With two other players still available, California high school shortstop Bryce Rayner and Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery, both consensus top 10 picks, the Nationals changed direction and selected Seaver King, an ultra-athletic right-handed hitter who could potentially play shortstop, third base or center field in professional ball.
This pick stands out not only for who the Nationals passed on, but also in the context of the team’s move earlier in the weekend when they sent relief pitcher Hunter Harvey to Kansas City for third baseman prospect Cayden Wallace and the more relevant 39th pick in tonight’s draft. The 39th pick was a competitive balanced pick — meaning it was tradeable — and the Royals used it to bolster their relief corps heading into the postseason.
But for Washington, not only would they have another pick on Day 1, but they would also have additional bonus pool money to distribute towards higher picks. Because King was projected to be selected a little later in the first round, it’s likely the Nationals would save some money in signing King and have more money to spend when the 39th and 44th picks (Washington’s second-round picks) come around. Meanwhile, the Nationals might have a better chance of securing another player projected to be selected in the 20th to 30th range with an above-slot signing bonus — an intriguing choice by Mike Rizzo and company.
