Present still dismal, Nats eye future

When you've lost four straight games and hold the worst record in Major League Baseball, it makes sense to pay attention to the draft. For most sports fans -- even most baseball fans -- the baseball draft is a complete afterthought. There is no televised lottery, as in the NBA. There are not two networks covering the draft itself, as in the NFL. And the feverish media coverage and fan speculation common to the NFL and NBA drafts is almost completely absent for Major League Baseball. But if your team has lost 21 of its first 30 games and appears poised to finish with one of the worst records in the history of the Majors, the draft is not only a key to a better future, but also a welcome distraction from the bleakness of here and now.

The Nationals will pick 6th overall and

have five of the top 71 picks in the draft, including the sixth choice. They received the 31st and 68th picks as compensation for losing left fielder Alfonso Soriano to the Cubs via free agency
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The Nationals expect they will be choosing between a college pitcher and a high school position player with the sixth choice.

The Nats need to come away from those five picks with at least two players who can compete in the big leagues. Because the team is so short of talent at virtually every position, they have the luxury of pursuing the best available talent with every single pick.