Comments on: Nationals Fill Out 40-Man

By: Juan

Juan — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:15:13 +0000

What Players were put on the Triple and Double A rosters to protect them during the minor league phase?

By: Jeff E.

Jeff E. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:33:32 +0000

Surfing through minor league free agents, I wonder which names might receive invites into the nats farm plans: Josh Barfield? Travis Metcalf? …..out of the box thought for Harrisburg or Potomac- Jesus Gonzalez, 3b, from TOR, Nick Gorneault for SYR??? ….Dodgers have several infielders for AA??? all these new faces with old relations in various places should make winter additions list interesting.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:23:28 +0000

Again, the whole offseason process was maddening. Why send him to the AFL to showcase him for other teams if we weren't going to protect him?

Guys like him seem to get through the Rule V draft pretty often, but it still doesn't make sense to raise awareness about him without protecting him.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:20:27 +0000

Ummm, guys that miss bats at high rates, don't walk people, prevent home runs, are MLB-ready and available for $50,000 are not "a dime a dozen".

The reason it's a stupid decision is that we're keeping a few terrible players on the roster, and you'd thinking given the bullpen's problems we'd want to protect guys who could possibly help in that department NEXT year. I don't care if we protect Severino over Wilkie, what bothers me is that we're protecting Segovia over Wilkie.

In 76 innings last year, Josh Wilkie's major league equivalency (MLE) was a 3.38 FIP. In 2008 his MLE was 2.79. That's not worth protecting, considering he's ready for the majors right now?

Even if Wilkie posted a 4.00 ERA next year, that would still make him like the 4th or 5th option in our bullpen.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:48:35 +0000

While I really like some of your suggested pronunciations, as a Spanish speaker, I can tell you it is pronounced: ah-tah-WHAL-pah.

By: BinM

BinM — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:21:42 +0000

Oops: Bad typing skills – Try the phonetic at-ah-WALP-oh instead.

By: BinM

BinM — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:19:03 +0000

@VH, Berndaddy: Try this pronunciation instead – at-ah-WALP-oo. It rolls off the tongue much easier.

By: SpringfieldFan

SpringfieldFan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:19:49 +0000

I have to agree with Ryan except that, with inflation and whatnot, I’d guess it’s closer to $1.20/dozen now.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:23:49 +0000

natsfan01-

Really, not protecting Wilkie can be defined as "yet another stupid decision". I understand we root for the local kid and he came across excellently in the WaPo article, but this is a 25 year old kid with a below avg. FB, little to speak of with a offspeed pitch and a nice changeup.

Those players are a dime a dozen. Do I think they should have protected him over Severino, perhaps, but I don't think he will be drafted in the Rule 5 and if he does, I don't think we will or should lose sleep over it.

By: Brian Oliver

Brian Oliver — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:33:30 +0000

natsfan – The Nationals have untile December 8 to make a 40-man move opening up a spot to make a pick

By: VladiHondo

VladiHondo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:23:58 +0000

Berndaddy :
VH – I’m a poor man’s hispanic ( 1st generation) but I think Atahualpo is pronounced like you’ve stated with one exception the “wall” should be oo-all. At-ta – oo-all – po with the accent on “all” and that’s “all” like the girls name Alli using the short (spanish) A… that is a very cool name though.

Bendaddy, I only had 8th grade Spanish, thanks for the correction!

Let's try this again, "Go, Go, At-ta-oo-all-po!!!"

By: RT

RT — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:51:14 +0000

Strasburg is out for the game saturday, he twisted his knee shagging fly balls during BP. Sucks, had my DVR set to record him pitch and for the second time he gets scratched because of a minor injury.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091119&content_id=7691794&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

By: natsfan01

natsfan01 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:35:46 +0000

Is that right? I am pretty sure they are not able to pick anyone up in the R5 draft with a full 40 man. Brian?

By: John

John — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:34:55 +0000

Time to start channeling the 1940 GOP Convention…”We want Wilkie!”

By: Gavin B

Gavin B — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:59:17 +0000

Paul – If I understand it right (and millions will correct me if wrong) the 40 man right now doesn’t affect the Nats ability to take someone in the Rule V draft. Like others have said, the Nats can dump anyone from their 40 man roster between now and the Rule 5 draft.