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Ross Detwiler and outfielder Bryce Harper were all drafted in the top five and are all in the Major League now.

The Nationals do not have as high a first round draft pick as they have had in previous years, but that doesn't diminish the importance of this event. Here is the first round order of the MLB Draft.

1 Houston Astros
2 Minnesota Twins
3 Seattle Mariners
4 Baltimore Orioles
5 Kansas City Royals
6 Chicago Cubs
7 San Diego Padres
8 Pittsburgh Pirates
9 Miami Marlins
10 Colorado Rockies
11 Oakland Athletics
12 New York Mets
13 Chicago White Sox
14 Cincinnati Reds
15 Cleveland Indians
16 Washington Nationals
17 Toronto Blue Jays
18 Los Angeles Dodgers
19 St. Louis Cardinals
20 San Francisco Giants
21 Atlanta Braves
22 Toronto Blue Jays
23 St. Louis Cardinals
24 Boston Red Sox
25 Tampa Bay Rays
26 Arizona Diamondbacks
27 Milwaukee Brewers
28 Milwaukee Brewers
29 Texas Rangers
30 New York Yankees
31 Boston Red Sox

The Nationals have the No. 16 overall draft pick. They also have about $4.4 million available for signing their first 10 draft picks.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

2012 MLB Mock Draft: Nationals Stay With Arizona State SS Devin Marrero

The Washington Nationals are sitting on top of the National League East, in a three-way tie with the Marlins and the Mets. Gone are the days of the Nationals as the division's door stop, thanks in no small part to a collection of talent added through years of top picks in the draft. And who will the Nationals select in the 2012 MLB Draft which starts on Monday night?

More and more talk has the Nationals interested in Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero. A Monday morning mock draft from the Baltimore Sports Report puts Marrero to Washington with the 16th pick.

16. Washington Nationals- Devin Marrero, SS, Arizona State: The Pirates like him at #8 overall. The Nationals like to scoop up the best available player. Plus they are looking for another long term infielder. Marrero will probably become a 2B in the majors which is even more perfect for the Nats. This would be a great value pick.

As a college player, Marrero could be ready to help out at the big league level within a relatively short time frame. Dollars could play a role in which player the Nationals select, with about $4.4 million allotted for draft picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

MLB Mock Draft 2012: Nationals May Take Shortstop Deven Marrero Of Arizona State

With the 2012 MLB Draft just around the corner on Monday night, baseball experts are making their final projections on where prospects will end up. John Sickels of Minor League Ball put out his final mock draft on Sunday, and he has the Washington Nationals taking shortstop Deven Marrero out of Arizona State.

Here is his reasoning behind the pick.

"Rumors here are vague and contradictory and what the Nats do depends in great measure on what happens ahead of them. I think something outside the box could happen here (Giolito? Nick Travieso? Brian Johnson? Clint Coulter? Mitch Nay? Addison Russell?). Deven Marrero and Pierce Johnson are the two best college guys left."

With the lack of big-time prospects in this draft, it will be interesting to see where players will end up.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

MLB Draft 2012: Nationals To Select Texas A&M Pitcher, According To Projection

With the No. 16 pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals will select Michael Wacha, according to ESPN Insider Keith Law. The draft is scheduled to begin June 4.

Wacha is a 6-foot-6, right-handed pitcher from Texas A&M. Thus far this season, he's gone 8-1 with a 2.21 ERA through 15 starts. Moreover, he's struck out 107 batters against 17 walks. Here's Law on Wacha to the Nats:

Wacha's ceiling is limited, but his advanced changeup makes him a likely big leaguer. I've also heard Dahl and Marrero here, and the Nats have been linked by scouts on the East Coast to Duke's Marcus Stroman, but it would be a big departure for GM Mike Rizzo: Of sixteen pitchers he's taken in the first or second rounds as a scouting director for Arizona or while assistant GM or GM for Washington, none has been under 6-foot-2, and Stroman is 5-9.

The Houston Astros, who have the first pick in the draft, are projected to take Stanford starting pitcher Mark Appel.

For more Nationals coverage and conversation, visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nats blog. For news, updates and projections related to the next week's MLB Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream here at SB Nation DC.

MLB Draft 2012: Nationals Have $4.4 Million Available For Draft Picks

The MLB Draft will begin on June 7. The Washington Nationals will have $4.4 million available to sign their draft picks in the first 10 rounds.