Sorry for the quiet folks. A combination of student teaching and a balky internet connection have left me with little time to stay up to date with the happenings around the Nats.
Most of this stuff is old. Hopefully I will be able to get back in the swing of things this week.
- MASN will be broadcasting Stephen Strasburg’s first spring training start at 1PM on March 9
- Three Nats made Baseball America’s top 100 list. The names are no surprise with Stephen Strasburg at #2, Derek Norris at #38, and Drew Storen at #92. To be candid, the Nationals still have a ways to go in rebuilding the system. If, as expected, Strasburg & Storen make the majors in 2010, the Nationals will have just one guy (for now) remaining in the top 100 (assuming no one breaks through or rebounds this year). That’s a concern from my focus on the future of the Nationals
- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has his top 11 Nationals. It is a similar top of the list as Baseball America. The other names mentioned are also familiar with Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond, Michael Burgess, and Chris Marrero making appearances. The one thing that stands out, as highlighted by Kevin in this post, is the lack of pitching outside of Strasburg & Storen. The only other arms that make the list are RHPs Juan Jaime and Paul Demny. Both seem most likely to be relievers which speaks volumes to the development (or lack thereof) of starters. I understand that guys like Ross Detwiler and Jordan Zimmermann have “graduated” to the majors, but the fact that high visibility guys like Colton Willems, Josh Smoker, and Jack McGeary are not on this list tells a story. Either (a) the Nationals are not adept at identifying young arms or (b) they are not adept at developing young arms. Mike Rizzo drafted quite a few college arms in 2009 and it will be interesting to see if the results improve with a more experienced stable of arms
- Speaking of Zimmermann, the Nationals placed him on the 60-day DL to open up a spot for Chien-Ming Wang. I’d be surprised if we saw Zimmermann make much more than a cursory appearance in the majors in 2010
- The Nationals added another minor league invite and it was a familiar face … Livan Hernandez. Add Livan to the list that includes Eddie Guardado, Miguel Batista, Ron Villone, Willy Taveras, and Chris Duncan as guys who could somehow find themselves in that 24th or 25th guy on the roster … though I’d be surprised if more than two of those guys were on the opening day roster
- There has been a bit of news around the Nats inking of RHRP Rafael Martin out of the Mexican League. It is progress internationally, but I am still holding out hope that there are going to be more moves internationally
- Nats also signed CA Carlos Maldonado, OF Sean Smith, LHP Ron Villone (spring invite), and re-signed LHP Doug Slaten
- Here are the spring training minor league games
- Syracuse
- March 20 - vs Gwinnett in Orlando, FL 1:00 pm
- March 21 - vs Toledo in Viera, FL 1:00 pm
- March 22 – vs Round Rock in Kissimmee, FL 1:00 pm
- March 23 – vs Toledo in Lakeland, FL 1:00 pm
- March 25 – vs Round Rock in Viera, FL 1:00 pm
- March 26 – vs Gwinnett in Viera, FL 1:00 pm
- March 27 – vs Round Rock in Kissimmee, FL 1:00 pm
- March 28 – vs Toledo in Viera, FL 1:00 pm
- March 29 – vs Gwinnett in Orlando, FL 1:00 pm
- March 30 – vs Gwinnett in Viera, FL 1:00 pm
- April 1 – vs Toledo in Lakeland, FL 1:00 pm
- April 2 – vs Round Rock in Kissimmee, FL 1:00 pm
- April 3 - vs Gwinnett in Viera, FL 1:00 pm
- Harrisburg
- March 20—Harrisburg Senators @ Mississippi Braves in Kissimmee, Florida
- March 21—Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) @ Harrisburg Senators in Viera, Florida
- March 22—Harrisburg Senators @ Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) in Kissimmee, Florida
- March 23—Harrisburg Senators @ Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) in Lakeland, Florida
- March 24 – Camp Day
- March 25—Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) @ Harrisburg Senators in Viera, Florida
- March 26—Mississippi Braves @ Harrisburg Senators in Viera, Florida
- March 27—Harrisburg Senators @ Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) in Kissimmee, Florida
- March 28—Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) @ Harrisburg Senators in Viera, Florida
- March 29—Harrisburg Senators @ Mississippi Braves in Kissimmee, Florida
- March 30—Mississippi Braves @ Harrisburg Senators in Viera, Florida
- March 31 – Camp Day
- April 1—Harrisburg Senators @ Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) in Lakeland, Florida
- April 2—Harrisburg Senators @ Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) in Kissimmee, Florida
- April 3—Mississippi Braves @ Harrisburg Senators in Viera, Florida
- Potomac
- March 20th vs ATL
- March 21st @ DET
- March 22nd vs HOU
- March 23rd vs DET
- March 25th @ HOU
- March 26th @ ATL
- March 27th vs HOU
- March 28th @ DET
- March 29th vs ATL
- March 30th @ ATL
- April 1st vs DET
- April 2nd vs HOU
- April 3rd @ ATL
#1 by Carl Goldstein - March 1st, 2010 at 19:52
Brian, Anything updates are appreciated. Look forward to seeing them daily but work comes first! Any chance there is an updated Spring Invitee list. The list on the Nats website is missing a couple players. One I just read in an article was C Devin Ivany and the other? There are 60 total players in camp but between 40 man and invitee list came up with 58. Thanks!
#2 by Carl Goldstein - March 1st, 2010 at 19:53
#3 by Mark L - March 1st, 2010 at 20:17
Thanks, Teach.
#4 by peric - March 1st, 2010 at 22:52
Pitchers and catchers report March 5th for SYR.
#5 by Nats fan in NJ - March 2nd, 2010 at 08:53
Brian – Welcome back. That darn “work” thing getting in the way of what’s really important. Thanks again for all your hard work on this site.
#6 by Tom Rosenbaum ( use Tom R) - March 2nd, 2010 at 10:13
Brian -what are the scheduled game times for the minor league games ie Harrisburg, Potomac and others. Thank you
#7 by Section 204 Row H Seat 7 - March 2nd, 2010 at 10:37
Good to hear from you again Brian. While I still have hope for Smoker and McGeary (Willems, I believe, is done), your overall point about the lack of minor league pitching depth is correct and may be the reason the NATS bypass Harper in favor of another Stasburg phenom in the upcoming draft/
#8 by Section 204 Row H Seat 7 - March 2nd, 2010 at 10:37
Good to hear from you again Brian. While I still have hope for Smoker and McGeary (Willems, I believe, is done), your overall point about the lack of minor league pitching depth is correct and may be the reason the NATS bypass Harper in favor of another Stasburg phenom in the upcoming draft.
#9 by Sue Dinem - March 2nd, 2010 at 12:26
I think folks ought to read Nate’s rebuttal to PADV’s screed.
Personally, I’ve started to come to the conclusion that most of these Top 10/11/15/20/25/6/2/4 lists that come out in February are mostly pandering to the fantasy-baseball gamers for pageviews and/or subscriptions.
Very few go back and rehash their assessments. Even fewer admit that they may have been wrong in the first place.
#10 by peric - March 2nd, 2010 at 13:56
The Rockies added a few familiar names in first baseman Brad Eldred …
#11 by peric - March 2nd, 2010 at 14:05
Hmmm, yes and global warming is a “misnomer” for the saw tooth representing temperature rise since industrialization indicating that Climate patterns’ initial conditions, and the patterns themselves have been irrevocably changed. In other words no one really knows what will happen next.
If that is Nate’s argument it seems to rely heavily on the intangibles associated with the “prospect” or “former prospect”. Case in point would be JD Martin. An athlete who is so competitive he shoots 2 full court shots on the same night because he just has to make it. Even Tommy Johns surgery couldn’t hold him back. Another may be Trevor Holder, Certainly Nyjer Morgan would fit into that “caste”. Wilkie given the enormous odds that were against him.
#12 by Berndaddy - March 2nd, 2010 at 14:06
Sue Dinem wrote : Very few go back and rehash their assessments. Even fewer admit that they may have been wrong in the first place.
And the Chorus said…AMEN !!!
#13 by peric - March 2nd, 2010 at 15:01
I could be wrong … but I think Chris Duncan needs the light blue background in his cell on the spreadsheet?
#14 by peric - March 2nd, 2010 at 15:08
Kasten keeps talking about impending signings of International players.
I found this list ranking Cuban ball players:
#15 by jeff e. - March 2nd, 2010 at 15:47
we expect some boots in the B lots coverage , so us snow birds can follow the 3b depth chart developing. Maldanado, Fox, A. Gonzalez, Dan Nelson…etc..Souza..thanks!
#16 by peric - March 2nd, 2010 at 20:59
They have 4 catchers on the DSL league team. I wonder if any would be considered high end prospects?
#17 by Jake - March 2nd, 2010 at 22:42
Hey Brian…thanks for this. I know this is a lot to ask for, but will there be any way to actually get statistics and box scores for the minor league games. I’m a die hard fan and I gotta know whats going on all the time.. And there’s one guy who I think we should all look out for, LHP Danny Rosenbaum. I think he’s a younger version of John Lannan except that he throws 92-94 mhp.
#18 by VladiHondo - March 3rd, 2010 at 09:34
Umm, no. Bill Pena was 17 but limited time. Ramirez & Bocio will be 21 this year, a bit long in the tooth to be “high end”. Ariza has not had an XBH in 138 DSL plate appearences.
#19 by VladiHondo - March 3rd, 2010 at 09:39
Excluding Smiley-not, there are only maybe 2 or 3 DSL guys who “might” be good enough to make the jump to the USA this year. Last year’s team, just was not good. Lots of transitional guys (i.e. “thanks for making us not totally suck, but we’re able to sign semi-decent prospects now”).