Karns, Rendon & Skole Among Next Round Of Cuts
This morning the Nationals announced the second major cutdown, sending seven guys to the backfields, including top prospects Nathan Karns, Anthony Rendon, and Matt Skole. Also sent packing: Eury Perez, Sandy Leon, Pat McCoy, and Will Rhymes.
Officially, Perez was optioned to AAA Syracuse, Leon and Rendon were optioned to AA Harrisburg, while the rest were reassigned to minor-league camp.
Karns was an unsurprising cut, especially considering his recent leg injury. After an impressive two-inning stint against the Mets on February 25 struggled in his next two appearances — both versus the St. Louis Cardinals — including seven runs in 2/3rds of an inning last Friday.
While perhaps some folks may have thought Rendon’s torrid spring thus far (.375BA, 4HR, 11RBI) may have earned him more time with “the big boys,” manager Davey Johnson has been consistent in his stance that all the 22-year-old Texan needs is “some reps.”
There is, of course, nothing to prevent Washington from reassigning Rendon to Syracuse later this month. Wherever he does end up starting the season, Rendon is expected to split time playing 3B and SS and will occasionally play at 2B, Johnson told reporters this morning.
Finally, Matt Skole, who spent less than a month at a High-A Potomac after obliterating the South Atlantic League for most of 2012, is probably not going back to Woodbridge next month; not after leading the Nationals with seven walks drawn in 14 games for an impressive .406 OBP.
As predicted earlier this week, the trio of Carlos Rivero, Corey Brown, and Chris Marrero were kept in the major-league camp, which now stands at 42 players
Thought there was a chance Rendon goes to Syracuse. Who’s ahead of him at Syracuse?
Rivero, who’s out of options, and Mike “Don’t Call Me George” Costanzo, who’s a roster-filler. In other words, not really anybody.
Lets not forget karns last two appearances where with injury.
This WBC has opened PT for numerous kids in the Davey way of seeing kids do their reps
Skole to City Isle. Watch out EL and Reading! Skole will do to reading pitching staff what Reading fans like to do to the junk heap painted Harrisburg outside their stadium!!! Lol!
will rhymes had a pretty decent spring. .318 avg, .400 against righties. where’s he headed?
Syracuse
thanks. you know why they didn’t say syracuse, instead said minor league ….. i thought he did better than lombardozzi and they would keep rhymes and send lombard’i down to syracuse so lombar’i could play every day. your take?
More common to simply reassign a guy to the minors camp than to specify the affiliate, which I believe is only required when there’s an option.
Rhymes was signed as an inventory, not to replace Lombardozzi, who’s done nothing to “lose” his job as the utilityman off the bench.
It’s frustrating for fans, but spring training stats are about as meaningful as Justin Bieber lyrics.
Baseball-reference has done something about that (the stats, not the lyrics) by introducing a stat called “Opposition Quality,” which basically weights the ABs and IPs against level of the previous year’s pitchers/hitters. Rhymes, for example, had an OppQ score of 8.1 = AA while Lomabardozzi has faced a higher score of 8.5 = AA/AAA (10 is MLB, 9 is AAA, 8 is AA, 7 is A+, etc.)
he did great for detroit 3 years ago. hit over .300. but next yr with tigers was bust, as was last w tampa bay. i thought he was getting confidence back. who knew he was hitting lesser pitching in later innings. well, it’s a long season. maybe he’ll still get a chance, do well at syracuse. or lombardozzi tires of bench. btw, rhymes friend of family, thus the avid interest.