“I’m not a believer that a player can come from amateur baseball and step right into the major leagues,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “I’ve seen terrific prospects attempt it and the failure rate is too great. This is a prized asset.”

The top overall pick in June’s draft, the Nationals optioned the 21-year-old Strasburg, to Double-A Harrisburg. For Washington, Strasburg is easily the best pitcher in spring training. Strasburg got the news when he reported to Space Coast Stadium the morning after his most impressive spring outing.

Striking out eight St. Louis batters in four innings Friday night in his third spring start, Strasburg, who signed a record $15.1 million contract in August, allowed two first-inning home runs, then settled down and took command.

“It’s all about confidence—confidence in the pitches, confidence going out there That’s the bottom line,” Strasburg said after clearing out his locker and packing his equipment bag. “The knock that people have on me is that I don’t have experience and you’re only going to get experience with time.”

Displaying a 98 mph fastball  and a slider-curve hybrid that hitters had trouble reading out of his hand, Strasburg went 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, allowing eight hits, walked one and struck out 12 in nine innings.

“What he did out there just verified what everybody had been saying. … He did everything you wanted him to do. I don’t think camp could have gone any better for him,” manager Jim Riggleman said.

Strasburg’s propensity to rush his delivery out of the stretch was the only flaw the Nationals saw. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after watching Strasburg that the right-hander’s velocity dropped several miles an hour when he had runners on base, making it easier for hitters to catch up to his fastball.

“If they tell me what to do, I’m going to do it,” Strasburg said. “Sometimes it won’t make sense, but more times than not, it’s going to work out in the long run. I trust what they’re doing with me.”

Strasburg would be in line to start Harrisburg’s Eastern League opener April 8 at Altoona, if he stays on his current pitching schedule,. Rizzo wouldn’t rule out summoning Strasburg to pitch April 3, when Washington hosts the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game at Nationals Park.

The Nationals led the majors with 103 losses last season.When Strasburg will make his big league debut remains to be seen.

With the left-hander John Lannan, the presumed opening day starter, and right-hander Jason Marquis, a free-agent acquisition, the Nationals’ rotation is unsettled. By  keeping Strasburg in the minors until late May or early June could save the Nationals a sizable sum of money, since it would delay Strasburg’s eligibility for salary arbitration and free agency.

“It’s his developmental schedule—that’s the only prerequisite I have as far as a time frame,” Rizzo said. “What’s in his best interest, to develop the player at the fullest, not only for now but for long term.”

Added Strasburg: “Hopefully I impressed the people that make the decisions and hopefully I’ll be back here soon.”

It is likely that Beckett will have to agree to some kind of medical language in the contract to protect the Boston Red Sox from losing him to a bad right shoulder.  This offseason, when the Red Sox signed John Lackey, for five years and $82 million, they threw in a provision that Lackey will have to pitch a sixth year at the league-minimum salary if he gets Tommy John surgery at some point in the first five years of the deal.  Also, J.D. Drew apparently has sort of the same deal with the Sox if he hurts his shoulder and supposedly Jason Bay was not signed by the team, because he would not sign a deal with any kind of medical limits in it.

Hopefully everyone stays well and off the disabled list this season.

On Saturday, the officials spoke of the condition of anonymity because the talks were private. Pittsburgh confirmed discussions with Lemieux and Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle took place, but said there was no talk about selling.

An unsolicited proposal for the Pirates four months ago—one that was substantial and serious, was reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Saturday, a person with knowledge of the offer told The Associated Press.

Previously, Nutting turned aside several sale overtures that were made by Pittsburgh lawyer Chuck Greenberg. Greenberg subsequently teamed with Nolan Ryan to purchase the Texas Rangers in a deal completed last week.

Several years ago, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks was rebuffed in efforts to buy the team.

The Pirates aren’t for sale, and the discussions apparently went no further. Bob Nutting gave all the interested parties the same answer:

“No formal, substantive offer had been made at a meeting four months ago with Bob and Mario and Ron Burkle,” said Pirates president Frank Coonelly Saturday at the team’s fan festival. “But what I can confirm for you is, at that time, today, tomorrow, next week, the Pirates are not for sale. Bob Nutting is committed to making this organization a winner again.”

While the Pirates acknowledge they aren’t successful, but they are profitable,. Last year, they lost 99 games during a major league-record 17th consecutive losing season, then raised fans’ ire by trimming their payroll below that of the 1992 Pirates, the franchise’s last team to make the playoffs.

Despite being in a similar-sized market, the Pirates’ projected $35 million payroll is only about half of the totals for NL Central rivals Cincinnati and Milwaukee. The payroll is expected to be the lowest in the majors by at least $5 million.

Nutting will not consider a proposal from the popular Lemieux, a Pittsburgh sports icon who has revived the Penguins twice—once as a player and again as an owner. This decision is likely to generate further fan unhappiness.

During a fan festival question-and-answer session, the fan unrest was evident Saturday when Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington and manager John Russell heard boos at times. It was especially evident when queried about the payroll. According to bystanders, most answers were met with only tepid applause,.

Pittsburgh has said the payroll won’t increase substantially until top prospects reach the majors and adding higher-salaried players might make the difference in winning a championship.

All of those interested in the Pirates have lengthy backgrounds in pro sports of some sort.

As a successful minor league owner, Greenberg teams included the Pirates’ Double-A affiliate in Altoona, Pa., that was partially owned by Lemieux until being sold two years ago. In 2007, Greenberg also was a finalist for the Pirates’ presidency before Coonelly was hired.

The Hall of Fame player, Lemieux, bought the Penguins in federal bankruptcy court in 1999—a year later, he came out of retirement became pro sports’ first owner-player—and has since seen them become one of the NHL’s most successful franchises.

A California billionaire investor and supermarket operator ,Burkle, joined Lemieux’s group in 1999 by making a $20 million investment, was interested previously in buying the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs.

“Mario and Ron are very smart business people. They’ve been very successful with the Penguins and have done a great job with them,” said Coonelly “What they see in the Pirates, I would think, is that they’re interested in purchasing a team much like the Penguins earlier this decade: A team on the rise. A team that has a plan. A team that has financial stability.”

With a more aggressive approach to player acquisition, Lemieux and Burkle, according to people with knowledge of their interest, believe the Pirates could substantially hike attendance—recently among the lowest in the majors.

Nutting’s family owns a Wheeling, W.Va.-based newspaper chain. They first became involved in the Pirates’ ownership group when California newspaper heir Kevin McClatchy bought the team in 1996. The Nuttings subsequently began to increase their shares. They achieved this by buying out partners of the once-large ownership group and now own a substantial portion of the shares.

Forbes, last year, estimated the Pirates’ worth at $288 million, less than that of any team except the Florida Marlins, who currently play in an NFL stadium.

Tom McMillan, vice president of the Penguins, declined Saturday to confirm Lemieux’s interest in the Pirates, saying, “The Penguins don’t discuss private business matters.”

Walking away after a breakout season in which he became MVP of the Arizona Fall League, Desme announced Friday that he was leaving baseball to enter the priesthood.  “I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things,” said the talented 23-year-old Desme . “I wasn’t at peace with where I was at.”

Desme, A lifelong Catholic, thought about becoming a priest for about a year and a half. Within the sports world, he kept his path quiet, and he startled the Oakland A’s on Thursday night when he told them he planned to enter a seminary this summer.

General manager of the team Billy Beane “was understanding and supportive,” Desme said, but the decision “sort of knocked him off his horse.” After the talk, Desme felt “a great amount of peace.”

“I love the game, but I aspire to higher things,” Desme said. “I know I have no regrets.”

In a statement, general manager Billy Beane said: “We respect Grant’s decision and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

It is not everyday you hear that a top prospect athlete leaves the game he loves to follow his true dreams.  Al Travers of the Detroit Tigers team in 1912, who gave up 24 runs during a one-game career for a makeshift, became a Catholic priest. In 2008, Chase Hilgenbrinck of the New England Revolution left Major League Soccer to enter a seminary.

Desme was picked up in the second round of the 2007 amateur draft for the Oakland A’s. Just starting to blossom, Desme was the only player in the entire minors with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases last season and batted .288 with 31 homers, 89 RBIs and 40 steals in 131 games at Class-A Kane County and high Class-A Stockton last year. Desme hit .315 with a league-leading 11 home runs and 27 RBIs in 27 games this fall in Arizona, a league filled with young talent.

Going into the AFL championship game, Desme was well aware it might be the last time he ever played. “There was no sad feeling,” Desme said. He homered and struck out twice, which “defines my career a bit.”

The Big West Player of the Year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Desme was ranked as Oakland’s No. 8 prospect by Baseball America and speculations were running wild that the Athletics might invite Desme to big league spring training next month.

Rather, in August, Desme intends to enter a seminary in Silverado, California. He said abbey members didn’t seem surprised someone who would “define myself as a baseball player” was changing his life so dramatically.

Desme said he didn’t consider pursuing his spiritual studies while also trying to play ball. His family backed his decision and he said the positive reaction to his future goal—the surprising news spread quickly over the Internet—was “inspiring.” “It’s about a 10-year process,” Desme said. “I desire and hope I become a priest.” In a way, he added, it’s like “re-entering the minor leagues.”

Desme’s first two years in the minors were tough, battling shoulder and wrist problems. While not on the file, Desme took the time to think about what was most important to him, to read and study the Bible and to talk to teammates about his faith.

In retrospect, he said, those injuries were “the biggest blessings God ever gave me.”