Good, Bad, Interesting – Vol. 18
Our weekly look at the leaders, trailers, and outliers in the Washington Nationals minor leagues.
SYRACUSE CHIEFS 62-65, 5th place I.L. North, 9 games behind
Good | Zach Duke 1WP in 151⅔ IP (OK, 14 wins, I.L. pitcher of the week, yada yada yada) |
Bad | Mark Teahen .186/.259/.255 since All-Star break (28G) |
Interesting | Christian Garcia 20⅓ scoreless innings (3 of 5 IR-S) |
HARRISBURG SENATORS 56-68, 5th place E.L. West, 17½ games behind
Good | Ryan Tatusko 0-1, 0.84ERA in August (4 appearances, 10⅔ IP) |
Bad | Tim Pahuta .177/.235/.367 since All Star game |
Interesting | Jonny Tucker .162/.279/.162 in 14G |
POTOMAC NATIONALS 23-30, 4th place C.L. North Division, 4½ games behind (54-69 overall)
Good | Francisco Soriano .370/.458/.510 since C.L. All-Star break (35G) |
Bad | Rob Gilliam 0-1, 5.75ERA, 1.57WHIP in first four C.L. starts |
Interesting | Since Freitas trade: 23-y.o. Erick Fernandez, 4G; 29-y.o. Jeff Howell, 8G |
HAGERSTOWN SUNS 29-23, 1st place Sally League North Divison, ½ game ahead (71-50 overall)
Good | Greg Holt 1-0, 2.00 ERA in August (4 appearances) |
Bad | Angel Montilla .167/.167/.222 in August (10G) |
Interesting | Brian Rauh 1.13WHIP, 4.56ERA |
AUBURN DOUBLEDAYS 32-24, 1st place Pinckney Division, N.Y.-Penn League, 3 games ahead
Good | Blake Monar 2.68ERA, 1.35WHIP, 42K in 43⅔IP (9 GS) |
Bad | Carlos Lopez 9E, 39K in 34G |
Interesting | Shawn Pleffner .472SLG, 14 doubles in 36G |
GCL NATIONALS 24-28, 3rd Place GCL East, 7½ games behind
Good | Matt Foat .336/.413/.393 in 37G |
Bad | Andy Santana 1-4, 6.46ERA, 1.56WHIP |
Interesting | Gilberto Mendez 1.05WHIP, 9.5K/9IP |
DSL NATIONALS 36-27, T2nd Place Boca Chica South Division, 7½ games behind
Good | 20-y.o. Wander Suero 3.00 BB/9IP | |
Bad | 17-y.o. Wester Suarez .523OPS | |
Interesting | 18 y.o. Osvaldo Abreu 27BB, 22SB in 52G |
Any predictions on September call-ups yet?
Perez, Garcia, Rivero, Leon, Brown, Lannan. Duke, Maya, Marrero and MacDougal seem like longshots given that Rizzo can’t bear to cut bait on
MockWang.Bad luck for Duke in that had he put up those kind of numbers in most of our previous seasons, he’d be the No. 3 starter in DC by now. 🙂
You don’t think they’d call up Maya even though he’s on the 40-man?
I agree with your frustration regarding Rizzo not cutting bait with Wang, though he has earned the benefit of the doubt. (Rizzo, not Wang.)
Any chance the team moves Matt Purke to the 60-day to create 40-man roster spot for Christian Garcia or Zach Duke?
Personally, seeing Garcia finally pitch vs MLB hitters is the one potential call-up I am most interested in. There would need to be a corresponding roster move as you wrote, and the one you mentioned is a possibility. Getting both Garcia and Duke up in Sept would seem to be a real long shot. Unless Rizzo were to finally cut the strings to Wang, whose contract is up at the end of the year anyway (I think).
No. It’s pretty clear they want Lannan to start instead of Maya, as they’ve passed him over twice. It’s possible that he’d get called up to be an extra arm in the bullpen, but one would think that the harder throwing Perry would get that assignment first.
As other have noted, this year is different for callups; they’re not auditions, they’re extra bodies for the pennant race.
I think Maya may get a shot in September as a mop up guy, especially in any garbage games they may have after (hope! hope!) they win the division.
BTW, one thing I’ve learned from reading GBI every week is that there is a big difference in interesting that is good and interesting that is bad!
I keep seeing Duke’s numbers and although I know he was a bust in Pittsburgh, he’s certainly been more reliable than Lannan for Syracuse. Its just that he’s not on the 40 Man roster.
I figure the Nats are hoping they could build up Maya enough to trade him for a prospect to someone who is pitching poor.
I was thinking the same thing. Lannan’s two wins in spot starts likely sealed the decision as to who the Nats are going to use when SS get shutdown, but the fact is that Zach Duke has been better than Jon Lannan this year, and Duke has been particularly effective in his last 4 starts:
29 IP 23 H 3 BB 21Ks 1.55 ERA (3-0)
They aren’t paying Duke $5 million. That’s the difference.
Well, that and the convenience of not having to make a roster move for Lannan.
When the Nationals activated Ian Desmond this afternoon, they created a spot on the 25-man roster by DFAing Cesar Izturis, a move that also creates a spot on the 40-man roster that could go to, well, anyone but I hope goes to Duke or Garcia.
They say if he isnt claimed, they will bring back Izturis Sept. 1. I think Wang will be cut to make room for Garcia, Purke could be transfered to the 60 day DL for Duke