First, the Nationals optioned OF Justin Maxwell to Triple-A Syracuse. Maxwell struggled this spring and will be better served by getting regular ABs in the minor leagues. That means the Nationals RF job is down to Willie Harris, Roger Bernadina, Mike Morse, & Willy Taveras (ideally in that order).
And in bigger news, Mark Zuckerman is reporting that Ian Desmond has won the starting SS spot for 2010. It’s a welcome decision that not only rewards Desmond’s strong spring performance but also puts the better long term option in the line-up for the future. I hope the Nationals will provide Desmond every opportunity to work through any struggles he has and not pull the plug too quickly. Cristian Guzman will remain on the roster in a utility role and it will be interesting to see how he responds to the demotion.
#1 by Todd Boss - March 28th, 2010 at 11:24
If Guzman so overtly sulked whenever he was moved from the #2 spot in the order … then its probably not going to go well that he’s sitting behind the kid.
I think the Nationals should have 15-day DL’d him. If Dice-K was able to get a DL spot because of “tired arm” last year (though looking it up now it was listed as “minor right shoulder sprain” officially) then we should be able to put both Olsen and Guzman on the DL with residual effects from off-season shoulder surgeries. Probably a more prudent way to go with vets.
#2 by Sue Dinem - March 28th, 2010 at 12:14
We’re on the same page, Brian — We had a story in the can (holding until Monday) at Natsprospects.com that we had to change, making Desmond the lede of “5 Questions” and my first reaction was to change it from “Where” to “How long.”
Sadly, props also have to go to John Heyman, who was pooh-poohed when he first reported Desmond getting the nod way back on Wednesday. No word on whether Scott Boras gave him the scoop.
#3 by Dougie - March 28th, 2010 at 15:30
Yay!
#4 by Paul - March 28th, 2010 at 20:09
Sue how does one get access to natsprospects.com?
#5 by Scooter - March 28th, 2010 at 22:54
http://nationalsprospects.com/
#6 by Jane - March 29th, 2010 at 05:00
Ian Desmond, congratulations on winning the shortstop position in Washington! Your hard work really paid off!!
#7 by Greg - March 29th, 2010 at 09:12
Is it too early to start a Harper watch (much like the Strasburg watch last year)? Slugged 4 HRs this weekend.
#8 by cjrugger - March 29th, 2010 at 09:33
Greg- nope, theres been a lot of talk about him already. Ranaudo bounced back on Sunday pitching 2 innings, although I’m still firmly in the Harper camp
#9 by SlowPitch63 - March 29th, 2010 at 10:07
Folks, Harper’s season stats from the CSN website as a 17 year old with a wooden bat:
Harper, Bryce avg .431 gp-gs 31-31 ab 102 r 39 h 44 2b 13 3b 1 hr 12 rbi 35 tb 95 slg% .931 bb 22 hbp 0 so 21 gdp 1 ob% .528 sb-att 6-8
Seems to have a glaring weakness in being unable to be hit by pitches.
1.459 OBS!!!!!! Are you kidding me?
Let’s play two!
#10 by Berndaddy - March 29th, 2010 at 10:57
LOL SlowPitch63 !
#11 by Toast - March 29th, 2010 at 11:20
With Desmond winning the SS position what do you think the position for Espinosa is going to be in the future?
#12 by Sue Dinem - March 29th, 2010 at 12:04
Much will depend on how Espinosa hits at AA. The scouts aren’t convinced his performance at Potomac last year wasn’t a fluke, but I agree with Sickels’ take that he draws so many walks and hits for enough power that he could be a Mark Bellhorn-type hitter. In terms of defense, Espinosa is the superior fielder and is already MLB-ready with the glove.
#13 by estuartj - March 29th, 2010 at 13:14
I think the 2nd RF job is likely Morse to lose in the short term. It saves a roster spot because he can also backup 1B & 3B.
His offensive numbers are pretty good since he’ll only start vs Lefties (career hash line vs lefties is .376/.449/.824, but he only has 23 MLB ABs vs LHPs in the last 3 years!).
#14 by TimDz - March 29th, 2010 at 14:42
ANOTHER catcher for the Nats: http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2010/03/nationals_claim_catcher_chris.html
#15 by peric - March 29th, 2010 at 15:19
Looks like Chris Coste will be mentoring minor league catchers for the Nats instead of the Mets. Wonder if they’ll place him Harrisburg?
#16 by Dick - March 29th, 2010 at 15:23
Who says Coste isn’t an upgrade from Nieves?
#17 by estuartj - March 29th, 2010 at 15:37
You could say Coste is 3x better than Nieves, but then again 3×0=0…
#18 by peric - March 29th, 2010 at 15:52
He’s 37. He hits. Losing previous x-tra base power due to age and wear and tear in the minor. Guess he is your IRod insurance if he ends up on the 25 going north?
#19 by TimDz - March 29th, 2010 at 15:58
Does this signing say anything about Flores’ health in the eyes of the FO?
#20 by Sue Dinem - March 29th, 2010 at 16:10
Nope. But Josh Johnson is mostly likely going back to York.
#21 by BinM - March 29th, 2010 at 19:39
Sue Dinem: My thoughts exactly regarding Coste. He’s an insurance policy in SYR, and an upgrade over Maldonado/Joshua Johnson.
#22 by BinM - March 29th, 2010 at 21:23
Brian: With little more than a week before camp breaks, the possible MiLB assignments are very intrigueing. Currently, there still seem to be a few more players & pitchers than positions available; Any early thoughts on who gets waived?
#23 by Sue Dinem - March 30th, 2010 at 08:57
In case anyone was wondering, Strasburg starting on April 11 makes it so that he will not pitch in Virginia or Maryland during the months of April or May. That’s for either Harrisburg or Syracuse.
Assuming the previous guess of a MLB debut on June 5 by Svrugla (12th start), the closest road game will be in Reading. On a Monday or Tuesday.
#24 by estuartj - March 30th, 2010 at 11:07
Assuming Desmond pans out and Espinoza’s bat develops appropriately (I know…bit assumption), who is the better fit at SS and who is better suited for 2B?
#25 by Brian Oliver - March 30th, 2010 at 11:17
estuartj – I tend to believe that Espinosa has the better glove in the long run. The question that Espinosa will need to answer in Double-A in 2010 is whether he has enough of a bat to make him a viable regular
#26 by Terry Byrom - March 30th, 2010 at 11:30
You’re welcome to see our brand new ballpark and Strasburg pitch here in Harrisburg! Of course, who knows what dates it will actually happen with rain/snow etc.
#27 by RD - March 30th, 2010 at 13:41
Desmond’s range and athleticism make him a better fit at SS than Espinosa, assuming he can make the routine plays.
As far as Bryce Harper … The kid HAS to be the pick. He is that special and the organization needs bats. What he is doing at this level is remarkable for anyone. Let alone a 17 year old that should be a junior in high school. He should be as big a lock as Strasburg was last year.
#28 by Mark L - March 30th, 2010 at 23:00
Terry & Sue — Give the Nats their props for rearranging Strasburg’s schedule so he’s in Harrisburg for four starts instead of one! Can you say roadtrip?
#29 by Jordan - March 31st, 2010 at 02:02
My comment didn’t go through before…
I’m a little worried about Harper. He hacks at every single pitch which leads to high strikeout numbers. When Joe Mauer was in high school he had a smooth, sweet and compact swing.
#30 by Sue Dinem - March 31st, 2010 at 08:07
Maybe Terry can speak to the parking situation at City of Isle. Have they made any improvement with the refurbishment? It’s pretty bad for a normal weekend game, one can only imagine the chaos of a sellout.
#31 by Toast - March 31st, 2010 at 08:38
Is it possible that D. Norris starts the year in AA? I recall reading somewhere that the FO wants all the near future players in AA or I just misunderstood the statement.
#32 by Brian Oliver - March 31st, 2010 at 08:42
SueD – I guess it’s possible though I hope not. I don’t like the idea of him skipping a level just to be with the other top prospects
#33 by estuartj - March 31st, 2010 at 09:38
They’ve gone pretty slow with Norris thus far, but that had more to do with his work behind the plate than his bat. IF they feel he’s made the strides on his catching mechanics they could accelerate him, but I’d still expect him at Potomac till June or July.
I don’t see a lot of value having him catch a few games for Strasburg, Storen et al since most of them will be moving up before summer and even if everything goes right Norris won’t be in the bigs before rosters expand.
#34 by estuartj - March 31st, 2010 at 09:40
Brian – any word on a hard slotting system for the ‘11 draft? I think that, more than anything else he does on the field, will determine Harper’s draft position this June.
#35 by Brian Oliver - March 31st, 2010 at 09:43
estuartj – I’m not sure whether that is in the offing for the 11 draft. It’s something that is bound to come up with the next CBA negotiation, but the Player’s Union will want something in return for agreeing to that
#36 by estuartj - March 31st, 2010 at 09:49
How about dropping the compensation for Type A FA signings, It’s hurting veterans at the end of their careers and IMO not doing much to promote parity, a hard slotting system would be far more effective in that regard since it would allow the worst teams to actually pick the best talent instead of just what they can afford to sign.
#37 by estuartj - March 31st, 2010 at 09:49
And let teams trade draft picks too!
#38 by estuartj - March 31st, 2010 at 09:56
Ok 1 more comment then back to work. If Mock or Olsen head to AAA then Brady Meyers would probably be bumped back to AA to start the season, imagine this rotation in Harrisburg!
Strasburg, Stephen Meyers, Brad Thompson, Aaron* Arnesen, Erik Milone, Tom*
#39 by Brian Oliver - March 31st, 2010 at 11:33
Jordan – Your comment was in the spam folder for some reason. I understand your concern about Harper but at this point who is a realistic #2? Taillon is a HS RHP … another gamble. Ranuado is back but the elbow issue is a concern. As of today, Harper appears the best available at #1.
#40 by cjrugger - March 31st, 2010 at 12:12
Jordan- high strikeout totals? He has more BBs than Ks. How many times have you seen him play? And how many times did you see Mauer in HS?
#41 by Sue Dinem - March 31st, 2010 at 14:29
Harper’s been known to known to swing at pitches outside the strike zone, which has been attributed to his oft-cited overconfidence.
Before you start questioning when I’ve seen Harper, I am paraphrasing Keith Law from last summer, who says he’s seen some improvement when he saw Harper earlier this month. That same article had Law stating that the only player he’d consider over Harper is Taillon.
As Brian alluded, this is the second-guessing season, which to be frank, is what I don’t like about the draft — I much prefer to discuss who the Nationals actually have than to speculate who they might have.
#42 by Sue Dinem - March 31st, 2010 at 14:31
CJR: Here’s the link from last summer: http://www.baseballrumormill.com/2009/06/bryce-harper-scouting-report/
#43 by cjrugger - March 31st, 2010 at 15:13
I dont see where that says anthing about “hacking.” Theres a big difference between swinging at balls outof the strike zone, and being labeled a hacker who strikes out too much
And Klaw says the only player he would “consider” is Taillon (which I agree with). But he still says he would take Harper, and bets that he will go 1.1
Finally, I dont think he and Mauer are similar players. Mauer is a batting champ, Harper at his ceiling is a HR champ. Heres Jim Callis today “It’s 80 raw power. Opinions vary on the bat. I’d project him as a 50-55 hitter on the 20-80 scale. He’s a potential .275/40 HR guy.”
#44 by Jordan - March 31st, 2010 at 15:56
I agree somewhat, but I am all for taking risks. Scouts say Harper takes full swings at everything, how does that sound? Do you think that will hold up at the MLB level? I agree with you that Harper is one of the top choices, but I still like Taillon better. SO much upside.
#45 by Jordan - March 31st, 2010 at 15:59
Yes, high strikeout totals. He may have more BBs than Ks but if he’s still striking out in what 20%? 25%? of at-bats? That’s not something I want to see him do in college.
I never said I saw him play. I was simply saying what Buster Olney and others have said. Mauer was a more polished product, he was a once in a decade talent, but he controlled the zone. He didnt strike out. That’s what I want to see from the first overall choice in the draft.
#46 by Sue Dinem - March 31st, 2010 at 16:06
Won’t argue with that except to state that Jordan used “hack” as a verb, not a noun or an adjective. I posted the Law links because I believed Jordan’s inference was fair, but also to point out that Law believes that this weakness is being addressed.
The comparisons to Mauer are natural, given the position he plays, but as others have pointed out, Harper can be easily moved to another position.
#47 by cjrugger - March 31st, 2010 at 17:51
He’s struck out 21 times in 124 plate apperances (16.9%). He’s also hit 12 HRs, so projected out over 600 plate apperanes he has 101Ks and 58 HRs. I’ll take that
And again, I dont think Mauer is a good comparison. Theyre completely differant players. And I think if you put Mauer in JUCO, with a wood bat, as hs jr (instead of the no so hotbead of baseball Minnesota), you would get a lot more Ks
I think we’ve officially entered (much like last year) the time period where theres an obvious #1 pick, yet 2 months until the draft, so we need to create an arguement as to why Harper shouldnt go #1
#48 by Terry Byrom - March 31st, 2010 at 18:03
SD, Sorry I haven’t been on today until now. We are hoping to help correct some of the parking issues this year with more staff assisting post game, and with moving cars in different directions from around the ballpark than we have before.
It really all boils down to two ramps and moving 1200 cars effectively as possible and we’re hoping to do a much better job this season.
#49 by Jordan - March 31st, 2010 at 18:03
I wasn’t really trying to compare them. I was really trying to show that Harper is receiving more hype but Mauer was more polished, safer bet.
I actually wrote about this here: http://oriolesprospects.com/2010/03/25/early-look-at-the-2010-mlb-draft/
#50 by Sue Dinem - March 31st, 2010 at 18:25
TB – I know. The Senators have their backs against the, well, river when it comes to parking. I’m hoping that my next trip will impress me as last summer’s did in terms of improvements.