NationalsProspects.com

News and Notes on the Nationals Minors since 2009

All Quiet on the Minor-League Front


Sorry, nothing new to report. We haven’t gone dark — there’s just very little to report… unless you get worked up over the Nats signing a 31-y.o. RHP (Scott CopelAAAAnd) to fill out the Fresno rotation or re-signing a longtime backup C (Jake Lowery), both of which were reported by BA over the weekend in a post covering three weeks of “action.”

I’ve finished a couple of more pages on the Watchlist but I’m finding myself not confident to wait for the 2019 books and MLB Pipeline, which is making it a slower go than usual. If the past is indeed prologue, something will break soon now that I’m written a post primarily designed to assure folks the site’s still operating.

Nationals Name 2019 Farm Managers, Coaches

Yesterday, the Nationals announced its 2019 managers and coaches for 2019: Affiliate Manager Pitching Coach Hitting Coach Fresno Randy Knorr Brad Holman Brian Daubach Harrisburg Matthew LeCroy Michael Tejera Brian Rupp Potomac Tripp Keister Sam Narron Luis Ordaz Hagerstown Patrick Anderson Mac Jenkins Amaury Garcia Auburn Ralph “Rocket” Wheeler Franklin Bravo Mark Harris GCL Mario …

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Plugging Away at the Watchlist

Plugging AwayNo, the site has not gone dark – things are just really, really slow. Like Las Vegas stadium construction progress slow.

As the headline says, I’ve begun writing the player reports for the 2019 Watchlist and have finished a few pages. Mainly, though, I’m posting just to update the site and get a 2019 post in as we begin the first full week of work since before the holidays (assuming you’re not a government employee or a contractor).

Until next time…

Ten Stories for 2018

It’s been a few years since I did a post like this, but with things slower than Manny Machado racing Manny Ramirez, I figured I’d bring this back to keep the site going. Admittedly, there is a Potomac bias here – it’s home base for this site (for one more season) and was one of …

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The 2019 NationalsProspects.com Watchlist

I think the “WKRP to Cincinnati” trade is it for 2018, which means it’s safe to put the finishing touches on the 2019 Watchlist. It feels like this was one of the most difficult to assemble—despite a LOT of help in the comments—but I also have to keep reminding myself that every time I think …

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Happy Holidays

It’s Christmas Eve for many, Eggnog Day for others, and December 24 for most. Whatever your creed, I hope that by the time you read this, you’ll be as happy as my bulldog taking his morning nap.

I also wish that you’ve arrived at where you wanted to go and done all you needed to do for the celebration of your chosen holiday (and if your holiday has come and gone, enjoy the time off from work, if you’re able).

Stay safe, be grateful, and spend time with those you love and who love you. And if you can spare something to those without – no matter if it’s food, drink, time, or money – please do.

FanGraphs Releases Top 22 Nats List

In the old world order, this would have been a post about John Sickels’s take on the Nationals prospects, who has become a free agent after Vox Media pulled the plug on him, no doubt because he refused to rely on vacuous maps or endless quotes of Tweets, but time hurries on (and the leaves …

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Nats Send PTBNL to Indians

The player to be named later with the Nats-Indians trade has been identified as Andruw Monasterio, a.k.a. the player the Nats got when they traded raging homophobe infielder Daniel Murphy to the Cubs this past August.

As noted in the comments, this may render the latter trade as essentially giving away Murphy. It’s not clear if/when Chicago and Washington completed their trade, which at the time (Aug. 21), was reported to be Monasterio and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Occam’s Razor suggests it was indeed cash, which is far less satisfying, but par for the course with Rizzo’s July-August trades of late, where the Nats GM has been more Napoleon than Jefferson.

The NationalProspects.com Top 10 Pitchers

If you’re wondering why Mike Rizzo is on the hunt for more starting pitching, this list ought to be a clue. Simply put: Just one of these 10 is age-appropriate-to-the-level and has had a modicum of success as a starter. And since Sterling Sharp doesn’t throw 95 and isn’t lefthanded… Please hold while I pass …

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