Look Ahead: Nationals would be wise not to rush Strasburg

Asked who might be baseball's next 300-game winner, Randy Johnson said he "might be signing this week."

Might he have been talking about Stephen Strasburg, who won't be signing this week but will be drafted Tuesday night by the Nationals?

Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. But there's no doubt who David Price was talking about a couple of days later, when he was asked about Strasburg and said, "He's got better stuff than I do. I wouldn't doubt he could pitch in the big leagues now."

The Nationals would be wise to let Stephen Strasburg get some seasoning in the minors. (Getty Images)

Scouts have been saying the same thing about Strasburg, with some claiming he could jump directly from San Diego State into the Nationals rotation. Washington has been suggesting that it plans to send Strasburg to the minor leagues first, but at this point anything the team says has to be taken as part of the negotiation process.

Price's view is interesting, because two years ago he was in Strasburg's shoes as a college pitcher who was the first overall pick. Price signed late enough in 2007 that he didn't make his pro debut until the next spring, but even then the Rays gave him 19 minor league starts before he made his big league debut in September.

And, of course, the Rays made the somewhat controversial decision to have Price begin this season in the minor leagues, too. He made his 2009 debut on May 25, and in three starts he's 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA.

Price said over the weekend that the time in the minors helped him build confidence. But he also referred to his 2007 season at Vanderbilt by saying, "I think that was when I threw the best. I'm trying to get back to that."

The Rays believe they did the right thing with Price, and Rays manager Joe Maddon said he would suggest a similar strategy for any college pitcher.

"My original thought is, 'Why mess with it?'" Maddon said. "Why try to find out [if a pitcher can skip the minors]? What's the problem with letting him develop? If you love him that much, that's the surefire way to develop him."

Maddon said that while he believes a college pitcher could be successful in the big leagues for a start or two, he doesn't believe jumping straight to the big leagues is a good idea.

"People just don't get it," he said. "There's such a vast difference between that game and this game."

Sometime soon, Strasburg will get a chance to find that out.

The other stories to watch this week:

The other rivalry in New York: The Yankees visit Boston this week, meeting the Red Sox for the first time this year with Alex Rodriguez in the lineup (after going 0-5 against the Sox without him). Later on in the week, the Mets and Yankees meet for the first time.

Also this week: Three more games between the Mets and Phillies, giving us three more chances to compare these teams that remain 1-2 in the National League East.

The Phillies are ahead in the standings, and also in recent division (and World Series) championships. The Phillies also continue to lead in grit, while the Mets continue to lead in medical mishaps.

One thing has changed, perhaps significantly. With Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets now hold ninth-inning leads the way the Phillies did last year. Meanwhile, the Phillies have ninth-inning questions, as Brad Lidge (perfect last year) has six blown saves.

One scout who saw Lidge recently said he seems to have the same problems he had late in his Houston career.

"He's afraid of his fastball," the scout said. "The guy who should be closing now is pitching in the eighth inning [Ryan Madson]. He's throwing as good as I've ever seen him."

What now for Cody Ross? While the Braves thought they were close to getting Cody Ross from the Marlins before making last week's deal for Nate McLouth, Florida people say they never thought a trade was that close. They said they don't really want to trade Ross yet, because he is holding center field until Cameron Maybin is ready to return from Triple-A New Orleans.

Maybin hit .278 in his first 23 games with the Zephyrs, and left Sunday's game with a dislocated finger.

Can Jackson keep going? Edwin Jackson struggled so much down the stretch in 2008 that the Rays barely used him in the postseason, then traded him to the Tigers for Matt Joyce over the winter. But Maddon said over the weekend that he still believes in Jackson, who has won five of his past six starts and has a 2.16 ERA, second in the American League behind Zack Greinke.

"He's such a talent," Maddon said. "He's that good. He's that talented. And he's a good guy, so I'm happy for him."

Three games to watch: 1. Tigers at White Sox, Tuesday. If this Dontrelle Willis start is anywhere near as bad as the last one, the Tigers have to cut the cord, right? Especially with Jeremy Bonderman back in the rotation as of Monday, there's no reason to stick with Willis any longer, unless he shows an awful lot on Tuesday.

2. Cardinals at Marlins, Tuesday. Who's the best pitcher in the NL this year? I'll still go with Johan Santana, but it's hard to argue against either Chris Carpenter or Josh Johnson, who will match up before a few dozen fans at a ballpark now on its fourth name.

3. Mets at Yankees, Sunday. The Mets have their problems, but at least their rotation set up nicely for this week. Johan Santana starts Tuesday against the rival Phillies, and that means he'll also start Sunday against the Yankees. Santana never lost at the old Yankee Stadium, and in his final four starts there, starting with the 2004 playoffs, he was 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA.