Transaction Update
The Lobaton trade aside, it’s been a pretty quite month for minor-league transactions, but let’s get caught up anyway. Since the end of January, the Nats have signed the following players to minor-league contracts:
- C Koyie Hill
- RHP Luis Ayala
- RHP Josh Roenicke
- 2B Drew Rossi
Hill spent part of 2012 with Syracuse, batting .163 in 31 games before getting released in early August. The almost-35-y.o. was also invited to Spring Training and remains in camp as one of several catchers perhaps now vying for the backup spot with the Chiefs or Senators.
Ayala returns to Washington after pitching for the Mets, Twins, Marlins, Orioles and Braves from 2009 to 2013, spending all of 2010 in the minors. He was also invited to Spring Training and reportedly has the delusion impression he’ll make the club.
Roenicke has twice been waived in the past three seasons by Toronto and Colorado, spending all of 2013 with Minnesota where he went 3-1 with a save and line of 4.35/4.64/1.60 in 63 appearances. The 31-y.o. Maryland native is married to Nikki Desmond, sister of Ian, and is also in camp as a non-roster invitee.
Rossi is a non-drafted free agent with one season of professional experience, batting an even .300 over 20 games in 2011 as a 22-y.o. with Washington (PA) in the Frontier League. The now-25-y.o., who twice cut from Can-Am League teams in 2012 and 2013, is the son of veteran scout Phil Rossi.
Nobody. And I mean nobody writes of Luis Ayala like this without consequences. You’re treading on thin ice here young man.
I’m not sure how implying that a 36-y.o. competing against players who are younger, throw harder, and won’t require a 40-man move has little chance would be offensive to a reasonable Nats fan. I’m not alone in this opinion.
Yeah, pretty much everything I’ve written so far has been sarcastic so far. I wish Ayala well in everything. Maybe I’ll even take a pic with him down at spring training.
I agree with Luke (and you it looks like) that Ayala is a longshot, with all of the alternatives the Nats have for those last BP slots, but interestingly enough (in terms of timing, given this exchange), Kilgore posted an early guess that he thinks Ayala makes the team. His logic was partially based on the fact that Ayala doesn’t have options (has an opt-out) while most of the others are controllable. If Mattheus’ latest injury is serious, perhaps there also could be another opening on the 40-man.
And I tweeted back at Kilgore as soon as I read the article that I didn’t think Ayala would make it. @souldrummer25
Unless he’s left-handed and throws mid nineties like UVA grad Sean Doolittle (just developed a new slider y’all! Why couldn’t Rizzo get HIM!) I don’t see how he doesn’t get sent to Syracuse.
I would agree with Souldrummer; beware of VooDoo Dolls with your likeness. If you have any unexplained sharp pains immediately leave the country.
Nice synopsis by the way
Ayala don’t need no stinking VooDoo Dolls. His fastball is pure fire!!! Faster than Strasburg’s. More poinpoint than Zimmermann’s. More stinkin’ sink than Fister’s!!!
Ayala does have the advantage that there is no World Baseball Classic to injure him this year.
We should be saving the sarcasm for Josh Roenecke
Son of the guy involved in the Birds/ Expo trade
Of years ago
Maybe marrying a star’s sister helps more than recent
Track record??
I see you haven’t ready Dan-O Kolko’s latest on how Clay Hensley landed with the Nats? Really interesting and eye opening.
It seems sTeViE saw him pitching in a gym in Carlsbad CA nigh onto San Diego and in part founded by my great uncle Domenico. Of course Domenico didn’t use that name but I digress …Stras liked “the way the ball was coming out of his hand” and texted his Dad to mention it to Boone. Stras’s Dad apparently talked to Boone all the time. StrasSire used the old-school and called friend Boone. Very quickly before Hensley leaves he gets a call from guess who?
Luke, I noticed that you earmarked a Latin kid named Gilberto Martinez for Auburn.
Has his play in camp earned that ear marking:::..question mark out on this keyboard
Too bad we don’t have a Martini to go along with Drew Rossi ( R:R or S;R)
I picked Gilberto Mendez for Potomac, but that’s based on his season for Hagerstown last summer. Picking the Auburn roster requires rather outsized orbs, iykwim, given its prototypical composition of draft picks that nobody knows yet.