Nationals Farm Authority

The Nationals made a series of pitching moves today, releasing LHP Ron Villone, optioning RHP Juan Jaime to Potomac, RHP Ryan Mattheus & LHP Aaron Thompson to Harrisburg, and RHP Collin Balester & LHP Atahualpa Severino to Syracuse.

I guess the two most surprising moves were the release of Villone and demotion of Balester. With the Villone’s release, the Nats are likely to carry just one lefthander in the bullpen (Sean Burnett). Matt Chico, Ross Detwiler, Scott Olsen, and John Lannan are all starters, though Chico could be a relief candidate.

Balester’s demotion is interesting to me. With all of the struggles of the Nats’ pitchers this spring, I figured Balester still had a chance at the back end of the rotation. It doesn’t mean a whole lot right now (except to Balester) but I wonder where Balester falls in the starting pecking order.

The Big Board has been updated.

and my planning period at school just so happens to fall during the 1PM hour.

There is a contractual nuance that seems likely to come into play when the Nationals make their 25-man roster decisions coming out of spring training.

It’s called option status. The quick and dirty on options is as follows

If a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the active 25-man roster, he is said to be on optional assignment. This means that the team can freely move him between the major league club and the minor league clubs. It’s better to think of the term as option years rather than simply options.

If a player is on the 40-man roster and not the active 25 man roster for any part of more than three seasons in which he spent 20 or more total days of service in the minors, he is out of options and may not be assigned to the minors without first clearing waivers.

There exists an opportunity for a player to have a fourth option year. If he has less than 5 years of professional experience, he may be optioned to the minors in a fourth season without being subject to waivers.

Why do I bring this up?

Because option status is likely to come into play when it comes to some of the decisions the Nats are going to make.

Here is the option status of everyone currently on the Nats 40-man roster:

• RHP Luis Atilano – Added to 40-man in November of 2008. Nats used first option year in 2009. He spent the entire 2009 season in the minor leagues. Option years remaining: Two [though Nats should be able to get a fourth given his service time]
• RHP Collin Balester – Added to 40-man June 2008; first option used in 2009. Option years remaining: Two
• RHP Jason Bergmann – The option poster child. Added to 40-man in August 2005; first option year was 2006 (he was up & down four times in 2006 but used only one option); spent entire season in majors in 2007 (no option used); used second option in 2008; and third option in 2009. Option years remaining: None (meaning he would have to face waivers this year if the Nats want to send him down)
• RHP Brian Bruney: Added to Diamondbacks 40-man November 2003; first option year in 2004 (Diamondbacks); second option year in 2005 (Diamondbacks); final option year in 2006 (Diamondbacks). Option years remaining: None (meaning he would have to face waivers this year if the Nats want to send him down)
• LHP Sean Burnett: Added to Pirates 40-man in November 2003; used first option in 2004 (Pirates); spent 2005 on DL (no option used); used second option in 2006, third option in 2007, & fourth option in 2008 (all with Pirates; 4th option granted given service time). Option years remaining: None (meaning he would have to face waivers this year if the Nats want to send him down)
• RHP Matt Capps: Added to Pirates 40-man in September 2005; has not used any options; update: he has less than 5 years service time, so options are still in play Option years remaining: Three
• LHP Matt Chico: Added to Nats 40-man in November 2006; Optioned down for only 15 days in 2007 so, if I am reading the rules correctly, did not use an option; first option used in 2008, second option used in 2009. Option years remaining: One
• RHP Tyler Clippard: Added to Yankees 40-man in May 2007; first option used in 2007 (with Yankees); second & third options used in 2008 & 2009 (with Nats). Option years remaining: None (meaning he would have to face waivers this year if the Nats want to send him down)
• LHP Ross Detwiler: Added to Nats 40-man September 2007; first option year in 2008; second option year in 2009. Option years remaining: One (though Nats should be able to get one more given his service time)
• LHP Jesse English: Added to Giants 40-man November 2008; first option year used in 2009 (Giants). Option years remaining: Two [2010-11] (though Nats should be able to get one more given his service time)
• RHP Juan Jaime: Added to the Nats 40-man November 2009; no options used. Option years remaining: Three (with realistic chance of a fourth)
• LHP John Lannan: Added to the Nats 40-man July 2007; first option used in 2007; was optioned down for 9 days in early 2009 so I don’t believe he used an option year. Option years remaining: Two
• RHP Jason Marquis: Added to Braves 40-man in 2000; from what I was able to determine, he’s never been optioned to the minors. Option years remaining: Three (though given his service time, he can refuse demotion)
• RHP J.D. Martin: Added to Nats 40-man July 2009; no options used to date. Option years remaining: Three (with a realistic chance of fourth)
• RHP Shairon Martis: Added to Nats 40-man September 2008; first option used in 2009. Option years remaining: Two (with a realistic chance of an additional one)
• RHP Ryan Mattheus: Added to Rockies 40-man in November 2008; first option used in 2009. Option years remaining: Two (with an almost certain additional one)
• RHP Garrett Mock: Added to Nats 40-man October 2007; first option used in 2008; second option used in 2009. Option years remaining: One
• LHP Scott Olsen: Added to Marlins 40-man June 2005; first option used in 2005; Unsure if he used an option in 2006 since he was only in the minors for 14 days. Option years remaining: One, possibly two
• LHP Atahualpa Severino: Added to the Nats 40-man November 2009; no options used. Option years remaining: Three (with realistic chance of a fourth)
• RHP Craig Stammen: Added to Nats 40-man May 2009; no options used to date. Option years remaining: Three (with a realistic possibility of an additional one)
• RHP Stephen Strasburg: Added to Nats 40-man August 2009; first option year used in 2009. Option years remaining: Two (with an additional one theoretically possible, but hopefully unnecessary)
• LHP Aaron Thompson: Added to the Nats 40-man November 2009; no options used. Option years remaining: Three (with realistic chance of a fourth)
• RHP Tyler Walker: TBD
• RHP Chien-Ming Wang: Added to Yankees 40-man 2005; Used options in 2003, 2004 & 2005. Option years remaining: None (may have 4th but not sure)
• (on 60-day DL) RHP Jordan Zimmermann: Added to Nats 40-man in 2009; no options used to date. Option years remaining: Three (he’ll likely spend entire 2010 season on DL which does not count as an option)
• CA Jesus Flores: Added to Nats 40-man (and active roster) December 2006; first option used in 2008. Option years remaining: Two
• CA Wil Nieves: Added to Padres 40-man July 2002; first option used in 2002 (Padres); second option used in 2005 (Yankees); final option used in 2006 (Yankees). Option years remaining: None
• CA Ivan Rodriguez: Added to Rangers 40-man in 1991; I didn’t do any real digging since his service time makes the idea of optioning him irrelevant (he can refuse demotion)
• SS Ian Desmond: Added to Nats 40-man November 2008; used first option in 2009. Option years remaining: Two (with an additional one possible)
• 1B Adam Dunn: Added to Reds 40-man in 2003; I didn’t do any real digging since his service time makes the idea of optioning him irrelevant (he can refuse demotion)
• SS Alberto Gonzalez: Added to Diamondbacks 40-man November 2006; first option used 2007 (Yankees); second option used 2008 (Yankees); final option used 2009 (Nats). Option years remaining: None
• SS Cristian Guzman: Added to Twins 40-man in 1999; I didn’t do any real digging since his service time makes the idea of optioning him irrelevant (he can refuse demotion)
• 2B Adam Kennedy: Added to Cardinals 40-man in 1999; I didn’t do any real digging since his service time makes the idea of optioning him irrelevant (he can refuse demotion)
• 1B Mike Morse: Added to Mariners 40-man November 2004; first option used in 2005 (Mariners); second option used in 2006 (Mariners); final option used in 2007 (Mariners). Option years remaining: None
• 3B Ryan Zimmerman: Added to Nats 40-man in September 2005; has not used any options. Option years remaining: Three (though highly unlikely to ever use them)
• OF Roger Bernadina – Added to Nats 40-man roster in October of 2007; first option used in 2008; second option used in 2009. Option years remaining: One (could possibly earn an additional one but that would require an entire 2010 in the minors)
• OF Elijah Dukes: Added to Rays 40-man November 2006; first option used in 2007; second option used in 2009. Option years remaining: One
• OF Willie Harris: Added to Orioles 40-man in 2001; I didn’t do any real digging since his service time makes the idea of optioning him irrelevant (he can refuse demotion)
• OF Justin Maxwell: Added to Nats 40-man September 2007; first option used in 2008; second option used in 2009. Option years remaining: One (could possibly earn an additional one but that would require an entire 2010 in the minors)
• OF Nyjer Morgan: Added to Pirates 40-man November 2006; first option used in 2007; second option used in 2008. Option years remaining: One
• OF Josh Willingham: Added to Marlins 40-man 2004; first option used in 2004 (Marlins); second option used in 2005 (Marlins). Option years remaining: One (though he may have service time to refuse demotion)