Comments from Boras' scrum on Harper, Strasburg and Span

NASHVILLE - One of the most eagerly anticipated happenings of the Winter Meetings has finally taken place. Super agent Scott Boras held court during his annual scrum outside the media workroom at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center this afternoon, and didn't shy away from talking about contractual issues surrounding two of the Nationals players - and one ex-Nat - he represents.

Coming off his first National League Most Valuable Player award, right fielder Bryce Harper's stock couldn't be any higher - and there's still plenty of the financial stratosphere left for the slugger to conquer. Asked about the possibility of the Nationals starting preliminary talks on a multi-year extension for Harper, Boras had this to say:

"I think with each player like (Harper), you have generational players, I think each organization is going to have its own philosophy about how they handle him and what they do. So that's really something I'm sure the brain trust of the Nationals have to sit down and look at. And when they have a plan, we'll let you know."

Getting a deal done sooner rather than later with Harper would provide the Nationals some cost-containment in terms of how much salary they would commit to one of baseball's burgeoning stars. But estimates that Harper could garner a deal worth $400 million or more for 10 seasons - which would be the richest contract in baseball history - are mind-boggling.

To date, the Harper camp and the Nationals haven't spoken about an extension, and it sounded like Boras was waiting for the Nationals to make the first move.

"I think those are club dynamics. Whenever any team approaches me about any player, obviously we have dialogue with them," Boras said. "But at this point in time, Bryce is going to be there for three more years (and is) very happy there. So we'll just go forward."

Asked yesterday about the possibility of an extension for Harper, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said: "We've got quite a bit of control left on him. "He's going to be a unique and special situation for the franchise. I'm sure that'll be a discussion with myself and ownership in the future."

Harper cannot become a free agent until after the 2018 campaign.

Boras also represents right-handers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, left-hander Gio Gonzalez, infielders Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa, and outfielders Jayson Werth and Michael A. Taylor.

Strasburg is entering the final year of the deal he signed when the Nationals made him the top overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, and though his name has been mentioned in trade speculation, there's also the chance the Nationals could seek to lock him up long-term.

But when queried about the possibility of a new contract in D.C. for Strasburg, Boras replied, "I don't know. I kind of leave that up to the teams."

Boras said he has been in contact with the Nationals about Strasburg's contract for 2016. The righty is arbitration-eligible and MLBTradeRumors projects that he could earn $10.5 million through arbitration.

Boras also reps former Nats center fielder Denard Span, who switched to the Boras Corporation in September from CAA Sports. Boras said he expects Span to get multi-year offers even though he is coming off a season in which core muscle surgery in spring training and left hip surgery in September limited him to a career-low 61 games. Span's recovery time was estimated to be four to six month, putting him at jeopardy of missing the start of spring training.

The Nationals did not make Span a qualifying offer, meaning he has no draft pick compensation attached to him.