On Saturday, the Washington Nationals elected to send Bryce Harper, the most prized prospect in baseball, to the low minor leagues. The move had been long expected. From MASN's Ben Goessling:
Bryce Harper Sent Down To Single-A After Impressive Spring Training With Nationals
General manager Mike Rizzo didn’t rule out Harper playing in the majors this year, though it seems unlikely last year’s No. 1 overall pick would scale four levels of the minors.
Upon signing with the Nationals, Harper began his professional career in the team’s instructional league. He was then sent to the Arizona Fall League, where he helped the Scottsdale Scorpions win the league championship.
This Spring, Harper has managed five hits and four RBI in 14 at-bats. As Goessling noted, it would be rather unusual for an 18-year-old to ascend from A-ball to the majors. But of course, Harper is a rather unusual prospect.
For more on Bryce Harper and the Nationals, check out SB Nation’s Nationals blog, Federal Baseball.
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