Nats Trade Detwiler For Pair of Rangers
Guess it wouldn’t be December without a trade by the Nationals.
Multiple online sources are reporting that the Washington Nationals have traded LHP Ross Detwiler to the Texas Rangers for a pair of minor-leaguers, 2B Chris Bostick and RHP Abel de los Santos.
Bostick is a (*spoiler alert*) former Oakland A’s farmhand who has now been traded twice in two offseasons, going to Texas last year as part of the Choice-for-Gentry swap. He spent 2014 in the Carolina League with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans where he posted a line of .251/.322/.412 with 11HR and 62RBI, but alas, 116 whiffs in 130 games.
Defensively, he’s considered a project despite being a former shortstop, committing 55 errors 305 games at 2B, though scouts believe his range is decent and his arm strength adequate. As Sickels pointed out in his most recent prospect book, this is hardly unusual for someone his age (turns 22 in March). Between Wilmer Difo and Tony Renda, the most logical deductions are that Bostick may be forced to repeat High-A or change positions for 2015.
De Los Santos is a 22-y.o. Dominican just finishing up his fifth professional season. The 6’2″, 180-lb “northpaw” converted to relief in 2013, and has averaged 10.4K/9IP the past two seasons with 113K in 97⅔ IP. Scouting reports are scarce as he was not profiled by either Sickels or Baseball American in their 2014 editions (it also doesn’t help that Texas has a Miguel de Los Santos and Cincinnati has a RHP by the same name, too).
De Los Santos went 5-2 with eight saves in 33 appearances with High-A Myrtle Beach and one would think that the Nationals would like to pair him with Gilberto Mendez in the back end of the Harrisubrg bullpen in 2015.
The first question in the equation is whether Difo is good enough at SS to stay there, or does he need to be at 2B? If he’s at SS, one would think that the Nats would want to keep Ward progressing at 3B at Potomac, leaving Bostick at 2B. That would be a higher profile INF than usual at Potomac, to say nothing of who is going to be on the mound. Bostick probably projects to a higher potential upside than Renda, but Renda seems considerably more polished so probably gets the call at Harrisburg.
And if Difo is
Rhinehartedleapfrogged to Harrisburg as some folks want, whither Stephen Perez? Shifted to 3B? Be an awful waste of range. Ward-Difo-Bostick-Yezzo would be a pretty decent IF, as you’ve noted.A verb never to be forgotten by us seamheads. You’ve been RHINEHARTED!
I’ll say up front that I don’t completely trust these reports considering who they’ve got ranked and how, but this guy from Baseball Prospectus is insistent that Difo profiles as a 2B: http://www.masnsports.com/byron-kerr/2014/11/baseball-prospectus-nats-top-prospects-no-10-wilmer-difo.html. It also seems clear that Bostick has to play 2B. So . . . jump Renda to Syracuse, Difo to Harrisburg, and Bostick at Potomac? I believe that would be a double Rinehart.
Agreed
I’ve always been a fan of Detwiler’s and think he was thrown under the bus by Williams, a bit like Storen was by the organization. When Deit was healthy (which unfortunately was not often enough) he pitched well and not just during the 2012 season. I realize that Det did not rise to the occasion after being ‘demoted’ to the bullpen, but it must have been discouraging to not even been given a chance at starting.
Admittedly, I am not a Matt Williams’s fan. To me he has always seemed intransigent and unimaginative. And I especially did not like the manner in which Deit was treated although I recognize that there would be more than Williams involved in the decision.
Hopefully, for Detwiler’s sake, I hope the Nats will come to regret this move.
I’m glad for Detwiler that he gets this chance; I hope that he makes something of it. I’ve always regarded him as basically a one pitch pitcher, which spells “bullpen” to me. From where I was watching Det did not have an obvious role in DC – not in the rotation, not able/willing/whatever to pitch effectively in relief. I’ve never been a fan of the “he’s struggling in a limited role, let’s promote him” school of coaching. At some point, it’s produce or go home. Or in this case, to Texas.
Maybe I have not been on this site long enough, but the picture accompanying this story is classic Luke! Hilarious!
I think we are looking at a Difo at SS and Bostick at 2B at Potomac to start. Difo won the Boone award this year. That profiles as person with the work ethic to refine himself into a SS if that is what the organization envisions.
Renda to Syracuse? To start? That is a big wow, especially after his fall league performance. It seems safer to allow him to pair with Stephen Perez in Harrisburg and let the four players go a few months into the season ans see who pushes the envelope for a promotion first. I have to admit that I am hopeful for the (perhaps unthinkable) resurrection of Jason Martinson, but it also seems that Wooten and Pleffner are likely fits for Harrisburg as well, which would squeeze Martinson out unless Wooten is ticketed for the OF.
I know Jeff sees Vettleson as bound for AAA, which answers a few questions, but….