As the Stephen Strasburg negotiations wore down toward the Monday deadline (midnight ET), it started to become as political as health care. It is, after all, Washington, and so as Scott Boras stuck to his pledge to privatize the bargaining, the Nationals campaigned, in case they cannot come to an agreement.Nats president Stan Kasten warned fans that Strasburg, like 2008 No. 1 pick Aaron Crow, might not sign. Naturally, he blamed Boras and touted the greatest offer ever made, greater than the record $10.5 million the Cubs gave Mark Prior in 2001. Of course, since MLB revenues have more than doubled in the last eight years, that boast was a little deceptive, but well-leaked. Then one of the team's house organs trashed Boras and Strasburg.From the beginning, many felt that somehow, some way, Nats owner Ted Lerner and Boras would compromise on some deal -- multi-year, $20-something million, whatever -- that would make Strasburg the symbol of the building of a franchise. No one knows what Boras would do with Strasburg if he were to reject Washington's offer -- go back to San Diego State, pitch in an independent league, or go to a foreign country and try to claim real free agency.And everyone in Washington realizes that not all has been peachy with the Nationals' franchise, from battles with local officials over the stadium lease to Latin American scandals that cost people their jobs. It's worth remembering that Bryce Harper, the expected No. 1 pick in 2010, is also a Boras client. And a veteran free-agent pitcher such as Jarrod Washburn, at three years and $36 million this offseason, may outperform Strasburg, at, say, three years and $22 million, but not in terms of selling the franchise product and value next summer. (Put Strasburg on the market next July and see what the Yankees, Red Sox and other big markets would pay in terms of young talent.)So around baseball, on the day of the deadline, the feeling is that the Nats have too much to lose in not signing the 21-year-old Strasburg, and that Strasburg and his family have too many millions to lose by sticking to their principle and waiting for another draft, another country, another scheme. There are principles involved in how clubs are willing to open any and every pocketbook for foreign players but try to restrict signings in the U.S., and some foreign signings have had an impact on draft signings. Discussing the remaking of the draft process, however, is irrelevant until MLB negotiates with the MLBPA.On Sunday, negotiations seemed, at best, dank. But that can't be said for many of the 15 unsigned first-round picks.The second overall pick, North Carolina center fielder Dustin Ackley, remained locked in another Boras struggle with the Mariners.There are rumblings that the commissioner's office wants to hold off the announcement of some of the bigger deals so they do not impact others. GMs say the Padres have had a $6.7 million deal with OF Donavan Tate done for five days. The Tigers reportedly have had RHP Jacob Turner done at $6.7 million, and second pick LHP Andrew Oliver done at $1 million. The Giants are very close at $3.4 million with RHP Zach Wheeler. The Yankees have signed OF Slade Heathcott. Oakland (USC SS Grant Green, 13th pick) and St. Louis (RHP Shelby Miller, the 19th pick) are considered locks to get done. There are conflicting reports on Colorado signing LHP Tyler Matzek, and Texas signing LHP Matt Purke (rumors had $4 million despite Tom Hicks' bankruptcy). Cleveland and North Carolina RHP Alex White seemed deadlocked, but there was still time and the Indians could go to near $2 million. Tampa Bay and OF Levon Washington seemed far apart, as well.Maybe White checks back into Chapel Hill, RHP Kyle Gibson (the Twins' pick, at No. 22) goes back to Missouri, Washington hits the juco route, and Matzek heads for college in Oregon. Crow will wait until the spring to sign with Kansas City, thus losing a year and a half of professionalization.Perhaps Ackley prepares for independent ball.Strasburg?It likely will be sometime Tuesday when we know how many first-rounders did not sign, or what Strasburg, Ackley, Tate, Wheeler, Turner, Matzek, White, et al. got or turned down.And we can turn out attention to Aroldis Chapman and Bryce Harper and the next new thing.