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2015 Spring Training Thoughts

Pitchers and catchers report next week, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re like Tampa Bay pitcher’s Kirby Yates’s bulldog* — ready to go, but not all that excited.
* Well, maybe not; the guy lives in Lihue, Hawaii.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m talking about the prospect perspective. Fans of the big club have every reason to be thrilled because the Nationals are World Series contenders.

Sure, there are worries about things like health (Jayson Werth), adjusting to a new position (Ryan Zimmerman), fears of regression (Tanner Roark), an uninspiring bench (Kevin Frandsen), etc., but we’ve seen time and time again that the current GM and manager will give preference to the veteran over the younger player.

Of course, I’d love to be wrong. It would be exciting to see Michael Taylor in right field to cover for Werth if he’s not ready by Opening Day or Matt Grace becoming the third lefty out of the ‘pen. But it’s more realistic to expect Nate McLouth or Frandsen in the case of the former and Xavier “Carry On” Cedeno in the case of the latter.

In fact, there’s arguably more drama about where next year’s spring training will be or perhaps how that will affect the GCL in the future (lots of angles there; not surprised no one has written that story yet, given that’s it not a done deal yet).

The lack of a prospect angle does, however, dovetail nicely with my change in direction for the site. For the last three springs, I’ve been writing less and stopping coverage sooner than the year before. That’s obviously going to continue.

I’ll still use it to get back into the rhythm and flow of writing more often than I have been, but the new focus will learning what I can do in the time I now have available, then figuring out how to approach the regular season.

24 Commments

  1. What, you’re not excited about Cutter getting a non-roster invite to the big camp? Truth be told, the invite for Cutter says a lot about how thin the Nats are with middle infielders in the upper levels, hence the recent trades.

    It’s the last chance for T-Mo, Cedeno, and Leon, who are all out of options. All at one time or another appeared to have decent futures. While it may not be Skole’s “last chance,” he’s getting close to now or never this season.

    As for the lower levels, I can’t remember a collective more exciting group ticketed for Potomac. Since Stras and Harper skipped the Pfitz and Rendon didn’t stick around long, I hope we get longer looks at Giolito, Lopez, Difo, Turner, Ward, Kieboom, et al.

    1. KW,
      Thanks for that reminder about what an excellent crop of prospects Potomac has. Don’t know if I’ll make it to Viera this year. The time is there. The money isn’t yet given my own creative prospects. If anybody’s interested in splitting a room down there or allowing me to go room for rent (I know there’s at least one reader from down there) let me know as I’m interested in going as this year, unlike last year, looks like a heavy year for me that I’d like to spend following the Nats that I knew make one last fling at the whole shebang. I’m tempted to stick around the DMV and hang out in the grandstands more this year while focusing on my business opportunities. There’s always the Pfitz and the Muni for sustenance when the big clubs is on road trips. More importantly, I’d like to stay in the DMV, and I’m trying to move out of the District proper for the exurbs that are almost affordable and still have entrepreneurial opportunities.
      What are you commenters fandom time commitments going to be like this year? Just following this website? Going to a lot of minors games? Road trips over the summer? Very curious. My fantasy basketball league is finally getting together after I think ten years at the end of this month. It would be a lot of fun to find some random night during the season and have a get together where we could celebrate our blogfather and thank him for keeping this site going and being a real service to us. Alternatively, we could clown him for being a season ticket holder at one of the worst minor league stadiums in America and aiding and abetting the P-Nats’ abuse of good baseball fans’ hearts and rear ends!

    2. KW & SD bring up a great point.
      It’s not like the PNats haven’t been winning big the last couple of years, but what an exciting crop coming in……
      Giolito, Rey Lopez, Ward, Difo, & Kieboon. WOW!!
      The Nats are even talking like they’re sure enough of the playing conditions to let their studs play. I’m stoked.

      1. Mark L,
        It’s a great crop for sure, but I’d be prepared to catch them, especially Giolito, early. Why should Rizzo let him marinate in the Carolina League this year? People say he’s got Jose Fernandez talent. I can see Rizzo going Strasburg cautious with him following Tommy John, but is he really going to be that challenged by high A? Got to believe they want to spend at least half of his innings limit at AA this year and prove that he’s a rotation piece for 2016 once they likely lose Zimmermann. Other commenters can speculate on who lasts how long better than I can as I haven’t really focused on looking at the whole system yet, and I tend to focus on players closer to DC since I am more of an upper minors than lower minors guy. I’m Eastern League and AA, and I’m increasingly likely to try to learn all of the AA and AAA rosters than focus on learning our entire system at this point as my time, like Luke’s, gets focused more on work. Good news is that writing music and sports is a goal for my work so I expect that I may be more active rather than less active this year, but I just may be a little harder to corral and stay on task as my blasted editor has gone himself a fulltime job or some nonsense. What’s up with that?

      2. More than those, there’s Bostick, Bautista, and Turner eventually. Harrisburg looks to be much, much better as well.

        1. I’m curious about where Bostick slots into the system. He’s already had a successful season at A+. The speculation seems to be that Renda and Perez will move to Harrisburg. Perhaps Bostick starts the season at 2B at Potomac with Difo at SS, then the Nats will make decisions for reshuffling when Turner arrives. However, Bostick seems to have more MLB potential than Renda, so perhaps Bostick goes to Harrisburg and Renda stays at Potomac. All in all, it’s a good “problem” to have.

  2. What with thin draft pool cap and scherzer worth
    The number one . I beg this question : would we
    Be happy with 2 b jose Fernandez and maybe
    A lefty swinging 1b Cuban who just defected ?
    Or us defection a string word in the new Caribbean
    Order ?
    The Cutter invite spells Chiefs across his spring assignment ! ??

    1. Jeff what are you referring to on this 1B defection? Why does #nats15 need a lefty swinging 1B unless they’re going to move Zimmerman to left some anyways and spell Harper, Span or hopefully #cultofbeard named #playoffsFAIL Werth who I hope was struggling due to injury not age. They need to treat Werth like one of these Tommy John guys and rest him a lot this year, methinks, and I hope that extends him through the three very expensive years that we have left on that deal.

  3. It’s funny how we seemed to stop hearing about “potentially dangerous” playing conditions at the Pfitz right about the time the P-Nats got the new stadium deal. Luke can speak to this much better than I can, but considering the guys who have rehabbed there the last couple of years – Harper, Werth, Zimmerman, Ramos, Gio – I don’t think the Nats have any concerns about the field.

    For those of you who haven’t been to the Pfitz in Woodbridge before but are curious about the all-star team assembling there for 2015, here’s the deal: it’s clean, it’s safe. It’s not RFK, crumbling around you. Just don’t expect much in the way of amenities. If you’ve been to some of those minor-league parks that are like mini MLB stadiums, this isn’t it. This is like a high school stadium with a few seat-backs in the reserved sections. If you’re going for the baseball, it’s fine. You can see well and have good proximity to the players. They’ll build the luxury stadium soon, but I fear they’ll double the ticket prices and parking when they do!

    If you’re curious enough to read this site, and you live in the DMV area, you really owe it to yourself to plan to make it out to Woodbridge to see the club this year.

    1. KW, I’ll believe it when I see it about a new stadium for the P-Nats. They’ve gotten the field together enough so that they’ll rehab big leaguers there and it’s regulation baseball again, but there’s still a bit of an embarassment for the organization when you compare and contrast the Pfitzner with Grove Stadium in Frederick. Grove’s got great seats and a great environment and great access of the highway and great access to the players. I hate the Pfitz so much that I’d rather support Angelos indirectly and have a good stadium experience. Minor league baseball ain’t the movies, if they raise the prices but so much, you can always start watching the ping or the local wood bat summer college leagues like the Ripken Senior League. They know that. They might raise the prices of the concessions, but minor league baseball is a pretty cookie cutter local thing at this point, it’s like building a roller rink, bowling alley, or setting up one of my favorite little karaoke spots; you find the right market and build baseball at Wal-Mart prices on the backs of interns and underpaid employees hoping to be like Dave Jageler and get promoted to the dream job of The Show. Maybe it would be a little pricier in the Northern Virginia, but it’s not going to be but so expensive. Luke, I’d be interested in your agree or disagree on this comment in between your hectic schedule. While I’ve got the time, I need to be a bit more diligent following #nats15 and #BABYnats and #natsTUNES (virtually screaming out the twitter hashtags which are the real me these days) and helping to share what I learn with the awesome community that makes up this fine site.

      1. Agree for the most part. Much of what makes the Pfitz expensive relative to other teams/sites at its level is its proximity to the DC area. That’s simple economics. Most minor-league teams are in much smaller markets (like Frederick) where they indeed are competing against other forms of entertainment: ten-pin bowling (real bowling is candlepin), movies, mini-golf, etc. This fact is stressed in sports marketing, along with the reminder that you can sell anything but winning — the experience should always be your focus.

        As KW points out, the Pfitz is no frills. But when it was built (1984), it was state of the art. Most teams played on glorified HS fields — and some, like closest team to me when I was growing up actual high school fields. If you’re there to see baseball, you don’t much care about the lack of amenities. One exception: waitstaff. You’d be surprised how uncommon that feature is elsewhere.

        Which, of course, is what I enjoy about going away to see other parks — BTW, I **finally** got around to adding in the 2014 Road destinations that I hadn’t been before (except for Lancaster; pics just weren’t very good) on the “Road Trips” tab above: Tennessee, Nashville, and Mahoning Valley. There are little differences that are enjoyable, particularly at the lowest levels… different foods, promotions, and sometimes, just the focus on the game itself where they don’t feel the need to blast music constantly.

        1. Luke, that link is very nostalgic for me. I remember taking my kids to see the Hagerstown Suns in the late 70’s when they were a AA franchise. Things were nowhere near as bad as your photo shows, but it was spartan.
          Compare that to our AA stadium in Harrisburg — Unbelievable difference.
          Hagerstown can’t even support a Low A franchise now.

          1. Mark L, I really feel this is a massively important year for Hagerstown, and I’m far more interested in supporting the Suns than the P-Nats in person (although I’ll likely hit both and may hit Potomac more due to ease of access without a car). This is the year ownership will actually pretend that it wants to be in Hagerstown and try to woo the fans back. Promotions plus a winner plus engaged ownership will inspire or not inspire the Suns fans. I had a great conversation with some Suns fans talking about Bryce Harper’s maturity level while he was there at the game that I attended in Harrisburg where Taylor hit three home runs (one of which I sadly missed buying a ticket). I have hope for Hagerstown, but it will always be tough to build a fan base in a city in which the manufacturing economy is crumbling and prisons are now a big business. Governor Hogan has a major challenge in trying to create some jobs in that area, and I’ll be ending my politics speculation on Hagerstown for the moment with that statement unless prompted to engage by others. Prefer to keep it light on a baseball board.

  4. I did my first pass at figuring out who is going where, and came away impressed again with the crazy pitching depth that the Nationals have in both the rotation and the bullpen. In addition to the Big Five rotation, I think the seven guys in the basic bullpen are pencilled in (Storen, Janssen, Roark, Barrett, Stammen, Thornton, Blevins). Trying to force their way in are Xavier Cedeno, Matt Grace and possibly Sammy Solis from the left side and Erik Davis, Eric Fornatero, Rafael Martin and Heath Bell from the right. I think that Cedeno is the only one out of options, although Bell likely has an opt out in his minor league deal.

    Given that depth, the Nats can start the season with a AAA rotation of Blake Treinen, A.J. Cole, Taylor Jordan, Taylor Hill and Mitch Lively. That’s a helluvan AAA rotation. And a bullpen that fills up nicely with whoever doesn’t make the big league squad. If someone get injured or stumbles early in Nats Town, then starting Cole and Treinen in the rotation gives the Nats the option of using them either as spot starters or out of the bullpen.

    As I see it the AA rotation starts out as Felipe Rivero, Joe Ross, Austin Voth, John Simms and possibly Solis. Good, but the real excitement will be at Potomac (A+): Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Nick Pivetta, Dakota Bacus, and possibly Matthew Spann. It’s been a few years since I’ve fought my way down I-95 to Potomac, but I may have to do that to see that rotation and a lineup that likely includes Severino, Kieboom, Ward, Bautista and Ballou.

    1. I’ve never been down to the Pfitz. Is it worth it, or should I catch the P-Nats when they’re playing the Keys at Harry Grove Stadium (I live in MD)? I’m also wondering whether it’d be better to go see the P-Nats on a day when Giolito is pitching or go on a day when another prospect (possibly Lopez) is pitching since I’d really like to get Giolito’s autograph, but I’d also like to see him pitch, so I’m not sure. Ideally I’ll be able to go see them play multiple times, but I’m not sure of my summer plans yet.

      1. The autograph seekers at the Pfitz seem to have good success. There is a gate area right by the home dugout so you can walk up right beside it. The stands are right by the bullpen along the RF line. As with anywhere, come early, as the ushers clear people out of the area by the bullpen near game time.

        As both Luke and I have noted above, if you’re coming for the baseball, and don’t mind metal bleachers, the Pfitz is fine. It’s not run down or anything. It’s just no-frills.

      2. I’ll let the autograph hounds speak to the finer details, but one thing I’ve learned is that if you’re after a starting pitcher’s signature, you’re going to have better luck on the days they don’t pitch, i.e. when they’re charting. Personally, if I lived in MD, I’d try to see those guys at the Grove rather than brave the traffic.

        1. Totally with you on the catch them at the Grove thing, Luke. Much better drive, especially on the weekend days. Had a great time watching them play the Keys with one of my favorite students on a mentoring and bonding trip in which he became a lifetime fan of Elijah Dukes, who was rehabbing at the time, when Dukes was friendly to him. What a shame what happened to that guy and those he adversely affected when he wasn’t in good spirits on the baseball field.

          1. I try to get out to a couple of Keys games a year, out of convenience and wanting to watch baseball, but I’m much more of a fan of the Nationals/Nationals farm, so I don’t really follow the team or players. I’ve never gotten autographs there, but I have seen where the middle-aged men with binders stand, so I hope I can get some autographs (might help that I’m not a middle-aged man). The past couple of years, I’ve really wanted a ball, but I’m in my late teens, so I’m too old to get a ball thrown to me, and when I was younger I didn’t really care about getting a ball or autographs and preferred the merry-go-round. Where’s the best place for a foul ball?

  6. This is great info on the minors roster. This year I am going to catch my first minors game, as my son just turned 8 and I think he can handle a whole game without going completely crazy on me. I am a Loudoun county guy, so either the Pfitz or the Grove are manageable. I would definitely like to see Giolito and Lopez in person.

    Do you guys know the California League well enough to guess which other teams are expected to have the better prospects? Would love to catch a couple of other high profile guys too.

    1. Wally, for an 8 year old, a minors game is so much more fun than a major league game. There’s always stuff going on to keep the crowd engaged and the kids get to run the bases after the game. He’ll love it. I’ll defer to Luke as to which stadiums are more kid-friendly, but for the price you just can’t go wrong.

      SD, this looks like it could be Hagerstown’s last shot. They were bought more time with the collapse of the Fredericksburg project, mostly due to the Suns owners, but the attendance numbers there have been abysmal for awhile.

      When I lived in Frederick County, Md. way back when, the 2 choices were Hagerstown & Baltimore. My kids vastly preferred Hagerstown; the players would come up and talk to them and that is huge when you’re 7-12 years old.

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