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Nationals report

Date published: 9/7/2006

By TODD JACOBSON

WASHINGTON--The Nationals lost the rights to second-round draft pick Sean Black yesterday when the hard-throwing right-hander attended class at Seton Hall University.

Black's enrollment in college officially ended three months of negotiations between the Nationals and the 59th pick in June's First-Year Player Draft, talks which focused on a significant monetary gap between the two sides.

Black, a right-hander who blossomed during his senior season at Lenape High School in New Jersey, was expecting to go much higher than the 59th pick and at one point during the draft, he told the Boston Red Sox to pass on him.

When he was taken by the Nationals, he said he wanted first round money, or a signing bonus approaching $1 million.

Over the last three seasons, the 59th pick has received an average signing bonus of approximately $600,000, but the Nationals could have paid Black more than "slot" money.

Third-rounder Stephen King received a $750,000 signing bonus and $100,000 tuition stipend to sign with Washington, but according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Black didn't budge much from his original asking price and the Nationals weren't prepared to pay such a hefty price tag.

Black, 18, did not attend class Tuesday, giving the sides one more day to negotiate, but a deal could not be struck. Black is one of two unsigned picks in the first two rounds of the draft, and he's the only high schooler picked in the first two rounds that did not sign.

"If it's true, it is disappointing, because we would've liked to get it done," said Dana Brown, the Nationals' director of amateur scouting. "We really liked him."

Black, who dazzled scouts with his 6-foot-3 frame and 95 mph fastball, will be eligible to re-enter the draft after his junior season at Seton Hall, and the Nationals--or any other team--can draft him again at that time.

Black did not return a call to his cell phone and home telephone yesterday.

"We wish Sean and his family nothing but continued success," Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said in a statement released by the team. "We respect the Black family's decision."

Date published: 9/7/2006