What a story.

Two years ago he was the 7th pick in the draft.

But wait...he could have gone sooner, but his agent, Tommy Tanzer, convinced Minnesota, (the team with the second pick), NOT TO SIGN HIM unless they were willing to fork over a 4.95 million dollar signing bonus.

Minnesota gladly obliged Tanzer and did not pursue Harrington.

Apparently Tanzer arrived at this figure by adding 25% to what the previous year's top pick had gotten. (this 25% hike reflects the annual average increase for minor league signing bonuses over the last decade)

Teams 3-6 already had made other commitments, so Colorado picked Harrington with the seventh pick. Colorado was not about to pay more in signing bonus money than was given to the number one pick a year earlier.

They offered 3.7 million, and it was turned down.

The kid never signed, went back into the draft, was picked by San Diego last year, didn't sign for the 1.2 million that was offered by San Diego, now he's gone back into the draft for the third year in a row.

In between all the trumoil, he joined an an independent league, and was mashed. He's Changed agents, he's now with Boras.

What a chaotic mess. Too much empahsis on a signing bonus, not enough on just having a potentially great career.

Did anybody see where he ended up this time around?

They were projecting third round, and a signing bonus of under one million.