Potomac Announces Its 2011 Roster

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  28 Responses »
Apr 042011
 

As folks have noted in the comments, the Potomac roster has been released to the (mainstream) media.

For the newbies, this is home base for me (disclosure: I’m a season ticket holder, and have been since 2006) so when the P-Nats are home, I’ll do a gamer entitled “Last Night In Woodbridge” and let you know what I saw and/or am seeing. Though I mostly play it straight, I’ve been known to go off on a tangent or sometimes try a new angle.

This I offer in advance even if my tagline above or my bio below ought to explain it. My favorites are pretty easy to spot and I’ve been influenced to go a little easier on the players when they’re struggling, but I’m sure it can happen again. This is a blog, after all.

Without further ado…

PITCHERS
Alex Caldera
Mitchell Clegg
Ryan Demmin
Paul Demny
Marcos Frias
Trevor Holder
Pat Lehman
Carlos Martinez
Kyle Morrison
Adam Olbrychowski
Danny Rosenbaum
Josh Smoker
Rob Wort

CATCHERS
Brian Peacock
Sandy Leon

INFIELDERS
Cutter Dykstra
Rick Hague
Stephen King
Jeff Kobernus
Francisco Soriano
Steven Souza

OUTFIELDERS
Chris Curran
Destin Hood
Eury Perez
J.P. Ramirez

This is the inverse of what I’m used to. Usually, Potomac opens with just two or three guys 22 or younger and nine or ten guys 25 or older. This year, just three guys are 25 or older and twelve are 22 or younger. And while not all of our watchlist players are full-fledged prospects, there are still 19 20 of them here. Seven guys from the BA Top 30 and John Sickels’s book are here.

The biggest surprises we already knew: Rosenbaum and Holder are back, and are likely the first two in the rotation. The other three are going to be the tough to guess, with five guys that have mostly been starters. Josh Smoker and Rob Wort have both been late-inning guys, but one has to think that Demmin making the jump from Vermont has to mean he’s in the running to finish games, too.

Most of the other surprises are mild or have ready explanations (e.g. Sammy Solis is nursing a groin injury, per Adam Kilgore). Justin Bloxom is not here, which means that either someone’s been converted (Souza, King, Ramirez) or we’re likely to see a carousel at both first base and DH in order to balance offense and defense.

In any case, this may be the best roster on paper we’ve ever seen in Potomac. Like all teams in baseball, the question will be whether or not the pitching will be there, particularly in the second half. Opening Day is this Friday against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

Syracuse Announces Its 2011 Roster

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  32 Responses »
Apr 012011
 

With a H/T to frequent commenter Peric, it appears that the Syracuse Chiefs roster has been announced. Without further ado…

PITCHERS
Collin Balester
Adam Carr
Matt Chico
Ross Detwiler
Lee Hyde
Cole Kimball
J.D. Martin
Yunesky Maya
Tom Milone
Garrett Mock
Craig Stammen
Josh Wilkie

CATCHERS
Jesus Flores
Carlos Maldonado
Jhonatan Solano

INFIELDERS
Michael Aubrey
Brian Bixler
Seth Bynum
Chris Marrero
Chris McConnell
Alex Valdez

OUTFIELDERS
Roger Bernadina
Corey Brown
Jeff Frazier
Boomer Whiting

Some notably absent names… Shairon Martis, Atahualpa Severino, Alex Cintron, and Oliver Perez. We’re still waiting for sources from both within and without the organization to inform us on releases and, of course, the last two full-season rosters. But it’s possible that three of these four have been released.

Local beat writer Tom Leo is predicting a rotation of Detwiler, Martin, Maya, Milone and Mock, with Kimball as the closer out of the bullpen. That’s plausible, with perhaps Matt Chico taking the place of either Martin or Mock, should either get traded.

As referenced yesterday, this is not the Opening Day roster and the presence of three catchers as well as just four outfielders is a bit of a giveaway that more moves are coming. As folks have noted in the comments, these past two rosters are evidence that while the lower minors appear to be getting younger, the upper minors still aren’t. Of the bolded watchlist players, only Chris Marrero and Tom Milone are under the age of 25.

Harrisburg Announces Its 2011 Roster

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Mar 312011
 

The Harrisburg Senators and Washington Nationals have released the preliminary 25-man roster for the 2011 season, which features 16 returnees and 20 players that played for the organization in 2010.

Derek Norris, Tyler Moore, Patrick McCoy, Bill Rhinehart and Jimmy Barthmaier join the team from the 2010 Carolina League Champions in Potomac while offseason acquisitions Matt Antonelli, Erik Davis, Buck Coats, Jon Turner and Archie Gilbert help round out the roster.

Breaking it down by position (watchlist players are in bold)…

PITCHERS
Luis Atilano
Erik Arnesen
Jimmy Barthmaier
Erik Davis
Jeff Mandel
Ryan Mattheus
Brad Meyers
Pat McCoy
Brad Peacock
Hassan Pena
Ryan Tatusko
Cory VanAllen

CATCHERS
Devin Ivany
Derek Norris

INFIELDERS
Matt Antonelli
Adam Fox
Josh Johnson
Steve Lombardozzi
Tyler Moore
Tim Pahuta

OUTFIELDERS
Buck Coats
Archie Gilbert
Bill Rhinehart
Jon Tucker
Jesus Valdez

As previously reported, Harrisburg opens the season a week from today against Bowie, with an exhibition on Tuesday against the Hagerstown Suns in Hagerstown. As the press release states, the roster is subject to change. Folks interested in learning the numbers associated with the players shold check back with the Harrisburg website on Monday.

So Long, Boys…

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  12 Responses »
Mar 312011
 

News of some releases are starting to trickle out. Before folks pile on in the comments, just remember that for some of these young men, it’s the end of the road. Others will hope to hook on with another organization in the minors. A few will try to make a go of it in the indys. And all will be trying to figure out what’s the next chapter in the lives, baseball or otherwise.

I expect some more to show up as MiLB.com and Baseball America releases its weekly transaction post. And I’ll append accordingly.

RELEASED

  • RHP Joe Bisenius
  • RHP Tim Wood
  • OF Jonathan Van Every
  • RHP Michael Allen (Rule 5 pickup)
  • RHP Shane Erb (Hagerstown)
  • RHP Robinson Fabian (Potomac)
  • RHP Justin Phillabaum (Potomac)
  • LHP Clayton Dill (Potomac)
  • LHP Austin Garrett (Vermont)
  • LHP Nick Serino (GCL)
  • LHP Jack Spradlin (Harrisburg/Syracuse)
  • 1B Ronnie Labrie (Vermont)
  • 3B Jack Walker (Vermont)

Watching The Wires

 Uncategorized  18 Responses »
Mar 292011
 

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, our Spring Training coverage has ended and now we’re watching the wires, hoping for some transaction news to help us divine who’s going and where. I’ve reached out to each of the full-season affiliates and again to the folks in DC and have had some feedback (and some success) already.

In the next couple of days, we should start getting some information. As we saw yesterday, the parent club’s 25-man roster has been set and with only Danny Espinosa, Wilson Ramos and Brian Broderick making the cut, the Syracuse roster is going to be laden with “veterans,” creating a ripple effect — we may only see a handful of guys from Harrisburg getting the bump, for example, and (as usual) the Potomac roster is likely to have more carryover than we’d prefer.

Of course, as we mentioned last week with Oliver Perez, that means that some guys are going to get cut that might not have otherwise. I can understand the “no tears for these guys that have had their chances,” but lost on the folks that espouse that view is that some younger guys are going to have to wait longer for theirs.

As always, keep an eye on the site, put us in your RSS feed, or follow us on Twitter. It’s now a waiting game for the minors to start up.

Nationals Pick Up Another Minor-League Pitcher

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  12 Responses »
Mar 282011
 

For the third straight day, the Nationals have traded away a player on the bubble for a minor-leaguer, picking up RHP Erik Davis from the San Diego Padres.

Davis was drafted in the 13th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft from Stanford and fits the description of the overachiever, similar to Josh Wilkie. John Sickels described him:

Davis has average and average breaking stuff, but mixes in a very good changeup. He mixes his pitches, throws strikes, and so far has pitched well at every level, including eight outings in AA and AAA in 2010.

The 24-year-old (turns 25 in October) Davis also started 19 games at High-A Lake Elsinore, posting a 3.82 ERA, which is quite good in a league (California) where the average ERA was 4.57 in 2010. Overall, he threw 143⅓ innings with a WHIP of 1.270, a BB/9 rate of 3.0 and an 8.4 K rate.

Like Alex Caldera, Davis could be slotted in either Potomac or Harrisburg, and is perhaps indicative that several older farmhands are likely to be released.

And Sometimes, It Rains

 Uncategorized  3 Responses »
Mar 282011
 

Perhaps by now the beat writers have converged on a nearby chain restaurant after learning they won’t have to make the trek to Orlando to cover the penultimate spring training game of 2011.

For us, it’s a little sadness at missing a chance to see Tom Milone, as the game was going to be broadcast via MLB.tv. But there’s some good news, too.

At 15-13 and with one game left (tomorrow’s finale vs. the Mets), the rainout clinched the first winning Spring Training since the franchise relocated to D.C. in the 2004-05 offseason. And multiple sources are reporting that Brian Broderick has made the 25-man roster.

The last set of cuts are in and Collin Balester, Roger Bernadina, Brian Bixler, and Ross Detwiler were all optioned to Syracuse. Laynce Nix and Matt Stairs will make the team, leaving the final decision of Alex Cora vs. Alberto Gonzalez.

And with that, NationalsProspects.com turns its attention away from spring training and back to the minors, waiting for the four long-season affiliates to start up, which will be…

Syracuse @ Buffalo, 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, April 7
Bowie @ Harrisburg, 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 7
Hagerstown @ Rome, 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 7
Lynchburg @ Potomac, 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 8

Roster information is likely to be embargoed until next week, but I’ll try my best to secure something as soon as possible.

Nats Win Streak Stopped With 6-4 Loss

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  4 Responses »
Mar 272011
 

Brian Broderick pitched to five batters in the seventh and all five came in to score as the Marlins took advantage of an error to down the Nats 6-4 and stop Washington’s five-game win streak.

While only three of the runs were earned, the Rule 5 pick’s ERA ballooned from 0.61 to 2.45 after surrendering four hits in five batters, including a bases-clearing triple. Ryan Zimmerman committed the error on a muffed sacrifice bunt, denying a ST win to Ross Detwiler (5IP 5H 1ER 0BB 2K).

Danny Espinosa‘s snapped his two-game hitless streak by going 1-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout. He also stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch.

Wilson Ramos got the start behind the plate and went 1-for-4 and was unsuccessful in throwing out the lone basestealing attempt against the DC battery.

Jesus Valdez was the only other prospect to play, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout and played the last four innings on defense as the right fielder, catching three flyballs.

The loss drops Washington to 15-13 for the spring, with two chances left to clinch a first-ever winning Spring Training record since moving to DC six years ago. With the regular season starting on Thursday, LHP Tom Milone draws the starting assignment tomorrow against the Braves tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m.

Nationals Trade Nyjer Morgan For Cutter Dykstra

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  8 Responses »
Mar 272011
 

For the second straight day, the Nats have made a trade to pick up a minor-leaguer, with the Milwaukee Brewers dealing Cutter Dykstra for CF Nyjer Morgan.

Unlike yesterday, Dykstra is a younger and more promising player. As a 21-year-old, he posted a .312/.416/.411 line with 27 SBs in 35 attempts at Low-A Wisconsin in 2010. Here’s what the estimable John Sickels had to say about the Grade-C prospect:

After a poor 2009, Cutter Dykstra needed a good year in ’10 to prove that he wasn’t just a bloodline draft pick… [and] got that [by] posting a +15 percent OPS. He didn’t show much power, but he made contact, drew walks and annoyed people on the bases. I expect this to continue at higher levels, but at what position?

Sickels goes on to note that he’s likely to shift away from the infield to the outfield, citing his 20+ errors at his last two positions (2B in ’09, 3B in ’10) as well as his lack of power. Outfield, however, is where he played in 2008, making four errors in 33 games for a .933 fielding percentage and a range factor of just 1.7 (all three CFs in Vermont, for example, were 2+ in 2010, as were Eury Perez and Chris Curran).

At 5′ 11″ and 180 lbs, Dykstra is slightly bigger than his famous father, who played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies for 12 seasons from 1985 to 1996, but has been (to put it gently) controversial in his post-baseball career.

Given the talented outfielders expected to be placed on the Potomac roster, as well as the infielders Steve, the 2008 draft pick is probably more likely to begin the 2011 campaign at Hagerstown, perhaps to learn left field.

UPDATE
During his in-game interview during today’s Nationals radio broadcast, Rizzo mentioned that he felt like Dykstra may be moved back to second base. This, of course, would most likely mean that Jeff Kobernus would be staying put at Hagerstown if he indeed does start the season at Potomac. Reminder: GMs often talk in generalities regarding the minors and there are multiple possibilities that can be inferred from such a statement.

Fifth Straight Win Clinches .500 or Better Spring

 News and Notes, Uncategorized  5 Responses »
Mar 262011
 

Five pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Nats blanked the Astros 10-0 for their fifth straight win. With three games to go, and a 15-12 record, the Nats will finish at .500 or better in Grapefruit League play since 2005.

Livan Hernandez pitched the first four innings and allowed one hit while walking one and striking out one. Collin Balester followed with two innings with one hit given up, while Tyler Clippard, Todd Coffey and Sean Burnett each pitched a 1-2-3 inning to finish the game out.

Danny Espinosa went 0-for-4, lowering his ST average to .281 while Wilson Ramos got a pinch-hit to raise his to .349 for the spring.

Prospect Roundup…

…Tyler Moore went 1-for-2 with a run scored and played the last five innings on defense at first base.

…Josh Johnson went 0-for-1 and played the last three innings on defense at second base.

…Jhonatan Solano went 0-for-1 and caught the last two innings.

The Nationals return to Viera tomorrow to host the Marlins for the final Sunday of Spring Training. Ross Detwiler is expected to get the start, as John Lannan will once again pitch versus the minor-leaguers rather than give Florida batters a “free look.”  The game will be broadcast on 106.7 WJFK.

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