In terms of the time left in camp, this is roughly a week earlier than a year ago, when I made the similar call. But this is a smaller, more settled camp than a year ago, when there were multiple rookies looking to break camp (Espinosa, Ramos, Broderick).
It was apparent going in, and now it’s obvious it’s time to step back and wait for the minors to start up. I think I might have signaled this last week, too.
Unfortunately, the next true news item that I know is coming is finding out who’s been released. Some of the cuts have already happened; I just don’t know who yet and would prefer for folks to not speculate or comment on what you’ve heard until the news is official. In-season is one thing, but this is a little different because there are no stats, game reports, or any other clues for players’ friends and family to go by.
For the newbies, one of the features that I do in May is to comb the rosters of the independent leagues as they start up and pass along the ex-Nats that I see. It’s a bit of an indulgence since I cut my teeth as a fan/blogger/rabble-rouser on the indy brand of the game, but I know some of you appreciate it because it is a tribute of sorts to “our guys.”
Until then, I’ll be watching and waiting, much like I do in January and February, on the lookout for minors-oriented news. I don’t expect the roster announcements to begin for another week, so things may slow down a bit the next few days. Please be patient and check back.