The Nationals agreed to terms with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper on a five-year, $9.9 million contract earlier this week, however he won’t make his pro debut this season.
According to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said that the teenage hitting sensation will soon travel to Viera, Florida in order to work out with the organization’s Gulf Coast League team, however he won’t begin playing in games until the Florida instructional league begins in late-September.
“We’ll prepare him for instructional league in Florida,” Rizzo said. “He’ll get his work in with the GCL team, not playing any games. Contractually, he’s not going to play any games.”
We’ve heard whispers that Harper will also play in the Arizona Fall League, however Rizzo told Goessling that there’s only an “outside possibly” of him playing there. Either way, his official pro debut won’t be until next season.