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Catching Up On Transactions (UPDATED)

Too many moves to put in today’s Daily News & Notes, so…

SYRACUSE
• Xavier Paul has opted out of his contract.
• RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx has been returned to Syracuse from the Harrisburg Senators
• OF Jesus Valdez promoted from Harrisburg
• SS Manny Mayorson promoted from Harrisburg
• C Jeff Howell placed on the 7-Day DL

HARRISBURG
• OF J.R. Higley assigned from Auburn
• IF Jose Lozada activated from DL
• C Sandy Leon optioned from Washington
• C Devin Ivany placed on 7-Day DL

HAGERSTOWN
• RHP Richie Mirowski promoted from Auburn
• LHP Josh Smoker placed on 7-Day DL
• C Sam Palace assigned from Potomac
• C Cole Leonida placed on 7-Day DL

GCL NATIONALS
• C Michael Albaladejo, a NDFA from Florida Atlantic, signed and sent to the GCL. Yes, he is related to former National farmhand Jonathan Albaladejo (second cousin).

DSL NATIONALS
• RHP Felix Moscat released
• RHP Andeson Martinez released

If any more moves are made in the next 10-12 hours, look for this space to be updated. The move of Mayorson to Syracuse is most likely related to this.

UPDATE: A couple moves made in Hagerstown

UPDATE #2: Some shuffling of catchers, releases in the DSL.

13 Commments

  1. Excellent to read about the Albaladejo signing. Develop him well, and then trade him for another Tyler Clippard.

    +1/2St.

  2. I’m not surprised at all about Paul’s decision to opt out. He had absolutely no chance of making the majors with the Nats. On the LH OF depth chart, he was at least 6th in line.

    1. Harper
    2. Ankiel
    3. Bernadina
    4. Tracy
    5. Brown
    6. Teahen/Paul

    On top of that, management has prioritized RH batters to the detriment of better performing lefties (even with better platoon splits against LHPs). See Xavier Nady and Mark DeRosa.

    There would have had to have been some sort of outrageous turn of events for Paul to even get close to Washington. Given his success in Syracuse, I wouldn’t be surprised to see if he immediately gets a shot with a club like the Dodgers, who are already quite familiar with him. At the very least some club with a dearth of LH bats and a clearer path to the majors will certainly snatch him up.

    1. Tracy is not an outfielder per se’. You’re missing someone. Replace Tracy with Erik Komatsu. Plus, as Sensfan mentions there is also Chris Rahl.

  3. Also, if Michael can have anywhere the same success with the Nats that Johnathan had, then I think we’ll all be quite pleased.

    Are there any failed-starter-turned-all-star-reliever prospects out that?

  4. Could Teahan’s impending fatherhood have been the reason he didn’t opt out when everyone thought he would. It makes sense.

    1. Probably. He may also believe that he’s first in line to replace DeRosa if/when the club realizes he’s an instinctually challenged canine.

        1. As in “a dog that won’t hunt.” Based on this afternoon’s performance in RF, maybe it’s not diminished effort, but diminished skills.

  5. Promoting Valdez to AAA over the more deserving Rahl makes no sense! Rahl has outperformed Valdez in every category. This really calls into question the integrity of the decisions being made.

    1. You’re not looking at from the correct perspective. It is a testament to Rahl that Nats management prefers and wants to see him as an everyday player as opposed to a bench backup. Valdez will backup starters Corey Brown and Erik Komatsu and Xavier Paul plus Teahen is out there when he isn’t playing in the infield.

      With Teahen opting out perhaps they’ll promote Rahl? However, that would leave Harrisburg bereft of offense unless corresponding promotions ensue from Potomac.

  6. Paul is the one who has opted out and become a free agent. Rahl should play every day in AAA. In 2010 while in the Diamondbacks organization he hit .291 while with Reno in the PCL in his first season of AAA. He also outperformed Komatsu while both played in Harrisburg.

  7. I hope Josh Smoker didn’t spend much of his $1M signing bonus from 2007, because I don’t see him making much money in baseball beyond that. It seems like another message for Lucas Giolito. There is no guarantee that you continue to shine above your peers as you all develop over the next several years, so take the $2.8M dangled in front of you, and give it your best shot.

    Is there any real reason to think that a high school player will develop better as a player in college than in the minor leagues? Is there possibly an advantage to keep learning against lesser competition?

    +1/2St.

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