If you came here for some exciting names, look elsewhere. As the picture suggests, the Nationals were uninspired in their choices for who’s going to Arizona for the fall league. Without further ado…
- C Derek Norris
- OF Michael Burgess
- IF Steve Lombardozzi
- LHP Sammy Solis
- RHP Cole Kimball
- RHP Adam Carr
This is not to disrespect the likes of Cole Kimball and Adam Carr, which we can infer that the front office clearly believes are near-term-future relievers. But like nearly everything Tim McCarver says in a Fox broadcast, that was already painfully obvious. Perhaps more will come out in the next few days about the rationale, but all I can see is that some younger, more promising prospects (Peacock, Milone) were passed over… and I don’t mean Bryce Harper. For those of you who claim that Rizzo said that Harper might play in the AFL, he never explicitly said that it would be the fall of 2010.
Not disrespect anyone on this list, but you’d think after being totally dominant for 2-3 months Tyler Moore would have made the front office a little curious about his ability to move up.
IIRC in order to play in the AFL you have to have reached AA during the year and played a certain number of games there (or in AAA). Therefore, Moore is not (yet) eligible.
I’m glad to see Lombardozzi getting recognition. He’s hitting great, both at Potomac and now at Harrisburg. The Nats seem to have a lot of MI prospects in addition to the now-established Desmond — Espinosa, M. Martinez, Lombardozzi, Kobernus, Kelso, Martinson, others I’ve forgotten about. It’s going to get crowded soon. But wondering about Tyler Moore and, as you mention, Tom Milone.
Or be on the ML 40-man roster as Strasburg was.
Actually, you get (at least) 1 waiver to that AA or higher rule if I’m not mistaken.
Sue, I’d like your take on Kimball, as he has really flown under the radar.
Steve: There has to be another loophole (or more), otherwise how did Solis make the list? He hasn’t pitched at any pro level, and certainly isn’t on the 40-man roster.
Solis will be making his debut soon.
@BinM
I think you can take two below AA and Norris and Solis would be it for those it seems. Don’t hold me to that, though.
@Mark L. Kimball is a serviceable RHRP who is usually very reliable and throws hard, though not as hard as Carr. Lately he’s been piling up the strikeouts, so I’d have to infer that Tomlin has been teaching and/or refining a pitch that I didn’t see.
TOSD – That has to be the case because both Espinosa and Norris were sub-AA last season.